Soulbound (Staine x Kitten)

[Staine]

Oscar rolled his eyes as his bodyguard, Gilbert went over the dangers of travelling through the continent of Phirune. "And don't forget to always keep your antidotes and salves at hand if you step into the swamps, nasty little bugs and plants that will poison you in a heartbeat, make you feel all weak and we don't want that in front of outsiders, do we young prince?" Oscar had scoffed at the very notion, he'd been sharpening his weapon as they travelled, the sword he kept behind him at his waist, ornate and gilded the weapon hardly looked as practical as the greatsword his guardian was carrying on his shoulder but there was a lethal weight behind it and the blade was kept honed to a razor's edge. It suited the style of combat Oscar had chosen to train in well, deft and elegant moves which relied more on precision and agility than raw strength though nobody would ever suggest to Oscar that he didn't possess that either. They wouldn't dare. Not quite so young as the title 'young prince' suggested, he'd spent his twenty five years being rather pampered by the King and Queen of Zucia. Spoiled, wanting for nothing and listening to the tales of glory from the adventurers and royal trainers he'd been fortunate enough to learn from had filled his head with a thirst for fame and recognition, a desire to go out and travel the world himself and find his own glory to bring home. It didn't help that the continent seemed to be in a rather long stretch of peace, there had been war as his parents were growing up against the neighbouring kingdom that shared their continent, the savages. A land without the refinement and structure of Zucia as far as he saw it, not that he'd done much research into their customs. The very idea of learning the backwards ways of a people so far beneath him that they might as well be a kingdom of mice and rats repulsed him.

"Bugs and plants, Gilbert? I thought I'd heard it all after you warned me of quicksand and not to eat mushrooms from the wild. Do you think I'm going to be laid down by such things, truly?" Oscar's tone said it all really, the haughtiness behind it was all overconfidence and bravado, as though nothing so insignificant could even slow him down. "Where are the warnings of deadly assassins, of orcs and ogres and dragons, man? This is an adventure, my adventure, I'm not likely to fall to a mosquito in a god forsaken swamp." Looking up at the sky, brushing his silver hair to the side he wondered what it would be that finally make his name known throughout the world, excited to finally get out of the kingdom and travel even if it was in these circumstances. He could recall his parents taking him aside, the excitement he'd felt at hearing he could finally make his name in the world. Peace was all well and good, he knew on some level that it was preferable, his parents always spoke of how happy they were that war with the neighbouring kingdom had ceased so long ago, an uneasy truce but a truce nonetheless, and yet where was he meant to forge his path in that? War brought opportunity, a chance to prove himself and to show that he was everything he thought he was and not just some spoiled upstart who happened to be the child of the current rulers. With his station and title came pride and prestige but who wanted to be the prince that never did anything?

And so they'd told him of an adventure, a right of passage for him to undertake. Travel in search of the Oracle of Phirune, learn what is needed to locate and find an ancient temple and retrieve a lost artefact that needed to be returned to the kingdom. It would be dangerous, but royal blood was needed just to speak to the Oracle, and while he would not be alone he couldn't travel with an entourage. And that was the part that didn't thrill him so much, his companion-to-be. All he knew was that it was going to be one of the savages. He'd argued long and hard about why he had to travel with somebody so far beneath his station, ignoring the look of disappointment in his parent's eyes as he'd raged. Their kingdom, if that was what it was meant to be called, also needed to recover the artifact, and one person alone couldn't do it. He would be travelling with some tribal leader, or their kid or something. He didn't listen to the details, he knew they'd been mentioned but what did he care? They didn't have castles, palaces, they didn't engage in the same kinds of tales of gallantry and poetry, they dressed and lived like animals! The legends all said that his people were descended from the angels, or were warriors of the angels. Humanity and everything that was incredible about it was all in his kingdom, the lands that would all belong to him one day and in theirs? It was rumoured they were the spawn of demons and beasts, inhuman, ugly, foul creatures that didn't care for sanctity or any form of decorum. Why should he care if his traveling companion was a future leader to their people just like he was when they were worlds apart in station?

"Ah, the orcs are the easy part, you'll see em coming more oft than not. Loud buggers they are, and by gods they stink. The bugs, how you gonna fight them with your sword? Too much time in the palace, you're well trained but you've never been out here before, not on you're own." He finished talking just as they came to the clearing, finding an old tree stump that looked sodden from the rain and sitting down on it with a contented sigh. "Never did like walking so far in this armour, heavy you know. Should have learned that fancy swordplay bollocks that you're fond of, young prince, then maybe I wouldn't have to lug all this extra weight around." Oscar snorted softly, he appreciated Gilbert's humour for what it was, he respected the man somewhat even. He was a famed warrior, captain of the royal guard and had been around when there had been real combat to be had. "Think I'll wait here, make sure everything is on the up and up, but when you leave, you and the foreigner are on your own." Pulling a small flask from his pack he threw it at Oscar who caught it deftly. "Whisky, figured you might want something to drink. You have you're supplies I'd wager?" Unscrewing the cap Oscar took a sniff and recoiled, he'd rarely drank alcohol but he stored the flask away anyway. "Yes, I have all my supplies Gilbert, and coin for when we reach the next town. Relax, even if I'm paired with some miserable brute I can take care of myself." Looking up, Gilbert smirked behind his armour. He had no love for their rival kingdom but at least he had read the brief and paid attention, it seemed the prince didn't even know whom he was going to be paired with. "Suit yourself, I'm sure you're right. Well, go on then. Your father said this is your right of passage, you want to prove yourself, get to it."

Turning to face the ruins, Oscar gathered his pack and walked towards them, head held high. Dressed in flowing white and blue silk, gilded, with his strong, masculine features and the silver hair that caught the sunlight, a hallmark of royalty much like the same silver that lived in his eyes, he at least knew he would look a damn sight more impressive and civilised than the barbarian that was about to join him, and the quicker they got this journey over with the better. Once inside, he barely paid attention to his surroundings, it was all crumbling and old anyway, an ancient meeting ground often used when spokesmen for both kingdoms would meet to discuss terms. Too dirty to even sit in, he busied himself by throwing his pack to the ground and taking out his blade, practicing the same skilled arcs and flourishes that he trained in daily.

 

[Kitten]

Quietly, alternating sounds of crunching overflowed into Fara’s ears as she stepped on top of the decaying abundance of discolored leaves, aware that the summer months would soon be at its end to welcome Autumn. Striding alongside the demonic-looking woman was Airex, a gifted guard that was tasked to protect and look over the fledging mage. The duo’s motherland was Phumia, a village within Kysma, that was treated like royalty, in a sense. Being the offspring to the village chief, Fara had a lot of added weight onto her shoulders, not wanting to let her people down and to prove to her people that she could be a leader they’d marvel at. Unfortunately, due to their unusual demonic-like appearance, many would fear their presence, foolishly assuming they were spawns from Satan himself. In fact, they were Oni’s, which were far from being an evil specter; simply put, they were just another distinctive and perishing breed.

“What’s with the long face?” Airex would question as he looked down at the pacing woman, observant of her concerning facial expressions. She appeared to be in deep thought, more than likely spacing out from the anticipation of the adventure that would determine her future. The pair hadn’t talked for a decent chunk of time, causing Fara to break out of her hypnosis the second his lips parted to speak. Tilting her head up at the towering man, she’d simply shrug her shoulders at him before returning her gaze ahead of her.

“I’m not afraid to state that I am uneasy.” She’d respond, pausing briefly before continuing, “It’s not the adventure itself that startles me, but my soon-to-be travel companion. I dislike confrontation. It's childish. How am I supposed to intermingle with someone of nobility that was once a nemesis?” Sighing, the twenty-four-year-old Oni kicked a nearby pebble that laid in her walking path, watching the feeble rock fling away.

“We come from two different worlds, so to speak. Of course, it’s going to take a while to grow accustomed to one another.” The wise Oni reassured the young girl, which only made her scoff, already aware of this fact. “Look. I’m not going to sugar coat it. You two more than likely aren’t going to get along, and there will be a lot of squabbling. Remember to not stoop down to their level, you’ll only give them what they want.” He’d nod to himself, satisfied with his astute pep talk, making Fara shake her head with a giggle, adoring the way he thought so highly of himself.

“Well, it looks like I’m about to see if all of that will hold true.” Fara ceased her feet from any further movement, twirling her head to gaze into Airex’s crimson hues that matched her burgundy ones. “Thank you for your companionship and protection, Airex. Tell mother and father I will not let them down, and I promise to be back as soon as I am able.” With her sweetened farewell, Airex would hand over her traveling baggage to drape against her back, kneeling down to give her a short-lived hug.

“I know you will make your village proud, Fara. Please, take care.” Pulling away from their embrace with a formal bow, he’d pivot around on his boots and stride in the opposite direction, leaving the Oni girl to be by her lonesome. Drawing out a long exhale, Fara would take notice of the ruins in the near distance, the poor ancient meeting ground tattered in debris from years of disuse. It saddened her to see such a sacred place in this state, but then again, it wasn’t used very often, so of course no one would find it worthy to tend to it. Now on her own, she’d take the first of many steps towards her adventure, pacing ahead to meet her duo in the heart of the ruins.

The elongated portion of her white accessory piece that was attached to her hips whipped around chaotically to the oncoming winds traveling to the west, her peachy tresses, being held in a high ponytail, followed in the same direction. Her bronzed skin tone stood out against her apparel, displaying her obvious difference alongside her blood-red horns. Standing before the ruins, she'd weasel her way around fallen pieces of stone to enter into the vacant center, immediately catching a glimpse of snow-white locks atop an unfamiliar head that had his back turned against her.

“Greetings, Prince of Zucia.” She’d announce, unaware if she’d startle him or if he was already aware of her oncoming presence but chose to ignore her until she made the first move. “I’m Fara, daughter of the chief from Phumia within Kysma, but I am probably reciting known information.” Awkwardly, she’d clasp her hands together behind her back and rest them there, not too sure how to conversate with him, and instead anticipated his reaction. Was he just as snobby as she heard?

 

[Staine]

His right of passage. Oscar had never given it much thought, what it meant besides the obvious, proving himself in combat, and yet the way Gilbert had said it as he'd left him there had stuck around in his mind. Was he ready? It was only the sliver of doubt at the moment, slowly building, festering, chased away as he'd practiced the same swings of his blade as he did every day, several times a day even, yet it was there. What if he wasn't good enough, what if he let his kingdom down in front of a representative of their ancient enemies? At least that thought brought a small chuckle from his lips: as if one of the feral savages from that place would be able to look down upon him, on actual, true nobility. From what he'd heard they ought to be in awe of him. All these thoughts and more occupied him as he could picture the route they had to take in his mind. Both kingdoms took up one third of the continent of Phirune, the south-west for Zucia and south-east for Kysma but two thirds did not make a whole, and Phirune had another land far less welcoming than even Phumia was rumoured to be. Jassai. Once, Jassai had been a holy ground where both kingdoms could meet without fear of each other, there were great temples erected in a time of cooperation, of peace, monuments to the gods of both peoples that, as the history books told it, rose almost as high as the mountains. Reading about it in his youth it had always been a place he'd wanted to see for himself, though if he was to be honest it wasn't the temples and artifacts that drew his interests.

No, it was the monsters. They'd started to appear shortly before the wars, it was rumoured that they were the reason why they'd started in the first place. The priest of Zucia had determined that only the demonic, bestial looking people of Kysma had raised the monsters, or were at least some kind of kin to them. The war had begun and both kingdoms had to cede land, slowly retreating south while deserters and outlaws made their home in the more dangerous region that Zucia had decided to name Jassia, abandoning the holy grounds and the relics that remained there. The border had been the temple of the Oracle. In the exact center of the continent nobody alive knew where that particular temple had arisen from, in the center of a great lake without even a pathway to get to the rock it was built on and inside was where it lived. It, because nobody had told him whom the oracle really was, only that he needed to speak to them, that the sacrifice had to be made in order to gain the knowledge needed to find their way through the dangerous lands and recover the lost artifacts...in all honesty, it sounded like a chore to Oscar. He'd much rather have ridden out at the head of a great army to find these artifacts, he didn't understand why they couldn't simply do that and yet here he was, waiting for his so-called 'companion.'

So lost in thought was he that he hadn't heard Fara approach until she had spoken, and he'd flinched at the sound of her voice. Part from being startled and part in surprise...because she didn't sound like what he'd expected. No deep, masculine tones that he associated with what he'd heard, the savage child of some village chief, a great and powerful warrior that had defeated some of the proudest and most able of the knights of Zucia back in the wars. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before turning, only to be surprised for a second time. It wasn't the horns on her head or those demonic looking eyes that caused his own to widen just slightly, caused him to pause before he spoke...it was her beauty. Oh she looked a little like he'd imagined women from this place looked, never having actually seen one, yet she wasn't as muscular, as powerfully built, she didn't look like one imagined an ogre or a troll to look, his own biases had led him to expect something far different from their women, something that would look more like the man he had expected. Caught off guard, he forgot that he was meant to be representing his whole kingdom, not that he'd given a damn about how savages felt about them anyway, and he simply sneered at her.

"And this is what Phumia sends as their champion? Some demon half breed bitch that looks more likely to warm my bed than help fight off our foes? Fantastic, just absolutely perfect." His hand moved down towards his blade, untrusting even if she didn't seem particularly dangerous to him, one corner of his lips lifting upwards as he looked over her outfit. "At least you tried to dress for the occasion, though I never saw much point. The fineries are wasted on your kind, aren't they?" He already needed a drink, uncorking the whiskey Gilbert had given him and taking a quick sip, and pulling out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, handing it over to her with the royal seal of Zucia embedded in wax, sealing the note closed. If she chose to open it, when she chose to open it, the message was short, simple.

"I was told to give you this, from my father, though I'll be shocked if you can read it. You know where we are heading first, don't you? Ten miles north of here, to the Temple of the Oracle. Let's get this over with, the sooner we get there the sooner we can get to some action, win some glory." He already had his things, deciding not to offer her a drink as he had no idea what kind of diseases the savages carried. "My name is Prince Oscar Ragneir, Prince of Zucia but you can call me Sir, Sire or your Lord. I'd rather you didn't sully my name." Oscar had already started to walk towards the northern exit, not bothering to wait up for Fara...looking back, he knew he'd be unable to keep his eyes from betraying his immediate desires and he was determined not to let her see it.

 

[Kitten]

Standing idly, Fara would watch as Oscar swiveled around to face her, their eyes locking for the first time. Her crimson hues peered deeply into his hoary ones, almost matching the snowy tresses atop of his head. His jawline was chiseled with care, his face blemish free and appeared soft to the touch. He seemed well-built underneath his clothing, assuming he worked out or practiced his swordsmanship skills on a regular basis. His handsome features didn’t match the words that flowed out from his mouth like poison, stinging her right in the chest as he already degraded her upon first glance. The Oni widened her eyes in disbelief, appalled that he would show a vicious side of himself right from the very beginning without getting to know her. He hated her for just existing, and it made her heart ache to let her people down with this rough beginning, not having much hope that this adventure will turn out in her favor or for others. Was everyone from Zucia like this? Looks like talk about the Prince being an asshole was true… and then some.

Unmoving, she’d continue to stay voiceless and drink in every insensitive statement he spat at her, his tongue being the gun and his words being the bullets that impaled her. As he approached her to hand over the folded piece of paper, she’d take it from him but snatched it away in irritation, choosing to leave it alone for now but instead glowered at him with resentful eyes as he finished his prissy sentences. Once he brushed passed her to leave the meeting ground, she’d suspensefully keep her motionless stance as she registered everything that was just thrown at her. Her hands curled in tight fists, hearing the paper crunch within her right hand as her knuckles turned white from the strength she exerted.

“Heh, so, it is true.” She’d finally speak aloud despite facing the opposite way, letting out a small chuckle in astonishment before whirling around to pace behind him, eyes locked onto his back with growing animosity. “Looks like the Prince of Asshole Land’s reputation holds true. How delightful!” Sarcastically she’d gleefully say, already tainting his name after requested to keep it spotless, knowing that’ll get under his skin. The lingering scent of the whiskey in his flask could be smelled, her senses being a tab bit stronger and sensitive due to her unique breed. “I don’t appreciate you belittling me without even getting to know me. Your predetermined assumptions say a lot about you.” Her pace would quicken, walking right alongside him before turning her head to give him a vile scowl. Once she felt satisfied with the amount of time she stared him down with that awful expression, she’d turn her head to look ahead of her and walk faster than him, taking the lead to prove a point that she indeed knew where they were heading first.

“If your goal were to represent your kingdom in a positive way, you failed miserably, and I pity you for it. You must have a sad and miserable life to hate someone so deeply upon first glance. No wonder why you’re not betrothed yet.” She’d attempt to hit any soft spot she could on him, wanting him to ache the way he made her. Obviously her last statement could backfire on her, the young girl also not being betrothed. Her conscious begged her to stop being so petty and to not stoop down to his level, already disregarding Airex’s instructions to not do so, but she was uncaring and didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of abusing her kindness. He was not deserving of it, and probably never will be. Her blood boiled within her veins, Fara wondering how he managed to make her so pissed so quickly.

 

[Staine]

It had been satisfying, lashing out at the demon spawn of the kingdom that had always been the enemies of Zucia. Oscar had never experienced the war nor met any of her kind, it was true, but the stories he had heard, tales of war from Gilbert and others around the palace, tales of the powerful, fierce and often bestial warriors from Kysma had left him with the hatred for them that he had now, unfettered anger at a people he had never met or thought about in any light other than as mortal enemies. What the hell were his parents even thinking, why was he meant to go on this stupid quest with one of them? What good could possibly come of this? They should be routing their enemies, burning them from the continent and claiming their land not trying to make peace! He'd seen how she'd looked at him as he'd spoken, snatching away the sealed message, glaring at him as he'd taken out his frustrations on her. He didn't know what he expected, that she would take it and stay silent like one so far beneath him should, perhaps, yet she hadn't. She'd lashed back at him in return, and he was surprised by how much her words affected him as he walked, bristling as she called him the Prince of Asshole Land and he had his own spiteful glare as she walked ahead of him. In Zucia, it was unheard of to walk ahead of your commanding officer, servants walked behind him wherever he went...who the hell did she think she was?

He found his eyes wandering over her form as he sped up in turn to catch up to her, which for reasons completely unknown to him pissed him off even more...to be lusting after the enemy, appreciating the curves that women back home rarely possessed and the willingness to display them so brazenly...no, he wasn't meant to be attracted to her, she was little better than an animal! As he caught up to her he sneered as she insulted him further, trying not to let the barbs dig too deep. "Why would I bother wasting my time trying to teach savages their manners, it was evident from the first sight of you that you wouldn't understand. No better than the monsters in the north...no wonder, I have heard rumours they were spawned in Kysma. Is it true?" Reaching to his back for his bow, he started scanning the surrounding fields for something to shoot so he didn't have to look at her, wishing he'd brought something to shut her the hell up with. "It isn't easy, finding a bride worthy of a prince, not that you'd know. Still..." He smirked, and chanced a glance down to his side at her. "I suppose if you're going to deride me for not being betrothed, you must be, correct? Who's the lucky man?" He snickered cruelly. "Well, I say man, likely a sow, maybe your father's prized horse, is it not? Your kind does prefer to lay with animals, correct?" More laughter at his own joke as they proceeded north towards their destination, guided by the mountains hundreds of miles away.

Looking back to the field there was nothing in sight even as they came closer to a river leading north and they walked along the bank, a refreshing change from the usual sounds, listening to the sound of running water and the amphibians that always seemed to make the most unusual croaking noises. It didn't look deep, but at the very least there was some other scenery and as far as he could tell from his map, it would lead all the way to the lake where the Oracle's temple stood. Ever untrusting, he made a show of standing on the outside, leaving Fara closer to the stream as he looked around and finally spotted something, a pair of birds floating on the surface, not unlike swans though a deep green colouring to them. Taking aim, he moved to stand in front of his companion, blocking her path deliberately before letting loose an arrow. The first came between both birds and he swore under his breath before quickly nocking a second and firing before the startled birds could take off from the water's surface. "Hah, look at that Fara, do they teach you how to shoot where you're from?" He was grinning, exhilarated as he always was after making a shot, skating over the fact that he'd missed the first...they were quite far away and forgetting for just a moment in his excitement that he hated Fara. Looking down at her reminded him, without really thinking about it much at all he did the first thing that came to his mind, regardless of the consequences. He pushed her.

His hand found her shoulder and he shoved. It wasn't terribly hard but it had enough force to likely move her if she wasn't expecting it, and they were quite close to the riverbank. As soon as he'd done it, he'd laughed and tried to cover up that he'd done it out of petty annoyance, definitely behaviour unbefitting a prince...even one as immature as he was proving to be on this journey. "Go on, go fetch, that's how we do it back home. The servants fetch the food and perhaps if you're fortunate, I'll share some of it with you."

 

[Kitten]

Relentlessly Oscar persisted to lash out at her, jabbing anywhere that he could that he considered a soft spot. Fara, on the other hand, rolled her eyes so intensely that they almost got stuck into the back of her head. “Oh wow, how original, I never heard a joke concerning my race before!” Continuing to swiftly walk, her head stayed to gaze at the sight ahead, not wanting to whirl her head around to scowl at him. She was already giving him the satisfaction of retorting back, allowing him to proceed with his insults. Even if she didn’t respond, he’d more than likely continue to spew heartless things to her. “You’re suppose to already know that, Prince Fucktard. Don’t you study about your surrounding lands, or are you too fixated on upping your own reputation?” She’d respond back to his mentioning of the monsters spawning in her homeland, feeling as if she were fighting with a disobedient toddler. If he would act like this to a complete stranger, then she could only wonder how he acted to those he knew. Obviously, his parents must’ve spoon fed his egocentric ass. What a shame.

“Don’t lie. No one wants your bitter and ugly soul.” The urge to turn around and spit in his face grew tremendously, trying her hardest to inhale through her flared nostrils before exhaling from her lips. “Your ignorance is repulsive!” Agitatedly she growled through gritted teeth, “I have more important duties to tend to than be swoon over by a man. Yes, I said it. M A N. Notice how no animals were mentioned?” As her hands swayed as she paced, her grip would tighten again to cause her hands to curl into a tight ball, ready to deck him if she needed to. He did grow quiet for the time being, already being music to her ears. Curiosity got the best of her, wondering what in the hell he was doing. Ceasing her march, she’d pivot around to have Oscar engulfed in her vision, watching as he attempted to show off his “manliness”. What was he trying to prove?

Letting out a single laugh, unable to believe that this man was fit to be crowned King one day, she’d clap her hands to his childlike contests. “Look at you go! If you’re trying to impress me, it’s not working. If you’re trying to belittle me, that is also not working.” Despite not carrying a bow and arrow, she’d lean her torso downwards to have her hands lift her dress-like bottoms to display a dagger hilted on a thigh strap. Gripping ahold of the base sturdily, she’d catch sight of a squirrel at the bottom of a nearby tree, happily nibbling on the seeds that the tree dispersed. Taking her dagger, she’d flip it around like a baton against her fingers before clasping ahold of it again at the base.

Just as quickly as she grabbed it properly, she flung it harshly ahead of her, hearing the blade cut through the opposing winds that attempted to slow it down. The poor critter, unaware of the dangers it would soon face, was struck in the back with the sharpened blade, digging deep enough to cause it to quickly stiffen before lifelessly plopping down on its side with a soft thump. If he was going to show off, she sure as hell would too. “That’s not all I can do.” She’d add on before snapping the fingers of her right hand, eliciting a tiny flame to flail around. Allowing him to see it for a moment, she’d quickly cause it to dissipate, giving him a nasty glare before turning around to retrieve her bloodied weapon.

Not taking into consideration that her back was now facing her enemy, hoping to trust him to some extent, she’d let her guard down. A hand suddenly rested on her shoulder, almost softly, before it applied pressure to throw her off balance and step over her own feet. Fara’s lips parted as she let out a surprised gasp, not prepared to react to this unforeseen attack. Before she realized it, her body was tilting to the left, her hands flailing to steady herself and balance, but it was far too late to recorrect her positioning. The sound of splashes rang in the air, the poor Oni falling on her side into the frigid waters, instantly trembling from the cold. Her clothes hugged onto her tighter, almost in a suction-like way, and if Oscar would look closely, he’d see two pointed shadows on her chest, her nipples instinctively hardening from the temperatures. Gathering herself as quickly as possible to stand firmly back on her feet, she’d use the back of her hand to rub away the water on her soaked face. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t hide her shivers, goosebumps riddling her body in a hurried attempt to warm herself back up. For a moment, it almost looked as if she were about to cry, but that expression quickly shifted to one of pure rage. Not only did he purposely try to hurt her, but he also disrespected her as if she were a collard dog.

It seemed as if her body moved on her own now, uncaring to what would happen next. Stomping her way back up towards the laughing prick, she’d raise her right hand and strike him severely on the cheek, causing his head to turn in the same direction as her hit, her palm stinging from the force she exerted onto his skin. “Don’t you DARE touch me like that, you immature hog! If you want me to show you how feral my kind is, I will gladly live up to your expectations!!!” With one final snarling glare, she’d quickly turn around to jog towards the squirrel. Not wanting to waste what she killed, she took the poor lifeless creature and stored it in a special compartment in her bag. Taking her dagger, she’d pull it out before she placed the critter away, cleaning the crimson liquid off from her blade against the dewy grass. Not saying a single word, or acknowledging him furthermore, she walked forwards, following the stream that will guide her without his help.

 

[Staine]

Like a dog with a bone Oscar couldn't stop himself from taking a gleeful satisfaction from poking and prodding at his poor companion, feeling something akin to pride every time she bit back at him with a comment of her own. He couldn't help it...no matter what her impressions of him were he had been taught to be polite, courteous to others and to represent his family proudly. He'd been given lessons in diplomacy and had spent many nights entertaining guests to the royal palace, sharing food with them, watching one of the many shows put on by some of the most famed actors in all of Zucia, shown them the wonders of the royal library, their menagerie of pets and the rose gardens...he was more than capable of decorum and yet with her it didn't feel like he had to do that. She wasn't of their kingdom, she was an enemy, and all of the lessons in etiquette he followed back home when meeting noblemen and ladies from other families, his people, it had all been thrown aside. He felt no need to pander to what he considered a savage, uncouth sub-human creature such as her even if she was important in her own land. The predjudice...the hate, it ran so deep in him that it brought out a side that would have shocked those who knew him well. "It would be hard to hear one when your entire race is the joke. A twisted, cruel joke upon Phirune, one that should never have been told." His words had moved on from what he thought as comedy now...she lashed back at him, and he wanted to hurt her in kind. "I study what's important to me, Kysma is hardly that." He turned to face her, not caring if she saw his own scowl.

"Hmmph, bitter and ugly, huh? I have nothing to be bitter about, demon spawn. I am the prince, heir to the throne of a noble land. We practice the arts, music, dance, performance, we live in peace in grand structures, palaces and churches, libraries and theatres. You live in the filth, lie with beasts and live in hovels." Her words were starting to hurt more than he'd like, and the worst part was that if he looked back at what he'd said he might even agree with her...he hadn't been kind, but how was he meant to be kind or courteous to one such as her? Like she would understand what he wanted, what he craved. "Fuck you, beast whore. I may not know a thing about your people but why would I care to when you attacked us, when everything I've ever been taught tells of how you raped, pillaged and burned our smaller villages to the ground in your thirst for our lands?" In truth, it wasn't known who had attacked first or even why the wars had started but he did know of the devastation, he'd met people whose families had been torn apart by it, his own grandfather had been a victim of those wars. He sneered as he looked around for things to shoot. "Hah, duties as though you don't get to explore and hunt all day, doing what you please." Another part of his resentment, if he took the time to process it. Oscar spent every day and night with at least one guard following him everywhere he went, he'd never been allowed to leave the city without them, he'd never been able to explore and learn, to hunt on his own, to travel and see the kingdom he would one day inherit, his parents overprotective. He wanted to thrive, to make his own way, he craved it, to him this was the perfect opportunity, his first time travelling so far from home and here was Fara, ruining it with her presence, sucking all the fun from it. Bitter and ugly...well she had one part right.

He'd managed to forget at least for a short while, for a moment as he'd fired his arrows at the birds, he'd felt some elation, excitement and was proud as he'd hit it. If one of the guards were there he would have been praised, they always had a kind word to bolster his confidence when he succeeded, yet he only received a laugh in return this time, watching as the woman beside him pulled out a single dagger. His hand moved down to his sword, gripping the handle as she twirled it, watching for any sign of attack before she threw the knife through the air. Turning his head, it was too fast to follow but he saw the point of impact, saw the squirrel fall on it's side next to the tree and he stared open mouthed...it was impressive...he had to admit that at least. He'd never been trained to throw knives, he knew a few in the kingdom could do so accurately but this...he closed his mouth, looking back round to her. "A savage skill for a savage bitch..." He'd mumbled it, envious, and his eyes had widened as she showed off the flame in her palm, magic! He had met only one mage in his life, they were a rarity in Zucia, and jealousy had captured him again. So he'd shoved her...and watched as she tumbled into the water. At first he'd felt regret, imagining what his parents might say if they learned of what he'd done, shoving the girl into the water in this weather...it wasn't a warm season, there was a chill in the air, he hadn't even laughed as she flailed and picked herself up, shivering, he even had the graces to look away as he saw that the cold water had sent enough of a chill through her to harden her nipples, now clearly visible and stiff through the white fabric she was wearing. Frowning, he'd seen a look flash across her face like she was close to tears and for a moment he forgot who she was, where she was from, and he reached out a hand as though to help her up, though she stood all on her own. "My apologies, I didn't mean to..." The hand was slowly being withdrawn when she slapped him.

The impact was shocking...nobody hit him, nobody. Who would dare, he was the prince? The stinging, throbbing ache of it radiated out from his cheek, his head had been forced to turn from the impact of it and the shock had him speechless as she yelled at him, pure rage in her words before stomping off at a run to collect her prize. He stood there for a moment longer, rubbing his cheek, unable to find the right words to bite back at her. He was of two minds...furious that she had dared to hit him, ashamed of his actions and regretful, having seen how upset she had been...not the anger, but when she had almost cried. He'd never made another feel like that before that he could remember, he was brash, prideful, boastful, he knew his worth as a prince and he was far too overconfident and yet he'd at least managed to not hurt anybody, not even his servants with his words nor his actions before.

He chased after her, it took him a few minutes to catch up and he was busy unclasping his cloak as he jogged. Wearing silks over his fine leather armour, the breastplate and leggings. He was far warmer than he needed to be even in this weather, still he knew to travel with the thick, woollen garment. He didn't ask permission, he knew she was pissed off with him anyway, he was angry enough that he didn't want to really talk to her either, he still held such resentment and anger towards her but the look he'd seen, and the shivering...he wrapped the cloak around her shoulders from behind, letting the clasp fall down onto her chest without reaching past her to actually clasp it, not willing to risk being stabbed before he moved to step beside her. "Wrap it around yourself, keep the wind off you, It's a cold day." There was no insult this time as he sullenly walked beside her, the day already starting to turn dusky as time marched onwards. They'd only made around three, maybe four miles so far. "It's a few miles to go yet, we might want to make camp in an hour or so, we can build a fire, you'll warm up more then."

 

[Kitten]

It felt as if she were the one slapped as well, feeling a strong sting from the boiling blood pressure heightening in her cheeks and ears, her eyes almost burning as tears begged to cascade down. No, she wouldn’t allow that to happen. Oscar already witnessed more than she wanted to show him on their first day together, Fara wishing her magic was strong enough to turn back time to decline this quest. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt despite hearing nasty rumors about him and his Kingdom, but it broke her heart to see just how true those warnings were. She silently hoped that she was the only one suffering through his vulgarity, not wanting anyone else within his Kingdom to be his prey, willingly accepting to be his punching bag. That’s just how deeply Fara valued her duty as next in line, hoping Oscar took his role more seriously without her knowing. She’d do anything for her people if it meant for a promising future, including enduring this hellish situation.

Gritting her teeth unkindly, she’d fight back her rage that was contaminated with desolation as she walked ahead without looking behind her or waiting for him to follow. The lack of noise she’d hear if he were to follow let her know he was either reorganizing himself after her attack or dismissing this entire get-together and swore to venture on his own. It was apparent that Fara had already made up her mind. As she marched ahead, her swaying hands by her sides quickly moved up to hug her chest before rubbing her arms in a heated attempt to warm up a bit. She did have a slightly higher body temperature compared to humans, but that still didn’t mean she couldn’t get cold.

Those keen ears twitched as she heard oncoming footsteps approaching, surprised that he’d actually pursue after her. Still, she paid him no mind as she looked at the stream that would help guide her, anticipating him to toss her back in after her assaulting slap. Fara would step further away from the flowing waters, prepared this time in case he decided to make a break for it… but instead, the softness of his midnight cloak that was still slightly warmed from his body heat draped over her backside. Alarmingly she’d look down to see the clasp lazily resting against her chest, her head quick to turn to give Oscar a confused yet angered glance. If she wasn’t so frosty, she would’ve hurled the prick’s worthless excuse of an apology back at him, but instead she’d stay silent and shuffle her hands with the clasp to secure it against her.

The tone he exerted on her shifted noticeably, Fara not being stupid and knowing he had to of felt bad to some degree. Despite feeling angered still, a sliver of happiness pinched her chest to see that maybe he wasn’t as bad as he let on, but she wouldn’t hold her breath. Time would tell, after all. Gradually the scorching star that shined its radiance onto them throughout the day was beginning to set, the air growing more frigid as well as exhaustion setting in. Fara had nothing to say to him, still lost in her thoughts as she wondered how the rest of their adventure would go if it was already rocky from the start. To be fair, he started it all when all she did was politely introduce herself at the meeting grounds, but it takes two to tango after all. Gingerly, she'd take Oscar's cloak and wrap it around her so it wasn't flailing behind her, uncaring if he noticed her not minding wearing her enemies accessory... it did smell nice, after all...

Without telling Oscar that she deemed their trekking for the night should cease, she’d make a sharp left turn to venture off into the nearby forest. Fara would slither her body into the woodsy terrain, contorting her figure as needed to avoid hitting any branches or anything else that she’d rather not have touch her. In the distance was a perfect circular clearing to set up for the night, Fara quick to already get to work as she tossed her large backpack onto the ground. Still yet, she’d move at her own pace, acting as if Oscar didn’t exist for the time being. Thinking back on his earlier behavior, she’d tell herself that the pompous ass felt as if he could do it all by himself, might as well let him do such since she was such a burden, right? Taking a deep breath out from her lips, she’d attempt to simmer herself down as she rummaged through her now unfastened bag, pulling out the necessities to set up her tent.

It wasn’t the first time she used one, so the setup process went rather smoothly for her despite a few failed attempts of trying to connect some parts together that kept sliding out from the tension of her pull. Taking a few steps backwards, she’d inspect her temporary home and nod in approval. Finally, breaking the silence after deeming enough time passing for her silent treatment towards him, she’d speak up. “I’m going to walk around to get some wood. Do as you wish. No need to waste matches since I can ignite it myself.” And with that, she’d pivot on her heels and walk into the distance, the ever growing darkness beginning to swallow her into the shadows.

 

[Staine]

Oscar remained almost entirely silent as they continued to walk, even after Fara had wrapped the cloak around herself. When he'd first thrown it over her shoulders he had half expected her to throw it off, even as cold as she clearly was it was something he would have done and her behaviour had indicated she would, moving further from the stream and practically glaring at him even after he'd given it to her but she showed a surprising amount of intelligence and kept hold of it. While he was surprised by how fine her clothing actually was, considering she came from such a savage, uncouth land that can't have had many fine artisans, it did at least show she was capable of recognising quality when she saw it. He wasn't wrong about the wind either, it was starting to pick up as the sun slowly withdrew and he found himself thankful for the leather he wore beneath his silks now that he was cloak-less, though he also found himself rather annoyed that she didn't even thank him for it. The fact that she was only cold because of what he had done was already a lost thought as he ruminated on how ungrateful she was being.

As night had fallen so had the temperature, and it wasn't only Fara that needed that fire as Oscar had started to shiver on occasion, doing his best to hide it, unwilling to appear weak in front of whom he considered the enemy. She took a sharp turn to the side and pausing for a few moments he considered calling out to her to ask where she was going before silently following in a huff, having to pick up his pace to keep up until they came to the clearing. Seeing her take her pack off he followed suit, unpacking what had to be his tent; Oscar had been taught many things back at the palace as he'd grown up. Manners, swordplay, diplomacy, archery...he'd learned how to read and write and to interpret poetry and he even knew more than one language. On his own he'd learned how to flirt and how to touch a woman, how to say the right thing to comfort them and when to say nothing at all. He'd learned how to track and how to skin, he'd learned some very basic cooking and a little about the more modern medicine and yet not once had anybody thought to teach him how to set up his tent. He stared at the pieces for several minutes, the fabric, the rods, the stakes and the mallet that had been packed away before he started trying to put it up. Some of it was intuitive, he clearly needed to anchor it with the stakes but he couldn't get it just right, every time he thought he had it, it fell over or collapsed onto itself and he swore. "For fuck's sake what kind of sadistic asshole designed this thing, why won't it stay up??" A glance over told him that Fara was managing far better, and that just angered him further as he watched it collapse for a fifth time. Kicking the crumpled mess, he started looking through his pack for something to eat instead when she started to speak.

"Sure, just don't go getting yourself eaten by a wolf out there, be careful." He almost left it at that, though he of course couldn't let her think for one moment he was worried about her. "I made a promise to try and keep you alive, I really don't want this to fail just because you had to go for a walk. Don't know why I'm even concerned, not like the animals would want to eat you anyway..." He watched her leave as he pulled some jerky out of his pack and started to chew on it, finding the flask Gilbert had left him too. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of the forest and the plains, crickets chirping, wolves howling, owls hooting as they watched from the trees. As much as he'd wanted to see the world he was already beginning to hate nature. Another half an hour was spent trying to erect his tent before he gave up and pulled the fabric around himself to help fight off the cold, regretting he hadn't even asked for his cloak back.

Half an hour of miserable chewing and hearing the terrifying sounds of the great outdoors passed, and Oscar at least managed to light a very small fire with the little fuel he had brought with him though it was starting to run out fast. Completely wrapped up in what was supposed to be his tent he started to lay down by it, weapons beside him instead of on his belt so he could get more comfortable, and he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the animal sounds and listening out for Fara's return. He was at odds...he just wanted to sleep but he didn't want to fall asleep without her at their makeshift camp, he felt it would be a bad idea in the middle of nowhere where anybody or a wild animal could attack, yet he was growing more tired by the second, the cold definitely wasn't helping and his tiny fire wasn't nearly warm enough, flickering in the wind and unlikely to last much longer as he tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable.

 

[Kitten]

It was hard to not roll her eyes as she departed with Oscar’s comments lingering in her head. “Who does he think he is?!” She’d mutter under her breath as she felt puffs of saturated air leave her lips, the temperatures quickly dropping faster than she’d like. The sounds of wildlife didn’t intimidate her in the slightest, Fara being used to the sounds that encircled them. Trying to work in a hurry, she’d use her night vision to scope out any worthy logs, branches, or twigs that could be used to kindle a fire. She’d crouch down and pick up each piece as she placed them in her arms, wanting to get a decent amount before venturing back to their campsite. While she was alone, she reflected on when Oscar tossed over his cape onto her shoulders, Fara looking down at it again to admire the tailoring and taking note of how warm it kept her. She felt guilty for a brief moment for taking something of his, but quickly she changed her mind once she was reminded of how callous he was acting towards her. She deserved it for what he had done. With gritted teeth she would fling around in a circle to stride back to the site.

A flickering flame could be seen once she got close enough towards the campsite but didn’t see Oscar around or a second tent lingering around. Raising a worried brow, she’d quicken her pace and jog back to the circular clearing in a hurry. When she got in close proximity, she could see what would be a tent resting on the cold ground, Oscar laying on it as well as draping it over his apparently frigid body. Fara couldn’t help herself but shake her head, wondering how someone could be so stubborn enough to not ask for help or swallow down their pride to admit their faults. Standing in front of the sad excuse that would be his makeshift fire, she’d drop her findings onto the ground, the clattering sounds of wood hitting each other echoing around. “I told you to not waste any matches.” She’d talk in a low tone as her fingers played with the clasp of his cape around her neck, unfastening it to let it fall off from her. Of course, she’d catch it before it would ever hit the ground. Pacing over to him she would crouch down to his level and place it overtop of him.

“Thank you for letting me use this.” Gently she’d say, giving him the thanks she should’ve back when he first let her have it… but it still didn’t change the ache she felt in her chest from him pushing her without a true reasoning asides from petty rivalry. “But please, if you are cold yourself, you don’t have to give me it out of pity. I know you don’t like me, so no sense in pretending.” Rising back to her feet, she returned back to the wood that was just dropped, grabbing some pieces and tossing it into the small fire that Oscar tried to make. With a flick of her wrist, a vibrant ball of whispy fire sprouted from her fingertips, the heat already being greater than the fire beneath her. With a small jolt of her hand she would let the fiery orb fall into the wood, a larger burst of the combined fire instantly emerging before settling down to a comfortable pace and warmth.

Pressing her hands together she would slide them against each other to rid of the remnants of wood and soil on her palms, her eyes peering down at Oscar who was on the opposite side of the fire from her. “Please step aside so I can put your tent up, and don’t fight me about it, just move.” She demanded instead of asking. If he didn’t comply she would nudge him out of the way enough – not hurting him or hard enough for him to fall -- to quickly secure his tent, but if he did comply she would silently kneel down and tinker with the flattened fabric as she connected the frame to it piece-by-piece. Just like her own tent she was rather quick at setting it up, Fara stepping backwards a few steps to examine her work before nodding in acceptance. “There. Home sweet home.” And with that, she wouldn't say another word and would walk back to the opposite side of the fire and dig into her backpack, pulling out the deceased squirrel as well as one of her knives. To spare him the sights, she would begin to skin it as her back was turned to him, the sounds of muscle, tendon, and skin from shredding it off from the cadaver rung out, Fara unsure if he could hear it too.

 

[Staine]

Stubbornness. Pride. Resentment. A number of things had left Oscar where he was now, shivering beneath the failed attempts at erecting his own tent, beside the pitiful fire he had created with the few things he had managed to gather together from nearby to make it. He was cold, miserable, regretting giving that creature his cloak to wear yet knowing it had been the right thing, that he had no other choice but to do so. He'd thought it would be so easy and yet here he was, praying silently that it wouldn't rain as he pulled the fabric tighter over himself, grateful at least for the leather he wore beneath the silks keeping him from being even more miserable than he already was. If he could just get past that foolish pride then maybe he would have been able to ask for help, he'd watched Fara erect her own tent and while she had fumbled a little it had been mostly a simple endeavour for her, she had managed it so quickly that he had been convinced of it's ease, only to fail at every step. He was royalty, he had been trained in so many things and yet not a single one of his instructors had deemed it necessary to teach him this most basic of skills. So wrapped up in his own misery was he that he didn't hear her approach until she spoke to him, and he didn't react until moments later when she draped his own cloak over him. Instinctively he pulled it tight over his shoulders, wrapping it around himself. He was well mannered enough that he should have said thank you, he knew that, but there was that pride and stubbornness again. He stayed silent as a wave of heat rushed over him as she did something to improve his meagre fire.

Oscar would have been content with just that, he could have fallen asleep but he heard her ask him to move. No...not ask, she pretty much demanded he move, and then tried to enforce it by nudging him and the words slipped out before he could control himself. "Don't touch me! I'm quite capable of moving on my own." They were spat with venom, a soft growl as he climbed to his feet and stepped back to allow her to fix the mess he had made. With the firelight flickering as it was he found it difficult not to look over her body again...a cruel irony that this beastly creature, a product of demons and monsters if rumours were to be believed, seemed to have the kind of features that he found the most attractive in a woman, the most perfect curves, a complexion that was so unusual for his people and yet so striking to his eyes, a body that he couldn't stop himself from admiring...no. He wouldn't allow himself to enjoy the view, wouldn't allow himself to appreciate her appearance when she was little more than a savage herself. It was beneath him to even contemplate such things so even as he stepped closer his eyes were fixated instead on what she was doing, taking in and memorising exactly how she was putting up the tent. The next time they camped, Oscar was determined that he wouldn't need to rely on her. Transfixed by the skill in which she worked, he stepped closer till he was just a few inches behind her, and when she was done and stepped back...she bumped into him, he had to steady himself to stop himself from falling as he stumbled, reaching out to grab her shoulder. "Watch where you're going damn it..." He released her as quickly as he had grabbed her. "I would have been fine without your help...but you did an adequate job. Thank you."

The words were mumbled as she stepped away, and soon he could hear the sounds of her butchering her catch from earlier, sounds he had heard often as he had at least been trained in this, though he was quite sure that his servants had packed him food that was ready to cook. Feeling hungry at the thought, he found himself walking over to where she was preparing her food, sitting near her on the same side of the fire as he pulled his cloak from around his shoulders and very carefully folded it up, clearly taking great care, it was after all something he treasured, and placing it down beside her.

"It's yours. In my kingdom, when we wrong somebody, we make amends. I didn't mean for you to fall into the stream, it was a brisk day and while you're correct, I do not like you or your people...I'm not as callous as you think I am. I did you wrong, the cloak is yours now." He couldn't even look at her as he said it, afraid his eyes would be drawn to her curves again, that he couldn't control the growing desire for her body from colouring his thoughts and blissfully ignorant that his thoughts were already biased towards her in a much different, more insidious way. Years of deeply ingrained hatred of her people and what they represented making his every action and word towards her far more unkind than they should be. Reaching into his own pack, he pulled free some of the things that had been packed for him, finding salted meat ready to be cooked and cutting it into smaller pieces, skewering it on the iron spikes that had been provided for him and placing them over the fire to cook. Alongside those he found wrapped bread and cheese that he should eat sooner rather than later and placed them down in front of him alongside Gilbert's flask, still half filled with whiskey and finally, a package he hadn't expected.

It was wrapped in wax-covered paper for freshness, the soft, powdered sweets that were a delicacy in his homeland, his favourites, and written on the paper was a simple note. For you and your companion to share on your journey. It was his mother's handwriting. A feeling of shame descended on him as he thought of her and his father. Both of them had such hopes for peace between the two opposing kingdoms and neither had ever had a bad word to say about the land of Kysma. All of his negative feelings had come from tales heard from soldiers and those who had trained him, and written reports from the war, storied he had gorged himself on. His parents, the king and queen, they had wanted nothing more than peace, and he was here to represent them but he couldn't find his way out of this veil of hatred. He still despised Fara just for being her, felt she was beneath him. Taking one of the sweets, he popped it into his mouth, the burst of sweet orange flavour making him groan softly as he held the package out to her, note still visible. "Take one. They are my favourite, a delicacy...we call them Zucian Delight." Even now his tone was less than friendly, tinted with annoyance at his own realisation that he wasn't exactly the shining example his parents had hoped he would be. Laying the package of sweets down between them both, he took a sip of the flask Gilbert had given him and sighed softly, holding that out too. "Whiskey. It's made from fermented grains, it's alcohol. I don't know if your kind has anything like it. Try it." For the first time since making camp he turned to face her, he still had a scowl, he couldn't hide that he resented her and what she represented but he was trying. It wasn't enough, he knew that, but it was something.

 

[Kitten]

Attempting to mind her own business, she couldn’t help but concentrate on the sounds of Oscar shifting and moving around. He was getting noticeably close to her, Fara still continuing with her butchering but was very attentive to the echoes of his movements – not wanting to be a victim of another callous plan of his. To her surprise, she’d find him sitting down alongside her in the corner of her eye, the dumbfounded Oni turning her head to look at him with a puzzled facial expression yet remained voiceless. The same cloak that warmed her earlier was now resting besides her, the girl now gravely perplexed. Listening to his reasoning for doing so, she’d simply nod but felt inclined to decline his generous offer – but instead she remained silent for the time being and accept his version of a peace offering. He was trying at least, no sense in smothering him with more negativity to make their journey even more shitty.

Returning her attention onto her kill, she would find her eyes drifting occasionally to notice what he was doing. The iron spikes that he placed the meat onto caused her to bite at her tongue, wanting to tell him that carrying around that added weight was pointless – nothing that a simple stick couldn’t do. Instead, she’d let him carry on with his high-and-mighty way of life as she finished up the final details to the carcass within her hands. Doing just as she thought Oscar should be, she’d take a thickened stick and gruesomely shove it down the squirrel’s neck to make it stay put to cook over the fire. Shifting to now face the fire, she’d allow the meat to cook above the roaring flames, trying her best to leave him be.

When Fara ventured off to meet Oscar for the first time, she was hopeful and confident that she could get along with her kingdom’s eternal nemesis – wanting to break the cycle and mend the wounds of the past to finally come together. Oscar chipped away any hope she had towards that goal, quickly growing aware that he wanted nothing to do with her or their quest. It broke her heart, truthfully, to know that she was hated by her paired counterpart. Was she really that bad of a person in his eyes, even though she tried to show him nothing but kindness and respect before he got nasty with her?

Drenched in her own thoughts, she jolted once she heard him groan out from eating his beloved treats, Fara growing concerned as she quickly swiveled her head to make sure all was well. Her attention quickly fell onto the package with the note still attached. As he explained to her what those delicacies were, she promptly zipped her eyes over the handwritten note from his mother. She was unsure who wrote it, but it warmed her heart to know that someone from his side thought of her to some degree. His tone, though, didn’t sound as warm-hearted as the note did, Fara scoffing under her breath before turning her head back towards her meal.

“I’ll pass for now.” Irritably she replied, but instantly felt a shock of regret in her stomach for acting just as callous as him – the girl quick to backtrack and explain why she wouldn’t accept his offering. “My hands are stained with grime from skinning the squirrel. Let me clean them later and I will. Thank you.” As she sat, she’d bring her knees up towards her chest before resting her chin on her knees with a loud sigh, her right hand still extended to have her meat hover over the fire. Fara still couldn’t help but want to talk to him and get to know him and his people more – wanting to be the bigger person and try to win him with kindness – but it only pissed her off to no end to hear his judgmental comment on not knowing what alcohol was. Better yet, “her kind.”

“Y’know, Oscar.” She’d say in a strained tone, resting her stick up against a log to have it hang over the fire on its own as she finally turned her body to face him. Despite just telling him that she wouldn’t take a dessert due to her stained hands, she’d snatch the flask from his grasp and bring it close to her. Unlike the Zucian Delights, this was a flask that could easily be washed – having something sweet with remnants of innards and blood didn’t sound appealing in the slightest. “It is more than insulting to hear you judge me and my people constantly.” She’d snap at him, her crimson hues having the reflection of the fire within them. “I don’t know what my people did to you for you to hold such a strong resentment to us, but this has got to end.” Pressing the opening of the flask to her lips – the potent scent already stinging her nose – she’d tilt her head back and take three hearty gulps of the blazing whiskey. Placing her head back down and recoiling the flask from her lips, she’d hand it back to him, making a minor disgusted expression due to the taste. “Yes. I know what booze is. In fact, I know a lot of things you think I don’t. We’re not that different aside from Race. I just wish you could see that.” Her voice sounded slightly strained, be it on the verge of wanting to cry or her anger overpowering her. Taking her palms, she’d press them against the soil before hoisting herself back up to her feet, being careful to not knock over anything.

Using some of her drinking water she would pour it onto her hands to clean them before gripping onto the stick. She’d bring it towards her and take off her barely cooked meal, wrapping it in a nearby cloth, before pacing over to her tent. Bending down, she’d grab at the cloak to show that she still appreciated his apology even if her current actions begged to differ. “I lost my appetite. Sleep well.” She steadily said to him. Luckily, it would be cold enough throughout the night to keep her kill from rotting. Taking some comfortable clothes from her bag, she would slither into her tent for the night, quick to close the flaps to conceal herself from the night – leaving the prince to himself to reflect on her words. Fara looked ahead at her makeshift bed, her teeth gritting together as she breathed through her nose heavily in an attempt to calm down. As she recollected her thoughts she would change into the new set of clothes; a baggy grey cotton shirt and grey saggy cotton pants to match. Nestling into the covers, she’d lay on her right side, her eyes looking at the cloak he had given her before closing her lids to try and drift to sleep.

 

[Staine]

Oscar was indeed trying, though after all they had been through in just a short day he was well aware that mending bridges would be difficult, if that was what he wanted to do at all and he couldn't be sure that he did. Just the way she looked at him as he placed down his cloak and sat beside her seemed judgemental, because of course she would hold a grudge after what he had done. He tried his best to ignore the disdainful looks as he prepared his food, unaware of what she was thinking as he skewered the meat and put it over the fire, watching her do the same with her catch but using wood. Wood, as though it wasn't going to burn! If she'd asked maybe he would have let her use some of the spare skewers he had with him but she hadn't, and he had let it go and offered her the food he'd brought only to have it turned away. It seemed to him that even trying to make peace was beyond her people, back home a peace offering would be seen for what it was and accepted as such if only to keep fights from breaking out, a symbol of mutual understanding, though as she spoke the reasoning did make sense. He placed the package down between them. "I see. Later, then, once your hands are clean. It's good, I'm sure you'll like them."

Awkward, that's what this was, and he cursed himself for the bright idea of coming over to her, especially when he offered her the drink. Listening to her as she took his flask and drank from it, he could feel his hackles rising again as she assumed the worst of his statement, taking the flask back from her, feeling the grime left on it from her grisly task. "Fara...I get it, I was less than kind to you, but what makes you think that's what I was inferring?" Silence might be better till morning and he was well aware he didn't deserve her acceptance but damn it he had been trying. "I didn't say I think you don't have alcohol, I said I didn't know, how the hell would I? I know nothing of your country but how you fight and how you look, I was trying to find common ground, I was giving you the chance to educate me." He rose to his feet as she did so that he could meet her eye to eye before she left, the sweets and the flask left by the fire. "Yeah yeah, whatever. You don't like me, I don't like you but at least I tried. Remember that next time you wonder why I'm so hostile. I started this the wrong way, but I'm not the one being judgemental now." She was already on her way to her tent as she spoke, taking his cloak with her and leaving him to pick up his flask and make it back to his own tent. Inside it was warmer, aided by the furs he had brought with him and while sleep evaded him for a while, eventually he managed to drift off.

In the morning, it took him a few moments to recognise his surroundings and remember the previous night, a scowl on his face as he exited the tent, looking around. "Fara?" His voice was low, and when he didn't get an answer he shrugged and took the time to change out of the clothes he had slept in for warmth and grabbing fresh garb, black and gold silks to wear over his leather. Slipping on the trousers, baggy and flowing he grabbed his sword, practicing the same swings he did every morning. The style he used seemed to flow, looking wasteful as he span gracefully with the weighted sword, leaping into the air to flip around and bring it down quickly, letting the momentum carry him but that was the entire point, it looked too flashy to be useful but it was a technique trained by some of the greatest swordmasters of Zucia, the flowing movements meant to disorient and confuse enemies trying to read them while allowing the weight of the blade to bring lethal force with precision and Oscar tried to practice every morning. It was half an hour before he had worked up a sweat, his chest bare in morning cold and stretching, with Fara still not showing her face, he left his knew matching shirt aside as he moved towards the nearby stream just over a small hill from their campsite to wash the last nights clothes as best he could without a washboard. Wringing them out, the whole thing took maybe an hour and he wasn't completely satisfied in it, laughing to himself about the idiocy of bringing silks when he should have brought warmer, sturdier woollen clothes. Walking back to the camp he could hear noises and started moving at a brisk jog, cresting the hill to see four men moving towards the camp. He started moving faster, getting there in time to move between them, more importantly to get between them and their things.

"Greetings! I didn't expect to run into travellers here, where are you coming from?" His tone was jovial, he had a smile on his lips while inwardly he was cursing their bad fortune. Oscar was no fool, he knew that there was only one other town near here and it wasn't in the direction they had been coming from, and by the look of them and the way they had been aggressively moving towards the camp he was sure they were bandits. Even if they weren't, he was travelling with Fara...and she was from Kysma, she was a...what were they called? He couldn't remember the race of her people but it didn't matter...even if he could convince the bandits to move on peacefully if they saw her horns there was going to be trouble, or if they learned he was their prince...bandits were often vile men, rapists and murderers who would take great pleasure in taking him and ransoming him back to his parents, and what they would do to his companion didn't bear thinking about, even if he wasn't thrilled to be with her he wouldn't wish it on anybody.

"Ya know, just from around. Here and there." The largest of them, perhaps the leader, had stepped closer, a grin on his face while the other three remained behind him, smirking. Oscar hated the looks they were giving him already. "Just harmless wanderers, that's all." The brutish man gestured looked around at their packs on the floor, at the remains of the campfire and the cooked meat that was no doubt freezing cold by now. "Looks like we aren't the only ones, wouldn't be alone here, would ya?" Oscar laughed and shook his head, his hand near enough to his blade to not be threatening but he couldn't take his eyes off the huge sword the man had on his back, nor the smiles that didn't quite reach any of their eyes. "Alone? For now, yeah, my companions left to scout the area to the west, they should be back any moment, all five of them." Cursing himself inwardly for not putting on his armour yet this wasn't going well, the best he could do was make them move on, make them feel threatened. "Mercenaries from the wars, we're here looking for beasts that have been terrorising the villagers."

He almost thought the bandits might believe him and his bluff, maybe they were as stupid as they looked...till their leader stepped closer and they started fanning out to circle him. "Mercenaries eh? From the wars? That's real scary that is, but where are the rest of your tents?" The man had started to draw his blade, a huge claymore. "I only see gear for two of ya, maybe three. What are ya trying to hide eh?"

Fuck. His hand was on the pommel of his blade now, he was backing off and moving towards the side, trying to guide them away from his companions tent for the moment, and he kicked aside his pack, the jangling of metal cups and pots he had brought with him loud, hopefully loud enough to grab her attention without having to call her name.

 

[Kitten]

After everything that had happened between the two of them, Fara surprisingly drifted off to sleep rather quickly. The exhaustion from the day – be it by traveling, using up her energy to warm herself up from her unpredicted dip in the stream, or arguing with Oscar – got to her more than she realized. It was warm and cozy within the depths of her blankets, lulling her into a deep slumber that would be uninterrupted… that was until an obnoxious noise that sounded like pots clattering together resounded in the stale morning air, forcing her groggy eyes to open in instant irritation. There was no need to be so damn loud so early in the morning! Huffing out a large breath of pure annoyance, Fara would unkindly grip at her covers to fling them off from her figure. She was uncaring to the fact that she was still in her sleepwear, wanting to give the inconsiderate prick a piece of her mind.

For now, she had no idea that a group of men would be lingering out in the open of their campsite, having not heard any other sounds asides from the chiming pots. Her hands extended outwards, ruthlessly pulling apart the entryway to her tent, her mouth opening even before she exited. “God damn it, Oscar! What the hell are you do-“ Her lips were still parted mid-sentence, her crimson hues broadening to the unexpecting sight of the four-man group. They all seemed to be fixated on Oscar until she made her appearance, each one of their heads swiveling to take a gander at the Oni. A concoction of emotions rang inside of her… she felt ashamed for being such a bitch so soon without understanding what was going on first. Guilt ate at her for leaving him by his lonesome as he tried to figure out how to dispatch the group on his own. Anyone with eyes could see that these men were up to no good, the aura instantly shifting into an eerie one.

Knowing better, Fara always carried her dagger that was contained on the strap that hugged her right thigh, but to their astonishment… she would also show them that she was a magic wielder. “Hey! Look who came to join us! One of the… what was it? Five of them? Yeah, that’s what you said. Where’s the other four?” The large man displayed a shit-eating grin on his chapped lips, Fara immediately puzzled by what he meant regarding other members accompanying them. Giving Oscar a quickened – yet extremely worried – glance, she could read it in his facial features that he tried everything to the best of his abilities to shoo them away. Glaring eyes darted back to the group, her teeth instantly clenching in disgust. “Looks to be an Oni, too… nice! If we retrieve her horns, we should get a handsome reward. How exotic.” They didn't seem to question why a human and an Oni were together in the first place.

Chills riddled her body, feeling violated by his words despite him not doing anything physically to her. Fara wasn’t going to admit that she was scared to death, wanting to put on a brave face to intimate everyone, as well as hopefully give Oscar a sense of security – be it false or true. “Hmm? Oh, you’re talking about these?” She’d use both of her index fingers as she put on a brave face and point at her elongated maroon horns, the tips pointed as if they were just filed moments ago. “Damn, I’d hate to see them go!” Sarcastically she’d entertain them, mostly to try and make the situation less grim on her behalf to gain come confidence in her capabilities to deter them away. The man who talked simply laughed at her failed attempt, the three other men following his lead. Their chuckles echoed around the trees, but Fara would greedily take this opportunity to attack.

Lifting her hands up mightily in the air, two large orbs of roaring flames protruded from her fingertips before soaking her hands and consuming them. Already the heat radiated around her, the Oni wanting to give it her all to take down her first victim. The nearest to her was a man who was muscular yet scrawny at the same time, but she wouldn’t underestimate his capabilities and would treat him as if he were the leader. The air in her lungs expelled to let out a battle cry, her fingers curling violently inwards to make two large fists. Pulling her right hand backwards, Fara wanted to get enough momentum to make an impactful collision with him. Once she felt assured enough in her strength, she would extend her hand with lethal intentions before knocking him right dead in the face – his right cheek specifically. As her eyes locked onto him, she would take notice of how the skin on his face would ripple from the impact, already a spittle of blood spewing from his lips as he tumbled awkwardly to the side as he tried to steady himself from the unsuspecting blow.

He did manage to balance himself, quick to use the back of his hand to wipe away the oozing crimson liquid from his lips. "You're going to regret that, you little bitch!" He'd snarl at her with clenched teeth, readying himself to take her on as the other men did the same, two facing Oscar and two facing Fara.

 

[Staine]

Heart racing, palms sweaty, sounds clashing into each other like there was no distinction between them while others stood out like they were the loudest thing he'd ever heard all with the background beat of his own heartbeat. That was what Oscar was feeling as he walked slowly backwards and to the side, angling them away from the tents. If anything, he blamed Gilbert and the other knights for this, they'd always taught him that a knight's job was to protect and while Oscar was no knight, indeed he'd trained in a different discipline as he hadn't been able to stand the constant weight and heat of the heavy, steel armour...he still liked to think he lived by that code. He had no doubt he could run now, abandon his honour and this quest he was on, hell his parents would still take him in, pretend that none of this ever happened but he would be the laughing stock of all those that knew of his mission, he would be looked down upon as the prince who ran...and he would be abandoning Fara to the tender mercies of the ruffians that were now circling him. Even if he could live with running alone, he'd never be able to forgive himself for the latter, not even for a frustrating, condescending savage bitch like Fara. He'd never be able to live with the guilt, so he'd chosen his own fate. He'd rather die.

As if on cue, there she was, yelling at him, pulling her tent wide open and all five sets of eyes turned towards her, the predatory movements of the bandits paused for just a moment as an Oni in baggy grey nightclothes made her presence known, pausing mid-sentence as she took in the situation. He scowled as he looked towards her and processed what she had been saying...she had the nerve to be yelling at him while he was trying to stop these assholes from raping her in her sleep? He would have yelled at her in other circumstances but the bandit leader beat him to it, the cunt laughing as he called Oscar's bluff, knowing it was just the two of them. "I told you they were scouting, you'd be best served leaving us in peace before they return..." His voice was unsteady, clearly a lie but he at least stuck to it, just in case...until he heard the next words from their mouths. "Her horns? Are you serious? Even thugs have to have limits to what they would take from a person!" A glance towards Fara and he could see those very horns, the things that marked her most obviously as different. Sure, he hated her kind, he thought of her as a savage, half beast, half human, but to take a part of her for coin like that? He felt ashamed of his own then, growling softly. Fara herself seemed to take it in stride as her hands burst into flames, and with the distraction, Oscar drew his blade, the heavy, curved sword flashing through the air towards the two nearest him. He felt it slow down as it sliced through flesh, the leader, largest of his assailants jumping back but not quite fast enough, taking a gash across his chest and grunting in pain. "You little fucker...you know we might have let you live..."

A smile on his face, adrenaline coursing through him Oscar pulled his sword back, the very tip crimson with the bandit's blood. The shorter, more lithe of them had easily dodged and was pulling two daggers free from behind him, dropping into a battle ready stance while the leader had his hand to his wound, unfortunately not deep enough to put him down. He'd have expected trouble from more of them but the sound of a heavy, blunt impact could be heard behind the bandits and Fara was among them now. The ones closest to him ignored it, no doubt used to the sound of fighting around them but that was better, this was good. Often during his training he'd been pitted against two-three of the royal guards at once, all armed with training weapons of course...and his weapon masters had watched to see how long he would last, shouting advice to him. At first he'd lasted barely a few seconds, but as his training had continued he'd gotten better, he was more well trained than the guards ever were, the way he was taught to fight was perfect for taking on more than one opponent and more refined, like these bandits. Two...he could do this, though one foot wrong and his dance would end. He didn't have any more time to think about it as the lithe one lunged at him, one dagger aimed to his chest and the other hidden behind him.

Oscar moved out of mostly instinct, ducking and weaving to the left while his blade flashed out to the right, allowing the momentum to spin him around as it knocked aside the dagger. Spinning in a full circle his opponent barely managed to get his own dagger up in time to deflect his blade as Oscar allowed the centrifugal force to carry most of the weight. A foot lashed out, catching the bandit on the back of the head as Oscar flipped around and his sword came to a stop held behind him, dropping to a low stance as the bandit collected himself. "Fara, don't let them get near you, these aren't the kind of men to let you walk away from this..." He didn't have time to spare to help her with the two she had for now as the leader drew his own claymore and swung at his legs, clearly aiming to stop all movement. Nimbly hopping over the blade he jabbed at the man's eyes with his own, mostly to scare him. With the bandit with the daggers still disoriented it became a one on one fight, the experienced leader swinging his large weapon fiercely and Oscar doing the best he could to avoid the blade, knowing he didn't have the strength to block it and trying to attack between swings, though the distance made it difficult. It was obvious he wasn't going to get in for free, but the man was tiring, the claymore just a heavy, sharp chunk of steel, Oscar could see the swings were coming slower now and he leapt forwards after a horizontal sweep and then he was in, he was past his guard! Elated, exhilarated, he cut towards his abdomen, feeling the blade cut into flesh, hearing the leader cry out in pain only to lash out with his right arm, catching Oscar in the jaw. He staggered backwards, pulling his sword free and as the bandit leader fell down to one knee...he didn't even see the dagger coming as it buried itself in his shoulder.

The pain was intense, something his training hadn't prepared him for and it was Oscar's turn to scream, spinning to strike at the bandit he had forgotten all about, catching him across the throat while more agony spiked through his shoulder. Thankfully it was his off-arm that had been hurt but he still had to bury his sword into the ground and free his hand so he could pull the dagger out of the wound with a grunt of pain, and looking back up he could see the bandit leader climbing to his feet, the wound Oscar had given him bleeding profusely but the man just wouldn't go down, at least not without taking the prince along with him. "Just wait till I get my hands on you, I'm gonna tear your balls off you little bastard, then I'll make you watch as me and my boys have our way with your girl. Maybe if you're lucky we'll take a piece of your ass too, Harald isn't picky about who he fucks." Exhausted himself through the effort of dodging the man, and with a painful wound in his shoulder, Oscar reached for his sword again, ready to defend himself.

 

[Kitten]

Perspiration started to form on her bronzed skin despite not being overly physical in her actions just yet. The nerves for saving her life, as well as her comrade’s, weighed heavy on her mind. One small error could be their demise, and that wasn’t a game she wanted to lose in. Lucky for her, epinephrine rushed throughout her veins, her heart pulsing so brutally that she could feel and hear the slight throbs in her eardrums. She wondered if she put on a good poker face, but her expression and what they thought of it was the least of her worries. As she took a step backwards, she’d readjust the clutch of her hands – sprawling her fingers out to stretch them before curling them back into a tight fist. Burgundy irises darted over to Oscar for a brief moment, wanting to make sure he could manage the duo before him. Fara wasn’t judging his capabilities or musing over the thought of him failing. She was genuinely concerned for him, hoping and praying that he could manage the two on his own. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to assist him – having two of her own to battle off.

The two men before her kept their eyes glued onto her, but she couldn’t understand the emotion behind their glances. It seemed to be a mixture of different feelings consuming them. “I’m not afraid to kill a woman.” Smugly one of the bandits chuckled out, giving his pearly whites a quick lick as he dipped his hands downwards to grip ahold of two daggers. She could tell that the blades were lethally sharpened just by first glance. Fara was able to see her reflection through the reflective material – almost as if it were mocking her about her upcoming fatal destiny it forshadowed. She would dismiss his taunting words, paying no mind to his threats as she readied herself in a fighting stance. Both of her hands were no longer consumed with the thickened flames, but she knew she couldn’t keep her magical abilities up for long to not completely drain her, and would have to use other weapons of choice. The bandit that Fara just assaulted seemed to yearn for revenge rather quickly, taking his two daggers before rushing to her. He clenched his teeth as he could feel his own adrenaline riddle him to his very core.

He was pretty quick on his feet, she’d give him that, as he swiftly closed the distance between them. His right hand slashed in a curve-like motion towards her, aiming at her head and surprisingly not her chest or stomach. It was rather easy for the nimble Oni to duck down, hearing the blade cut through the morning air. As she lowered herself, she made it so her palms landed on the soil underneath her, crouching down before taking her right leg and swiveling it around in a leg-sweep kick. She aimed to take her foot and smash it into his running limbs, wanting to make him fall face first into the dirt he belonged in. With calculated precision and concentration, her impending attack would be deemed successful, the man gasping in surprise as he felt his feet seemingly rise into the air as his body tilted downwards. He was on a one-way ticket to eating the grassy ground below him, his body making an uncomfortable thudding noise as he groaned out in discomfort.

As the Oni stood up swiftly on her feet, she’d eye the man beneath her as he started to steady himself enough to hoist upwards to continue his battle. Never had she killed someone before, and it caused a thick knot to form in the pit of her stomach as she contemplated on the sinful deed. She was well aware that they were trying to slay her themselves, but that still didn’t persuade her enough to not feel so shitty about going through with this. It needed to be done, especially if she wanted Oscar and herself to see another sunrise and sunset. Just when she made the decision to proceed with the dreadful action, the other bandit that she was battling took this opportunity to decorate her backside with his blade. She could feel her grey shirt tearing apart as the chilled blade finally made contact with her flesh. He tugged downwards into an uneven line, Fara tensing instinctively as her body screamed in agonizing pain. She wanted to scream and cry out as she felt the gliding blade tear apart her skin and muscle, but if it wasn’t for her shirt blocking the way somewhat, it would’ve been so much deeper. She had no idea how she managed to hold in her screams, but she still made a loud squealing sound in her throat as well as exhaling harshly. Already she could feel her crimson liquid seeping out of the newly adorned laceration, the slitted piece of fabric falling inwards to soak in her blood.

“Doesn’t feel good, huh bitch?” The man hissed his words out to defend his partner as he drew his dagger back towards his side before shuffling it around within his palms to get a sturdier hold on it as sweat began to develop on it. Oh, she was infuriated now. Not only did his attack fuel her anger, but the leader’s jeers on raping them before ending their lives caused her body to tremble. The cherry on top was hearing Oscar’s voice resound into a pained shout, Fara stepping up her game to end this shitshow once and for all.

“Please, forgive me Oscar.” Her voice trembled in regret, anger, and sadness as she peered over her shoulder momentarily to give him an apologetic look. Her words would confuse him, making him wonder why she wanted to apologize in the midst of a massacre. Little did he know was that she would give him exactly what he wanted - wanting to see that heartless label he coated her with spark to life. She didn’t want to do this, wishing the group of men would just simply retreat and save their lives.

Taking her hands, she would usher the back of her hands to face the ground, her fingers curling upwards as elongated nails began to protrude from her nailbeds. Her once circular pupils shifted into thin slits as she glared at the group before her. The man that was on the ground finally found his footing to stand once more, but the aura she gave off instantly shifted, causing him to feel a hint of concern for what her next action would be. Rapidly her body would swivel around to face the man that just rose to his feet, her right-hand bolting towards his gullet to take her talons and pierce three fingers into his neck. They effortlessly pierced through his throat, the man quick to gurgle and choke on his pouring blood as she diced his throat beyond repair. With a simple flick of her wrist, she’d harshly move her hand to the side as she used her own swiping motion, causing her fingers to tear through his neck to exit from him like room temperature butter.

So much blood rained down from his multiple wounds, his eyes broadening in disbelief and shock. She could see it in his eyes that he didn’t want to die. That he thought he had this all under control. The once vibrant and lively sparkle in his eyes soon coated over in a dazed gloss, the bandit’s knees collapsing on themselves as he plummeted onto the ground that he just hoisted himself off of. Gargled breaths desperately exited his lips, soon ceasing as his body grew limb and lifeless.

Fara was still human – so to speak – as her eyes filled with piercing hot tears, ashamed for killing him to save her own life - in such a cruel way - when her actions were rightly justified. She couldn’t help but think about his life and what he had waiting back home, that is if he had a family to begin with. He was still someone. A person with a life. He had goals and dreams, but they would now fall silent for eternity. The abundance of tears trickled down her flushed skin, gripping off form her chin and jawline as she turned around to look at the remaining men, giving Oscar a quick glance to soak in his reaction to his name calling holding true to some degree.

 

[Staine]

Oscar was starting to realise he knew nothing of battle, at least, not of being in one. The adrenaline was making everything feel like it was moving slower, it was so much different from practice with the fake weapons in the safety of his castle courtyard, against foes whose strength he already knew. This wasn't just the adrenaline of excitement, it was life or death, it felt purer as it coursed through his body. Even against two of them, his superior training made him feel like he could put no foot wrong, he'd felt like a God as he had easily dodged the clumsy strikes from their leader while keeping the one with the daggers in his peripheral vision, it had been easy, simple, but it was as he had struck the leader himself that he had heard Fara cry out. Just that one distraction had been all it had taken for the other bandit to take advantage of, and reality hit him like...well, like a dagger through his shoulder, right when the adrenaline was at it's peak. Even through that, the pain was intense. He'd never been injured before beyond a sprained wrist when a practice blade caught him at the wrong angle, or an ankle when he had landed badly from practicing his energetic, flamboyant style of combat. The fight so far should have been tiring, draining, he was wounded now, he had been dodging for what felt like an eternity before he had decided to strike but his blood was up, everything around him felt like it was in slow motion. This was real battle, not a practice arena, he'd made the mistake of thinking his opponents would also stop when they heard that cry of pain from his companion and paid the price. Was she okay? Why did he even care?

He'd dispatched the one who injured him, and his only foe was now gravely wounded. If he only ran, surely he would succumb to his wound, but there was no honour or glory in that, not for Oscar. His first battle...and he wanted to win...but he still couldn't focus without knowing what had happened, Fara was not his friend, barely his ally, but they were still in this together, no matter how much he disliked her.

Fara had the attention of the other two, and while his opponent advanced on him, slowly dragging his massive sword through the grass and the dirt behind him he took the time to glance over. What he saw was beyond what he had expected to see...he'd made jokes, he'd insulted Fara and called her a demon, a beast, but he hadn't believed it. Not really. It was an effective insult, but even from over here he could see the changes as they happened. First she had looked over at him too, maybe with that same concern, the expression on her face had definitely been different, there was something in it...was she worried? For him? Then he'd felt that sinister aura, seen her nails elongate so that they resembled talons or claws more than they did the manicured, well cared for fingernails of a human or even an Oni. Her hand darted out while Oscar watched in horror, it was like everything he had heard and worse, blood running from the bandit's throat and down her fingers, along her wrist and arm and from her new stance he could see the mark running down her back, the source of her cry of pain for sure. The bandit fell dead and as she turned to the second he could see her eyes, different, demonic. Evil...it looked like pure evil. As she glanced at him, his eyes were wide, and he didn't see the heavy claymore swinging towards his head.

But he heard it.

Snapped out of his reverie, he fell backwards, lashing out with one foot while his injured arm was used to stop him falling completely, a cry of pain coming from him as the shock of the impact made his shoulder feel like it had been stabbed again. He felt like it had all happened in slow motion again, and the bandit leader had been slowly advancing the whole time until he'd been in range to take Oscar's head off while he was entranced by what he could see happening to Fara. All his weight was on his injured arm for just a moment as he flipped over before he pulled it up, letting gravity bring him back down to earth, landing on the balls of his feet before he leapt forwards. The bandit leader was still badly injured, the swing had took effort, Oscar's desperate kick had him off balance and he could see his end before him as the nimble prince darted forwards and buried his blade in his chest. For a split-second which felt like an eternity their eyes met, then Oscar was moving again, pulling his blade free and spinning on the ball of his right leg, clockwise, letting momentum and centrifugal force carry him round as his sword caught the man in the side of the neck, letting the weight of the blade carry him around a little more he leapt and placed an accurate, devastating kick to the man's chest, finally knocking the bandit off his feet. He was dead before the kick had even landed, his head falling to the ground beside him. Panting, Oscar, fell to one knee, looking up to see that Fara was still in combat.

It took him a few moments before he felt ready. Rising to his feet, he starting walking towards the pair, stepping over the bandit leader's headless corpse with his blade in hand, dagger still buried in the back of his left shoulder. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got there, would he help the bandit, or the demon? Conflicted, his honour relied on him finishing this quest, this journey, preferably with her alive according to his parents but was he just supposed to ignore what he had seen? What he could still see before him? He didn't say a word, he didn't know what to say as he approached.

 

[Kitten]

Blood that wasn’t her own continued to trickle down her arm, dripping down from her elbow and coating the dewy grass beneath her. Taking the back of her left hand, Fara would use it to wipe away the lingering droplets of tears before locking her slitted hues towards her final foe. Even though it was apparent that her actions brought her displeasure and sorrow, the bandit still feared her after seeing her capabilities. He seemed to be so frightened that he was frozen in his tracks, unable to find the strength to move his legs on his own command. He noticed the prince begin stand before him, pacing over a headless corpse to join his partner in their final battle. His eyes broadened as he recognized that he was the last one standing… and even though he wanted to run away and cower from the foes, he knew he’d be caught no matter what. He figured he might as well go out with a bang, or at least die while inflicting grievous wounds.

Readying his daggers, he’d proceed to position himself in a fighting stance, his brows furrowing as his teeth clenched with lethal intentions. Fara didn’t want to kill him, she truly didn’t, but she couldn’t risk him running off to wherever his base may be to tell the remaining members of his gang about her and Oscar. It was obvious that they disregarded their lives, so why was she having such a hard time reciprocating? As Oscar approached her, she’d lash out her righthand without a sliver of warning to him – undoubtedly frightening the man to death after he watched what she could do. Albeit it appeared that she was about to attack him, her hand reached to the dagger that stilled lodged itself into his flesh. With as much care as she could, she’d extricate it from his shoulder, watching as the blade dripped with his own crimson liquid before she dropped it to the ground. She seemed to not be paying attention to the bandit before them, the man still stunned as he observed the duo before him with a perplexed expression.

Already Oscar's wound was beginning to bleed out more, but before it would progress, Fara would be swift to reach down to the hem of her grey baggy shirt and begin to fiddle with it randomly. With a flick of her wrist, she’d tear off a good portion of her shirt, showcasing her stomach up until the midsection of her ribs. She chose to stay silent as she worked on her companion, quickly taking the lengthy piece of clothing before wrapping it around his arm to cover his wound. Tightly she’d fasten it against him, making sure to cut off some circulation to prevent it from bleeding somewhat more. Even though it looked as if she wasn’t paying attention to the stunned bandit – watching him from her peripheral vision – he took this as his chance to finally flee without further consequences. Fara let out a strained sigh, growing tired and mournful of the men they had to slay today. Pivoting on the heels of her feet, she’d quickly whirl around to leave Oscar before sprinting her way towards the last man standing.

She had the slightest idea as to why he even attempted to escape, but she wouldn’t question him or hold him hostage. Instead, she wanted to make his death as painless as possible, and most importantly… quick. With ease she was able to catch up to him, the Oni now standing behind him as he seemed to slow down on his own – be it from tripping over his bolting feet or accepting his fate. With precision, Fara took her hands and placed them on each side of his head, immobilizing the man if he chose to try furthermore to free himself. “I’m sorry…” She softly muttered out with an aching tone to her voice as she swiftly tilted and turned his head in unison to break his neck effortlessly. As soon as she let her hands go from him, he instantly fell to the ground on his side with a loud thump. Her fingernails began to recoil and appear as if nothing had just happened – asides from the stained blood on her fingers. Those once slitted irises now back into normal circular pupils, soon filling with more piercing tears that she rapidly tried to sniffle away. Fara wanted to turn around, to look at Oscar, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

Not after what she had just done before him.

 

[Staine]

"Fara..." Oscar was in two minds as he stared at her, the bandit that was still standing being completely ignored, a non-factor as far as he was concerned. He was in two minds. Firstly, he had no love for Fara's species, or Fara herself when he thought about it. They were a race that had been their enemies in the long wars, as far as he knew they were the ones who had started the whole conflict and the rumours he had heard of them were monsterous, that they had drank the blood of children, cracked apart their bones to suck clean their marrow, that they defiled men, women and beasts alike when their blood was pumping. All stories he had heard passed around some of the guard, some mercenaries that had passed through the castle, songs sang by the bards. He had no love for her or her kind and seeing her like this was almost vindicating, a confirmation of all those rumours, of what she was meant to be. He could strike her down now or die trying, why the hell had his parents sent him to journey with her? Had they known? Did they think they were just fanciful wives tales too? The proof was right in front of him, his eyes wide as he looked at her more bestial features, the blood running down her wrist and along her fingers, dripping from those razor sharp nails that had torn out the man's throat. It was all the proof he needed.

Yet...it wasn't. He'd travelled with her only a day, and sure he had seen Fara tear apart the squirrel, but he'd have done the same. He could picture her shivering as she climbed from the stream, a stream he'd shoved her into by mistake. She'd been angry, she'd slapped him, but she hadn't done...this. She'd walked on, she had been the one who looked hurt. She reacted like a human would have, it was why he had felt he needed to apologise. She'd made assumptions about him too, hell when she'd poked her head from the tent just a few minutes ago she'd been yelling at him. It wasn't the behaviour of a monster, so...what was he supposed to do? While he was thinking, approaching her from the side her hand lashed out and he flinched, making to step back as she grabbed the dagger in his shoulder. "Fara, stop, I...ahh, fuck..." He'd barely had any warning as she yanked it from him and he cried out in pain. "Don't, Fara, please, I'm not going to..." He was scared, he had come to the conclusion he'd allow her to explain herself before he decided if he would kill her but that was before she did this, and now he was worried she had decided to try and kill him...until she tore her own top, turning to him. He flinched again, but he didn't fight as she tended to his shoulder, wrapping the fabric tight around him. His grip on his blade relaxed, and he realised he'd been holding so tightly, looking for any sign of a real threat from her...but there was none. He was left standing there as she took off, watching from a distance as she ran down the bandit, ending his life.

He expected her to turn back to him but she seemed to be just standing there. He waited another minute before he started to approach, he could see her blood-stained hands as he got closer and could hear something, a sniffling. Was she...crying? As much as he had been scared of her, and he'd very much displayed it when she had turned to him, when he'd seen the thin slits she'd had for pupils, seen the bestial form she'd been hiding but she seemed ashamed...of what she was, of ending a life even though they had been trying to kill them. He hadn't even brought his sword with him, realising he'd dropped it at some point after she had taken care of his shoulder, and he reached a hand up, placing it on hers. "Fara, are you okay?" He looked down at the corpse of the bandit, the head twisted obscenely. "You did what you had to do. It was him or us." Squeezing her with the hand on her shoulder, he didn't quite know what to do, he'd comforted girls before back home but that had been a lot more intimate, he'd held them, let them cry on his shoulder, and Fara wasn't exactly like those girls, was she? Not quite sure what to do, he lowered his hand from her shoulder to her waist, pulling gently. "Come on, come with me, back to the camp. We need to clean up but first, let me take care of that wound."

He pulled more firmly, he wouldn't let her just stand there, if she fought him enough he would actually lift her up into his arms, not above carrying her though he expected her to walk on her own. One way or the other, once back at camp he'd guide her down to where they were sitting by the fire, where his pack was waiting and seek out his needle and the fishing wire. He'd been taught how to do emergency stitching, something important in the field. "Lay down, on your stomach." He didn't wait for her to do it of her own accord, laying down one of the sheets in his pack then pushing her down onto it. His movements were stiff, he was trying his best not to think about how she had looked in that bestial form, he didn't want to mention it, worried about offending her, worried about her growing angry and transforming into it again. "Are you okay?" It was a silly question, but as he started to stitch her wound, he had to say something. "You handled yourself well...that knife thing, where you throw it...I should learn that. I didn't have much time to grab my bow when they attacked." Avoiding the elephant in the room, he lifted her shirt to access more of the wound, trying not to remove too much of her clothing. "Is this the only place they got you? Maybe after this you can do mine?" It was just like he'd heard things were after a battle, it was shock. He couldn't focus on the bad things, on what he'd seen, or what she'd done, he could only focus on one task at a time.

 

[Kitten]

Fara wasn’t stupid. She noticed how terrified Oscar was as she approached him in her feral state… the way he clutched onto his weapon, the trembling fear and uncertainty dripping from his voice, the instant hesitance he unknowingly was now giving her. Never had she harmed him like she did to these men. Sure, she smacked him yesterday for being an absolute jackass to her, but she would never dare hurt him with lethal intentions. Miserably, she sat on her knees in defeat even though they just won this gruesome battle.

“Fara, are you okay? You did what you had to do. It was him or us.”
She didn’t reply.​

Still, Oscar’s words couldn’t console her or make her feel any better about the situation. The aura was tainted with uneasiness, even though they were the only two left standing. Fara wished he would just leave her alone. To let her drown in her sadness and leave her here to fend for herself. Why was she feeling so regretful in front of him? He had been nothing but brutal to her, yet here she was feeling appalled that she had to show him her people’s abilities. She didn’t want to get up. She didn’t want to go with him… but it was the least she could do for him after everything. Before rising on her feet with his assistance as he gripped at her wrist, she’d grab the nameless corpse’s dagger that idly laid beside him.

Obediently, she’d mindlessly pace herself along with Oscar – her eyes vacant – truly uncertain on how things will be between them now. As they gathered by the once lit fire, Fara would watch as he gathered a few things, seemingly unfazed by the fearful sight of the large needle and fishing wire… aware that it would be threading into her deepened wound. As he laid down the sheet onto the ground for her to rest on, she was more than capable of laying down on it herself but gasped in surprise to feel his hands ushering her down himself. The Oni didn’t even retaliate – not even giving him an annoyed sigh. She knew he was acting impulsively as emotions ruptured into his core, the poor Prince unaware of how to cope with them.

“Are you okay?”
…but, you already asked that, Oscar?​

A low and pained grunt expelled from her quivering lips, the thickened needle penetrating her lacerated skin without any numbing agents. It hurt like a bitch, almost more than the wound she got, but she’d stay quiet and bite at her lower lip hard enough to cause blood to seep into her mouth, her hands curling up and tightening. His rambling caused her heart to shatter more, Fara aware that he was trying to distract himself from the truth before him. He dismissed the reality before him, stumbling over his words in the process. The chilled air stung at her gaping laceration, even more so now that her shirt was raised above her shoulder blades. She could care less if he saw her breasts while he tended to her wounds, but she had to put an end to this nonsense. To finish what she started.

“…Oscar.” Fara said his name with a quake to her voice, wondering if he’d listen to her and be quiet. If he were to continue to talk, she would resay his name. “Oscar.” Once she got his attention, be it for better or worse, she’d shift around briefly before pulling the dagger she took from the bandit before rising slightly from her laying position. The underside of her breasts was exposed, but nothing more could be noticed. As slowly and lightly as she could, she’d hand it over to him, letting it fall into his palms or lap. She avoided eye contact as she turned her body back around to resume laying down on her stomach. It was apparent that tears still strolled from her face, but Fara didn’t want to talk about her feelings. She wanted to talk about Oscars.

“I’m going to break the ice and say what you’re thinking.” She started off, her voice low and almost inaudible. “You witnessed my capabilities. I know it’s heavy on your mind. And…” It took her a minute to swallow down her tears, wanting to continue with her speech. “And… I know you are hesitant with me, now more than ever. I’m at a loss for words too, Oscar.” She’d pause again, letting her words hang in the air for him to soak it in. “I trust you will make the right decision with that dagger I just gave you.” Fara would be vague with her words momentarily before eventually explaining what she meant. “If you want to kill me, right here and now, I will not hold it against you. If you fear me and don’t think I am trustworthy, I’m okay with you being the one to cease my existence. It’s the most I can do for you.” Fara truly didn’t want to die, but if it meant she could bring her enemy some closure, she would accept it proudly. “Don’t feel bad about your decision. I promise… it’s alright…. just tell everyone the bandits killed me... But, before you decide, please allow me to say this.”

Fara still stayed laying down, not finding the courage to look at him or what he would do to her if he accepted her proposition. “Thank you for being my partner, even if it was only for a day and a half. I’m sad I won’t be able to try your Zucian Delgihts like I promised, so eat one on my behalf, yeah?” She was speaking on his behalf, as if she already made the decision for him, but who could blame her? She anticipated the worst, and wanted to come to terms with that fate if it so happened to be that.

 

[Staine]

Fara seemed almost catatonic in the way she avoided answering, traumatised perhaps by what had happened? Oscar found it hard to believe it would affect her this much, she had seemed so sure of herself, so...capable. Since he'd met her she'd been annoyingly talented, she had seemed intelligent and courteous, she had thrown that dagger with deadly precision and not seemed afraid of getting herself dirty as she handled the meat of the squirrel. It had been everything he had heard her kind were not, they were supposed to be feral, savages and almost everything he had seen flew in the face of that assumption, it honestly had made him feel like he was the bad one, not giving her the chance before he had assumed the worst and yet now...now he'd seen her do...that. He'd seen the truth, the beast that lived within her and he didn't know how to feel about it. Afraid, disgusted, those were natural and wanted to leap to the fore of his feelings, some prejudiced part of him wanted to feel vindicated, to call her a monster in satisfaction, to feel like he was right all along, but the part of him that had regretted shoving her into the stream, that felt shame at how he had acted and represented his own kingdom felt something else entirely. She hadn't lost control when she had changed, she hadn't become a wild, savage animal lashing out, she'd shown remorse even as she had defended herself from the bandits, she had taken time to tend to Oscar's own wound and she had cried. Whether she had shed those tears for what she had done or for being seen like this, he didn't really know, but he had seen them. As he'd guided her back to the remnants of the campfire and helped her down to the ground, it was his own shame that was prominent. He had been scared of her even as she had reached for the dagger in his shoulder, afraid she was going to hurt him. It didn't feel right.

She still wasn't answering him as he took the needle, pouring some of the alcohol given to him by Gilbert before starting to stitch her wound together carefully, trying to ignore the pained noises she was making. "Shh, it won't take long, I know it hurts but you'll be fine. Lucky for you I was trained in medical sciences as well as combat and cartography. My family believes a prince should have a well rounded education, it makes it easier to rule, apparently." Oscar could indeed see the sides of her breasts, she was pretty well endowed in that regard so it wasn't easy to not stare especially with the adrenaline of the previous fight coursing through him, fighting always did effect his mood in that particular way, but he was doing his best to focus on her wound instead, until she started to turn and he was forced to stop. The first place his eyes went was to that slight tease of a reveal, before he noticed the dagger in her hand. He wasn't afraid this time at least, and he found himself looking at her face, into her eyes as he felt the dagger fall into his lap and listened to her words in disbelief. He took hold of the dagger, looking at the nasty edge, almost identical to the one that had been pulled from his own shoulder.

She was looking away at him again, talking about the treats he had offered her the previous night and he couldn't help himself. He raised the dagger, taking aim, and then released, throwing it towards one of the nearby trees as hard as he could. The sound of the pommel hitting the trunk was loud in the silence as the dagger fell down to the grass, failing to embed itself into the tree. "Fuck. That's not as easy as it looked." He turned back to her wound, finishing the stitching and binding the fishing line in a small knot, not the neatest it could be but it would hopefully prevent too much scarring. "You'll have to teach me how to throw like that...I don't think my bow is very practical when they get that close. I hadn't thought about it before, I never learned how to throw a knife." He gently pulled her shirt back down to cover her up again before standing. It only took him a few steps to reach his pack and pull out the waxed paper containing the Zucian delights, then bring them back to her. Sitting back down, he offered her the pack. "You can try them right now, idiot. What the hell makes you think I'd kill you?" He was trying his best not to react too harshly but he didn't want to coddle her either, she didn't deserve that, she deserved to at least know how he felt.

"Yeah, I saw. It was scary, and I thought you really were going to kill me too when you reached for me, but you didn't. You pulled the dagger free and you tended to my wound...you did a shit job of it, but you tried at least. And you were crying, Fara, when you killed them...you have nothing to be sorry for." He sighed softly, standing again, reaching down, offering her his hand. "I swore I'd see this through, with you. Killing you would bring shame to my whole family and even if they never knew the truth, I would. Besides, you're not that bad, not really...even if you did yell at me when I was already under attack." He grinned, remembering how she had first emerged from her tent. "Stop moping around and get the hell up, you can hate me all you want, I'm still not sure about you but you're not as bad as I thought you were, so get up and put some proper clothes on, those are torn and distracting, and we have to pack all this up and move on. We don't know if they had friends." Helping her up, he would start to work on packing his tent away, remembering how she had put it up for him and deconstructing it the same way.

 

[Kitten]

In the corner of her eye, she could see the silent man raise his hand in the air with the weapon equipped in his hand. She’d shut her eyes tightly, the silence and his quickened movements being enough of an answer for her to know that he accepted her proposition to slay her. Fara’s body tensed harshly, waiting for the life-ending blow to pierce her flesh and cause her to bleed out… but it didn’t hit her. A loud ‘whoosh!’ resounded in her ears, followed by a thump in the near distance. Opening her eyes and widening them, she’d roll her body marginally to look at him with a perplexed expression, almost wanting and hoping he’d kill her and not spare her.

…then he changed the subject as if she never just asked him to kill her? Fara just blinked at him, spacing out as he requested her guidance on how to properly toss a dagger. “W-what…?” Now she was the one not knowing what to say, wondering if this was even real. He hated her so much, yet when given the perfect opportunity to kill her he would decline? It didn’t make sense to her whatsoever. As he continued to thread her wound, she wouldn’t even flinch, more occupied by her confusion than anything. Her eyes carefully followed him as he went to get something, Fara slowly leaning up and tugging her shirt down a bit more in the front, watching him retrieve the foreign delicacies. She’d use the back of her hand to rub her tears away, sniffling as he came closer to her. That frown would turn upside down as she couldn’t help herself but to let out a few laughs, the man calling her an idiot after everything she had said.

Accepting his offer this time, she’d take the wax paper from his hands an delicately unfold it, not wasting any time to plop one in her mouth. The citrusy orange flavored delight instantly pinched her cheeks, Fara making a soured face before it began to mellow out, finally being able to savor the unique and unusual flavor to her. “How can these exist?!” Her eyes lit up as she looked down at the wax paper, wanting to pour every ounce of goodness into her mouth, but she managed to give him back his treats, her self-control being put to the test.

…but now came the anticipated scolding. She found it hard to hold eye contact as he stated the obvious, but after he told her it was okay to not cry over the bandits, she would look back at him. He continued to talk and managed to make her smile, even in the midst of a serious conversation. “I’m not going to hate you, Oscar. You’re not half as bad as I thought either.” She’d begin to talk as she willingly took his helping hand, standing back firmly on her feet, wincing slightly as her back was killing her. “Oh? My clothes are distracting? Thanks for noticing, that gave me an idea. Take it as my way of saying thanks for sparing me.”

A shit-eating grin consumed her face as her fingers would curl around the shredded hem of her shirt, casually lifting it up to let her voluptuous and perky breasts pour out, letting the prince see her feminine charms at work. Her nipples were already hard, the morning air grazing her bare chest. Snickering to herself as she read his facial expression, she would nonchalantly tug her shirt down as if nothing had happened, giving him a smug smile. “You’re welcome.” Walking past him, she’d pat his back in a way of congratulations. “Try not to let that image distract you, okay?” Small giggles erupted from her throat, the Oni swaying her hips as she made her way to her tent to begin taking it apart, but first changing in the inside into some fresh clothes.

Fara would stay quiet as she silently worked on packing her belongings, stupidly giggling amongst herself as she couldn’t believe she did something as wild as showing Oscar her bosoms. That most definitely wasn’t very lady-like of her, but after he saw what type of savage she truly was… did it even matter? Her backpack would be too heavy to carry on her injured back, and instead came up with a great idea so she wouldn’t have to carry it within her hands. Taking the straps, she’d put them on, but instead of putting it on her backside she would place it on her frontal side. “Ha! There.” Fara would celebrate her minor victory, feeling smart for her quick thinking. “You ready to get going? It’s probably going to take us all day to get there, might as well start in case the bandit’s friends come looking for us.”

With that final thought, she'd pace away from their makeshift campsite, walking alongside Oscar as the view of the snuffed fire was slowly fading away and unable to be seen anymore. It felt... different around Oscar now. Not in a bad way, though. It was more awkward than anything, but it was apparent that their relationship changed after that battle. His words echoed in her head, the part where he mentioned that he thought she was going to kill him causing her to frown. "I'm sorry you thought I was going to kill you, Oscar." Randomly she would start talking, gazing ahead of her as she spoke on a more serious note. "I may have been... not myself, but I can fully control myself, even in that state. I don't lose control and kill anything in sight. Please, trust me. Have I harmed you yet?... Well, besides the well-deserved slapping?" She'd turn her head to him, smiling as she tried to be comical about it to make him grin as well.

 

[Staine]

"Did the bandit damage your ears?" Oscar, after his failed attempt to throw the dagger and make it stick in the tree, responded to the dumfounded 'what' he'd received in his favourite fashion around court. Time after time somebody would ask him a question, sometimes important, sometimes something stupid that really hadn't needed to be asked and his favourite method of response was always to take their miscomprehension seriously and with fake concern. "Here, let me check. There doesn't seem to be any damage." He smiled politely, raising his voice a little as he spoke while simultaneously pulling lightly at her ear like he was actually inspecting it. "Anyway, I said you might need to teach me that dagger throwing thing, at least how to make it stick. I couldn't get it to pierce the tree, no penetration at all, it just bounced off." Releasing her ear, he'd fetched the Zucian delights, and watched as she tried one, grinning as she enjoyed one and handed him back the package. He carefully wrapped them up again and put them back in his pack while laughing softly. "Honestly, I have no idea how people come up with these things. Boredom, I think, and mixing fruit flavours with the sugar cane plant. City life in Zucia is pretty peaceful, people can spend the time they would put on survival skills to mastering all kinds of things. You should see our theatre some day, or our musicians. They could bring tears to your eyes with just words and music alone."

He lifted her up as she answered him and was smiling, clearly not trying to actually scold her as he spoke. "Wait, you thought I was bad? I thought you'd found me charming..." Chuckling at his own joke, he didn't know what he expected to happen next, probably that she would immediately start to pack her things away but instead she did something...different. He barely had time to register her words and the sudden grin appearing on her pretty lips before she reached for the hem of her top, and his eyes widened a fraction as he saw her start to pull it upwards. "Fara, no, I didn't mean..."

It was too late. Her breasts bounced out from the confines of her shirt, bare, nipples already hard though he wasn't under the delusion of any arousal on a brisk day such as this one. Her nipples held his gaze, the soft pink contrasting her darker than average skin tone, darker than in his country anyway, making them stand out all the more and he felt the first stirring that usually came when he was about to take a girl to bed back home, when he had spent the day talking to one of the maids as they went about their duties, playfully joking with them, even offering to help. It was a game he'd played often, but this was so much different...a girl in his country needed to be coaxed to bed, they were more oft than not shy, demure, not a single one would expose themselves to him on a whim like this and it had him completely stunned. His mouth slightly open, trying to comprehend what was happening whilst fixated on the sight before him and before he could recover, she was already pulling her shirt back down again and even told him that he was welcome. It was beyond belief...what kind of lady behaved like that???

"Fara! What do you think you're...I didn't ask you to do that, I'm not gonna thank you, I..." The pat on his back was the last straw as he turned around, spinning on his heels as she was already walking away towards her tent, his eyes fixed on her ass as she was quite clearly deliberate in the way her hips swayed. "You know a simple thank you is all we do where I'm from, how would you like it if I exposed myself to you every time you did something nice??" He realised what he'd said just moments later, stammering as he continued, clearly caught off-guard by what she'd done. "D-Don't answer that, I don't think I want to know your customs right now...I don't need any more distractions, thanks!" Turning to leave in somewhat of a huff, though at least it was a mild, playful annoyance rather than actual ire, he started the task of deconstructing his own tent, doing pretty much the opposite that Fara had done to put it up in the first place while trying to get the image out of his mind...for now. It was definitely something he wanted to remember, this just wasn't the right time and the very faint giggling her could hear coming from the other side of the camp wasn't helping.

He was mostly done by the time she joined him, packing away what was left of the tent, and he'd actually dressed while he had been waiting, his new outfit something he hadn't wanted to wear on the first meeting, wanting to make the best impression his could. He tried not to think about how that had actually gone, but at least his new clothes were more fitting for travelling, the silks he had now put away in his pack weren't thick enough for this weather. He turned as he lifted his now full pack to his good shoulder, raising an eyebrow as he saw Fara approaching with her own pack on her front. "Yes, I'm ready...why are you wearing it like that? You look ridiculous...are you that embarrassed you showed them to me that you have to cover them with your pack now?" He grinned playfully, laughing. "I admit the sight was worth remembering, but I'm not that broken by it. Whatever, come on, it's not too far to the lake."

Keeping pace alongside her they were fast approaching the huge lake ahead of them, a small isle in the center of it where the temple, their destination, laid in wait. Even just to the center was a couple of miles of water, the temple was visible even as far back as they were since it was so huge but dwarfed by the lake itself, and surrounded by fast moving water the closer you got, almost like rapids with dangerous rocks jutting out from the surface of the water. As they would get closer, there would be the smallest of docks made from well crafted stone blocks, and a small wooden boat tied to it. The thing didn't look like it was in the best condition, and Oscar was confused...he'd heard there was a bridge of stone to the temple, nobody had said a thing about sailing out there on a boat that looked like one rocky wave would send them to the bottom.

To take his mind off it, at least he had Fara there with him, turning to look at her and laughing again at her pack. "Would you rather I carried that for you?" He sighed softly. "Yet? What do you mean, yet? Do you plan to hurt me?" He smiled playfully, and his tone didn't suggest he was serious. "Relax, I came to that conclusion all on my own, you could have tried to hurt me if you wanted to so I'm not worried." He smirked as he looked back towards the boat. "Besides, I could take you. Did you see the size of the bandit I had to deal with? Guy had to be like eight feet tall and his buddy didn't just stand around watching." He knew exactly what he was saying, laughing lightly. "Not that you weren't very impressive, chasing down the fleeing baby bandits. Very scary." She wasn't the only one trying to make light of it, though he wasn't sure if the way he was doing so would actually help or not. "I'm sure if either of them had known how to fight you could have always stunned them with your flashing technique. They wouldn't have stood a chance."

 

[Kitten]

Fara scrunched her nose before turning her head towards Oscar, giving him a grumpy expression in regards to his comment about her backpack. “If you remember, doofus, my back is pretty diced up. I’m not afraid to walk around without a shirt on, is that what you really want, huh?” She’d take this opportunity to make him even more embarrassed and uncomfortable, aware of the effects she was giving him. “Y’know, that would be a good distraction now that I think of it. If anyone else decides to make their way towards us... I’ll just flash them. Simple. What do you think?” It was obvious that he wouldn’t want her to do something like that, the Oni giggling to herself as she turned her attention back onto the trail ahead.

She’d grow amused to his bantering as her eyes followed his own onto the beaten boat, the chaotic waves of the surrounding waters looking more than intimidating. Why did the temple have to be all the way over there? It almost made her want to shrug her shoulders and nope the fuck out of there. “Yes, I did see the man you were fighting against, and I am indeed impressed... but to boldly assume that you could take me on? Don’t be foolish, Oscar. You know as well as I do that you do not hold a flame near me. I’ll put you in your place soon enough, don’t you fret.” Cheekily she’d grin from ear-to-ear, her cheeks almost aching from how harshly she tugged them upwards.

Sure, she could’ve pushed it even further with her comments about herself and talk about the gruesome acts, but she’d refrain from such chatter and instead keep things on a more comfortable and innocent standpoint. “Whelp, I know you’re thinking the same thing I am. How are we even going to get over to the temple with this little thing?” Her right hand would extend outwards to point her index finger at it, almost feeling bad for the broken-down piece of wood. She’d bite her lower lip as she thought about it. “As you know I study magic and such on the side. That being said, I truthfully don’t think that this little boat is a great way to get across. There has to be something else, like the bridge we were supposed to see.” A thoughtful hand pressed her knuckles against her chin. “The boat is a trap, so to speak, to trick selfish people to venture off towards their demise, but maybe if we look hard enough we can find something to trigger the bridge?”

Pacing around the area, she’d dart her eyes all over the landscape, trying to find something out of the ordinary. Knowing that Oscar was probably confused and believed she was going mad, she’d further explain herself as she paced. “Usually there is an object lying around that seems normal but it is truly out of the ordinary… and if you fiddle with it in the right way it will unlock something. That’s what I think this is. That’s what I am positive about.” Crouching, she’d pick up harmless twigs and pebbles, inspecting them carefully even though they seemed so meaningless. “I suggest that you roam around, obviously at a safe distance, and see if anything looks off to you.” Fara knew he probably had no idea what to even look for or how to catch onto something, but it would be a great learning experience for him nonetheless.

About a half hour passed by, the demonic girl growing frustrated with each minute passing. Was she wasting their time on this hypothesis? Sluggishly she’d make her way over towards a tree, inspecting the bark towards the bottom. Something did catch her eye when she thought her hope vanished, a small ‘IV’ engraved on the very bottom. Curiosity got to her as she raised a brow, kneeling to get a better look at it. It looked to be the Roman Numeral four, and it made her wonder if anything else was lingering by with any other numbers or symbols. Scattering her eyes beneath her, she’d find some large rocks, instantly grabbing them and inspecting. Two of them were just normal rocks, not amounting to anything, but the third rock she picked up had the number ‘II’ on the very bottom.

“Oscar!” Excitedly she exclaimed, waving her hand to beckon him to come to her. “Look! I found some hints. It looks like this tree has the number four on it, and this rock in my hand has the number two. I have a strong feeling there are two left, the others being a three and a one. Help me look for it and we can try and connect them in order to see if that does anything.” Fara finally realized just how helpful her magical tomes were despite wanting to fall asleep as she read them. They taught her different clues and signs to look for to unlock hidden treasures or powerful scripts to learn.

 

[Staine]

"What? N-No, of course not, I never said that was what I wanted, I..." A slight blush was creeping onto Oscar's cheeks, the very recent memory of Fara's breasts forcing their way into his mind at her comment about walking around without her top on. "I just mean to say it looks ridiculous like that, with your backpack in front of you...maybe instead you should just let me carry it for now, I'm sure it's not that heavy..." Her next comment didn't go unnoticed either, though now he was starting to figure out she was doing it on purpose to make him uncomfortable. He couldn't even say for sure why she made him feel that way, he was far from new to seeing tits, the capital was full of them and yet for some reason this Oni woman was managing to make him flustered. Perhaps it was that she wasn't one of his lovers, she was at first an enemy, not to mention she was unlike any of the shy, demure ladies he knew back home. "Now you're just being silly...as effective as it would be I'm sure they'd be much more distracted if you flashed your ass at them instead." He had a grin playing at his lips as he said it, at least enjoying the new found levity between them, hoping it would last a little while before they were at each other's throats again. "Hah, please, I don't need to hold a flame, my swordplay would be more than adequate to take care of you even if you are terrifying. I'll let you spar with me one of these days and we will see who comes out on top."

Looking at the boat as they had approached the lake, he had been all but ready to try sailing in it when Fara started talking, and he laughed sheepishly when she surmised it might be a trap. "Haha, yeah, only a fool would attempt to cross in this thing, surely you'd drown..." Not mentioning that he would have been that fool, he started to look around much like Fara was, searching for anything that would help. One of the oars in hand he saw three vertical lines etched on the end of it, assuming it was just wear and tear as he went about searching until she called for him, drawing attention to the strange numbers on the rock and the tree. "Hmm, I think I found another, wait here." Running to fetch the oar, he noticed strange etchings along the shaft, it looked almost like those on a key. "Here, see? This oar is a little weird itself but besides that it had these lines here, that's 3 in Roman numerals, yes?" Proud of his find, he started searching for other things, finding a lot of junk in the area and scanning each piece until he found what he was looking for, an old, rusted dagger with II etched into the handle. "I found it!" Bringing it back, he felt they had the pieces they needed and now all they had to do was figure out how to make them work.

Looking at the first piece, the rock, he noticed the strange shape of it, almost like a triangle, something he had seen recently. Looking back at the tree, near the top of it was a hole, what he had first assumed was just another knot but it had the same exact shape as the rock. "Wait here, I think I see something." Grabbing the rock, he started to climb the tree, it was several feet up but he managed to find the hole, and sitting on a nearby branch he found the rock fit into the tree exactly, a satisfying 'click' sound coming from the tree and a loud shifting sound coming from the lake behind them, much like the stone wheels in the flour mills back in the city. "Fara, did you hear that?" As he climbed back down the tree, he could see other strange holes too, one of them a couple of feet below the rock was a horizontal slit but it was in the middle of a knot in the tree, and below that was a circular hole. Seeing how it would all go together he grabbed the oar and the dagger. First the dagger was inserted into the slit, but there was no click this time, then the oar which did click into place, and when he pulled a little on it, it could no longer be pulled out. Climbing back up to the dagger, he pulled it out without issue, frowning as he slotted it back into the tree. "This should do something, I'm sure this is it, I..." As he spoke he played with the handle, and turning it clockwise, the whole knot the slit was in started to turn with it. There was a little resistance as he turned it almost a full 180 degrees before he heard the same click as the others and that loud, stone grinding sound again behind him.

Turning to face the lake, he watched as ground began to shake, the water rippling and the boat knocked aside by the waves as a huge stone bridge started to rise from the water. It was wide enough to comfortably have two carriages side by side, leading all the way for miles over to the ancient temple in the center of the lake, Oscar was for once shocked into silence, almost falling from the tree as he made his way down to stand beside Fara, staring in amazement.