Two Different Worlds (Ironic & rskde)

[Risky]

In the world of Azrial, on the explored continent Judo, two factions grapple for dominance over the other. One contains the humans of the land, once a tribal people who came together to form The Order of Oria, Oria being their goddess of war. The humans decided to stick together against all other races and species across the lands, making it their sole duty to cleanse these creatures from the world. The creatures in question could only be found within fantasy books: Neko's, Elves, any race to be thought of had decided to join forces in an attempt to bring peace to Judo, they formed The Judo Confederacy, these creatures live within the forests away from the human cities and settlements, where they attempt to live out peace.

Small engagements had been occurring between the two factions over the last couple of months. Connor, a human Ranger was sent to investigate the forests outside of Oria's Peak, a mountainous city named in honor of the Goddess Oria. Connor stands at 6'1, he has close cropped black hair and a pair of emerald eyes that could either be beautiful or absolutely intimidating. He wears the standard uniform of the Ranger, a green cloak and some chain mail beneath it, the cloak could surround his whole body and was designed to blend in with the forests that the Judo loved to hide within.

On his belt is a wicked sharp dagger and across his back is a massive longbow, and he certainly knew how to use it. He creeps into the edge of the forest, sticking to bushes and moving silently, something he had been taught as an apprentice to the Ranger's Guild. He stalks towards the sound of metal against metal in the distance, wondering if a fight was happening.

Connor came from a poor farming family, he had sworn his allegiance to the Order at the age of fifteen, around seven years ago and had since then become a Ranger, one of the most elite warriors in the Order.

He finds a clearing, and it most certainly was not a fight. An entire enemy siege camp sits in a small valley within the forest, tents littering the area and hundreds, maybe thousands of enemy soldiers occupy it, a force that the garrison in Oria's Peak stood no chance against. He was about to turn and leave but an enemy patrol walked right by his bush, he holds his breath, grabbing his dagger and slipping out, grabbing an elf by the hair and stabbing him in the back of his neck, hoping his friends in his patrol wouldn't hear him.

 

[Ironic]

It was a rather chilly night in the forest, the crackling fire residing in the middle of a group of five tents. There were usually five tents per group to keep the area less crammed. Ava sat criss-crossed by the fire, rubbing her palms together before extending her hands out to feel the heat of the flames. Her ears laid flat and her tail twitching, annoyed that she couldn’t seem to get warm. She was only 5'4" and built nicely for her size, occasionally catching glimpses from time to time.

“It would help if you sat in the fire.” One of the Elves who was also huddled by the fire said teasingly, laughing afterwards. Ava on the other hand had an unamused glance towards his direction. She decided to ignore the fool and keep herself occupied with warming up.

Ava was classified as a Neko; half human and half feline. She had the body of a woman but the agility and patience of a feline, also possessing those feline ears and tails as well as the sliced pupils. Due to her nature, she chose blades as her weapon of choice, deeming herself an assassin/rogue. She was an expertise in her field, slaying the humans who trespassed and dared to hurt those who wanted nothing to do with the violence. It was a truly sad situation, nonchanging despite the relentless efforts.

Something in the distance sounded off to her, causing her right ear to lift upwards and fixate in the direction. Without saying a word, she rose up from her feet and walked calmly towards the desired path. She didn’t want to alarm those around her. The further she walked the more isolated it became. There was no one around, the forest as still as the night that encompassed them. The gurgling sound she heard earlier was still persistent but had died off. Her feline irises could see in the darkened night, depicting a human male with his hands around an unfortunate elf. She had just caught him taking his last breath of air.

Swiftly she dug her heel into the ground, picking up speed instantaneously before drawing out both daggers that were fastened in leather pouches strapped around her thighs. Her calves tightened as she used those muscles to exert herself up into the air, violently thrusting her daggers downwards to be met with the human below her.

“Speak Human. Why do you trespass?” She would ask him if the daggers had or hadn’t pierced his flesh, standing upright as her hips and tail swayed as she walked closer to him.

 

[Risky]

Connor had moments as he heard a sort of 'swoosh', a dark figure jumping up in the air, giving him barely enough time to raise his dagger and arm to intercept the blades. One of the blades hits his dagger, the other rakes against his wrist guard, tearing part of his cloak. He quickly puts his dagger into his belt, drawing a short sword that was made by a professional weaponsmith, one that was very well balanced and would be useful for fighting off his dual-wielding opponent.

"Oria sent me, it was her will to find why this forest had been quiet." He says while spinning the sword in his hand. "And I have now seen the truth, that you wish to besiege her Holy City, but I cannot allow this to happen." He says. "Now, step aside or die by my hand." He says, lifting his arm back towards his shoulder, the blade level with her.

"I only killed the Elf for being suspicious, unfortunately I did not do it in a way that would allow him a traverse to Hell swiftly, but either way he rests beneath the Earth where all of your kind goes." He says, giving the body a kick just to try and piss her off. This would be a hard fight, she was small but she would certainly have speed over him, which he could also be speedy she would almost certainly outclass him in that aspect. So it was decided he would have to use his superior power, try to knock her off guard.

With a speed quicker than most humans of his size he lunged forward, his blade moving in an attempt to knock one of her blades out of her hand, his free arm moving to hopefully intercept the other if she tried to strike, as his wrist guard would defend better than the chain mail under his cloak.

 

[Ironic]

Those glowing hazel orbs scowled at his presence, standing close by him but not close enough that he could outstretch and touch her. She listened to his explanation, blowing out a puff of air as if it were nothing but excuses on his end of the line.

“That gave you no right to come here and kill one of ours.” She spat out just before his revolting remark. If he was aiming to piss her off he succeeded. Ava was one to get heated easily, especially if it meant degrading one of her own. She could take the harsh comments about herself but not about others.

“I don’t understand.” Simply she stated, her hands casting out as she presented herself before him. “I am just like you, the feminine form of course, only I possess some feline attributes. You humans always were hateful towards those different from you. It’s pathetic, really.” A quick smile played on her lips, chuckling about but only because she was about to lose her mind. “What? Did you humans get upset over the fact that not everything can be what you want?”

She blinked and he had already sprinted off towards her, but the tip of his blade was not pointed towards her form but instead It was to her left dagger. Her petite body contorted, blade-on-blade scratching inside of her eardrums, almost enough force to knock the weapon out from her hand but her grip was securely fastened. Her right hand moved the blade to strike him, only being intercepted by his gauntlet. She growled in retaliation, knowing this wouldn’t end easily and quickly. She glanced down to find that there was a small cut on her wrist where the blade nipped her. It wasn’t deep but it was apparent he did get an opening from her, a sign that she needs to be more cautious.

“You’re in territory that is not yours. I could easily summon my people to outnumber you but only a coward would do such things!” She warned him, keeping him aware of the fact her group outnumbered his.

 

[Risky]

Damn. He thinks to himself when she manages to keep her dagger in her hand, he paces around her with the blade pointed towards her, the hilt nearly touching his shoulder as he stays back from her. "I may be outnumbered, but your people would never follow me out of the trees." He says while reaching with his free hand to pull up his hood. He also felt secure in the face that his cloak would help him hide if she did indeed pull the coward's move and call for her allies.

"I did not come here to kill, I hoped to avoid it really, I was simply scouting this place for intelligence, which I have obtained." He says. "Your friend got unlucky, he tried to investigate the bush I was hiding within so he died for it, cannot be helped." He says with a chuckle. "Many other Juno soldiers have met the same fate by my hand, I've since lost count." Hopefully if he could make her angry enough she would make a mistake. "Did I make you angry? Oh, I apologize." He says sarcastically.

"I have no quarrel with you, I do not care that you are different, I care about the thousands of innocent human lives that would be lost to the Confederacy if Odis's peak is besieged." He says while shaking his head. "You beasts never quite understood that we are not equals, you are the scourge of this Earth." He growls, his eyes narrowed towards her from beneath his hood to analyze the situation tactically. "I offer you one more chance to step aside and avoid your destruction." He says.

His eyes catch her examining the wound he had caused her, a smile playing across his face. "You appear to be wounded." He says with a chuckle, talking during combat was always fun. "I will admit you must be my equal, not many would be able to block an attack like that, much like your elf friend beneath you.. Are you one of the Confederacy's Elite?" He asks with the raise of his eyes.

He looks down to the gauntlet she had struck to make sure it was still secure, it was just as powerful as a weapon as his sword was. He lunged once more, this time a stabbing motion towards her heart, knowing a double bladed opponent would have to intercept with both blades or use the broadside of one blade, though that would be very risky. He also makes sure to keep a good grip on his sword in case she would tried to knock it from his hand. His free hand moves to punch her in the side of the head with the gauntlet, hoping to deter her.

 

[Ironic]

“It’s entertaining how you find us to be the cause of your problems yet you humans were the ones to instigate the situation in the first place.” Her back resting against a nearby oak tree, puffing at a stray hair that laid against her face. Ava figured to play it cool for now, but he did manage to make her blood boil inside of her veins. She’s use that rage for later.

Those slits looked down to see the wound he was talking about, and she lifted it up for him to see. “Oh, this wound? I’m not afraid to admit I’ve been hit. Want to lick it clean for me?” She harassed before her long and pink tongue lapped at the bloodstained wound, adding more insult just to prove she was different from him. Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled slightly. “Awe, how sweet of you to compliment me in such a way to call me an Elite. My position doesn’t matter to the likes of you.” It was all child-like banter now. The thrill of this moment caused her body to tremble in adrenaline. She hasn’t felt this enthusiastic in a while.

Stepping out of her position from the tree she faced him once more, nodding her head in a manner of saying ‘bring it.’ His body lunged at her, seeming to give her almost everything he had. She wasn’t expecting him to get so caught up in the squabble if he wasn’t here to kill. He would put his entire weight on her and she tried to block his attack by crossing her blades together. This was her only option as he was larger than her, knowing it wasn’t a well-thought-out tactic but perhaps she could use her small frame and flexibility to pull off something.

Falling on her back she managed to intercept his blade, but he had a hand readily available where she did not. His hand came crashing down towards her head and there wasn’t enough flexibility to her neck to move it away enough, managing to get the side of her head pierced pretty good. Good thing the adrenaline stayed in her system or she would’ve felt the full blunt force of the attack. The ache will come later, but for now she could ignore what pain she felt to fight off her foe.

It grew tiring trying to equal his strength, pushing him back but he wasn’t budging one bit. She almost started to panic, not knowing how to get out of this mess until a risky thought appeared in her mind. It could cause her the only life she bared but it wasn’t death she was afraid of. Using the sword that wasn’t blocking the blade she withdrew it from its stance, quickly rolling onto her right side before taking the other blade away. Since this was an immediate change of force his blade had no place to go but down, piercing her left side but it indeed was not her heart. She howled in pain, wincing as the warm liquid starting to coat her bare skin. It was deep but she wouldn’t give up now.

Ava found it difficult to control her breathing to make the pain somewhat withstanding, huffing out big gulps of air to keep her mind concentrated on her breathing and not the rattling pain. Her knees quickly buckled in onto her chest, her calves aching as she flexed them harshly before kicking him as inhospitably as she could muster. Success. He was now off of her.

He wasn’t wounded but she was, lowering her chances of winning but she didn’t give up hope. Not until she was dead. Mimicking his previous movements, she picked up speed and lunged at him, using her legs once more to high-kick at his chest to place him right into the dirt-riddled ground. Ava quickly sat on top of him, straddling him before her blade stopped right at his Adams apple. Sweat beaded at her head and her breathing was rough and ragged. “You try something and I will let your blood pour.”

 

[Risky]

Connor watches as she relaxes against the tree, seemingly not caring about the situation at hand, which made his blood boil a bit, was he not good enough for her to stand at her full guard? "It's entertaining how you fail to realize how many of your kind destroyed villages and raped our lands during the Dark Times." He says. "Oria united us for a reason, and that is to ensure your kind never treat us the way they had before." He says.

He chuckles as she raises her wound and asks if he'd like to lick it clean. "I don't know you that well, couldn't do it." He says with a shrug while watching her lick the wound clean. His eyebrows raise. "Alright, none of my business, as you wish.. I was simply trying to add a face to the husk of a Neko I see before me before I extinguish it from the earth." He says with a light smile, pacing back and forth impatiently, one of the flaws he seemed to have when it came to combat.

Before his attack he had noticed that little nod of confidence when she stepped back in front of him, and he could feel that confidence wavering as she did exactly what he had predicted, crossing her swords to intercept his. A wild grin spreads across his face as his fist smashes against the side of her head, he could feel her pain, that had to hurt.

His eyes glow wildly with anticipation as she pushes his blade back but fails, she couldn't seem to compete with his strength, another good prediction on his part. He then is a little confused as she moves her blade to allow herself to be stabbed in the side by his blade, he yanks the sword from her. His eyes grow wide with surprise, stumbling back and then falling as her next kick hits him square in the chest.

He feels her move on top of him and then the cool steel of her blades resting against his throat, his hand lets go of his sword which was coated with blood, his hands dropping to his sides. "So what now? Are you going to kill me?" He asks quietly while watching her with a neutral expression, though on the inside he feared the worst as he did not want to die.

 

[Ironic]

"Don't play cool with me." She hissed at him, her eyes engulfed with flames as she breathes heavily from the pain. Her hands trembled, the blade moving rapidly in random directions as she attempted to keep it straight against his skin. "I know you're afraid to die. Who isn't?" She simply stated, yet she couldn't find the courage to slain this man. Why? She easily killed those in the past but this man? She hadn't the slightest. There was this gut feeling about him that she couldn't pick out.

The aura was growing awkward as she stayed laying on his stomach, blade still pressed on his jugular as she tried to push herself to kill this disgusting human beneath her.

"FUCK!" She hollered as she whipped one of her daggers angrily at the tree, piercing the poor bark before it dug deeply into its core. Gripping him roughly by the collar she would pull him up with her, making him stand on his feet.

"I'm going to give you a chance, but you're going to have to pay for the bloodshed you commited." Her voice was low and eerie, her other dagger close by incase he decided to pull a sudden move. She gripped at him tightly before harshly removing the other dagger she tossed at the tree before fastening it into her leather pouch on her thigh.

 

[Risky]

Connor watches her and raises his eyebrows at her words. "I'm not playing cool, you would send me to my goddess and I would be living eternally happy, what's not to love about death?" He asks with a laugh, watching her frustration as she tried to kill him but could not push herself to do it, though he didn't know that that was the reason that she wouldn't kill him. When she pulls him up he looks scared now. "Wait, you're taking me alive? No nonono.. You must kill me." He says frantically, he had only heard tales of what Juno did to their prisoners.

To try to sway her he moves his hand to her side. "You're wounded." He says to her quietly, his hand glowing faintly and the wound in her side stops bleeding, slowly closing until it was nearly fresh, though Connor looked very tired after doing this. "Please, I want to pay in a different way, I won't live past the moon-rise as a prisoner." He says.

He finally stops talking as they enter the camp, the creatures surrounding him look at him as if he was fresh meat for them to chew on, he keeps his head low, which was hard considering he was being dragged along by a Neko quite a few inches shorter than him.

"You don't understand what they will do to me here." He says to her quietly, his eyes flicking around them at the multitude of monsters that he was surrounded by, he could feel himself shaking with fear now.

 

[Ironic]

Before he touched her she flinched, unaware of his intentions until a warm and soothing light seeped inside of her wound. She didn't know if she should feel scared or glad about this until the results spoke for themselves. The blood coagulated around the wound before it started to close, her once normal pale flesh now presenting where the wound was. Not even a scar to be left to remember her encounter with him. "W-Wow..." breathlessly she said, amazement painting over her features. "That's amazing. I really appreciate that." Daintily she bowed before him until a frown teased at her rosy lips. "...But that doesn't help the lives you allowed to vanish without a second thought."

Tugging his collar once more she lead the way towards her camp, the trail to the castle hiding within their grounds. Everyone glared at the filth that was in their presence. Many growls, hisses, remarks and insults. Entangled within those harsh comments were good ones, congratulating Ava on a job well done. She didn't respond though, 'nor look at them in the eyes. Her direction was head-on and into the woods.

"Want me to accompany you, Ava?" Another fellow Neko asked as he walked beside her until she shook her head.

"I got this. Stay here and watch out for more. There's bound to be some if ones already scouting. Stay in groups and not alone." She ordered, the Neko not doubting her orders and left promptly. Ava played the role as a group captain, so to speak. She held high authority and was one of the go-to females. It was rare for a female to be in charge but sometimes shit happens.

The moon still shines brightly above their heads as they started their long trail towards the castle. She ignored his further cries, slanting her ears down so they wouldn't catch his reverberating pleads. "It's going to take two days to get there so you best act up and act like a man who is being punished for his crimes!" She pivoted around to look at him in the eyes, her own hues sparkling in the pale moonlight.

 

[Risky]

Connor keeps his head down as they walk through the camp, keeping his mouth shut around the other creatures as they walk, feeling their glares directed towards him. His eyes look to Ava, that was her name, that was what the other Neko called her. He decided to keep it to himself, she would probably not like the fact that he had her name.

"There are no more." He says while looking up at Ava. "If you think they have more of me you're wrong." He says with a chuckle while continuing along. He nods when she thanks him for his healing. "You're welcome.. I understand but I figured if we'll be walking for awhile it'd be better to heal you then watch you try to lick it." He says with a faint smile.

When they leave the camp for the forest and stop he looks up at her as she pivots. He shrugs and chuckles. "How do I act like that? Teach me." He says while reaching up and pulling up his hood, a smile traced across his face.

"So, Ava, where are you from?" He asks with a grin while looking down into her eyes, observing the moonlight that is reflected within them. "You know if we're going to be spending two days with one another we might as well get acquainted." He says while stuffing his hands into his pockets.

 

[Ironic]

Ava bites the corner of her inner cheek as she begins to grow frustrated with this human. "Oh, shut the hell up." She responded, pivoting back around until his next comment caused her to pause dead in her tracks. It caught her off guard and she wondered how he managed to get her name until she remembered the Neko from earlier speaking to her. Sighing she continued to walk, keeping her back towards him. No sense in hiding anything. Besides, if one got to know Ava she was surly a chatty kitty.

"I grew up in the castles." She replied, folding her hands neatly against her back as her feet outstretched to take bigger steps than what she would usually do. "Since you know my name I think it would be kind to reciprocate as well as telling me where you're from." Her head turned around to face him before smiling, showing her sharpened canines. Before they left earlier an elf brought her a large backpack that contained food, water and a tent as well as other useful items.

"It's getting late so we should start setting up our tent and eating." Ava stated as she found a spot in the woods worthy enough to set up. "I do have to ask, though... Why were you scouting all by yourself? I know there were others nearby." She began to say as she started to pull out the tent, handing it towards his way. "Help me put this together."

 

[Risky]

Connor laughs at her reaction of him knowing her name, crossing his arms and watching her as she speaks. "Hey, that's rude." He comments while looking down at her. She seemed to be caught of guard, Connor had a way of doing that with most people, and he seemed to enjoy toying with people on a psychological level. When she turns back to walk he just shrugs and continues walking behind her, looking at the forest around them. Shame such a beautiful plac was occupied by war-loving creatures.

"My name is Connor." He explains while they walk, having listened to her little big of backstory he just nods. "I grew up in Oria's Peak, in an orphanage." He explains. "You probably don't know what that is so I won't burden you with the knowledge." He says, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "You should tell me more, I've never been to the Juno castles." He says to her.

When she comments about setting up camp he nods and walks with her to the small spot she had found, he approaches the spot and helps her set up the tent, he had done it a few times though never with a tent made by the hands of a non-human. "Because I'm an Elite, I'm not expected to ask or to receive help at any moment." He says with a shrug.

 

[Ironic]

"Why is it that you act as if I am un-knowledgeable?" She asked, annoyance coating her words. "I do know what an orphanage is. We have them ourselves." Ava wasn't one to open up to someone right on the spot, hence why she gave small amounts of information about her. "My mother and father both passed when I was younger. They tried to take me to one but I didn't want to go. Of course they weren't happy with my decision and forced me but I broke free and trained on my own for years." She began to tell her story as she was setting up the tent with Connor's help. She would remember his name since it was so simple.

"The Juno Castles honestly don't differ much from any other castle. It has a village just before you get to the castle. There's small villages nearby as well. You'll get a better look in person, explaining it won't do it's justice." She explained after finishing putting up the tent, going onwards to put up the second tent for him. It was made in a way so that in the middle of the night if he decided to try something she would know. Neko's have a better sense of hearing than humans, the tent having a noticeable sound to it if he moved around trying to plan something. Living on her own caused her to be more cautious of her surrounding, keeping this man on lock down.

"An Elite, huh?" She asked, surprised that he would claim a title if he couldn't even beat her. "Funny since I'm one myself. I hold a big role to my people." She confidently said, almost cocky in manner. "I believe that's why we fight so evenly, but not evenly enough." She winked, letting him know he was the one who got defeated if it wasn't obvious enough. Wait, why was she getting so friendly with her prisoner? Instantly she hardened up once the thought came across.

"We need to get a fire started."

 

[Risky]

"Because I have no idea what you know or what you don't know considering you're just now explaining to me that you know what I assumed you didn't." He says with a shrug. "You act as if I am intolerant, humans know little to nothing about Juno, the archives on you are a bunch of fairy tales." He says with the shake of his head, helping her finish setting up the tent. "And those tales of course preach how you deal with prisoners and how you worship a false god or whatever." He says. "I volunteered to go out to the siege camp not only because I wanted to see if it was there but I was interested in actual information on Juno." He says while leaning back against a tree, watching her grab the second tent from her pack.

"Of course what I ended up learning dispelled any of those stupid rumors that float around like Neko's eating babies and all of that." He says with the shake of his head. "We should compare notes, I have charcoal and a pad with me." He says, it was mostly for drawing out maps and locations that were too extraordinary to explain with words, Rangers had to be talented artists. He walks over to her and helps her set up the second tent, noticing the material was quite loud. "You know, a loud tent isn't going to stop me." He says with a laugh. "Even if you wake up in time." He says while wiggling his eyebrows at her. He found it strange that she hadn't confiscated his weaponry as of yet, other than the fact that she made him leave his shortsword behind.

He nods to her words. "Human Elites train alone, we don't encounter Juno soldiers as often as one might think, that Elf back there was only my fifth kill." He says while taking his bow from his shoulders and showing her the wood, which was engraved with five marks, one slashing over the others. "I had this bow charmed when I first received it, it keeps the score for me." He explains, running his fingers over the smooth wood. "You gotta hand it to us, we make nice bows." He says before putting it back onto his back. "You may have beaten me but if I hadn't healed you, you'd be dead by now, futilely attempting to lick a sword wound to close it." He reminds her with a laugh.

When she hardens again he raises his eyebrows. "Alright." He says, sensing that the moment for talk had ended.

 

[Ironic]

Ava couldn’t help but allow her giggles to turn into bursts of laughter, enough to be wiping small tears from her eyes. “Baby eaters, really?! Who in their right mind would call us baby eaters out of everything there is to call someone?” She straightened her posture before letting out some last few giggles before continuing her grave demeanor. “Good, let’s keep it that way.” She retorted as he told her they knew little of the Juno Castles. Besides humans, the others were secretive and didn’t want personal information to get leaked out to those who would try to claim it their own. They took the Juno Castle to heart and wanted it to stay pure and humble, not benighted like those humans.

“Stop acting cocky. I’m not any ordinary Neko.” She flaunted before clearing her throat sarcastically. “I mean, look at you, captured in my hands.” Her brows raised at him, imitating his actions. “Also, we don’t believe in a false God. Our God is powerful and kind unlike your God who feeds off carnage.” Heatedly she spat at him, feeling threatened that he would say such an ignorant thing.

Her hues glanced over as he showcased his bow. It was a nice bow she had to give it to him but keeping count of his kills was just sadistic in nature. “Hmm, last you told me was that you lost count. Truth be told it was just one measly hand that could be shown.” She smirked before adding to his bickering comments. “I can’t believe how little faith you have in me.” Her core was boiling as her blood pressure raised. “THIS is why there is hate in the world! Is because of people like YOU!” Her body stomped closely to his, her forehead almost pressing against his own. “Can’t you just learn to accept differences and move the hell on with your lives?! Don’t you realize how much you lack in this new age just because hatred is your main goal?! We would’ve been equals if you humans would have stopped your bitching, but no, you all just HAD to persist. Do you even think about everything you could have done on your spare time besides killing people? Like, I don’t know, work on building a city or practicing healing techniques for diseases? There’s more to life. Why do you think there is a bar in between your birth year and death? It’s so you can make the most out of life in that hyphen.”

She was so flustered that tears began to roll down her rosy red cheeks. Her heart always ached for the humans, having a soft spot for them knowing that she was related. “My mother was a Neko and my father a human. They loved each other in secrecy until your filthy kind stole my mother and father away for their wrongdoings. Luckily, they spared me, for whatever reasons I do not know.” And with that final sentence she whirled around to walk into the forest, uncaring about this imprudent human. “I’m getting wood, follow or don’t follow, I don’t care. But if you try to run away I will kill you myself this time instead of sparing your life to the Juno.” Before she left she gripped at an axe tucked in her backpack, storming off as her tears continued to stroll down.

Ava almost hoped he wouldn’t follower her as she wept to herself. It was embarrassing that she was already crying in front of this man. She was supposed to be strong and brave, but instead she was weeping like a helpless fool. Gripping the base of the axe with both hands she violently swung at a tree, taking her anger out on it as she relentlessly slammed the blade countless of time. She grunted each time she swung her axe, hollering as she casted a final blow to let the tree fall down before her.

 

[Risky]

Connor watches her with calm eyes, listening to her words. "Yeah, honestly some of the things people come up with are ridiculous." He says while sitting down on a tree stump. He rubs his eyes with the back of his hand before looking up at her. "Well, its mostly to get people fired up to join the Army, if they think they're fighting an enemy that eats babies then they'll fight harder." He says before standing once more, looking to her while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I never really believed them.. Though I did believe the tales about Trolls and Ogres." He admits with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I suppose I'll be the first and last to know of the Castles, considering they'll kill me there." He says with a shrug. "Or torture me until I die, I've always wondered what Juno did to their prisoners considering nobody has ever returned from your war camps." He says.

"Once more, you may have captured me but you'd be dead without me, I'm no ordinary human." He says. "The King actually banned magic a few years ago, reminds him too much of Elves considering they were the inventors and keepers of all magic in the Old Times." He says. "But I learned it in secret." He says with a laugh. "I'm still working on it, I can really only heal and I rarely use it on anybody else considering I'm normally alone." He explains.

Being a Ranger was a lonely concept, all Rangers worked alone unless they took an Apprentice but Connor was nowhere near that level of training to train another. He puts his bow away and laughs. "I prefer not to kill anybody." He says to her while brushing his fingers over the bow. When she started yelling at him for his intolerance and hate he moves his hands in a dismissive motion. "I don't mean to be intolerant, Ava, as I have said before we know literally nothing, anything that I say is what humans know." He says to her. "There's so much hate in the world because of secrecy, I don't blame either side for wanting to fight but keeping secrets from one another most certainly caused the fighting to begin." He says to her. He listens to her talk of how her parents were human and Neko and he doesn't seem surprised as it was a fairly common occurrence, especially in the outer regions of Oria's kingdom. "I have faith in you." He says with a shrug. "I'm just testing the waters... You anger quite easily." He says.

Connor decides to follow her to get wood, putting his hood up and approaching her from behind while she cuts down a tree, when he leans against the tree his entire body seemed to blend in with the forest around him, the cloak allowing him to camouflage very easily. "I'm sorry." He says while watching her with concerned eyes. "About your parents. I think I'd prefer to never have met my parents then know the reason of their separation." He says while biting the inside of his cheek. "I want to learn while I am alive, about Juno." He says. "My Goddess loves war and I have always feared that, from what I've read from the old archives a deity is supposed to be something you reside within, not fear." He says with a shrug. "I didn't mean to say Juno was false, I believe in both of them, we humans often believe Oria is the cause of natural disaster and conflict, I am unsure why she is still worshipped but we praise her anyway." He says.

 

[Ironic]

Ava sniffled in the rest of her tears when he approached her. She huffed out a breath of air, almost infuriated that he followed her but told herself not to get too upset over it. Did he just… apologize? That was uncalled for and she didn’t expect him to. “I am sorry for misunderstanding your words and getting heated directly at you when I was angered with the entire human race.” She used the back of her hand to wipe the beading sweat from her forehead, her tail flickering back and forth as well.

The more time the two spent together the more she learned about Connor. It was strange how fast they opened up. “To be honest, I am nervous being around you.” She admitted before raising the axe to strike down at the fallen tree, cutting it up into small pieces so it could burn better. “I never been this close to a human, let alone for as long as this.” She swallowed the lump that was lodged inside of her throat, pushing it down so the tightness would go away.

“I don’t understand why she is worshiped for her hatred ways but I cannot complain. It is what it is and nothing will change due to my opinion.” She rolled her shoulders before striking the bark again. Another chunk separated and some more to go. “Your parents sound like a very touchy subject, what happened? If you do not wish to explain you do not have to. I understand.” She left the conversation open in case he felt alright enough to answer her inquires.

Finally, she finished cutting enough wood for the night, grabbing as much as she could in her grasp until some was still leftover. “Mind grabbing the rest? We’ll start this up and get something going for a meal before bed.”

 

[Risky]

Connor leans against the tree once more, crossing his arms as he watches her with concerned eyes. "I can understand your anger, if it makes you feel any better I apologize on the behalf of my entire race." He says to her quietly while rubbing the back of his head. "I wish we could be more tolerant." He admits while walking over to her and biting the inside of his cheek. He runs his hand down his face as he watches her. "I don't mean to be a burden, I really don't." He says.

He laughs and rubs the back of his head. "Honestly I'm pretty nervous around you too." He admits while laughing quietly. "I've only ever been close to you all when scouting, but Juno soldiers don't normally find me." He says while looking down at his feet, remembering now that he would never get to go scouting ever again.

"Yeah.. My parents were executed." He says quietly while looking down at the ground. "Thieves, both of them trying to steal to take care of me so they were killed in front of me." He says, unable to look up at her. "Then the Lord of my fief took me in for adoption, deciding I would be the Ranger of the fief after I showed potential.. And now I am.. Or was, considering I'll never be able to go home again." He says. "Though why would I want to return home to the man who killed my parents?" He asks.

"Honestly I don't think he knows that I know, I tried to kill him one time, slipped poison into his wine and he just drank it like it was nothing." He says while bending down to pick up the logs she asked him to carry. He walks with her back to their campsite and drops the logs, assorting them into a neat pile before sitting down on the ground next to the fire, burying his head into his arms. The topic of his parents seemed to depress him.

 

[Ironic]

Ava listened to him silently as they strolled back to their campsite, taking in everything he had to say. Her heart ached for him, his parents killed in the same manner as hers, except he had to live with the man who committed such crimes. She opened up a can of worms that should've been left untouched. Why was she so curious? After all they say curiosity killed the cat. She couldn't blame him for wanting the man to die. It was assumed that she was the first person he ever told.

As Connor finished neatly stacking the fire Ava would do the honors by gathering a pile of leaves before igniting a match, tossing it into the pile before softly blowing on it. The flames grew agitated and expanded, soon engulfing the pile of wood they just collected. The night was growing more cold and she shivered tremendously. She was so occupied with the fire that she forgot to look towards Connor, seeing that he was taking comfort in his own privacy. She frowned before nibbling at her lower lip, the striations of her teeth becoming embedded into her flesh. What should she do? She did start the conversation anyways.

"Hey, I'm sorry for opening up a touchy subject. I told you that you didn't have to respond." She whispered softly for only him to hear, scooting somewhat closer to him yet she was a great distance apart. "I didn't mean to cause you ill feelings." Her head bowed down in sorrow. Her right hand reached outwards to grab at her backpack, pulling out fresh rabbit meat that her group had given her. "I have wild hare for dinner. It's not much but it's enough for tonight. I also have a canteen of water." Taking a nearby stick she probed the raw flesh, the stick piercing the meat so it can cook evenly above the fire. Ava was at a loss for words, waiting for Connor to respond back so she wouldn't feel so awkward.

 

[Risky]

His eyes flick up towards the fire as she starts it, he wouldn't be feeling the heat until the fire reached the logs of wood instead of just the leaves, which produced simple woodsmoke and a tiny amount of heat to get the flames going. Ava was interesting to him, he didn't want to just sit here feeling sorry for himself all night but recalling the story had resurfaced some bad memories that he had managed to push down a long time ago.

When she speaks to him quietly his head lifts from his arms to meet her eyes, he hadn't been crying because it wasn't something for an Elite to be doing but he was still feeling as if he was, ashamed. He examines her, his eyes moving over her shaking skin, her uniform obviously didn't do much to get rid of the heat while his cloak would keep him warm forever if he wore it all the time.. Which would be disgusting. "I answered because I wanted to." He says. "I figured you wouldn't be able to trust me if you saw me as some fucker who goes around killing everything he sees." He says with a shrug.

"Are you cold?" He asks her while scooting closer to her, taking the canteen and getting a sip of water before grabbing a log and adding it to the fire, it was days like these when the logs were wet and did not burn very well, so the fire was not producing much heat. He picks up the rabbit and splits it in half for them, unsure if she wanted hers cooked or not. "You can have my cloak if you'd like.. Or we could use body heat." He says nonchalantly while holding his meat over the fire using his dagger, which he obviously was not going to use against her.

 

[Ironic]

She nodded as he explained why he wanted to tell her. "Fair enough." Was her simple response. Her pupils dilated as he asked if she would like his cloak, even suggesting body heat. Her heart raced, her hands immediately extending out to shake in front of him. "No no no, it's fine. No need to be so nice to someone who's taking you away." Swallowing harshly she turned her rosy red face towards the fire, scooting closer to the flames to try and beat herself up some more.

Taking her part of the meat that he had split up, she inspected it to see how well it cooked, noticing the outer layer growing dark in color as it cooked. She liked the outside warm but the inside cold, her mouth opening wide to take a hearty bite. It seemed to melt into her kith, her tongue rolling the juices around before pressing the meat on top of her palate to taste the flavorful hare.

Ava grew silent afterwards, unsure what to say after his far too friendly suggestions. She ate in silence, chewing softly and slowly before taking other bites. She ended up finishing her meal, tossing the bones into the fire. She wondered what went on through his head right now.

 

[Risky]

Connor just shrugs when she declines his offer, wrapping his cloak around himself and staring into the flames. "If I wanted you to die I wouldn't have healed you." He says while taking off his cloak and offering it to her. "Seriously, no point in you just dying out here." He says with a shrug. "You've offered me more kindness than anybody else in your position would have.. Giving me a tent to sleep in, sparing my life, giving me food, conversing with me as if I am an actual being and not a monster despite what I've done." He says. "From here on out I have a short life to live, and I'd like to spend the remainder of it making up for whatever crimes I've committed." He explains.

He begins to eat the meat once he deemed it cooked enough, sighing contently as the taste of hare filled his taste buds. He takes another drink of water before continuing to eat his food. He finishes quickly, he had obviously been very hungry beforehand. He lays back and stares up at the stars, placing his hands behind his head as he watches them, not moving or talking, until he finally opens his mouth to speak again. "Stars are beautiful tonight." He comments, crossing his arms and smiling up at the twinkling little lights.

Connor sits up and casts the bones of the hare into the fire before crossing his legs, looking over at her. "What time do you think we'll rise in the morning?" He asks with the raise of his eyebrows.

 

[Ironic]

Connor was right. Ava listened without budging in, sinking her head into her shoulders as if she were being corrected by an adult. She didn't know what to do as he handed her his cloak. "But won't you be cold?" She asked as she gripped the cloak, staring at it as his scent infiltrated her flared nostrils. He had a quick change of heart.

"You seem like a kind person underneath that hardened exterior." She commented as her head cocked to the side, her hues staring at him. "I'm surprised how you've changed so quickly. I mean, I'm grateful how you're acting nice and all, don't get me wrong, but it's... different." She stated. Her head tilted upwards after he commented on the stars, her own irises twinkling as the orbs' radiant light reflected from those perfectly slitted hues. "I love how insignificant we are compared to the vast reaches of deep space." She exhaled thoughtfully, pondering her existence for a moment.

"We will awake when the sun rises." She stood up and brushed the soil off from her clothing. The cloak was still firmly clasped in her hands, hesitant to put it on before wrapping it around her body. "Thanks again, Connor. If you change your mind and want it back feel free to tell me." She nodded towards his direction thoughtfully. "It would be best if we went to bed. It's a long ways until we get there. I'm hoping maybe either tomorrow or the next day we will arrive to the Juno Castles."

 

[Risky]

"I'll be fine, I've been trained to survive the worst winters with little to no clothing." He says with a smile, nodding to her when she finally takes the cloak from him. He lays back down after that, going back to looking up at the stars with a big smile on his face, he was always quite fascinated by them.

He turns to her when she speaks. "I don't think I'm a kind person." He says. "I've done too much wrong.. Oria punishes those who do not perform her bidding and my punishment is you." He explains. "Not that you're a bad person, you've been wonderful." He says. "But you bested me in combat, and you've torn apart every image I've had about Juno since I was trained." He explains. "Sitting here and talking to you makes me want to stop fighting." He says. "Because you're people, killing any type of person is wrong, even the King understands that, so he dehumanizes you.. But you're exactly like us." He explains. "That's why I've had a change of heart." He says before looking back up at the stars.

"We believe that the stars are dead warriors, that when you die you are lifted to the sky and you are brought to their feast, where each and every warrior of every generation has gathered, but they only gather at night, during the day they reside within beautiful homes, surrounded by everything they could ever want.. Incentive to die a warrior, I suppose." He says with a chuckle. "Sunrise, you've got it.. Yes, going to bed would probably be the wisest option." He says while standing, walking over to his tent and giving her a nod. "Good night, Ava." He says before moving to disappear into his tent, the fabric making a lot of noise as he settles in.