Two Different Worlds (Ironic & rskde)

The chambers of her heart thumped as he realized that her people and his were exactly the same. It meant a lot to her to know she could sway one single Human to know that everyone are equals. "I can understand. I just don't understand how or where the hatred for each other began." She pondered on the question before looking back up at the stars with Connor.

As he departs and bids her goodnight, she waves her hand in response before unzipping her tent and nestling inside. In each tent was a sleeping bag, adding comfort when lying down and warmth as the blanket wrapped around you. She nestled into the confines of her bag, feeling cozy and warm with the help of his cloak. The hood acted like a pillow, her face occasionally tilting to smell his scent. The scent of a human as nice and comforting. Maybe it reminded her of her father? Either way, she enjoyed his scent and easily fell asleep as she smelled it.

---

Before the morning sun broke through the sky Ava opened her eyes. Stretching, she rid her body of the aches from sleeping on the ground before sitting upright. Already the warmth of the area was increasing just before the sun rose. It was crazy how cold it got during the night and how hot it got during the day. Easily and quietly she rose up from her bed, silently exiting the tent before nearly setting Connors cloak in front of his tent. It served her well and it probably smelled like her now; sweet and a tinge of innocence.

Ava wanted to take a bath before Connor would wake up, quickly gathering the clothing she packed before heading over to the stream nearby. Gently she undressed herself, exposing her flesh to the world around her. The water was cold as she dipped her toe into the waters, sucking in a deep breath of air before forcing herself into the waters. She shivered as goosebumps invaded her body but she quickly washed herself to rid of any dirt or oils.

Ava had a very elegant body. Her frame had an hour-glass shape to it. Her breasts were ample and rosy, a perfect size for her body type. Her rear was nicely rounded, her thighs meaty enough to hold all of that sass. She was truly beautiful.

Connor got into his tent once they had bid each other a good night, slipping into the sleeping bag that was already inside of the tent before staring up at the ceiling, sighing softly in thought. He could still see nightmares he used to have about being captured, why was this so different? He didn't understand why but talking and being with Ava wasn't like being with the enemy, it was like being with a friend.. Maybe even something more than that.

_____

In the morning his trained ears hear the sound of his cloak being on the ground in front of his tent, like someone was placing it there. He slips out of the tent quietly, putting on the cloak before following her out into the woods, putting it on and staying stealthy, wanting to practice his skills. He slips through the trees and leans against one of them, his cloak allowing him to blend perfectly with the forest around him.

He watches her, realizing that she was coming out here to bathe when she dropped her clothing, he couldn't look away for a few moments, taking in her glorious form before finally blinking and removing himself from the spell that she had unconsciously but him under. He quickly slips away, not wanting her to know that he even left camp. He quickly goes back to their camp and sits by the smoldering remains of their fire.

Connor's stealth was indeed successful, Ava not noticing him as she bathed in the streaming waters. He could've easily ran off but he didn't. How come? As she dried off she changed into more of an assassins clothing; tight fitting yet flexible for mobility. It concealed herself more than her last outfit but it definitely showed off more of what she had. It didn't matter to her, though.

Her long golden tresses dried rather quickly, her ears and tail also drying just as fast. She walked towards the camp to see that Connor was sitting by the fire, already up before the sun started to rise.

"Good morning there." She said with surprise coating her words. "Didn't expect you to be up so early. How come?" She crossed her arms against her bosoms as she raised a brow to him. "Did I wake you up or something? If so I apologize and didn't mean to." She said. Earlier she did hear his tent ruffle but she smelt his scent near, knowing he didn't run off.

Connor looks over at her as she returns from bathing, seeing her tight fitting clothes and giving her a nod. "I'm a light sleeper, so you may have woken me up but there was nothing you could do about it." He says with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "Honestly I'm surprised I didn't wake myself with the sound of my own sleeping." He jokes while sitting back, watching the last coals of their fire die.

"Plus I've always been an early riser." He says while standing, dusting off his cloak as he does so. He inhales and takes in the immediate smell of her scent, the smell moving into his nostrils and making him smile slightly, she had a nice scent to her. "I hope you slept well." He says with a smile. "Last night sure was a cold one, I'm glad I gave you my cloak before it go really bad." He says while stuffing his hands into his pockets.

At this point Connor was still unsure why he didn't just run off, was he afraid that she would kill him? No, that couldn't be it considering his wish for her to kill him when she had bested him, he was still trying to answer that question for himself. Maybe a part of him thought that sticking with Ava wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Ava dug the tip of her shoe into the ground, hands still crossed over her chest. "I told you that you could have taken her cloak back. It was nice sleeping in it, if I do say so myself. It was very comfortable." She wouldn't tell him about her enjoying his scent. That would be too embarrassing, let alone he would get to see her sensitive side again. "I slept well, thanks for asking. I hope you did too despite the cold." Her grin was spread from ear-to-ear, making her cheeks hurt whilst doing so.

"I'm actually surprised." She coolly said before taking a stray hair out from her face, tucking it behind her feline ear. "You've had many opportunities to run away, why didn't you?" Kneeling downwards she questioned him as she began to put her tent away. "I mean, you are wise for not disappearing on me but you still had many opportunities to do so." Tucking the folded up tent into her backpack, she then worked on his to put it up. A playful smirk played on her lips as she awaited his answer.

"I bet it's 'cause you're a scaredy cat about me." She teased, making the fur on her tail and hair rise as she playfully hissed at him.

"I never said I wanted it back, I enjoyed the cold." He says with a smile. "I was raised on Oria'a Peak, it's a mountain range y'know." He says with a chuckle while crossing his arms, her sweet scent invading his nostrils. "My cloak is made of very special fabric, made for all types of weather.. You can use it anytime you'd like, and I'll probably offer it to you if I see you freezing your tail off once again." He says with a laugh, his hand smoothing over his chin as he listens to her words.

"Why haven't I bolted?" He asks while thinking. "That is certainly a tough question, I figured it'd be better to be captured alive then have my body ran through the streets of Juno while a bunch of people cheer for my demise." He says with a laugh. "Plus I figured everything happens for a reason, if this is my test from Oria then I accept it, if not then I will continue to overcome any obstacle in the way." He says, it was really the only logical way to explain the situation.

He laughs as she hisses at him. "Hey, hissing is not allowed." He says before shooting her a wink, watching her take down camp with his hands in the pockets of his cloak. "Two more days, right?" He asks.

Kindly she listened to his explanations, nodding along to let him know that she was listening. "Perhaps tomorrow we will be there. I know it's too long to get there just tonight unless we jogged the entire way." She rolled her shoulders as if portraying that it could be an option, but she would rather take the steady route there. "Either way we're going to have to set up camp again tonight." She shoved his rolled up tent into her backpack before lifting it up to wrap around her shoulders. "Alright, let's go!"

She headed down a trail that had been covered by natural events. Leaves, gravel, branches, dirt, and the likes covering the way to Juno. It was best kept that way since all of the other races knew how to get there by heart, humans not having a clear sense of direction if they tried to read the path.

"So, tell me Connor, is there anything else I should know about you or that you would like to ask of me?" Ava attempted small talk, deeming herself horrible at it already.

Connor nods to her, one more day of having a decent amount of freedom, he wishes that he could just be prisoner to Ava for the rest of his days, though he understands that she has responsibilities as an Elite, it would still be a better date than what lie ahead. He walks beside her, his eyes looking to the ground. "Why is it you do not mark the trails to your villages?" He asks with the raise of his eyebrows. "Have you all memorized the way or do you have some sort of instinct that leads you back?" He asks.

While they were making small talk on the road, a shadow emerges from the woods, another Juno Elite, this one an Ogre. The Ogre is enormous, the fact that it was blending in with the forest is quite a feat when considering the variables. The beast carries and enormous club, one that could easily kill a fully grown human in one swing.

"Halt!" The beast yells, stepping in front of the two before pointing to Ava. "How dare you bring a human to these sacred lands, I, Ulipheces, shall ensure that this human never sees Juno!" He says before taking a step towards them, making Connor step back, unsure if Ava would react to him taking up arms against the beast. "You stay out of my way or die with the puny human!" The beast roars as he approaches them.

The Ogre caught Ava off guard as she was about to respond to Connor's inquire. He towered over her, his shadowing casting over her small frame as his facial features were definitely not pleasing to one's eye. "Hello there Ulipheces." Calmy she spoke to try and get his temper to settle down. "I am obviously apart of the Juno kingdom. I bring this Human as my prisoner to the castles. It is my duty to do so." She began to explain, her hands sprawled besides her thighs, ready to grip at her daggers when she felt it was needed.

"I do not care if you are an Elite or not. I will not see a damn human enter furthermore!" He flared his nostrils as he took a large step towards them. Slowly Ava backed up so he wouldn't step over her.

"Woah buddy, you got this all wrong!" She spoke quickly, knowing her time was running out on trying to persuade the large beast who lived on these lands. "I do not intent to bring harm when I am taking him with me. It is my JOB to do this, don't you understand?" Her brows scrunched downwards as she was losing her own patience. "Please, get out of the way." Quickly she bit her tongue after saying those words, angering the Ogre even more that someone so puny would dare to push him around.

He bellowed, his roar so loud that it shook Ava right inside of her core. His grip on his club tightened as he raised it up into the air, swinging it as if it were a baseball pat at the duo. Ava dodged, hoping Connor would too so he would block the gruesome attack. Just as she landed she lost her footing as a rock was standing in her way. She roughly fell down on her back, the ogre simply walking up to her before raising his club furthermore. Ava gripped at the ground below her and attempted to scoot away, not wasting the time to scurry through her pouch to retrieve her daggers.

She winched as she waited for the blow to strike her.

Connor wastes no time in dodging the first attack that the Ogre makes. He grabs both of his daggers from his side and runs to intercept as he sees Ava fall to the ground, with the blow she was about to take she wouldn't survive. He jumps in the way of her and the club, both of his daggers pushing up into the air and deflecting the enormous club, causing the Ogre to recoil in surprise at the Ranger's mobility.

He lunged towards the beast, jumping on to its back and sinking both of his daggers into the back of its neck, which seems to just piss it off more than anything. He loses his grip, both of his daggers remaining inside of the Ogre's neck. He unslings his long bow and unleashes an arrow into the temple of the beast, which tears through the entirety of its head before it finally collapses to the ground, dead and gone. Connor approaches the beast and yanks his daggers out of its neck before walking over to Ava.

He offers his hand to help her up, his bow glows a deep blue before another tick is added on to the score talley. He doesn't make comment of this however as he was just about as confused as she was. "I guess Confederacies don't work too well." He says with a laugh, running the back of his head with his gauntlet. He takes a look at his daggers, which were practically shattered from the blow they took from the Ogre's club.

"Are you alright?" He asks her while examining her for any injury, he seemed legitimately concerned for her well being at this point. "I think maybe we should set up camp soon, see how you're feeling after a mile or two." He says to her while looking back up the road.

Just when Ava anticipated the worst Connor springs into action. Her heart sinks, everything seeming to go in slow motion as she watches him struggle. Seeing how he effortlessly took the. East down made her wonder why he didn't do the same to her. He easily had the power to defeat her but he didn't.

As he began to impale the Ogre with his blades she slowly got up from her fall, watching as the Beast began to take his final breaths before falling limp onto the ground. "Are you okay?!" Ava asked just as he was asking about her own wellbeing. "I'm okay, I just fell. I wouldn't of been if you weren't there." She admitted before her eyes caught glimpse of his shattered weapon.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized before running her fingertips over the broken pieces. "I'll be the defender now, you just sit back and look cute." She joked as she giggled at her comment. Damn... she thought to herself, her chest beginning to feel tight. Why did she start to feel this way towards him? Her palms were sweaty, heart rate amplifying and her body trembling. Was she... catching feelings for him? Hastily she shook her head to rid of the thoughts, quickly pacing back down the trail. "No no no, let's keep walking." She mumbled, almost to herself.

They walked a few more hours, the sun beginning to set over the horizon. Ava was rather quiet during the remainder of their travels, deep in thought about her feelings and what she was doing.

You can't turn him in, you won't have it in you. She told herself before she fought back inside of her enclosed mind. Just get it over with. He killed your kind without mercy! He's lucky that you had a change of heart. she frowned, biting her quivering lower lip as she fought with herself in secrecy.

"Are you ready to settle down?" She asks as they find a decent spot in the middle of the forest. As she begins to unpack her bag she finds that his tent got busted from the Ogre stepping on it, the skeleton that held it together shattered. "You can use my tent tonight." She reassured him.

Connor bites the inside of his cheek, dropping the daggers to the ground before shrugging. "It's fine." He says while eyeing the two discarded weapons. "I wish I had my shortsword." He admits before kicking the daggers into the bushes, not wanting to see them anymore as they were no longer of use to him. He sighs softly at losing the weapons, as they had been handcrafted for him specifically, but saving her was worth it.

He looks over to her when she tells him to just stand around and be cute. He shoots her a grin before pulling his hood over his head and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You'll look just as beautiful fighting as you are when you're not." He teases before starting to walk with her again, his head moving around to take in the environment around them.

Before this occasion he had never managed to take down an ogre, in fact he had largely avoided the bastards as they were known for their strength and prowess in combat. But this time was different, Ava had needed his help. Just from intercepting the enormous club, his body was on adrenaline and as it wore off he found himself collapsing to the road, every muscle in his body sore. He stays on one knee for a moment or two before bringing his feet together and pushing off of the ground, dismissively waving off any sort of concern Ava could have before continuing to walk.

As the sun sets in the distance and the lights of warriors take over the sky Connor feels his strength a little renewed, the thought that he had performed a deed to get him to Heaven revitalizing his will to keep pushing forward, he was a warrior after all. He bites down the pain by biting on the inside of his cheek, it even started bleeding at one point but it helped distract him from the constant aching pain his body was in.

When they reach an area to settle down for the night he watches as she examines his broken tent. He shakes his head. "No charity, sleep in your tent." He says while kicking some rocks into a small circle to mark a place for a fire. "I placed some leftover firewood in your pack if you'd like to use it." He says while laying down next to the circle of rocks, his limbs still buzzing with pain.

The moment she wasn't looking he was gone with a flash, into the woods for only a brief moment, his hand grasping a small leaf, the sensitive tips of his fingers feeling the design of the leaf before picking it and several of its neighbors from a small plant. He was then back at the camp, sitting next to the fire and chewing on the leaves, they would hopefully help numb the pain, though he hadn't been exactly excellent in forestry.

"Sorry, I had to grab something." He says nonchalantly. "You excited to get to Juno tomorrow?" He asks while looking over at her, his eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his cloak.

“No.” She snapped back as he told her he didn’t want to use her tent. “After you collapsing episode earlier and waving off my concerns you WILL be sleeping in there.” Her eyes glowered at him before turning back to the attention of putting together the tent. Indeed she didn’t notice he was gone until he started to walk back. “Do not leave without me.” Another growl was directed his way, finishing up the tent before clapping her hands together in satisfaction. Ava was letting her guard down around him. Rather it was passively or on purpose, she did not know.

“Thanks for bringing some firewood. It takes the toll out of getting some again.” She sighed out before gripping the logs out from her backpack and tossed them neatly in the center of the rocks. Like before she ignited a small flame on a match and threw it into the logs with a pile of leaves, watching the small flame turn enormous, coating all of the logs in a bright and radiant flame.

“Can you heal yourself at all?” She asked as she rested on her knees right beside him, her hands softly pressing against his shoulders and arms to see if he was okay. “I owe you one.” She chuckled as she inspected him.

Connor faintly puts his hands up as she snaps at him. "Fine.." He says while looking over at the tent. "But I don't want you to sleep out here, otherwise I'm not using the tent." He says to her. "I can survive the cold but you seem to freeze easily." He comments while watching her, unsure of what she would think about this. "So if you're out here, so am I, it's only fair." He says.

He nods his head to her. "It's no problem." He says with a smile while watching her assemble the fire for them, nodding his head as she lights it with little to no issues. He watches her as she walks over to him, her hands touching him for the first time since they had fought, this time they didn't feel so invasive, but rather homey. He shakes his head. "No dice, healing magic for self healing is advanced." He says. "Only elves know it.. I think." He says with a laugh.

"You don't owe me anything." He says to her quietly while looking up at her, moving the arm that hurt less to pill his head from his hood. "I think I might've sprained something." He admits with a laugh, the fact that he had kept walking was truly a feat of strength and determination.

Ava bit her lip, wanting to argue more with him but couldn’t find the words to. “We’ll see.” She faintly said before taking her hands off from him, still sitting right next to his body. “Elve’s do know how to selfheal but it’s still not as effective as healing someone else.”

“I got an idea, please stay here.” It was more of an order than asking. Reaching into her bag she grabbed one of her green arm bands before dipping it into some water from the canteen she had just refilled on their trip. Gently she hovered the band over the fire, not enough for it to be caught in the flames but close to catch the radiant heat it emitted.

“Here.” She spoke tenderly before kneeling beside him once more, gingerly placing the warmth cloth against his skin to soothe those worn muscles. “Does this feel better?” She asked kindly.

Connor nods to her. "Okay, we'll see." He says while looking back up at the stars. "Maybe I can read from the Juno archives when I get there, I do hope they won't just keep me in a dungeon for the rest of my days." He says while laughing. "Would be a shame, I've heard many beautiful things about Juno castle." He says.

He watches as she grabs her arm band from her bag and starts to heat it. He unleashes a sigh of relief as she places it on his sore muscle. "Much better. Thank you." He breathes while closing his eyes, allowing the relief to flood through his entire body.

"Thank you for doing this.. You're worth saving." He says with a small smile, turning his head to look at her, something he hadn't really been doing since he was busy looking up at the stars that he seemed so fascinated with.

“I forgot to answer your question earlier.” She said. “I’m glad to go back to my home lands, but I don’t know…” Her eyes averted towards the stars, their shining and diming of light reflecting in her irises. She wouldn’t admit that she didn’t want to take him anymore, knowing she had to do what Elite’s were responsible of doing. She sighed a big huff of air before turning her attention to him.

…Did he just say she was worth saving? Oh no, that feeling is starting to come back. Her breathing picking up pace and her pulsating heart racing to try and catch up to her feelings. A light shade of pink painted over her cheeks. “I-I-t’s nothing…” She stuttered before seeing his eyes locking into hers. Quickly she swiveled her head to the opposite direction, gulping.

“I’m going to go…” She told him as she rose up to her feet. “It’s time for dinner.” Without giving him a chance to say anything she darted off into the woods, quickly hiding as she slid her back up against the tree. Her hand was clenched as she held it close to the rising and fall of her chest, closing her eyes as the rush of feelings began to leave her body. Slowly she slid down the tree to rest her rear on the ground.

Just hunt and it’ll keep your mind from thinking about it. She reassured herself before getting up again, on the prowl as a nearby wild boar was in sight.

When she stuttered over and over he looks to her, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion until he started to realize what was going on.. Though he needed a way to confirm it. His wish was soon granted as she jumped up and ran off, she seemed that she wanted to not even look at him, though he caught the flare of pink on her face.

He waits for a few moments, sitting up and holding the band against his arm, pulling his hood up before walking after her. He follows her quietly, watching her hunt down the wild boar before he grabs his bow, firing an arrow straight into the side of the boar's head, the arrow whizzing past her. He approaches Ava and emerges from the shadows. "You ran off." He says cooly while watching her, the moonlight illuminating them.

"I know what you're feeling." He says quietly. "I feel it too." He admits. "Though not nearly as obviously as you are." He says with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head, the leaves and the band had obviously helped him a lot. "I don't know why I am attracted to you, if I wasn't I might have let you die." He says to her quietly. "But it's taboo, illegal even." He breathes while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I think I'm in love with you." He says to her quietly while watching her, it was just as hard for him to say as for her to stay by him while feeling this.

Just as Ava had her positioning right, ready to strike her prey, a flying arrow whizzed past her. The blade of the arrow sliced through the air, adding a zipping sound as it dashed in front of her. The boar wailed in pain before stiffening up and collapsing to the ground. The life that was once in its eyes glazed over to nothing. Rotating her head around to see where the direction of the arrow came from Connor stepped out from the shadows. The moonlight acted like a spotlight, showing off his form as he walked by her.

It was pretty obvious how she was acting that something was up, kind of not surprised that Connor had been able to pick up on her aura. Though, it did bring her reassurance that he too felt the same way as her. The story that they were beginning to create reminded her of her mother and father. The cruel reality of the situation was reminded as Connor spoke of how illegal it was. Her parents died over their love for one another.

“I know…” She lowered her head down in disappointment. “I don’t know why, but my heart just yearns for you. I don’t even know you well enough and I still find myself being drawn towards you.” Coyly she dug her toe at the ground beneath her, still finding it hard to look at him in the eyes after their confessions. “When we were fighting, I felt something. I don’t know if it was how compatible we were with our styles or not, but I felt something there. Perhaps that’s why I got soft on you and didn’t slain you…”

Walking over to the boar she would grab its lifeless legs before dragging it towards their camp site. “We better get gutting this and cooking. We can talk more whilst doing so.”

Connor looks to her and he nods, walking over to the boar and helping her grab it, picking it up with her and walking with her back to the campsite, sitting the boar down by the fire before looking to her. "I don't personally care about the law." He says to her quietly while looking to her. "But you know, if you care then we can't really do much." He says with a small smile, his hands gently taking her shoulders with his fingers. "My heart yearns for you as well, Ava." He says to her quietly, his eyes looking into hers before he leans forward, his lips touching hers.

They are interrupted by the sound of galloping hooves approaching, he moves away from her and sits back, a group of horsemen comes into their small clearing, one of them dismounting, a Neko male. He looks upon them, not looking at Connor but going to Ava. "We found you. We heard of your scuffle with Ulipheces, and we are glad that you killed him and kept your.. Prisoner alive, we are here to ensure your safe and fast travel back to the Juno Castles." The Neko says, two elves dismounting and grabbing Connor, the other couple of horsemen help to break down their camp. "We have a horse for you, Elite." The Neko says to Ava.

Connor is placed on the back of the horse, tied to it, they didn't really care if he fell off or not. The Neko horseman looks to Ava once more. "Im sure you handled the Ogre the best you could, do not fear, we have taken the Human scum from your possession." He says to her. "Mount your horse, we will arrive within an hour." He says.

The closer Connor got to her the more she held her breath. His touch was warm and comforting, just like the cloak she wore last night. He was close enough that she could smell his breath. It was sweet with a tint of mint from the leaves he chewed on earlier. She gasped for air, almost forgetting how to breathe for a minute. This was a moment she wasn’t anticipating anytime soon but events happen when you least expect it.

He lips were extending forward as he leaned in closer. She knew he was feeling just the same, his breathing more horse than before. Ava was hesitant at first but once the distance between them almost ceased it began to feel… natural. Their lips collided together, an explosion of emotions roaring outwards as they locked lips. The bittersweet moment lasted for a brief second until the clanking of hooves startled their precious moment.

Quickly Ava rose to her feet, hand gripped on the base of a dagger until one of her own kind was seen. Jasper, an Elite at the castle approached them as he gave his orders with one simple nod. Ava looked around to see the disaster unfold in front of her. She had no choice but to continue with her original plans. She didn’t respond to Jasper as he handed her the equine, taking the strap in her hands before mounting the silver stallion.

“You’re usually chattier, Ms. Ava.” Jasper said as he mounted his own steed, the horse blowing out a large puff of air before stomping his hooves on the ground, changing direction towards the path of Juno.

“Just unexpected is all.” She said lowly, her eyes fixed square ahead as her posture straightened, deeming her position as an Elite. Jasper nodded his head.

“Very well then. Let’s press onward.” He commanded as he lead the way, the others following close by. Ava swiveled her head around to catch a glimpse of Connor before quickly looking away, not wanting to see him bounded up the way he was.

Jasper was right, it did take about an hour to arrive at the gates of Juno. The villages could be noticed as the towering castle was in the distant background. It felt good to be back home, but her heart ached for Connor.

Connor rides on the back of a pitch black horse, the stallion racing towards Juno and almost throwing him off a few times, not like the elvish rider before him really cared, though they probably didn't know that Connor was an Elite, which would make him more valuable alive to be interrogated. The fact that they would interrogate him for information and for fun regardless scared him, he didn't think he would ever make it to Juno, as Ava had seemed to like him, but the riders had intercepted them before they could even act on their actions.

"Oria have mercy on me." He whispers to himself, which then makes him receive an elbow to the side from the rider in front of him. "Quiet, dirtbag!" The elf orders, under normal circumstances Connor probably would have thrown him off of the horse, despite being bound he really wouldn't have trouble doing so but the other riders would just kill him before he could do anything.. And he couldn't kill in front of Ava again. So he remains silent, not wanting to receive another blow or be tempted to kill the elf as for his own safety and for the safety of his relationship with Ava.

He could still feel her soft lips agaisnt his, she had kissed him back, it had felt like a waterfall of relief cascading through his body, and this feeling of his heart pounding in his chest that would be indescribable to those who have no felt the feeling as he had. He wanted to be with her alone, wishing that the riders hadn't showed up, maybe they could have run off together.. But that was to be no more as they approached the mighty Juno Castles.

Connor looks upon the city in awe, it was more intimidatingly beautiful than he could have ever imagined, so much information locked away from Humans kept in this very city, so much knowledge to be had, sights to be seen.. He wondered what the sunset and sun rise looked like from the top of the tallest tower of the Castles. They ride to the stables, where Connor is escorted off, Ava is guided towards the throne room by Jasper, who explains that she needed to be debriefed and give information on the human that she had brought in.

Connor is locked in the dungeon, chained against the wall with no food and no weapons, but they left him with his cloak, not wanting him to freeze to death in the deathly cold dungeon.

Ava didn’t even get the chance to wave him goodbye, taking him quickly to slam him into the dark and cold dungeons inside of the castle walls. She wanted to pivot around and run towards him, getting him out of the mess she made this out to be. Jasper reached for her hand, guiding her to be escorted to the throne room. “We have a lot to discuss, Ms. Ava.” He grinned as they walked out of the stables into the castle’s doors.

Her heels snapped underneath the ceramic tile underneath her, reverberating off from the grand walls that encompassed them. It was weird being inside of these enclosed walls again, nostalgia infecting her mind as the smells and sights were just the same as she had last left it.

Jasper pulled out an elegant looking chair, extending his hand out towards the seat as he directed her to sit there. Nodding in thanks she sat down before pulling herself closer to the table, Jasper doing the same on the opposite side. Neatly he folded his hands on top of the table, clearing his throat before getting to business.

“Once again, thank you for working so hard on your dedication on protecting our people.” He started off the conversation, his glowing red hues intoxicating. “How did you find him?” He questioned, licking his lips as they were growing dry from speaking.

“He was observing our site. He called it scouting.” She simply answered, not giving details unless asked. He nodded thoughtfully, inhaling before asking more questions.

“Did anyone get injured during his scouting?” His brow cocked upwards, waiting patiently for her response.

“An elf, I suppose, grew suspicious of who was out near the trails and he got captured and killed. I saw him take his last breaths. It was fresh kill.” Her eyes stayed fixed on his, not looking away as she was programmed to play a big role as an Elite. It was a form of respect, too.

“Did he injure you?” His thumb and forefinger grazed at his chin lightly, his jaw raising upwards slightly as his eyes didn’t leave hers either.

“Yes, but he healed me straightly afterwards once I won the battle. He was spooked about coming here and tried to heal me in an attempt to free him.” She blinked. Her thighs were trembling but luckily they were under the table and he couldn’t see.

Connor tried to get some sleep in the dungeon but he was not left alone for very long, several large guards dragging him from the dungeon, still bounded by chain and ball. They bring him to a room filled with various torture devices, human blood was everywhere and it smelled of decaying flesh. Connor turns his head to see a pile of human bodies, in various stages of decomposition sitting in the corner, he wanted to throw up.

"Look, the human knows where he's going." One of them comments with a laugh, lifting him up on to the table and stripping him of his cloak, restraining him to the table. A healthy hour of torture later and Connor is thrown back into his cell, his cloak thrown in after his bruised and battered body. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and from his ears too.

He takes a shaky breath and crawls into the corner of his cell, laying his head in his hands as his body tries to shake away the pain, but it wasn't possible considering that he was beaten and attacked in so many ways, his body was unable to recover.. But they had gotten nothing from him, they had pushed him towards the brink of death before healing a small part of his wounds, leaving the rest for him to enjoy and think about when they would come and get him next.

They had mentioned a terrifying torture to him, it was unspeakable what they were planning on doing to him. But it never came, he was dragged from his cell once again, his cloak placed with his remaining weapons in a small room and his limp form dragged to a small yard, where a bunch of human slaves are kept. Something is shoved into his mouth, his body shaking from the cold outside now, but whatever he had been fed spreads heat throughout his entire body, making him groan in gratitude.

"Seems like the Wormwood is working." A voice says, his mind slipping into delusion. This voice sounded like an elf.

"Yeah, he'll make a good slave once that sets in." Another voice chimes, this one sounding like a goblin.

With that, he passed into unconsciousness.

“He healed you?” Jasper raised the tail end of his question as this had surprised him. “I have never heard of a human healing a Neko before.” He started to pull a cigarette from a pack in his pocket before holding it in between his index finger and middle finger. Lighting a match, he held the cigarette to his lips before lighting it, inhaling the stick before the end turned red, puffing out the smoke he just inhaled to the side it wouldn’t blow in Ava’s direction.

“Yes, he did.” She stood up and pointed to her left side where she was impaled prior. “He got me good here, would have probably been fatal if left untreated. He healed me and not even a scar remains.” She sat back down, waiting for what he had to say.

“Ah, I see.” He nodded considerately. “Obviously, he knew that a simple heal wouldn’t do the trick in his escape.” He amused himself with a chuckle, puffing on the stick once more before tipping off the excess ashes in a nearby ashtray. “The rest doesn’t matter. He’s here now and so are you. We can call this meeting adjourned.” Rising up he finished his cigarette with one last puff before rubbing the end into the ashtray, the lingering smoke still dancing with the air as it lifted upwards. “I will escort you to your room upstairs. Are you hungry?”

“No. Just escort me, please.” Ava said. She lost her appetite long ago when they were captured. She didn’t want to eat anything, especially if Connor couldn’t. Jasper shrugged, as if saying ‘suit yourself’ before taking her up the flight of spiral stairs. Opening a door, he leads the way into a dimly lit room, the light coming from a slightly opened door to allow the moonlight in.

“Goodnight, Ms. Ava. If you need anything I will be nearby.” He bowed before closing her door, the clanking of his shoes slowly dying off as he walked away. Ava sighed, plumping off into the bed as her back laid against the mattress. Her head turned to stare at the full moon outside, wondering of Connor and what was happening. Honestly, she didn’t know what they did here to prisoners. They only allowed those permitted into the depths of the cells. Even though she was an Elite she couldn’t venture off into those depths.

She whimpered slightly before curling into a ball, trying to hold back the tears. She allowed this to happen. If she would’ve turned away earlier in the day while she thought about it she could’ve spared him this fate. It was up to her to fix this situation. It will cost her the Elite title she bared for so long, but she didn’t care anymore. If this war would stop she didn’t mind the loss.

Slowly her lids grew heavier, those misty eyes finally sealed as exhaustion took her consciousness. The sun broke through into her windows, the next day already progressing before she knew it. The invasive light caused her eyes to squint before opening, realizing where she was as she woke up more.