The fresh air was a wonderful relief on her senses after sleeping, resting, and then being harassed in the close confines of the house. She waited only minutes in the cool air before she found Xiantic at her side. In her normal senses she would have jumped at the stealth he had used to find his way to her side to silently. But in her slightly dozed state she only lifted her gaze to meet his in interest. She opened her mouth to say something about him coming to her aid, but then closed it again. He already knew her mind on the matter.

She had expected tem to simply enjoy the evening for a small while, but he broke the silence she had meant to keep in tact. However the words that he said to her intrigued her in such a way that she willingly followed him further from the house; what could he possibly want to tell her? What could he have to say that he needed to be well out of the gypsies’ ear-shot to utter? Her curiosity was provoked, and the entire walk was full of her wonderings and musing. What could this mysterious neko wish to tell her that involved such discretion? He then stopped and turned her to face him.

At first his words did not register and she only continued to meet his gaze blankly. The words singularly rushed past her in a jumble. On her first attempt to make sense of them, she ended up just getting gibberish. And time and time again she tried to put them in an order that made sense… but whichever way she put them the meaning ended up being the same nonsensical truth… that Xiantic was a vampire.

“I do not think that I understand…” she murmured gently into the silence and space he had put between them. And just as she said this the pieces began to click. Xiantic only travelled at night, he had asked her to bring him inside and out of the sunlight as a last request, his cell-mates had all been murdered… for food, he attacked with such zeal because he was subtly feeding as well as killing, and his strength and endurance were to be matched by no normal neko or elf.

She stared at the general area of his knees in a non-seeing fashion. How had she been so blind? There had been so many signs leading up to the truth! Taking a deep breath she began to speak. “Before you explain further, if you feel so inclined… I want you to know that I have no reason to reject vampirism in you. You obviously posses a good deal of self control and restraint. So, do not get it into your head that I think you are a monster… you have been nothing but wonderful to me… and this new information will hopefully do nothing to change that. I-I am only a tad…surprised” she rambled on in soft tones, her eyes never leaving his knees to find his face. For some reason she seemed tentative to meet his eyes and see further evidence of the fact that should have been abundantly obvious. Xiantic was a vampire.

It soon became apparent that Xiantic would not elaborate further on his simple but earth-altering statement. So Kael simply allowed her mind to come to terms with the fact without his help, and within just minutes the odd feeling of shock had begun to pass and she could better concentrate on what the new-found information meant to them both.

Firstly, it meant that travel during the day would be extremely limited, and that they would have to be very careful of finding light-free nighttime resting places. It also meant that he needed to feed on blood unlike the fruits, leaves, and grains that Kael ate. It meant that a small part of him would always be baying for blood, no matter how small; and that her blood too was appealing to him. He would have to make sure to keep well-fed if he planned to continue travelling with Kael as he had indicated before.

Kael then waited for the most frightening part to hit her and make her believe that she could not possible travel with or trust Xiantic. But hard as she tried, she couldn’t think of some inexcusably horrible aspect to vampirism that she couldn’t handle. In fact, the only other facts that she knew about vampirism were positive ones that had already served both Xiantic and Kaelynn well. His speed, strength, endurance, reflexes, and senses that were already enlightened by his neko state. Without them, they would both already be dead.

When she was sure that this new information was something she could handle Kael raised her eyes again to meet Xiantic’s. “Much which did not make sense before falls into place now. I am grateful for you’re telling me” she told him in almost formal tones before looking over her shoulder at the dim lights that indicated where the gypsy-occupied house was. It was obvious from her expression that she did not want to go back, for some reason the place seemed to stifle her. After being in prison, she was in no mood to have walls around her… she liked having the trees around her much better, and the scents and sounds of the forest.

“I need to think without the stink and racket of humans” she told him in soft tones, her nostrils flaring delicately at the very thought. She waited a moment for a reply before tearing her dark gaze away from him and looking through the trees for a promising direction to head in; West looked good… it was the direction of the stream she had found earlier. She would steer away from Lycan territory while still managing to find a good place to simply think with Xiantic; that is if he decided to come… He seemed to be rather quiet for the moment. Perhaps thinking of his past and the personal history of his vampirism had caused such dumbness to strike him. Whatever the case was, he seemed rather quiet and still; a huge contrast to her thoughts which were whirling in every direction.

It was not long before she found the stream; she did not look behind her to see if Xiantic was following her. At the moment it didn’t matter, her head was spinning with so many thoughts and questions that she knew conversation would be limited and silence would be in high demand by them both. She hoped that the familiarities of the forest around them would help to sooth them both and allow a small peace of comfort in the daring tale that had become their reality.

He almost chuckled to himself with her last comment. Despite her initial shock which was unavoidable, she seemed to be more concerned and disgusted by the humans than himself. But then again, she thought more rationally than most in his experience, and probably reasoned that he would not harm her, because if he had intended to, he would have by now. He followed her lightly at a bit of a distance, before veering off. She was in no danger here, there was no way a lycan would go unnoticed in this area and they avoided it as being here would start open conflict between themselves and humans which they didn't want.

After veering off, he went of the hunt, quickly finding a deer that had a wound in it's side yet had managed to escape whichever predator had attacked it. No doubt, however, this was temporary, and that it's doom was at hand. With this knowledge, Xiantic felt no guilt for doing what he must, and feeding on it, until it's death rather than just enough to get by. When he lay it down, he felt a good amount of his strength return, as well as his awareness. But, what unnerved him, is with this, he suddenly felt a presence behind him he hadn't before. Tearing a chunk of the meat off, making it seem like he intended on eating the deer after it died, he turned around, spitting the meat out upon seeing the eldest of the gypsies.

"It's not wise to attempt sneaking up upon a neko, especially one on the hunt and feeding." He said casually, despite being quite surprised that the man had gotten so close without his notice, even in his weakened state. He was just a human, after all, and they weren't much quieter than lycans for the most part.

"I meant not to surprise you, Xiantic." The man said, "But habit has me tread lightly in wooded areas, especially areas where lycans reside nearby, despite the unlikeness they'd come this far." His words were unfaltering and seemed true enough. Besides the sincerity in the mans voice, the words spoken were much to the agreeance of Xiantic.

"Noted. However, it still surprises be that you were capable to get within a hundred yards of me without my knowledge. Humans are not known for their stealth unless specifically trained, and such skills are unbecoming of a peaceful gypsy. Or am I mistaken, and they are simply used by your men for other, more light-hearted purposes than killing." He jested slightly, knowing it wasn't true. Unamused, the man frowned.

"Your frustration with our men's lust is noted, but do not pitch us all in with those who are young and foolish. Indeed these skills are not that a gypsy would acquire, but as it is, I am only a gypsy by association. My past is complicated, possibly as complicated as a neko and elf who have escaped Grimsford and the lycan infested woods around. However, believe me in the fact that I am not as frail as my body suggests, or as defenseless as the boy you made a fool of earlier. However, from what it seems I am still not quite a match for you because the boy's strength is impressive and he says he pushed against you with all his might without even phasing you. You must have been a warrior when you were part of a village, for despite the fact neko strength surpasses our own, the extent of which seems to be the case here isn't common."

Xiantic nodded, dismissing the idea of the boy. "Perhaps so, but my past is not up for discussion, for even Kael knows little of it except for the past month or so. Now, I presume you didn't come out to find me for idle chit-chat, so what is it that is on your mind?"

"Well, you and Kael, to be honest. You two obviously aren't staying around here, and I doubt you plan to accompany us. Now, I don't know about Kael, but you seem to have a lot of anger within you. You don't plan to just run and settle down, do you?" The man inquired, watching Xiantic's every move, moreso than even the guards of Grimsford did.

"Maybe I don't, what's it to a gypsy who isn't really a gyspsy? Make this quick or talk to me later. I'd like to eat in peace, before scavengers or larger predators with lack of prey come for my meal." He lied, but it was best to seem like he was irritated about not being able to eat, as to hide what the man had truly stumbled across. The man, seeming to accept this lie, nodded.

"Fne, I'll make my words quick. I know of an organization that is trying to overthrow, or 'exorcise' the corrupt church. I figured rather than you do whatever you plan to alone, make little impact, and inevitably die, I'd lead you there where perhaps you won't die, and maybe have an impact. They've infiltrated the church on many levels. It wasn't exceedingly difficult, as corrupt as it has become, but where they have many great minds and strategists, they lack warriors, assassins, and brute force needed to accomplish some of which they need. This is not to say they don't have any, but they don't have a lot, or in my opinion, enough. If you'll take my instructions, I can tell you how to contact them."

Xiantic, to say the least, was genuinely surprised, though he wasn't sure by what exactly. The fact such an organization existed wasn't hard to believe, and as the man said, infiltrating a church so corrupt wouldn't be too terribly hard if done a little at a time. Also, the assistance himself and Kael could lend was obvious, but still, this turn of events was beyond his grasp. "I shall think of it. Go ahead and write down whatever directions you wish, and I shall take them off your hands before I leave, but i make no promises of following them. Now leave me so I may eat."

With a silent nod, the man made his departure. Xiantic listened for him, ensuring that he was indeed departing. He then began to rip the deer apart as if he were eating and tossing the piece far away from the corpse, making it look like he had eaten his fill, leaving the rest for whatever predators or scavengers found it first, making his way back to where he had left Kael. He followed her trail from their, both through signs and footsteps, and through scent. Soon enough he found her sitting by the stream. Appearing at her side, he sat next to her, who seemed unsurprised by his sudden appearance, but somewhat happy for it, despite the maintained silence.

They sat there for about a half hour together, Xiantic having meant to tell her from the moment he got there about the conversation he just had, but he hadn't the heart to disturb such peace they hadn't really had the entire time. Alas, he took it upon himself to break the silence, if only for a second. "We don't have to go back, you know." He informed her, "There's something I need to pick up, but I can grab it in a second while we pass it. You don't need to return to the house if they bother you. I noticed a cave not too terribly far from here, it'd be good enough for what we need, and also less likely to be searched if they're even bothering to do so."

With that softly spoken option announced, he went quiet again, but as before it wasn't an uncomfortable one. After all the excitement they had been through, it was nice to only be around each other, who they had grown to trust despite everything. Xiantic licked his lips again, taking just a soft glance at her before laying on his back and looking at the night sky.

Kaellyn was silent for some time after he spoke. She was sure that he would understand this lack of speech. She wanted to think; and in her case, that was best done in silence. She did not make quick decisions unless it was urgent; she took her time and analyzed her options. This is a trait that came with her upbringing.

When she still lived with the other elves in the small group she had called family, she had been raised to interpret information in a very detailed and analytical process. This process helped her to come to the most informed decision possible. Of course, not all aspects to a decision are factual or objective. Much is impressionable and subject to her current mood, such as the choice that she was right now thinking over. Did she want to go back to the gypsies or else find a quiet cave to rest in? Could they gain more from the gypsies, or should she set off with Xiantic toward whatever would happen next?

In the end, she had two questions to ask him to help her make up her mind. She turned to look at him, breaking the frozen pose she had held for the entire time she had been mulling over their situation. It was with certain reluctance that she cut through their silence once again; after the commotion of the last weeks, silence had been an absolute blessing. “Do you trust the gypsies?” she asked softly. She trusted his opinion, instincts, and judgments over any one else’s, and would not make a decision without his input.

Xiantic looked to the night sky. "What do you mean by 'trust'? Do I expect them to harm us or attempt to try? No I do not, in the least. Do I intend to spend more time with them or travel with them as their own? No, I don't. Their leaders have good heads on their shoulders, but the younger ones need to realize more of the world." He looked to her. "I do need to pick up one last thing from them tomorrow night, but that can wait, and if it doesn't I doubt it'd be of much concern. What about you, do you trust them?"

Having her own question bounced back to her was not unexpected, but she did not have a concise answer ready. Raising her eyes, she joined Xiantic in watching the stars; they twinkled back at her in a kind of taunting rhythm. She immediately dropped her gaze to the indifferent earth. “I do not think that they would harm us” she agreed reluctantly. “But they hold their own well-being far above ours, and that alone causes me to be on edge” she then admitted into the darkness. When, after all of this she still did not seem closer to forming a concise decision, she decided to ask him her second question.

“What about the sunlight? Will you be safer in the cave you speak of, or else with the gypsies?” she asked, a touch of concern colouring her tones. It did not matter that she was speaking about a trait of vampirism. It was a weakness, and she was concerned for the well-being of the otherwise seemingly indestructible partner she had found. She did not want something as preventable as ignorance or lack of foresight to leave him injured or dead.

He shook his head a little. "I will be equally safe." He said, closing his eyes. "That is, unless we are found; this is highly unlikely as we would be presumed dead within the woods. Even if they're looking, finding us so quickly especially with the patch of people searching this area already dead, would be slim. But if we were, the cave would be safer for the simple fact that they'd be less likely to enter the woods looking, and the fact they could burn the house." He looked to her, watching her reactions.

Kaellyn was careful to limit her reactions. She did not want to show him that the thought a burning a house surrounding her had caused a sudden wave of nausea to hit her. Kael’s worst fear was of being trapped, hence why prison had been an absolute nightmare. It was because of prison, that this fear was more pronounced than ever. She had recently made the decision to kill herself rather than go back to prison if necessary, she was not at all sure if her mind would be able to take the strain of having walls all around her again. Elves were not made to be kept in cages, cut off from the trees, earth, and water.

“I would like to go to the cave” she said, only seconds after he had finished speaking. This speed would seem odd, seeing as she almost never made split decisions. But she knew that going back into that house would be almost impossible for her now. She would rather be surrounded by rock that was unable to catch fire and collapse around her shoulders. It did not matter that she would be a tad cold, or that there would be no blankets and fire available.

When he did not comment on her decision, she did not press. She did not need words, he had given the decision to her and she had now made it. Shifting slightly so to be more comfortable, she continued to gaze into the trees, taking solace in their simple familiarity. She had lived in the trees all her life, up until her capture. And she felt most comfortable when around them… unless being chased by a pack of werewolves and a corrupt church. But with Xiantic at her side, trees surrounding her, and no enemy within her sight, things were doing wonderfully.

Besides her prison cell, this was the first place in a long time that she had been able to simply stop and think in. Every other place had been full of too much tension for her to think in, had been to full of sleep to really offer time to think, or else had been so full of noise and stink that any rational thought had been impossible. This was nice.

But their sanctuary was fated to be short-lived. Seeing the slight lightening in the eastern sky, Kael rose quite suddenly. A sense of panic stole over her as she looked down at Xiantic; it was all she could do to keep her adrenaline in check. How did this sunlight thing work? Would Xiantic be alright if in the shadows? Or did he need to be completely cut off from the day sky? How long would it take for him to die if left in the Sun? Oh! Why hadn’t she filled the leisurely silence with such questions when Xiantic was in no danger?

Kneeling next to him, she put a hand on his shoulder, her thin fingers clutching the fabric making her knuckles go white. Unquantifiable amounts of concern were in her large eyes; she made no effort to hide this from him.

Xiantic opened his eyes, directing them toward her. “Do not worry” he told her, calming resonance to his tones. “Light will not affect me more than it would affect anything else, lest it hits me directly. It is the sun itself, not light in general, which affects me.” With this said, she released his sleeve from her grip.

“If that is the case, dawn is nearly upon us. We have at most, an hour to seek shelter away from the Sun’s rays” she told him, her heart rate settling down now that she knew he was in no immediate danger. Frowning she clenched and unclenched her fingers a few times, they were especially sensitive to where she had touched his shoulder. This fact caused her a small amount of confusion and embarrassment. A small patch of colour showed on each of her cheeks.

Xiantic stood and came to stand next to her. It seemed that neither was content to simply sit and think any longer. “Come, we should make our way toward the cave I spoke of. It is not far” he told her, his face devoid of most expression as usual. It was a very rare moment when Kaellyn could actually see what he was thinking or feeling by his features. He was very good at hiding his thoughts.

Nodding she gestured with one hand. “Lead the way. I will follow” she told him, their eyes meeting briefly before she looked down toward her feet, the tingling in her fingers coming back. She followed him, not really paying attention to where he led her. Instead her mind raced with a new vigour despite hours since it had last rested. She would not be sleeping right away; her thoughts were much too restless.

He nodded at her telling him to lead the way, catching her eye. He wanted to thank her for being so understanding, but before he could, she looked towards her feet, leaving him with his mouth half open, before he would shut it. What caused her to look away from him as such? He doubted it was fear or disgust, for she hadn't shown any other sign of it, and she not only was willing to stay with him, but wanted to. But yet, she could never maintain eye contact with him, not since the prison, when he often used it to calm her nerves, but he highly doubted she knew that to be intentional on his side or just thought it an odd side effect.

He thought on this, glancing back at her a few times as they walked, noticing her clenching and un-clenching her fists repeatedly. It was a casual pace, something she was probably not even fully thinking about or aware of. But it wasn't something he'd noticed her ever do before, so he doubted it was just a habit of hers overall. The cave only a few hundred meters away, leaving him free to sprint there in a matter of seconds should he need, he stopped, turning around to place his hand on her shoulder softly, feeling the warmth of her skin through the light layer of clothing.

"You've been clenching your fist into balls off and on since just a bit before we got up to come here Kael, is something bothering you?" He pried, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. She stopped for a second, obviously caught off guard by his directness and suddenness, as he expected. Her surprise resembled another look he was used to in the eyes of those he met- fear. He felt a slight pange of guilt at being so used to such an emotion's effect on the eyes to realize it's similarity to another, almost mistaking the two.

"It is nothing, Xiantic." She said softly, finally averting her eyes after about ten seconds, "I am still plagued by times of loneliness and being held by bars, and the idea grips my very soul, refusing to let go despite those times being behind m-us." She said, looking back at him, face as solemn as it always was, but not as sad. "That is all." She assured at last, quelling Xiantic's curiosity and concern.

With that, he silently finished leading her to the cave. The cave itself was actually somewhat hidden by the natural foliage and landscape of the area, despite being spacious enough on the inside, about ten yards from one wall to the other, and three to four yards in height, depending on the area. It went inwards for about fifty yards before curving to the right, going further down, gradually growing smaller as it did. Xiantic had estimated the furthest a humanoid could reach was about a hundred or so yards while crouching, any further requiring one to crawl on their belly, which he didn't count for the obvious uncomfort of it, as well as it being ill-advised in any situation he could think of.

Xiantic himself moved about twenty-five yards in for now, before resting on the rock below him, his tail quickly wrapping around his waist to prevent it from being caught between the rock and his rump. A casual glance towards Kael was all he made to make sure she was comfortable with the surroundings before he began to groom the patches of fur on his feet and hands. He did this with steady rhythm and caring, making sure to clean them thoroughly and thus spending a good ten minutes on each one, so that by the time he was done, Kael was quite restless. He'd noticed it when he was cleaning himself, but hadn't taken the time to stop and inquire as to why. But, she had been pacing for nearly half an hour, which was bound to raise questions. Scooting towards the bend in the cave, as the sun was now up and inching it's way towards him, he turned his attentions towards Kael yet again, who was now humming a soft tune of which he was not familiar.

"Are you sure you're not overly bothered. You seem quite restless, what with you pacing around the cave since we got here. Come sit with me and talk if it'll soothe your nerves." He offered sincerely. "It's unbecoming of somebody who's still a bit sickly not to relax when times don't call for otherwise."

She stopped mid-stride, looking towards him. Caught off-guard again, she wondered if she'd ever be able to actually go a good period of time with him without being surprised. He would seemingly be focused entirely on something, only to notice what it was she was doing, and perhaps even other things around them. She accepted what he said, nodding. "You're right." She said shortly, moving to sit across from him. She looked at him, but kept her gaze from those eyes of his. There was something about them which she wasn't entirely sure about, making her both uneasy and flustered when looking into them.

"As I said before, I have yet to let all that which has plagued the both of us from my mind, in truth, I may never fully. But perhaps now I should rest some more." She looked at his face. "You seem quite the opposite, Xiantic. How is it you are not plagued by the events befallen us?"

He looked up, at her eyes though hers did not meet, so he moved his away as well, looking towards her feet. "They do, but I've lived the life of a warrior, and have been trained to hide anything that may be used against me by foes, from friend and foe alike. Do not get me wrong, I am not criticizing you for not doing such, it is just a different lifestyle, and both have their benefits and their flaws. Many warriors who do not appropriate proper methods of dealing with such things crack after a period of time due to stress. I myself, ease my own stress by helping those I care about, something other warriors have envied me for, as it is very efficient and mutually beneficial. I suppose, in that way, I am lucky." He did not mention the time that this was actually a curse, such as when he had none he cared about that'd let him near, causing him more stress and causing him to snap. Luckily, he'd managed to regain his sanity some time later, but he had been like a feral beast for months, something that had led to his capture and imprisonment, as well as the feared reputation he'd had while in that wretched place.

A silence stretched after that, not that of uncomfort, but just slight understanding. He got up after a minute or two, moving completely around the bend, leaning against the wall to rest. He'd enter trance here to let his mind rest. He'd grown so familiar with Kael's presence that it wouldn't stir him unless that was her intent. As he drifted, his last conscious thoughts were of concern for Kael, his new and only true companion anymore.

When it seemed that Xiantic was sleeping, Kael found that without his conscious company she could no longer sit still. She had the odd feeling that something was about to attack her; she had had this feeling since leaving the church. Would she never feel safe and content again?

It took only minutes of her restless thinking to drive her to more worthy pursuits. She was thirsty, she would start with that. Without almost any sound whatsoever she moved toward the entrance to the cave and stepped outside to greet the sunrise. The light bathed her skin in a red glow and she closed her eyes in pleasure, she loved dusk and dawn. The different colored light and sky somehow made her feel alive; she had missed the spectacular light-show while in prison and then while being on the run with Xiantic and his night-dwelling life style.

Stepping further out of the cave, she gave a huge yawn and looked around her for a proper water source. She spotted the stream they had sat by just hours ago. Making her way to it she made sure that she would be able to find her way back to Xiantic; she didn’t want him waking up and thinking she had fled.

Since escaping from the prison, Kaellyn had slowly begun to develop her modesty again. It was now to the point that she was no longer comfortable with even the thought of being naked while in Xiantic’s, or for that matter, anyone’s sight. She knew that her modesty would undoubtedly seem odd and nonsensical to Xiantic, but Kael’s upbringing had conditioned her to have certain restrictions and conditions when it came to many things, nudity included. Therefore with Xiantic asleep and the gypsies miles away, she happily slipped out of the oversized, stolen monk’s robe. She had bathed not too long ago, but she was naturally a clean person and the lure of the clear water beneath her was too much. Gratefully, she slipped into the chilly water and did a few laps up and down the stream for a little bit before coming to rest at the edge again. The sun was now more fully up, the brilliant colors gone from the sky to be replaced with blue. Her eyes then travelled to the huge robe sprawled out on the bank. She decided then and there that she was going to find a better alternative.

Slipping out of the water she allowed the sun to dry her bruised skin before moving to once again wrap the robe around her thin form. Deciding that stealing something from the gypsies would be unwise, she decided that she would have to try and alter the robe. With a wet, sharp stone, she went about tearing off nearly three feet from the bottom hem and almost two feet from the one side so that it would not fit so loosely and long. She knew that it would fray, but until she found a needle and thread, it would serve her much better then it had before.

She spent a few more hours sitting at the edge of the stream and finding peace in its continual progress. As a child and youth, she had lived near running water. It was soothing to be able to collect her thoughts by the water’s edge again. It almost felt as if she was slipping into her past for just an hour or two to relive the lazy days she had spent lounging on the river’s bank after a successful hunt.

However when the sun found its place at the highest point in the sky, Kael found herself beginning to doze off. And as much as she wanted to sleep in the warmth of the sun next to the stream, she knew that it was not safe. Yawning she returned to the cave, resigning herself to spending the rest of the day in the cool, dark cave next to Xiantic.

Bending low, Kael ducked under the lip if the cave and found herself blinking at the sudden darkness. She soon found herself a spot against the cave’s wall opposite Xiantic and went about settling down again. She could still feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, and Kaellyn suddenly felt a great sense of pity for Xiantic. He was missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. Her dark eyes traced his sleeping outline in the darkness for some time before they closed of their own accord and sent Kaellyn into the oblivion of sleep.

She dreamed of Xiantic. Her sleeping eyes watched him walk freely in the sun, the light shining off of his fur and causing it to glisten. He looked over his shoulder and gave her a rare smile, Kael smiled back with color rising to her cheeks. Why did she always seem so reluctant to really speak with him of things other than their situation? Why did she feel nervous around him at times? Could she trust him? How long would she spend with him until either she or him decided that parting company was the best? Was she afraid of losing him? What was there to lose? These questions ad more plagued her dreams all day.

It was a long afternoon, but Kaellyn did not wake up once. Despite her earlier restlessness, she was exhausted. Her small form was curled loosely against the wall, her newly altered robe exposing her goose-bumped legs and arms to the cool cave’s mercy. By the time dusk came around Kael was finally beginning to wake up again, her mind slowly ascending the different layers of sleep on its way toward consciousness. Slowly blinking open her eyes she searched her vision for Xiantic. He was all she had to look for now, he was the only thing worth searching for. Everything else was either lost or had abandoned her. Xiantic was the one stronghold she had.

Xiantic was returning to the cave, having made the trip to meet the non-gypsy man before dusk. Direct sunlight irritated him, but the forest gave plenty of cover, and it was not as harmful as some would believe. He had met with the man inside the house, completely untouched by the sun’s rays when any eyes first lay upon him. The women still eyed him, a few lustfully, but kept a respectful distance now. Part of him wanted to return their lustful glances with advances and part ways after, but thinking on it pained him with his past. Physically he’d enjoy the exchange, but only physically. He knew the interaction would hold nothing in comparison to what he and his mate had had. In fact, he figured the ease and comfort he felt around Kael pleased him more than a meaningless exchange of flesh would. So, after a few nonchalant glances back, he left with but a distasteful glance or two at the young men who kept their distance, leaving the house to them, as if he’d never been there at all.

He’d not only gained the note from the return, but a new pair of trousers with pockets, for the note and whatever else he might find need. He also held a blouse, a separate top and skirt, and despite his insisting she would not care for them, some leggings. However, thinking on it now, he really did not know whether she did or not. Until now, they’d only been concerned about survival. Maybe she would indeed find the thought of leggings and skirts uplifting. He had removed himself of all the ragged clothing he’d had previous, leaving only the loose trousers over his legs, and his upper body open to the soft cool winds of the night, to his satisfaction.

He had two pieces of information on the paper in his right pocket. The first was of the organization the man had mentioned and how to contact and find them. The latter was of the nearest town with little influence from the church which they could probably find a place to reside for the time being, or if nothing else, make some money and buy some equipment. However, at the thought of money, he had returned to the corpses of the monks, to find them undiscovered still, and proceeded to check their clothing and belongings. As he had thought, they had with them a good amount of valuables and jewelry that could be used directly to purchase things, or vended for coin. He’d offer some to Kael, but it was mostly jewelry representing the church, so he doubted she wanted it any more than he did.

When he came over the hill near the cave, he found Kael already out of the cave, looking around intently. He paused for a moment, before realizing she was looking for him. He shook his head softly at her fear of him leaving, before coughing rather loudly to gain her attention. She looked relieved to see him, and he moved down towards her, her eyes now that of confusion seeing what he held out to her.

“To you from the gypsies. The women saw what you had to wear and took pity, it seemed, and insisted I bring these to you. I too, thought you’d like something more fitting to wear than the robes of a slain monk, though I’d have stuck with trousers like I myself have, and a simple shirt. But perhaps they were right in their assessment, for I know not of what women wear outside of neko villages, in which little is worn if anything, except to keep warm.” He admitted.

He handed them to her, glad to see she accepted them readily, and still looked very relieved that he had not vanished from her. “You would have been more correct, as for if we are to run about again, trousers would suit me better. However, I will do fine with the skirt for now. As for the dress, we’ll just leave it here. It is not in my nature to wear such things except to please somebody else.” She said after calming her tone.

Xiantic nodded, escorting them to the side of the stream. “Well, I am glad to be done with the gypsies. Though they did not try to harm us, their inability to remain mature and control their lust extends to both the males and the females. Humans, I am beginning to think, have less tact and restraint than elves and my neko brethren. With knowing nothing about an individual, they fling themselves to mating solely for the physical pleasure of it.” He said irritably.

She nodded with quiet agreement, and they sat there in silence for a good while, he would bring up the town, but from what he’d heard, it was only half a day’s walk from here, so he had plenty of time even if they meant to go today, which was unlikely. He wanted another day to rest just in case, and was sure it would not be a bad idea for her either. It wouldn’t put them in prime condition, but it’d make them ready enough for any surprises, even if the gypsies had been positive none should arrive. Anything was possible, this had been proven by them escaping Grimsford, and the forest surrounding it. This time, he sat perfectly content with his surroundings and company, letting when to break the silence be her decision, not his.

It was frightening to be unaware of where Xiantic was. After their recent experiences together, Kaelynn had come to rely on him for advise, company, and leadership. Finding him gone upon waking, her mind filled with various terrible possibilities. The past months had made her a pessimist.

Feeling the ground where he had been, she found it cold: he had been gone for some time. Knowing that it was premature to panic, she rose and made her way out of the cave, the last rays of dusk hitting her as she emerged. Sunlight; he would burn up! Now her heart did begin to speed up, threatening to overwhelm her with fear and adrenaline, sending her into a frenzy that would only hinder her goal of finding her companion.

She was concentrating on breathing steadily, her sharp eyes scanning the ground for prints or other signs of him. Kneeling in the dirt, she delicately traced his footprint. It was then that he emerged from the surrounding trees. Rising, she brushed the dirt from her knees and tried to control her annoyance and concern. Why had he not bothered to tell her where he was going? Feeling too much like a nagging wife to voice her irritations aloud, she instead turned her attention to what he was carrying.

She readily accepted the garments from him, particularly paying attention to the skirt. Finding it lovely in comparison to her rags, but impractical, she told him so. Casting aside the dress, she went about slipping on the other garments beneath her robe, sure to remain covered at all times. Only when she was dressed, did she finally shed the robe. The resulting affect was better than she had been thinking. The clothing was too big for her, but it was clean and would certainly stay on even when running. In the event of running, she would simply roll the skirt up and tuck the ends into her leggings to free her legs. Quietly she thanked him before settling down to hear what else he would say.

The Neko seemed content to simply lounge on the ground next to her, enjoying the night’s light breeze and the company of the slowly-rising stars. Taking her cue from him, she stretched length-wise out on the ground, her dark eyes greeting each new star as they appeared in the inky sky.

The constellations here were old friends, having kept her company many nights before. The great bear winked at her, his majestic presence nearly hiding the scorpion just beneath him. Her childhood had been filled with stories of these familiar characters, making her laugh in delight and freeze with awe in turns. The memories of such times were sweet ones, full of running, laughter, family, and security. Upset, Kaellyn sat up suddenly, blinking away unbidden thoughts. That life had long since betrayed her, and she knew better than to dwell on such things.

Eager to rid herself of painful memories, she turned to face Xiantic, her eyes black in the darkness around them. “We have been together now for some days and yet I feel I know so little about you. Perhaps it is time to remedy this” she said softly. Seeing the look in his eyes she rushed on, her hands before her as if to ward away something. “Nothing you are unwilling to part with. We both have secrets, both have memories we do not want to bring up. But now that we are in a relatively secure location, we have time for such luxuries as conversation.”

The neko considered her for a moment, fixing her with a thoughtful look. "I believe that you’re right, but as you have stated there are many things I'd rather not discuss. My past, as is relevant, isn't very long and I'm not the person I was before the transformation, as much as the transformation has not made me evil, it's changed my being completely. In that sense, you will be the first person to know me, for the person who was before no longer exists, and his name was not Xiantic, but rather 'Brimjord.’”

Kael listened, nodding. Her dark eyes were alight with fascination, only a shadow of sadness tainting the edges. Being the first to admit her ignorance of both neko and vampire ways, she was fascinated. The elf had lived a relatively sheltered life up until she was captured by the church. She had almost never been left alone; always with her father, or a cousin, or a brother; always moving. The family-group was very tight-knit, almost always staying in wooded areas, avoiding others whenever possible. In a way Kael viewed Xiantic as a new surrogate family-group, seeing as it was in her primal nature to live in a group. She was not meant to be a solitary creature.

“May I be so bold as to ask why you chose the name Xiantic? I do not believe that I have come across it before” she told him. Moving to be more comfortable, she drew her knees up to her chin, causing dark waves of hair to fall forward over her shoulder. Bits of grass, leaf, and grit were caught in the loose tangles, clashing with the new blouse and skirt. Unconsciously she pushed one lock behind a pointed ear, her attention fixed on Xi. To be honest, he was the most fascinating man she had ever come across.

"I'll tell you” he agreed, “but first let me make a suggestion.” When Kael nodded for him to continue, he did so. “There is a town nearby, one where they know me, the old me, by face not name. It is unaffiliated with the church in any means, and is a good place to get supplies and perhaps a more comfortable place to stay. It's about half a day's walk, and the full story behind my name is a long one. I propose that we go there; as we walk I tell will you the story as it was told to me.”

Kael had pointedly avoided human establishments her entire life, and it was a foreign idea to seek one out on purpose. However, she trusted Xi’s judgment inexplicably and warily agreed. Knowing that the peaceful moment was gone, she rose, stretching her aching muscles as she did so. The past few days had been among the most eventful and physically-straining in her life, and her muscles were not about to let her forget it. Wistfully, she remembered the days when she had been in the best shape of her life, lean muscle rippling beneath her skin. Now she looked thin, her muscles having wasted away in the past months. “Let’s go” she told him, waiting to see which way he would lead her, and in turn which way the town lay in.

As they started, he began to recall the story from his youth, which was one of the few memories of his grandfather he had left. His grandfather had not been the only one who had told it, but he had definitely told it best. It was always as if, to his grandfather, he had not told it as just a story to be passed down, but as a matter of grave importance, in such a way that when he recalled it now, Xiantic almost wondered if there was any way his grandfather could have possibly known of the events to come. Such things, or course, were silly, but the thought never left his mind anyway.

“The story is, as you might have guessed, about a person named Xiantic. Throughout the story, however, there was one thing that nobody seemed to remember, and that is of which race Xiantic belonged to. If it was ever mentioned, it would be said that Xiantic had attributes of more than just one race, but had connections with many. That is why his story was so unique among our kind. Most of our stories about individuals were usually about fellow neko saviors, helping to overcome oppression from another race, such as humans, or drow.” He stated, knowing the latter race was ill advised to mention much of, especially in the presence of an elf, but it was a fact. “Xiantic, however, certainly never lived among our tribe, if he was a neko, that I do know. The story starts with Xiantic, with his wife and children, living comfortably with no deep concerns or worries, for he had built himself a good farm, and was well liked. He should have lived comfortably until age claimed him, but his fortune was not so good.”

“One day, while tending to his animals alone, he ran across something else in his fields. A spirit, it would seem. He recognized it for what it was, evil, and it took after him. He wrestled with the evil spirit as it took into him, winning despite the extreme unlikeliness of such a feat. However, while they wrestled, the spirit did control his body, and he found his whole family slain by his hand when he once again claimed control of himself, as well as many of the people in his town. Distraught, he ran from his home in terror and agony, aimlessly and neglecting to sustain himself, for he did not care to live anymore.”

“Whether by coincidence, or by some outside factor leading him, he found himself at the feet of a holy man when he next had enough sense to recall anything.” He said softly, pausing for a second. “For the point of this story, we must remember that though the church is corrupt now, and an evil beyond many we may face in this world, it was not always such, and generally was a force of good, and holy men were of the best calibur of people.” He reminded before continuing.

“The holy man was confused, for Xiantic had thrown himself at the man’s feet and simply wept for some time, calling himself a hideous evil that needed to be removed from the world. The man, recognizing one suffering, knew this was not true, and sought to tend to Xiantic, caring for his nourishment which had been neglected, and also his spirit. He asked his God for help with this victim, and received blessing, and a vision. When Xiantic had regained his sanity, the man informed him of both.”

“He knew, without being told, of the deeds which Xiantic had committed without consent of his own mind, and he also knew of the forces that had caused such. The spirit that had personally taken to Xiantic’s body had already been destroyed, yes, but it was not alone. There were several, of varying power, which sought to commit more acts like his, and some even more horrifying. But there was little that could be done about it b the church. Being spirits, they could simply possess any body that would come to stop them, and control them to do their will. But there was one weakness to such a thing. If a spirit was already in the body, no other could enter. But, only evil spirits would enter bodies, so such a weakness was irrelevent.”

“It was then that the holy man, with much sorrow, admitted what he had seen in his vision. He had seen Xiantic enduring horrible things, things no man should ever endure, no man should ever be asked to. Things he already had, but repeated them several times to overcome this thing.”

Xiantic then began to explain, in detail how the holy man and Xiantic would work together at Xiantic’s request and demands, locking Xiantic in a cell and sending spirit after spirit at him. Xiantic had a strong will, strong enough to destroy the spirits. But that wasn’t what they wanted. Their goal, was for him to regain complete control over his body while the spirit remained. While describing this, he described the battles that took place, and what the spirits subjected him to mentally. When the goal they sought was accomplished, the holy man looked in at Xiantic, asking him if it was the Xiantic he knew.
“The Xiantic who existed before no longer does, but it is me, not the spirit who is in control.” He replied, paining the monk to hear, but they both intended to complete their mission. With that, the monk removed the key, and Xiantic stepped forth from it, the life in his eyes long since abandoned. Without saying a word, he grabbed a flask of holy water, which burnt at his skin even through the glass, then he left.”

“Nothing is really known what happened when he confronted the spirits. We can only speculate by what condition the corpse was found in. It had scratches, gashes, and burns everywhere. He had emptied the holy water into a cauldron which looked to have quite a bit of blood in it as well. However, Xiantic’s body had one feature that stood out from the rest. A smile, a soft, freeing smile in death. he holy man made sure to spread the story of this man, and what he had done in service of his God and the people of this world, for though he had never asked, he assumed Xiantic had put himself through this to ensure nobody else would experience his tragedy. He never asked for help beyond what was necessary, or any credit or praise for his deeds. And of all the people to hear this story, only ours bothered to remember it, which it was why we felt it so important to pass down. For, a man with a story such as that needs to be remembered, mourned for, and celebrated.”

He paused for a few minutes, at which Kael did not say anything, before speaking up again. “Why would I choose the name of such a tragic character? Because, I had hoped, in the end I wind up turning out like him. His path was horrible, yes, but in the end he wore a smile, and had avenged the horrible deeds caused through his body.”

He stopped again, looking ahead. The town was now within eyesight, with about three hours left before dawn. He said nothing, for he wasn’t sure what to say after such a sullen story. He just kept walking, glancing to the ground, Kael, and the town in slow increments as the got closer. He stopped for a moment as it was only a few hundred yards from the entrance, looking at the familiar buildings. He took a moment to remember what was where and nodded to himself, turning to Kael again.

“Nothing but the Inn and some bars will be open until dawn, so until then at least I’d suggest staying in the Inn. Would you rather rest there first or go gather supplies first thing in the morning?” He asked, beginning to walk again, having located the inn. He looked back watching her jump a few quick steps to catch him again.

It was impossible for Kaelynn to speak for some after Xi had finished the tale of his namesake: her mind was just too full to let her speak. It was as if too many thoughts were trying to get out at the same time, rendering her speechless. She walked alongside Xi, her mind chewing over him and his obviously painful past. She wanted to know more about her new companion: his youth, hopes or the future, ect… what she had just heard could not be the truth.

Did this tortured neko actually hope to end up as the man of ledged had? He wanted to die taking on hordes of monsters, avenging his family and lost former-life?

Kael shuddered at the thought, not being able to understand his thirst for more violence. She understood the need for redemption and vengeance, she did. But she could not justify spending an entire life-time focusing on the past.

She herself planned to someday settle down again, find a family-group of some kind and living peacefully as she once had. She had had enough violence, enough heart-ache, and enough fear. This elf wanted to find a corner of wilderness and never be forced to see the ugly face of mankind again. Cold streams unpolluted by human waste, no disease borne from filthiness and lust, no corrupt organizations intent on her destruction. A community of those intent on escaping the steady march of mankind, and the decline of non-humans. Intelligent company, a mate, and the wilderness she loved. After so much painful confusion, a simple life was her greatest desire.

Perhaps one day she would find her way to one of the fabled elven cities far in the Northern Forests. Cut-off from humans, her cousins were said to live in peace. But before she could even think of setting off on such a quest to find them, there were still so many obstacles to overcome…


The town was smaller than she had expected; its rough buildings and dirt roads going part-ways to easing her fear. The place looked poor, although very clean; most-likely a farming hub. The inn loomed on the right and a dozen or so small shops (currently closed) on their left. There was a small stone chapel at the edge of the place, and judging by the architecture and design of the cross, it was not of the same denomination of those who pursued them.

Taking another good look t a squat Inn, mixed thoughts pricked at Kael. A real bed would be wonderful, but being stuck for hours within a human establishment worried her. Remembering Xi’s promise that this town was free of the Church’s claws, she physically forced herself to relax. When Xiantic spoke, she ignored her nerves and listened thoughtfully. “Sleep is welcome to me” she told him truthfully, eyeing the Inn with a hopeful expression despite her misgivings.

The pair made their way up to the place. Kael hung back, allowing Xiantic to make the arrangements for their stay seeing as she had absolutely no money or bargaining skills. To her relief he acquired only one room for the two of them, ensuring that she would not be left alone. Quietly she thanked him, and they followed the harassed-looking innkeeper up a set of creaky wooden-stairs surrounded by musty taxidermy. Unable to help herself, Kael’s eyes slid frequently to be gazing at her companion. His now-familiar features held hundreds of secrets and hidden places. An alien feeling burned in the pit of her stomach, making her look away again.

Their room was the last one on the upper-floor. It was a small space sporting a roomy (though lumpy) bed, pine dresser, and north-facing window. The only decoration was a spotted mirror, half-dozen candles, and chipped chamber-pot tucked beneath the dresser. Kael thanked the innkeeper, relieved when he finally gave her a big brass key and shuffled from the room.

Sighing with relief to have finally made it to some kind of destination, she sank down onto a corner of the bed, not minding the uneven down clumped beneath her. Looking briefly out the window at the dark sky she suddenly rose, biting back her stupidity. “Oh Xi, I am sorry: I forgot that you are unable to venture out in the daylight. I doubt you want to sleep while it is still dark. Please, why don’t we go and find some food while it is still dark? I will sleep with you during the day. It is not fair of me to insist we stay cooped up in a room during the night when I know you will be here during the day as well!”

Insisting that they leave while there was still time, she tucked the key into her waitsband and set off. She had forgotten that Xiantic did not eat normal food, and that both parts of him were carnivorous. It did not take her long to remember.

Coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, her stomach dropped with the knowledge. Thoroughly flustered, she apologized again, her dark eyes bright with embarrassment. “Oh, forgive me. I… I am not sure exactly what you want to eat. But I for one am not eating any stew” she told him quietly, remarking on the inn’s daily special. “I am going to find something edible” she told him miserably. They promised to meet up in a little over an hour: just enough time to get back to the room before dawn.

Turning her burning cheeks from Xi, she tucked her skirts into her new leggings and set off at a graceful lope for the near-by trees. She would find some greens, root, or other wild delicacy… or perhaps someplace to drown herself in shame.

Alone with the night, her blood cooled. The elf stopped once out of sight, thinking. Normally sharp-witted, a prime-example of her people’s wit and grace… Kaelynn now felt like a complete dunce. She was, of course, unfathomably grateful to her companion. But there was something about him that occasionally made her feel completely useless and inferior… and sent her blood running through her at twice the usual temperature and speed.

Shaking long dark tangles from her face, she took off at a run again, scanning the darkness for a meal. Seeing a promising green growth peeking at her from above, Kael scaled the huge maple quickly, swinging from one branch to land easily on her feet, fifty feet from the ground. She settled down, the prize safely in her hand.

She finished quickly, her stomach easily filled by the leafy plant. Still having more than a half-hour until she was expected back in town, she dropped from the branch, landing on her feet in the undergrowth. And then, she took off sprinting for no other reason than to get her poor-excuse of a body back into the lithe shape it was supposed to be in. Laughing in delight at the familiar feeling of air rushing past her ears and the leaves whipping past her cheek, she pushed herself harder. Having been cooped up for so long, her muscles were still out of practice, but the tired aching was a small price to pay to the savage happiness she felt.

It was not long until she forced herself to circle back and make for the town. There, she found Xi waiting for her, apparently fed. Coming from the shadowed trees, she brought the scent of grass and other wild subtleties with her. Her bare-feet green, her hair more unruly than ever, and her face flushed with pleasure rather than with fear or embarrassment. Seeing him, her eyes flashed with a kind of passionate savagery thus-far hidden from her companion.

He ripped into the throat of a large bear, who had been too close to town as it was. More than likely it had already taken some livestock for food, and if it hadn't it wouldn't be long until it would. The townsfolk wouldn't be too apprehensive about its death, and even if they found out he did he, he still had his neko heritage to cover the neck wound, and all he would have to do is claim it attacked him. Not a hard story to believe, and as he'd told Kael, they knew of him in the past, and that he was a warrior. They'd just dismiss it offhandedly.

Allowing himself the luxury to have more than necessary, and actually enjoy his nutrition, he licked his lips quite satisfied as he walked back towards town. He was feeling almost on top condition now, he strutted into town with a few casual glances. People were stirring, he could smell it, hear it. Dawn was coming upon them within an hour. Kael should return soon. He waited by the forests' edge, listening. To his surprise, he heard her further away than he'd expect. Her steps weren't deliberate as they had been in the forest. They weren't frantic either, she was not running to flee. Instead, they seemed almost childish, carefree. Stepping on almost every twig and branch they could find, with no regard to silence. He turned, seeing her come from the trees, spotting him immediately, and could tell why.

She looked at him as if he were something to eat and be thoroughly enjoyed, and her hair matched the look in her eyes. Though, unlike the women of the gypsies, her expression wasn't just lust and curiosity. It held passion and familiarity, and he felt it was meant for him and not just a new, interesting male.

His reaction was immediate, a smirk forming on his lips, licking them at her as she approached, appearing quite fast if a human were watching, but just a casual, playful meeting for the two of them. He waited, his tail twitching as she continued closer, grinning and exposing his felines, but only them, as he crouched and instantly lunged for her as she was only feet away, unable to react. He wondered, if for a second, she wouldn't recognize this as playfulness, and a jolt of fear would enter her. Either way, he soon had her beneath him on the ground, her ear in his mouth as he gently tugged on it purring. Who knew just a wicked glance his direction could change his demeanor so much. Or perhaps it was also that he was truly fed now, and not using the energy to heal or fight.

That she was caught off guard would be an understatement, but fear was not an expression that went through her mind. She'd grown to trust him too much for that these past moons. Her main thoughts were of happiness, and returning passion as a light gasp escaped her mouth. Remembering their location in the middle of the street, he wrapped his tail around her waist almost fully, pulling her up as he stood with no use of his hand, a feat which looked magical, which was left to guess whether it was a neko talent or purely vampire.

He grinned wickedly at her, his sharpened teeth peeking out from behind his lips and he held her inches from him. "Perhaps it'd be better if we got ourselves inside." He teased, almost dancing them to the door in swift swirls, combined with elongated steps, the door opened almost directly after their arrival. Immediately, they broke the plane and the door closed shut again, leaving them perfectly alone in the paltry room. She seemed almost entirely dazed, swept off her feet, and completely his. Just the thought of that made his own blood boil with excitement, for more reasons than just one. He knew, in both his instant thoughts and a deeper part of his mind, she was completely open, and whatever he wanted to do she either wouldn't or couldn't put up a fight against. Part of him longed to see the point where the two met, but what lay in priority was something not uncommon at all for any male, and certainly not a foreign idea for Kael to face, albeit she held no rejection to his advances now.

His teeth were on her neck again, lightly teasing an attack, a quick lash of his tongue on her skin with each nip. He could feel her squirm, not so much against him, but for him. He could tell she was trying to gain the strength to return his attacks, but was still dazed and unable to do anything but take the punishment he was dealing out. His hands found her waist, pushing against it as they promptly fell, him pinning her on the bed that was either luckily, or by design, behind her. The impact of the lush bed on his back and his hard physique on top of her directly after her was too much as a moan escaped her lips and she bit her lip, drawing blood. He went to abuse her neck some more, the smell of the blood hitting his nose as he did. Then, everything froze. After a second, Kael would notice she could feel the points of his incisors again as she had earlier, but now his face was not directly over her neck, but a good few inches away, and his breath was also less excited and more forced, at first slowly drawing away from her, then much more quickly, although not at his fastest. She could easily follow his movements, seeing the fear in his face, the sudden tenseness in his movements as he removed himself from the bed, and the immediate area. The feeling that he'd have gone further was felt, if the sun were not to be up soon.

He stood, facing away from her for a few moments, then exhaling. "I'm sorry." He said softly, but still loud enough to be easily heard. "I don't know what came over me. I lost myself... forgive me. I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries, and I definitely didn't mean to almost bite you." He said remorsefully, not realizing he was far more upset with himself than she with he.

Kaellyn was still lying back on the bed, her expression one of confusion and shock. She had been so caught up in the moment, that it took some time to steady herself enough to understand what had just happened. Xiantic had just tried to bite her, and she would have let him, gladly.

When he apologized, the shame was so obvious in his voice that she felt a pang in her chest. Concerned, she scooted forward off of the bed and came to stand just behind him, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. “Please look at me” she whispered, her fingers stroking his stiff shoulder in an effort for his attention. When he did not turn, she brought her other hand up as well and began a kind of slow massage. Frustrated at his stubbornness, she leaned forward and planted her forehead between his shoulder-blades. “Have I done something wrong? Perhaps you found that you did not want me after all?” she asked, the awful idea coming unbidden into her thoughts. Suddenly unsure, she dropped her hands and took a step backwards.

Kaellyn was not some fresh-maid, newly arrived to the lover’s scene. She had had a partner or two before in the many years she had been with her former family, but she had never been unsure of where she stood with them. She knew that the attraction was mutual, and that the expectations were mutual.

But with Xiantic… she was on shaky ground. They had been forced together by circumstance; paired together against the world. But now that he had crossed the line between companion and romantic interest… did he regret it? Perhaps he had just been trying her out to see if he liked her, and found her wanting? And what about this bite business? She certainly enjoyed the occasional love-bite… but because he was a vampire, would he be forever denied that pleasure? What was so taboo? She did not understand why he denying a pleasure they would both enjoy.

Hearing the insecurity of her words, Xiantic eventually turned. “Kael, of course I want you. But I don’t want to hurt you. Were you not just there? I almost bit you…” he said. After everything that had happened, it was a sad thing to be stopped so close from something that could potentially bring them both great pleasure and happiness, but there was no way he was going to put her in danger. He had already caused so much harm with his inability to stop. His wife… he would not make the same mistake again! Kaellyn needed to understand; he would not budge on the matter.

“Yes I was there!” she told him tersely, her eyes narrowing. “And I only remember feeling a great deal of pleasure and excitement. As for biting? Why not? I am certainly not opposed to the idea. If I had been uncomfortable or afraid in any way, do you think I would have gone on willingly?” Confusion coated every syllable. Stepping forward again, she reached out to him to put a flat palm against his chest in a traditional gesture of her people. “What are you so afraid of?” These last words came out low, her eyes meeting his squarely and her fingers beginning to stroke ever so subtly. It was almost a challenge; she was openly daring him to push her away and deny what she already knew.

Could he not see? She was not just trying to petition him for sex. She was trying to show how even this new closeness they had developed suited her well. She had grown a kind of respect and fondness for him over the weeks they had been thrust together by fate. Even with his flaws, and his stubbornness, and the possible danger being around him… she was willing to look past all of it. The way he spoke, the way he insisted on protecting her from everything, the quiet presence he had: all of it. She wanted it all and more. Perhaps this was asking too much? Her kind was monogamous, and often found one partner they would be willing to spend the rest of their extremely lengthy lives with. Perhaps his kind was not like that?

Xiantic’s eyes lowered, his gaze taking in her slim fingers against the fabric of his shirt. “Kael, I could so easily hurt you… so easily loose control. I am afraid of this, and this alone. If I was surer of myself, I would have no restrictions.”

Taking another step forward, Kael reached out and cupped his cheek with one hand, forcing him to meet her eyes. “I am not afraid” she told him simply. Moving her thumb to brush his bottom lip, she continued. The same raw stare met his eyes unflinchingly. “You think that after the time we have been together, I don’t trust you? I have put my life in your hands many times before this, and I will do the same now.”

“This is quite a different matter” he reminded her. Beneath her stroking fingers, a slight softening became apparent in the grim line of his mouth. Would she not give up? “I will not put you in danger…”

“I am not afraid” she repeated firmly. “Is this not my decision as well?”

“No” he responded seriously. “It is my responsibility to stop myself before I hurt you. If I didn’t have a choice, that would be different. But I do; I will not make a decision that hurts you.” Despite his firm tones and his set jaw, his stiff tail was now unfurled and slowly wrapping around his body. It was as if it was building around him in a last defense against her persistence.

“Please… at least do not push me away. Am I mistaken in thinking we have developed a bond over the past weeks?”

She did not understand! "I'm not pushing you away from me. Don't mistake it, I simply am trying to keep the more sinister parts of myself away from you."

“I can respect that” she quietly replied, feeling a similar need to hide things about herself, even if they weren’t so frightening. “And yet, the door between us has now been thrown open; I dare say it will never be able to fully shut again. Perhaps we are destined to spend what time we have left together in an odd sort of limbo?” Moving her hands to grasp him lightly by the shoulders, she continued. “You confuse me. And perhaps the fact that I can not figure you out is what appeals to me so. And yet, when you put up senseless barriers after showing me a glimpse of what lies beyond… I can not help but feel slighted.”

Finally, relenting somewhat, Xiantic moved to put his tail around her waist, drawing her in closer. “Enough of this. We are at an impasse; tomorrow night we will discuss it further. But for right now, I can see that you are tired, and a proper bed awaits you.”

“Not just me, us” she told him stubbornly, her arms moving to encircle his neck so that they were almost nose to nose as he looked down at her. Rising onto her tip-toes she planted a quiet kiss on the corner of his mouth: it was not so much an invitation, but a promise that she was not upset with him and was more than willing to give whatever they had a try. “After what you showed me earlier, I will not give up easily” she told him softly before letting him go and moving to the bed, where she crawled under the blanket, eyeing him. Gently she patted the space next to her until he conceded and settled beside her.

Content for the moment, Kael closed her eyes and sunk back into the bed, realizing for the first time just how tired she was. It took only minutes until she was sound asleep, her one hand thrown across his chest, allowing the rise and fall to lull her in sleep. As usual, her hair was a dark mess of loose waves, splayed across the pillow and her white neck. Her eyes were shut, the lashes sweeping down in a kind of innocence only seen in deep sleep. Normally, she would only allow this kind of abandon if either completely safe or exhausted. In this case, it was because she felt completely safe with him next to her. A part of her knew it was foolish to trust anyone again, especially a man she had known for so short a time, but her body betrayed her even in sleep. She was not afraid.

He watched her fall asleep quickly, comfortably. She truly did trust him. It was not nearly the same as it had been in the cell, where she had slept due to necessity and trusted him only not to kill her. Now she trusted him beyond that, with her body, and her well being. And it wasn't only trust, that's what was killing him. His primal desires were going haywire. He wanted to take her, god he wanted to take her as he leaned in closer to her neck, take a deep inhale through his nostrils, taking in all that it offered and shivered. The neck was such a delicate and sensual place. Not only was it a direct source to the blood part of him craved, it was also where a lot of pheromones were released that he could pick up, and she was definitely calling to him.

He let her call to him and resisted it mostly. He took it all in, getting accustomed to it. From what she had said, he figured the only way to avoid another situation like earlier would be to leave, and that wasn't an option. Also, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to avoid the situation, just hurting her. So, he was going to gain some control while being particularly close to her. He moved slowly, as not to wake her, and wrapped his arms and tail around her, nuzzling directly into her neck. She moaned softly in her sleep, and he took in the subtle noise and let it fully affect him as he played in his mind more or less what he had done earlier, and it had its effect. Indisposed, he couldn't hep but nibble on her earlobe softly for a few seconds, and he felt her shudder and press back into him. Instantly he felt himself begin to lose focus, as his vampiric side began to kick in, with the urge to bite her. But now he took his time, didn't retreat. She was not tempting him further so he felt confident in his restraint for the moment. He examined this urge, finding it not to be a feeding urge. He wanted her blood, yes. He wanted to drink from her also, but her life was not something he wished to take. No part of him wanted to kill her, and he figured if that was true, then even if he lost control, she would be safe. This made him more comfortable with the fact, but he still wanted some control over it.

He let himself bask in her for hours, both fully aware and in a hypnotic state. Just a couple hours before nightfall he felt her awaken, immediately aware of their position, but her neck would feel nothing of his exploration hours ago. She'd be clueless to anything but his new closeness. After a few moments she smiled softly, mumbling "You had better watch out. If your will is usually this soft, I might take advantage."

He opened his eyes, and smirked. "Oh really, now? And how would you take advantage of me?" He purred in her ear, moving his lips right on the bare of her neck. "And as for my will, if you doubt it, I could simply move away again if you want to test it..." he teased with a little nip. She turned to him, a bit of a serious look in her face.

"Last night you sort've freaked and said it wasn't going to happen. What's with the change of mind? You're confusing me more now that I've come to begin to understand you than when you were a complete mystery..." she spoke softly, looking into his eyes. He frowned softly, not at her so much at the reminder of himself and his seemingly flippant behavior these past hours. He too became serious for a moment.

"I've been letting myself delve into my instinctual sides a bit more than i dad previously while you slept, exploring their nature more, and learning how to lead them more than fight them. I've realized even my worse sides are not quite as evil as i thought, and aren't a direct danger to your life if I'm even half as fed as I am now." He told her with a perfectly sincere tone. "Also, you're right in that you have a say in the matter, and as I've said. It's not that I don't want anything, it was just fear of it hurting you."

With that, she smiled, nodding and kissing him lightly. "Is that so?" She teased, smirking. "I told you I might take advantage." She kissed him again, stronger and deeper, and to that he could respond, pulling her effortlessly closer as he purred within his throat.

"And you tempt danger as you do. Death isn't the only thing that could happen..." He teased as he rolled onto her , gripping her wrists, his claws extended enough just to lightly scratch against her arms as he held her. "You really have no fear of me then?" He asked, letting his fangs grow longer, to a length that was beyond just that of feeding even, meant for attacking. She just grinned back at him.

"Oh, look it's the big bad wolf come to eat me." She teased. "If you'd wanted to hurt me, you'd have done it long ago, you've had the chance more than a hundred fold. Do your worst!" With that she giggled and he mocked a lung at her throat, his fangs retracting as they touched the skin until only his feline's remained, which plunged in barely a couple layers of skin toward to back, well away from any blood vessels. She jumped, relaxing with a soft moan and he could smell her excitement rise. He purred deeply letting the vibrations run through her throat as he did. He felt her shudder, moving both her wrists to one of his feline hands, letting his other lightly claw down her arm and up under her back. She whimpered a little, but it was not a whimper of pain. He continued his assault, scratching down her back and going back to nipping now rather than a long bite. She squirmed beneath him, not out of resistance, but an inability to hold still with this assault.

Her whimpering became a bit more consistent, and he began to nibble on her ear, purring into it right before exhaling. That's when she noticed his tail, sliding around her waist beneath her cloth. Both these slight changes made her begin to moisten under him, a fact his keen nose picked up almost immediately, making him move back quickly, a glint in his eyes as he looked down on her, licking his lips. He would have her, that was certain now. He moved to the front of her neck, placing his mouth over her throat so vulnerable, causing her to excite even more even if she didn't fear him harming her. Just the idea would have a primal result.

Moving back to her ears, he purred before whispering. "I think it is I who shall tank advantage, Kael." He whispered, "So if I'm mistaken in your intentions, you better stop me now before I lose myself won't stop." She moaned softly, thrusting her body into him as much as possible in reply, showing her approval. With little other hint, he moved forward, his hand lightly trailing on the bottom of her shirt. The last time he lifted it, it was to clean her back, and she wouldn't look at him while he did. Now her eyes were fiercely locked on him, waiting for him to continue. Looking away from his face, she could see he was shirtless, a sight that was hardly surprising, but a lot more effective and notable with her on top of her, intent on ravaging her body, much to her delight. His hand moved towards her face, working on removing her shirt now too. She gasped a little chuckle, her face flushed red with excitement and a little bashfulness, but none enough to make her hesitant.

Her newly exposed skin pleased him as he moved to take advantage of it. His hand released her wrists finally, moving to scratch down her back with his other, before gripping her waist softly as his lips and tongue found the V of her neck, caressing it as it worked it's way down to her breasts. He took special care to take his time, his tail now moving under her leggings and encircling a leg softly, the short stiff fur tickling her leg lightly when it moved. She squirmed a bit more at this, and as his tongue found her right breast, could not help to create and elongated thrust of her hips up towards him gently. He grinned, cupping his lips around the top of her breast, teeth lightly pricking the nipple, his tongue lazily lapping it as he purred to cause a moan. His body responded to her thrust in kind by pressing down against it until, despite her pressing upwards, she was held onto the bed, pushing back on her so much.

His hands moved up her sides, wrapping around the back of her arms over her shoulders as he pulled them closer, then himself up, until he straddled her. She looked up at him longingly as he moved lower to take her in a deep kiss. She obliged full-heartedly, her tongue gleefully greeting his, despite the awkward difference in size and texture. But she obliged when he left, moving down her body yet again, stopping briefly at her other breast as his hands moved down, slowly removing her pants as he began to trail down her stomach. She could feel her breath slow severely, her anticipation high, but the fact she wanted him was no doubt. Her actions thus far made it obvious enough to him, and the aromas she was dropping, especially as he grew closer to her pelvis, were beginning to intoxicate him. As he exposed her completely, the aroma hit him two fold, and he was in a daze for a second, shuddering. Her desire was driving him to even higher excitement, and his control to take some time was dwindling. But his desire to make sure she relished every second of this won over, and he moved down, his hands lightly cupped around her legs, as he slid down off the bed, pulling her to the edge as he did.

She obliged, slowly letting her legs drift apart, allowing him access to her, which he took. His tongue found her inside thigh first, causing a stifled whine from her. He grinned, moving down her leg before licking all the way up to her inner thighs again, causing her to stiffen. She whined openly, her fists clenching due to the teases and the blessed coarseness of his tongue. He repeated the process on the other leg and thigh and it was all she could do to hold still, though her whole body shuddered in protest to his teasing. But it didn't last long, as his tongue found her vaginal lips, it's coarse and moist surface meeting her equally moist groin, lapping the skin slowly. His hands stayed clear, for obvious reasons, but his tongue made up for the lack of prying fingers, ever searching. She moaned openly now, her legs wrapping around his shoulders and neck, holding him where she was, though he had no plans of leaving yet. Her smell was intoxicating him and he reveled in it, as he did with her taste. Oh, he definitely wanted her far to much to quit now.

He continued lapping at her lips for a few minutes, causing all sorts of reactions in her until she stiffened, and he could smell the release of several hormones toward him as her legs pulled him into her tightly for her orgasm. He held no complaint as he reaped his reward, lapping up her juices as they came to him in her ecstasy. As she began to relax and her legs no longer held him to her groin, he moved up again, removing his pants as he did, directly above her. She held no protest in her eyes as she smiled softly at him, which pleased him. He let himself down on her, already thoroughly hard, guiding himself into her softy as he purred into her neck. She shuddered, both from the final penetration and the purr taunting her neck again. He started slowly, letting her get accustomed to something inside her again, for he had gathered it had been quite a while before they'd met even that she'd been involved in such an event, and he wanted to give her time to adjust to the penetration before going much further.

In time his thrust picked up speed and power, and his mouth found her neck several times, a rapid series of light attacks in a sort of frenzy before he clamped down onto the back of her neck, again holding fastly but not so much that it'd cause pain. He gave one last final thrust as he came, his penis swelling as he did, and knotting inside her. She gasped in surprise, almost jerking away before he grabbed her thighs firmly, pulling her fully against him and not letting her move. She whimpered in discomfort mixed with a severe flood of warmth. It took a few seconds to realize it was all semen, filling her more than she could have expected, the orgasm more primal and powerful than more refined races needed anymore. This is why the knot came, to hold him in while he continued to release inside her, for almost a minute, and causing her own body to flush with orgasm several times over. His clench on her neck softened as she whimpered in exhaustion and just inability to make another sound for the moment, as he relaxed, finally done coming inside of her, filling her with a warmth she'd never experienced before, but they were still knotted.

He exhaled deeply finally, kissing her neck as he did. "Don't pull away, it'll cause more damage than you'd expect... to both of us." He said softly, licking her neck affectionately, still slightly intoxicated by her smell, but quite fulfilled. He smiled softly, lifting his head enough to look her directly in the eyes.

The experience had been very animalistic. There were no bounds, no hint of bashfulness: there was only Xiantic. The rough quality of their lovemaking bordered on painful, and Kaellyn found that her body responded vehemently. Every growl, or bite, or scratch: it was all foreign and wonderful. For countless minutes she was put through a whirlwind of feeling and passion. The sensations became so intense that her body actually began to react on it’s own as instincts she hadn’t known she had, took over. And just when she thought she was going to die of pleasure, he caused even more to pour down between them.

With her mouth open in shock, she dug her fingers into his shoulders and let wave after wave of pleasure hit her, his thrusting sending her over the edge. Everything in the world narrowed down to the pinprick of their joining, his heavy breathing in her ears. It took her a moment to come back down into herself, the ceiling above her coming back into focus and then Xiantic’s face. As if to bring her completely back, he planted a deep kiss on her, his tongue sweet and wet against her own. Blinking up at him, she dizzily kissed him back, her hand on the back of his head to draw him closer, and her hips moving more energetically to meet his so that he might get the same release she had.

It didn’t take very much longer. Having already reached her own peak at least twice, it was only a matter of time. And as the intensity of his expression began to deepen, she felt something strange. Pausing in her efforts, she grunted in slight discomfort as something huge forced its way inside her and locked them together.

It was a joy to see that same raw delight in his eyes as he shoved up into her one last time and froze there, his eyes fixed to her own. His seed was hot and she could feel it splashing against her inner walls, bringing on a final spasm of her muscles, contracting around him as if to assist in holding the seed within her. But she was uncertain of what was holding them together, and she tried to pull away. He stopped her, his grip firm but his words gentle. And lying there beneath him, she collapsed beneath him and tried to slow her pounding heart.

It had been some time for her, but in some ways, it was as if she had just had her virginity taken. This new face of sex had so many new angles to discover; it was so surprising at every turn. And as she lay there afterwards, her body still impaled on his, she felt a wave of calm take over that was nearly as surprising as the curious piece of his anatomy that continued to lock them together.

Calm: True calm spread to ever fiber of her being, allowing her body to sink fully into the sheets, Xiantic’s pleasant weight pressing down against her sweat-slick skin. Everything was delightfully heavy, her heart beating dully in her ears and her bones lead-heavy. Sighing with contentment, the movement reminding her of his presence within her, she reached up slowly and drew slim white fingers through his hair, her eyes half-lidded in contentment.

And lying there with her eyes meeting his above, she allowed a smile to creep onto her face. It started slowly, as a dazed kind of wonder, and then broke out into a delighted grin, setting her eyes aglow. And leaning upward, she planted a final kiss on his bottom lip in a sweet, slow movement. There was none of the previous fire in her movements, none of the urgency: only desire and contentment.

Then, lying back down, she moved her one leg to hook up and around one of his, securing him and causing him to move within her. Her eyes momentarily opened in surprised pleasure before returning to their half closed state. And sprawled out beneath him; thoroughly loved, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. For some time, she had unconsciously been viewing Xiantic as a possible mate and companion. And although she wasn’t sure at the moment how far they would get, she remained grateful for what they had.

Eventually, he shrunk back down to a size that would allow them to separate. Raising her leg to free him, she sighed as he left her. Only seconds after untwining, she already knew that she would want him again, and soon. Watching him collapse back onto the bed next to her, she grinned at his tired expression. Had she ever seen him tired? Unconscious from being hit over the back of the head and left out in the sun to die, but never actually tired. Amused, she rolled up onto her side and laid a hand on him, about to tease. But the feel of his fur distracted, and she drew a slow finger over his shoulder, fascinated by the texture. Shivering delicately at the memory of it dragging across her bare skin, she smiled and planted a kiss on the shoulder before sitting up with a groan. She was sore now and would be doubly so in an hour or so, but it had been more than worth it.

No longer tired, she rose and walked to the wash-basin, splashing her face with the cool liquid, her flushed image in the mirror above gazing contentedly out of the silver. Catching sight of Xiantic in the reflection, she smiled and turned to face him, her mouth open to say something. But it was then that her stomach let out a rather embarrassing growl, apparently their activities had left her hungry. Seeing his look at the noise, she shook her head with a gentle smile. “I have all night to eat” she reminded him, not wishing to push him into getting up; especially because as far as she knew, they would have to eat separately again. And at the moment, she was perfectly happy at his side.

Upon her protest he let out a little, cat-like sneeze of disapproval. He had not involved himself in intimate contact since the turn, and had not come to realize how particularly feline he felt after it, even moreso than when he had not been turned he’d have sworn, but perhaps it was just a lack of having felt immensely feline in a while. “Yes, you have all night, but though I rarely eat solid foods, I strictly remember preferring to eat more than once a day.” He reminded her getting himself up, his penis flopping down and smacking against his leg, not yet retracted for convenience and protection, but he made no note of it. Instead he moved right up next to her, nipping towards her neck in jest, “So get dressed and ready to go out to eat, or I may decide I’m hungry and choose to eat you.”

At his tease, she flushed a little with a wicked grin as if deciding whether or not to tell him that’d be perfectly fine by her, before eventually deciding against it and complying. He cleaned himself up as well, before throwing on some loose trousers, and leaving off a shirt out of habit, and thus being fully dressed at about the same time as her. He looked towards her, a smile forming on his lips as his eyes trailed her, seeing both the clothed woman as she stood before him and what lie underneath at the same time. A small purr escaped his throat as she smiled and went to the door just before him.

His face went blank, however, the moment the door opened, holding the same intense but mostly uninterested look it always had until a few days ago, except in rare cases. It would seem his change wasn’t so complete, and something only for her. “We can go to a small tavern I know in this village.” He informed her, “Its food is good and it is relatively quiet, and largely overlooked by anyone but locals, and myself. They knew me beforehand, and I have a good reputation among them for causing no trouble, and thus receive none.” He informed her, leading but not so directly that she had no say in the matter.

She touched his arm lightly, making sure that he hadn’t actually changed, but rather was just wearing a mask. For a brief second, he turned, giving her a soft smile, and then was cold again. They continued through the town, it still early and people still walking about. A few gave them odd looks, although those who had seen Xiantic before just gave a simple nod and kept on their way, not giving a second look.

They walked for about fifteen minutes in mostly silence, save a few words between the two of them, before arriving at the tavern he spoke of. He paused a second, then held the door open so she could walk in before him. As she did, the inside came into view. He had given it the best description he could have. It was a very simple looking tavern, it’s lay out obviously meant to appeal to those who had no interest in socializing with more than a few people brought along with them. Most tables held only one or two people in it, and they were spaced apart from each other. It was quiet enough to feel comfortable for those who preferred the quiet, but had enough different sounds coming from various places that, combined with the distance, would make it difficult to listen onto a conversation, especially if carried in hushed tones.

They proceeded to a table in a corner-esque area, but close to the bar and kitchen exit, ensuring any trouble that may be brought would have to be close to the workers, who openly disapproved of such things, and had weapons plenty in places they knew. As they sat, an old, worn looking man looked up at the footsteps, spotting them and caught himself before gasping.

“Brimjord, it HAS been a while. I had begun to think you had actually died.” He explained, getting a small scoff from Xiantic, “I had heard your tribe had been attacked by horrible beasts, monsters of a kind, and few survived, if any.”

The use of his old name had made Kael raise an eyebrow slightly, but she did nothing else, and it could have been taken as anything, even to the simple fact he was known about these areas.

“Yes, that is true.” Xiantic replied evenly, “But they did not killed me. However, despite what you have seen of my skill, I did not escape uninjured. I have been busy, nursing the injures they gave to me, and trying to gain further skill, and perhaps some allies to enact justice on the monsters, if I should ever have the luck to find them.” He told the bartender. “But enough on those matters. I’d like to introduce you to my comrade here, Kaellyn.” He told him, gesturing towards her. “I met her a little after, quite because of those circumstances, and we’ve been traveling together since, for mutual benefit.” He explained.

“A pleasure.” Smirked the barkeep, “Kaellyn, is it? Then I was right, you did have the look of an elf.” He told her, bowing his head slightly, “Quite lovely at that. I’m not sure I envy any circumstance that may have forced you two together, from the sound of Brimjord’s side, but at least you’re in good company now.”

Even as he called her lovely, the tone behind it was formal and polite, far from the guards at the prison who held malice and lust, desire. This was merely a compliment of acquaintance, and it seemed genuine. With that said, he looked back to Xiantic. “So, though it is nice to see you are alive and as well as can be, I am sure you are here for food and relaxation, so I shall leave you be until you are ready to order or would like my attention or company, unless you are ready to order now.”

Xiantic glanced at Kael, who nodded and looked towards the barkeep. “I thank you for your compliment and politeness, it has been uncommon to us as of late, and I can see why-” she paused, noting to use his old name, “-Brimjord, has chosen so quickly to come to this place.” She commented, returning the compliment in a roundabout way, “As for what I may like to eat, as you might have guessed given my heritage, I am fine with anything that has never had a heartbeat. A salad perhaps, with whatever fruits and vegetables you may find beneficial.” She said, to which he smiled, ignoring the pause on his name, but not missing it.

“Of course, and you Brimjord?”

“I’ll have that steak you cook. The special recipe.”

“All set then. And given the events from the last time you were here, it’s on the house.” He told them, before bowing slightly, and heading off, presumedly to arrange their food.

Xiantic turned towards Kael, his face as cold and formal as it had been when they met, and as it had been throughout the conversation. It dawned on her that perhaps this was something he’d been accustomed to doing even before he was Xiantic, but perhaps not as often. Then another curiosity hit her.

“What are the events that passed the last time you were here?” She asked curiously.

“Nothing of concern.” He assured, “I simply helped when a group of six customers came in here, causing a ruckus and being rather rowdy. Everyone tried to ignore them at first, but then they set their eyes on a woman her, and removing the man she was with from the picture. At that time, both myself and the barkeep, Jonathon I have heard him called, intervened. It is doubtful he’d have been able to handle them alone, and even being a warrior of skill back then, I’d have had a nasty time of it alone. But as it was, he was more skilled than any one of them alone, and I was able to tactically hold of four of them with out much trouble, and take the offense only when able without hazard to myself. So with the two of us, we came out relatively unheard, and without having to take their lives, though they probably lost them anyway, simply through a court rather than battle.” He explained. “I left shortly after, getting more attention than I desired, and having already completed the purpose for my visit.”