Living Paradox [open]

[elvenbeauty]

In the shadows of the alley sat one of the most beautiful wolves ever seen by any human. Fluffy, silky black fur, bright yellow-orange eyes, and a look of serenity that was uncommon to see in such an animal.

And in a split second, the wolf was gone. And in its place sat a young girl, looking not to be a day over 23 years. Long black hair fell around her waist, falling in soft waves. Her eyes were a coercive teal color, a sharpness hidden within them that one would not expect to find. She wore a black skirt and tanktop, black boots coming to her knees with spiked heels. She was certainly someone you would not expect to find there. And she was certainly someone you wouldn't want to deal with.

"Ikaina, my child. It's a pleasure to see you, as always." came the voice of an older man as he rounded the corner of the alley, a small box carried in his delicate and frail hands.

"As it is you, Kitrene. I take it that its done?" she questioned, a softer expression rising to her eyes, and a gentle tone in her voice.

The man handed her the box, and she opened it, lifting the lid of the beautifully crafted wooden case, and taking the sword and sheath from inside it. She took a moment to study it, admiring its beauty. The sheath was made of a blood red velvet, incriptions of gold weaved into it. Pulling out the sword itself, she smiled as she saw the light catch it, causing it to sparkle and gleam. The hilt was pure silver, two small red gems in it, and a new inscription that Kitrene had worked on. 'Ikaina' was written in a beautifully flowing script.

"You're father would be proud of you, child." Kitrene stated as she watched the sword. And Ikaina's gaze slowly met his own.

"I can only hope he would." she answered, her voice holding a sad and mourning tone to it. Perking up again, she reached over and placed a small kiss on the old man's cheek. "Thank you, my friend. I appreciate it much."

Giving her a concerned look, he responded, "You are welcome, but do be careful."

"It'll be fine. You know how I treat Wolfsbane. It's my best friend."

"I wasn't talking about the sword, Ikaina." And on that, he turned on his heel, slowly walking back the way he came.

She didn't answer, but instead watched him leave. It was nice to be in a familiar place, but her silence was soon interrupted. Noises met her ears.

Footsteps...

[Raven]

Roxas slowly passed the old man as he hurried along in his own "eldish" way. He gave the old koot a glance, wondering where he came from and where he was headed in such a hurry. Not that it really mattered to Roxas, if the man was ripped to shreds by a giant beast or split in half by a serial killer, Roxas could care less. It even lifted a smug grin onto his face as he grunted humorously from the thought.

He stopped in the center of the entrance to the small dark ally, sniffing around, hmm... Wolf. he thought to himself as he starred into the black. "What would an old man have to do with some wolf?" He asked aloud, cracking his neck and entering the cramped ally. Looking around a bit, he sniffed a bit more, his senses leading his eyes to the wolf's direction, not that he could see much anyway--unless he really wanted to waist energy with his dragoon power. At the moment he was lazy and could care less of what was in the dark.

"So Wolf, you going to speak? 'Cause i know you're here." he kept that smug grin on, a fang curving over his lip. As he waited, he leaned against the hard, dark wall, breathing the warm air in. He slid a and through his fiery white hair, his cloak rolling back as he raised his arm. He let out a small sigh of boredom, dropping his hand against his thigh, looking in the strangers direction.
As his eyes adjusted slowly to the dark, he noticed this 'wolf' scented figure was in the silhouette of a woman. Though it didn't bother him, he thought of the possibilities of how she had such a strong sent of a whole other animal.

To himself, he laughed beneath his breath. A wolf demon, how obvious. Though they aren't quite the friendliest type... it explains why she hasn't spoken yet... heh.

He stepped from the wall, "What's a Demon like yourself doing in such a dark ally, or is that your nature?" Again he laughed to himself, though still waited for any type of acknowledgment at all. He usually wasn't the talkative type, though in sensing her, he found power, and power is something he liked. Besides, he had been walking, running, flying... for days on end with no social activity, why not stop to chat now?

[elvenbeauty]

Ikaina sensed the presence of someone else among her. She wasn't quite sure exactly who it was, but she did know that whoever it was definitely had a lot of power. Perhaps enough to match her own. A small smirk appeared on her light complexion when she heard his words.

"Some wolf?" she inquired after a while, thinking about the consquences of standing her and talking to some random stranger instead of going out to hunt down the one many that she had hated for her entire life. Well, since she found out about her father's death, at least. She strapped the sword and sheath about her thin waist, coming into plain view and crossing her arms in front of her. Under any other circumstances, she probably would have just pushed past him and gone about her own business, but for some reason she decided to stay. Ikaina found him somewhat intriguing. Perhaps it was just his attitude. The wolf demon knew well that she might get a good laugh out of a conversation with this man.

Ikaina walked towards him with an eerie grace that came from many years of battle, and her smirk grew wider still. She leaned against thte wall herself, staring at him a moment and trying to gage whether or not he was a threat. And as far as she could tell, it could go either way. Friends or enemies; guess she'd just have to find out the hard way.

"I think the answer to your question is something for you to determine on your own." she mused, an almost mischievious glint appearing in her eyes. "But, I must ask the same of you. Not many come walking down alleys without some sort of purpose." Then again, things weren't always categorized into two different things. Perhaps he was just wandering, though she highly doubted that by the looks of him. Of course, if he was anything like herself, that would probably be the answer she would get.

[Raven]

To her last words, he gave off a humorous grunt, his eyes closing. He shortly stood from the wall, keeping space between them. He simply shrugged, regardless f she saw it or not. "I sensed power... Amazing what it lead me to." he laughed to himself. Truthfully his comment was rather sexist, though in another way, it was just dry humor, of which he meant it was obvious.

His eyes stared for a quick moment as they stood their, he then shook his head, "How could a simple wolf demon, especially of your size, hold so much power..." he said outward, though he questioned more to himself. "I couldn't even try guessing." he added in a fairly forced manner, trying to keep the conversation going. He tried implying that he wanted an answer, though he was unsure if she caught it, though he had a feeling she had, and could simply ignore it.

After a few moments of silence, he offered, "In exchange, I would give you my name." it was obvious he was eager to know more about her. It wasn't easy to get detailed information from such strong strangers, unless of course you fight them. It was all from experience where he had gotten his information, and he always liked to learn more, especially if it meant a difficult battle.
He stared for a while, feeling the moment get fairly quiet, it didn't really bother him other than how his mind longed for her title. This was the first he had found such a woman, and not in a sexual way, but in power. Power was everything that mattered in his mind most of the time. It was the only way he had grown up, fighting, and winning, there were very few defeats within his record, and in many different kingdoms his name was known. Not as Roxas, but as "The Chaos Dragoon", he thought it was catchy, and it was exactly what he wanted. If only his weaknesses would leave his mind...

His memory of his mother was devastating, and from then on, he had held the nightmares. Occasionally he thought it was what turned him insane... Though now wasn't the time to me reminiscing about the past, he wanted to relax and just have a little fun...

[elvenbeauty]

Ikaina only shook her head. Knowing well that he didn't mean it the way it had sounded, she decided to ignore that fact and replied, "Well, at least my power comes with a bit of fashion sense." Something about him made her want to stay around for a bit. He wasn't like most of the strangers she met. Instead, he was quite the opposite...curious instead of afraid...strong in heart and mind...so completely different from everyone else. And that was what made her so interested. Ikaina liked to understand things. She liked to know what the motivations for actions were, what thoughts people had, why they decided to take one road instead of the other. And this man completely baffled her.

And knowing that he wanted an answer to his question, Ikaina just shrugged. "Well, I guess a wolf demon of my size has not only the natural talents, but...inherited power...if you will. It runs in the family blood." She thought back to her father. Oh how she missed him. The two had actually had a bond, and though she had greatly hated him when he had left her at first, the young girl began to understand why it was that happened. She knew that he had taught her everything he could, and that if she was going to be successful...if she was going to make it in this life...she would have to do it on her own. Without the helping hands of family. But he had been the only one to ever understand her.

And that day that she had stumbled upon his body...it had broke her heart. That had been the only time in Ikaina's life where she had felt such an intense emotion as she had at that moment. It had felt as if there was no one left in the world for her. And the pain that she had felt when she found out that the killer was in fact, a kin to her, had cut like a knife. And it had been then that she had started to take her power seriously. It had been then that she started to train, and travel, and track. One day, she would find him. And one day, she would avenge her father.

Of course, the woman wasn't always as serious as that. She was able to make jokes, and she did have a few friends. Believe it or not, the women had even had a few lovers in the past, though none had been that serious. She pretty much up and left when it looked like things were becoming too much of a committment for her.

Finally snapping back into the reality she lived in, Ikaina smiled slightly when the guy offered his name in exchange for her answer. Well, what harm could it do to give him her first name? None that she could see. And even if he did try anything dangerous, she would certainly be able to match his power, if not beat him. However, she could tell that it would be difficult, and a part of her didn't want to. The girl didn't usually kill without reason. Usually. There were exceptions, of course.

Brushing a strand of her long black hair behind her ear, her teal colored eyes flashing with amusement. Extending a hand, Ikaina added in a soft voice, "They call me Ikaina."

[Raven]

Roxas listened carefully to what she had spoken about, waiting for a name. Once he got it, his smile broadened as he watched her hand reach out to be shaken. He clasped the hand and shook it lightly. "Roxas." he said simply, his name was simple and he thought it'd be enough for her.

Ikaina... a new name to me. he thought, his smile lowering a little. The hairs on his neck stood up from the distant noises beyond the alleyway. With Ikaina's more sophisticated senses, Roxas figured she heard it too... Truthfully, for the sound it made, it couldn't be explained very well, it was a sound of buzzing, and snarling put together, though it was it's own sound. Regardless of what sound it was, Roxas became annoyed. It was in his nature to stop anything that annoyed him, and at the moment, it was exactly what he wanted to do.

He glanced back at his new acquaintance, Ikaina, to see if she was feeling the same way he was. From the look on her face, even if it was dark, showed him enough. Just to be smart, he gestured to her by jerking his head in the direction of the sound.

"Want to show me what you got?" he asked, giving off a sinister laugh. With those words, she knew she would follow. With her power, it was doubtful she would back down, unless of course she would think it was a waist of time. With her attitude, Roxas thought she be in for a little fun. They both seemed bored as it was, with this opportunity, Roxas could see this wolf demon in action, and get a little action for himself.

Excited with the chance to see someone so strong show off their talent. He walked from the black alleyway, looking left and right for the rather irritating sound. By walking out into the dim lumination of a street lamp, his features were revealed. His platinum hair flamed up violently, his red eyes like a river a crimson blood. This scarf covered his neck, waving it's furry in every way possible. His signature colors were red, silver, and black, three colors that were fairly easy to remember. His face had curves sharper than any normal structure, his body as well.

Though details were good to remember, it wasn't the time to stare. He glanced back shortly, waving his hand in a quick gesture. He lead her to the right, and if she were to follow, the hissing snarl would get louder. He then swerved to the left and stopped, a smug look on his face, you could tell he was proud he found this opponent so quickly. He wouldn't want it to get away.

It seems like someone let an uninvited guest into town... Even though I'd love it to assist me with tearing this kingdom down, I want to brush up on my skills before I do it myself... he thought to himself with an airless chuckle.

He stared at the creature, studying it's behavior and looks. At the moment he was feeding upon about three people, it was amazing that the sound this fiend made, it drowned out their shrieks. Its seemed rather unusual for a beast like this would attack in such a warm area, seeing as it seemed more like a forest type. It was rather large; possibly 10 times the size of both Roxas and Ikaina put together. It's face wasn't the prettiest to look at, crushed into a constant angry look. The eyes were pitch black, though they had a slight glow of orange. It had multiple tails, not worth counting, and about six ears, though one seemed to have gotten a large bite out of it from past fights. It had short fur, the color of black with an underbelly of yellow.

Overall, it looked like a giant six-eared, mutated rabbit that was having a bad day, minus the buck-teeth. It's teeth were more like a wild cat, and it's body structure was the same. Roxas couldn't wait to dig Rune Balx into this thing, the sword of which was pulled from his back as he thought of a good way to get it's attention.

He glanced at Ikaina standing and analyzing it just the same as he had. He grinned and gave out a little laugh, loud enough for her to hear over the noise. He then called out to her,
"Ready?" he gave her a rather odd look, his smile fairly cheesy, but she'd be able to tell how excited he was to show off. Though suddenly his face changed into a strong and confident smile as he looked back to the creature. "Let''s Fry This Rodent..." he said smugly, charging up his magik around his hand, a crimson flame engulfing it.

[elvenbeauty]

She studied him closely as he took in the information she had given to him, and almost immediately, she thought she could hear the faint sounds of rather large footsteps off in the distance. But she dismissed it, figuring that it was probably just her imagination from a lack of sleep. If it was something that she needed to worry about, she would soon find out. "A pleasure, Roxas." she commented simply, finding that it was a name she had not yet heard. And with the way Ikaina traveled, it was a surprise. She had heard quite a few names, but his seemed to escape her.

The sound became more prominent in her head, and she shook it furiously, her black hair covering her eyes slightly. The teal orbs flashed, and she looked at Roxas, an irritated demeanor replacing the smile that had been on her features. What in the hell is that wretched sound? she thought to herself furiously, her hand going instinctively to the sword that she had attatched around her waist. It sounded to her like a creature that she had met before. Actually, it sounded like quite a few creatures she had met before. Something like a cross between a hive of rampant killer bees and a rabie-infested werewolf.

When he motioned to her with a jerk of his head, she only smirked, following him. "Yeah, I'll show you what I got. Gonna grace me with a show yourself?" she questioned, her smirk becoming larger. It was going to be an interesting fight, that was for sure. And it had been a very long while since she had ever had an accomplice to help her with things like this. Ikaina was usually a lone wolf when it came to fighting. But of course, one couldn't live on their own all the time. Sometimes it was nice to have some backup in fights like this one would be. She already knew that this creature, whatever it was, was going to be bigger than anything she had fought in a long while.

As they stepped into the alleyway, she caught a quick glance of him, and then turned her vision to see only a few other people in the streets of the city. And they all were heading in the opposite direction of where the noise was coming from. Probably a good thing, too. Ikaina didn't feel like having to rescue a whole bunch of townsfolk. She only hoped that Kitrene had made it out to safety.

The wolf demon continued to follow him, and with each step they took, the buzzing noise grew louder and louder. Ikaina's head felt like it would explode with the sheer volume of the creature's sound. As they stepped onto the main street, Ikaina sensed the sort of self-proud feeling eminating from Roxas. Gotta hand it to him...that was pretty fast... Of course, Ikaina probably would have been able to do that, too, if her head wasn't so full of other thoughts.

"It's from the forest..." Ikaina muttered, knowing well that Roxas probably didn't hear her. It was from the forest, and it certainly wasn't a pretty thing. It's fur was matted, and the numerous tails swung everywhere, knocking down lamp posts and taking out benches that were set around the market-like place. The smell of human blood was fresh in the air, and Ikaina wrinkled her nose at it. It was blood mixed with the sweat of the creature. Definitely not pleasant in any way. She could make out three bodies lying next to the creature's rather large mouth, and she somehow had the feeling that she knew one of the mutilated bodies.

Blinking her eyes and rubbing the furiously, they flashed a bright orange-yellow, her sight becoming sharper and more wolf-like. One of the bodies that lay on the ground, she found, was that of Kitrene, her father's long-time friend and one of the only companions that Ikaina had ever been able to count on. For a moment, it seemed as if time stopped. Her father had told Kitrene to look after her, and that he had done for so many long years. So many long, long years. What was worse, was that he wasn't dead. Instead, she could see his mouth opening in drowned out screams of pain.

Their eyes met, and she saw a hopefulness there that made her heart sore. But it didn't last long, as the creature came down upon him, tearing his throat out. An anger rose inside her that pushed her towards the edge. Now, this battle was something worth fighting for. Now, she was going to fight to avenge Kitrene, and to show her father that the man had done his job. Ikaina was a strong woman now, and she would be ready for whatever was thrown at her.

Unbelting the sword from her waist, she let it fall to the ground. Her eyes flashed a brighter orange now, and she felt sharp canines grow inside her mouth. "Let's." she replied to Roxas, smirking at him, letting him clearly see the anger in her eyes; the anger and sorrow she felt in her heart. No one could say that Ikaina didn't care. Some called her a murderer, some called her a bringer of justice, but she thought it to be a bit of both. It just depended on the perspective you looked at it from.

She took a small leather band from her pocket, strapping it around her ankle, and throwing a dagger into the quick hold. Ikaina stared at the creature, seeing that it obviously didn't know that they were there yet, and she slowly changed.

Her height became a bit shorter, a fluffy black tail appearing slowly, and then perked black ears poked through her mass of black hair on her head. It grew shorter, and melded into the black fur that covered her body. On her hind leg was the dagger she had strapped around her ankle. She wasn't sure if she would need it or not, but if that was the case, it would be something to use until she could pick up the sword. And in God's name, she would use that sword that Kitrene had fixed up for her. The first blood that Wolfsbane would take since it was refurbished would be of the devil that had taken the life of her friend.

The wolf snarled, shooting a quick glance up at Roxas, before moving with a quick and eerie grace to the shadows, walking around in the shade of the buildings to the other side of the killer, stalking her prey and trying to find a gap to which she could deal her first damaging blow.

[Raven]

Roxas smiled to Ikaina when she rushed toward it, when she got to it's feet, he shot the ball of crimson right at it's face. it screeched in irritation, shaking out it's head and stepping backward once or twice. Then, he was about to, right when his ears began to give him yet another sound that he could hear just over the fiend. It was the sound of a crowd, and it excited him, where there was a crowd, he knew something big might be going on. Maybe the Empress herself would be there, and that was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to take his revenge on her exile, how dare she take him in and spit him out so easily. Keiko would pay for his suffering, at least a little bit of it.

Keiko never thought of how he really felt, and having a her as a mother figure, it hurt him from the beginning to end, and as he grew violent, it was in his nature to plot revenge. Keiko would learn the hard way that he wouldn't forgive her easily for exiling him. He wouldn't of hurt anyone, especially the baby, of which he did find out about in due time. A man named Theonaru was claimed to be the father of her child. Of all people, who would guess that Roxas may hurt the child, he would have gladly welcomed it, and would have treated it as if it's own sibling. He would have protected it, even from himself for that matter. All of the killings within the Kingdom were too much for Keiko to worry about, and she exile him to end her worries.

Roxas thought about this only for a short moment, deciding to first get rid of this thing, and descend from Ikaina, only long enough to spoil the party. After all, he only wanted to express his gratitude to Keiko for destroying his love for her as a mother figure. He would rid himself of this mess first, then rid himself of her. He glance back at Ikaina, noticing she had already weakened it a little.

"Hmm, this thing is weak." he said softly aloud. "Let's finish this." he added, tightening his hold on Rune Balx. He advanced the giant ugly rodent beside Ikaina. He shot up, jumping high enough o reach it's head, and stepping on it, balancing himself out once he got on his neck. Once there, He raised Rune Balx high into the air, pushing it down and piercing the fur and flesh of the hideous animal. He kept the sword there, driving it across it's back, and then jumping off, landing on the ground behind the creature as it whined louder and louder from the growing pain they were giving him.

Roxas grin, looking back to Ikaina, his eyes telling her it was her turn to show this Thing what she's got. And he couldn't wait to see it. He couldn't wait at all, because if she would give the final blow, that would mean he could quickly disperse and get to that crowd before it was too late to give them all a scare. It's wasn't doubtful that they would meet up again, seeing as he would remember her looks for quite sometime, if he were ever to forget them. Though he was eager to know what was going on in the distance, now more than he was with fighting and showing off his skills in battle. Roxas was definitely one to change interests fast, but there was so much to do now that he was back in the city that hated him. He couldn't just sit back. But soon enough he would be able to.

Just Not Now.

[elvenbeauty]

Ikaina was too busy with her own thoughts to realize what Roxas' actions were. She was entirely wrapped up in thoughts of her father, thoughts of Kitrene, and thoughts of the battle at hand. The black wolf was lunging at the heels of the beast, nipping and drawing blood, weakening it. However, every once in a while, the bright orange-yellow eyes flashed over to where the three bodies lay, taking in the sight of Kitrene's mangled body and his blood spilt on the ground. It was what fueled her to keep going. It was what was making her able to fight. Ikaina rarely fought for no reason, and that was one of the reasons she had been so reluctant to begin with; but now she had reason.

However, it was in one of these moments where she was looking back at Kitrene that she suddenly felt a great amount of pressure in her stomach, and then felt only air beneath her. It took her a moment to realize she had been hit, and while she silently chided herself, she tried to keep her mind in the game. With a large thud!, the wolf hit the ground, lying on her back. The force of the fall made her lose the connection between her mind and power, and she quickly changed back into the woman that had been sitting in the alleyway.

She saw the creature coming towards her again, and rather quickly, but it was at this point that she caught a quick glimpse of Roxas as he jumped and attacked, dragging his sword down the creatures back. The thing let out a loud moan of pain and rage so loud that it made Ikaina's eardrums feel like they were about to pop. When Roxas looked at her, she nodded, turning her head just in time to see the creature start after him.

Feeling for the dagger that she had strapped around her ankle, she took it in her hand tightly and threw it, hitting the creature in the neck. It roared with pain again, and turned, beginning to advance on her. Scrambling to her feet, she looked into the creature's eyes, seeing the rage and pain, and she almost felt a bit of sorrow for putting it through this misery. Just end it, Ikaina... she told herself silently.

Scrambling to her feet, she managed to backfilp and dodge a lunge, though the teeth of the creature caught her leg, drawing a little blood and making a shallow cut. Cursing under her breath, she ran, gracefully picking up her sword and turning to face the creature. It was like time slowed down.

Her eyes went from the bright teal to the dangerous orange-yellow color, and canines poked out of the corner of her mouth. As the creature ran toward her again, she felt a low grumble of a growl in her throat. This thing had killed her friend. This thing had ruined her day in one fell swoop. Not to mention taking the lives of two other innocent people, as well as however many it might have lunched on before reaching Okira.

When it was within a few seconds of reaching her, Ikaina thrust Wolfsbane up into it's chin, the other end of the sword coming up from the top of its short and ugly snout. The blood from it rushed out, some trickling down her arm, and it gave her a strong sense of wanting to hunt again. But that was for later. Perhaps she would visit her father's grave and hunt around there. It would take her mind off things for a while at least.

Withdrawing the sword, she dealt the final blow, thrusting Wolfsbane into the chest of the beast, right where the heart was. It let out a deafening roar, and slowly stumbled, falling to the ground. With only a few twitches, it became motionless, a cold stare caught in the unmoving eyes.

Breathing heavily, Ikaina withdrew the sword from the chest, and the dagger from the neck, and wiped the blood on the fur of the creature. Now she could focus on Kitrene. Now she could mourn, though she wouldn't do it publicly. Of course, anyone that had been looking at Ikaina at this moment would know how much sorrow she felt.

Sticking the freshly blood-dubbed Wolfsbane into the crimson and gold sheath, she walked towards the body of Kitrene slowly, licking the creatures blood from her hands. Her eyes turned back to their usual teal color, and the canines disappeared.

Ikaina looked down at her friend's body. Slowly, she sank to her knees, her eyes unwavering, and her breathing beginning to slow. "I'm sorry..." she muttered, pushing back tears that were threatening to fall. She really did look like a pitiful sight; her long black hair knotted, her light skin covered with dirt, and blood still trickling from the shallow wound on her leg.

Reaching out a shaking hand, she brushed a bit of blood away from Kitrene's now closed eyes. At least he looked peaceful. I've failed...miserably...

"I'm so, so sorry..."

[Raven]

Once the beast hit the ground dead, Roxas jumped, punching in the air, then pulling his arm back at his side in a fairly odd pose, "Yeah!" he exclaimed, laughing aloud, jogging over to it and mounting his foot upon his head. He wasn't paying attention to Ikaina at that moment, happy that the both of them defeated the creature without even getting hurt. Though he didn't see what had happened to Ikaina throughout the little battle. He ground his foot down into the matted fur of the ugly creature, chuckling to himself. He then looked up, returning Rune Balx into his sheath, giving out a sigh of pride. "Well how is this gonna be cleaned up, hm Ikaina?" he looked over to her, his celebrating shortened. His expression went from gitty to stiff, seeing such sorrow in her eyes. It was supposed to be fun.

Huh? She's Bleeding! his thrill shot down, he soon rushed over to her. He bent down on one knee, putting a hand on her shoulder, looking down at the body of the man he had seen scurrying by before they met. He must have meant something to her... This was something he couldn't bare to see. To lose someone, he had experienced this very same thing, losing his mother right before his very eyes. Ikaina had just lost this man, and she was feeling exactly like he had for his mother, as if they had failed to keep them safe. His feelings for her softened, her eyes showing the tears she should be crying, but she held them back. He spoke to her , "Listen Ikaina, we need to get your wounds healed." and even without her consent, he lifted her, slinging her arm over his shoulders. He returned his smug grin to his face, "I don't care if you can walk or not, you're getting those wounds cleaned." he gave her a small laugh of confidence, trying to cheer her up, winking and nodding his head.

He began walking away from the mess, keeping her upright, letting her walk herself if she pleased, though he helped by taking off some of the weight on her leg. He thought back to when he had met her, how tough and cold she seemed, but all of that had faded, her sorrow was so heart-felt, her feeling of failure so strong. She's so different... He said to himself, looking down at her as they walked. The idea soon shook off as he then began thinking of where they were going to go to, for one, get healing supplies, and two, where they would be able to stay to apply them. The stopped for a moment to think.

A thought popped in his mind, "Hey, Ikaina." he paused, letting her tune in to him. "that old man of yours, he got a place we can stay for a while, right?" it might have been a bit sensitive to bring up, though it was a smart idea, regardless of the man. He was dead and there was nothing that could be done about it. Roxas did feel bad, but it wasn't his style to go out of his way to comfort people. He happened to be very selfish most of the time, though when the time came, he could be very supportive and affectionate. They needed a place to go, and their best bet was the old man's house. he was bound to have supplies, and no doubt a bed to apply them on. It was perfect, all she had to do was point out directions to the building, and then she could rest.

Once she pointed one direction, he nodded to her and began walking on the warm dirt beneath them. Each step Ikaina made, a drop of blood began making a path from their fight. While they walked he looked at her leg each time she took a step.
That's a lot of blood for one simple cut... That needs to be treated soon, or it could get worse. he thought before he spoke aloud, "Ikaina, can you keep going?" he laughed hesitantly, "or do i need to carry you?" he when from humorous to serious, and back again. Back and forth to try and both cheer her up, and remain like himself in a sense. Though he stopped for a moment to wait for her answer.

[elvenbeauty]

Ikaina was a bit unaware that she was being spoken to. Frankly, she didn't care if the creature would be swept away or left there. Ikaina stood from her spot and walked to the creature lying dead in the middle of hte square. The demon caught a glimpse of Roxas standing triumphantly over their kill, and she thought she heard a laugh erupt from his throat. However, the woman would never be entirely sure if that was the case or not. Bending down, she wrenched the creature's limp paw up and took the dagger from the brace at her ankle. It took only a minute or so to cut through the surprisingly soft claw, and even less time to make a hole through it.

Standing again, she limped back to Kitrene's side and managed to find a thin leather strap amongst the pockets of his cloak. Stringing the claw on the strap, she tied it around her neck. It's a bit tight, but it will do... Now she was sure to always remember this day. Now she was sure to always remember this failure. It would be a motivation that would make her stronger than she already was. Kitrene was sure to be a memory that would keep her going.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find Roxas staring back at her. And Ikaina could tell that he understood how she felt. Both of them seemed to have gone through the same thing at one piont. And though she saw his lips move, she barely comprehended what he was saying. something about a wound and walking. Before she could actually realize that she had a gash on her leg, Ikaina felt her arm being put around Roxas's shoulders. A sharp pain shot through her when she tried to put even weight on both sides of her stance, which caused her to lean against Roxas more.

With a sigh, Ikaina registered the question that Roxas had asked. He's dead...you can't change the past...you can't change something that is out of your control... she told herself, defiently making herself believe that she wasn't the one to blame. "Yeah..." she replied finally, after several moments of silence. She knew that Kitrene wouldn't have minded. "He was the town's blacksmith..." she added, her eyes becoming cold again, that sorrow that had shown earlier being washed away in the icy teal stare. The time for sadness had passed. "The smithy shop is two streets to the left...that's where Kitrene lived."

As they walked, she could feel the wrm blood run out of hte cut with each step. It wasn't a deep cut at all, but forest creatures were widely known for their sharp claws, and the cut went from knee to ankle. It didn't really hurt, for she was preoccupied with other thoughts. All seemed oddly silent, except for the fading sounds of a happy crowd of townsfolk. But it wasn't coming from the direction of the creature. Someone important must be in town today...


"I can manage" she responded, a small smile coming to her face when she added, "Thanks for the offer, though." Yes, her sorrow was still there, but it was hidden. The wolf demon hated to show weakness...especially in front of men. Due to her small, petite frame, and her femininity, many men thought her to be a laughing stock when it came to fighting. Of course, they all learned the truth rather quickly, but she hated being viewed as defenseless. However, it was nice to have someone care at least a small bit about her. Not too many people would be helping her down the street to take care of her. Not many would have fought by her side as an equal. She just felt a small surge of luck at having not brushed past this man as she had first thought about.

[Raven]

Roxas gave her a kind smile, nodding and walking back to her, stopping at an arms reach. He stretched hand out to place it upon her shoulder, "So, you're positive, huh." he asked, glancing down at the bleeding wound. After a short moment, he returned his view back to her face, only to see her shaking her head, hearing her say that she was fine. She took a confident step past him, with her bad leg.

---He saw her expression of once assertion turn to nothing but a grimace, her breathing heavy and easily heard as she gradually fell beyond him. With swift movements, he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her back up, and keeping her from hitting the ground. All in a few seconds, Ikaina almost fell, Roxas caught her, and they both now found that they had gotten into an odd position. With Ikaina's hands resting on his chest, he watched her look away in frustration. She wasn't weak, and he would never think that about a woman like this, though couldn't deny she needed help.

From the sudden incident, a small bead of sweat formed on Roxas' brow. He sighed, looking down at the petite wolf woman, speaking-- regardless if she was looking at him for not.
"I'm not sure you can manage on your own." the sweat dropped and disappeared. "Besides," he paused, sweeping Ikaina off her feet, scooping her into his arms and continuing, "we must exit the scene with haste!" He laughed rather pathetically, trying to be funny as he ran, following the directions that Ikaina had told him.

They quickly arrived at the door to the smithy shop that once belonged to the old man that had died. With no hands, he advanced the door and kicked it open, and with the same foot, he turned around once inside, and kicked it shut. He studied his surroundings in the shop, averting his gaze back to Ikaina. She hadn't really tried to fight very hard to get out of his arms, though he could tell she found him to be a very stubborn man, of which he was proud of. The blood from her leg was still wet and flowing, Roxas' sleeve half soaked in it. The smell of iron was very strong, filling the senses of anyone close enough, regardless if it was small or not.

Eventually he found the bed, fit for one and very warn. The blankets were clean and well folded, and the pillows were fluffed so well, they looked like the puffiest white clouds ever seen. He came up to the bed, gently placing his new friend at the edge of it. He knelt down and looked up at her, speaking more softly now that they were indoors.
"Where do I find supplies?" he asked quietly, waiting for an answer. It didn't take long for her to point them out, and he followed where she said to go. He fetched the supplies, that, and water for washing away blood, and to rehydrate her.

He knelt down again in front of her on the bed, readying the supplies for use. He then began rinsing off the cut on her leg, imagining how much it stung. He cringed to see how much deeper the cut truly was, it it was deep, at least halfway through her muscle, but hopefully she'd heal fast, considering she was a demon. He took out the cloth, waiting a minute before putting the cloth on, it had started bleeding again, filling the empty space in the cut with blood once again. He placed the cloth upon her cut, the blood seeping through almost instantly. He continued to wrap it, up until the point when it would stop seeping through. It took him four or five layers of cloth to do so.

Once he was done, he stood up and cleaned his supplies and put a few things back that weren't used. He came back and helped Ikaina lay down without moving her leg too much, then stood at her side a while.
"Get some rest, that cut is deeper than what it looks, and you could make it worse." He watched her as she did nothing but looked up at him, her head on the cloudy pillows. He smiled down at her. "I'll be here for a while yet, now sleep." he said, giving out a friendly laugh as he slowly made his way out of the doorway, going out into the living room. He closed the door and sighed.

The living room wasn't much, simply a cushioned chair, a coffee table, and the only thing decorating the walls were shields and swords once made by the old man. Roxas found his name to be upon one of them, Kitrene, Blacksmith of Okira. He looked away from the walled masterpiece, lowering his head with another sigh. What was going on, first a simple visit with a lovely woman, next a battle with an unusual demon not even belonging to this region, and now I'm taking care of her..., he thought, frustrated. He thought of the festival, worried he might have missed it, considering it was almost over. Angry, he waited until Ikaina was asleep, checking on her before he left.
"We'll meet again, Ikaina. I promise." he whispered, more to himself since she was sleeping. Once he said it, he made for the door and exited into the city streets. On his way, he gave off a deep snicker, he couldn't wait to mess with the Empress, he had waited so long for this day.

[elvenbeauty]

"Yeah, I'll be fine." she replied, a soft and confident smile on her face. She would have to be fine. It wasn't as if she had much choice. What if this were to happen in the future and she didn't have Roxas around to catch her? Then she'd just be out of luck, and that was something that didn't fit well with the wolf demon.

Ikaina turned in the direction of the smithy's shop, and took a step. Immediately, she knew that she wouldn't be able to make it very far without stopping to rest. Pain shot up through her leg and sent a tremor down her spine. It was almost unbearable. However, being as stubborn as she was, Ikaina took a few more steps, trying to look as if the pain wasn't there and wasn't bothering her. She was trying to look normal.

Another step on her bad leg made her stumble, and she was lucky enough to have Roxas there. She felt his arm about her waist, lifting her upward, and reaching her hands up to try and take the shock out of her fall, she rested them on his chest for stability. Granted, this probably was a bit odd, but she wasn't thinking much of that right now. Casting away her gaze from him, she looked at the ground, cursing to herself under her breath.

Had she really become so weak? Had it really gotten to the point that she was so careless that she wasn't able to properly defend herself in a battle anymore? Could it really be that she wasn't even able to manage things on her own anymore? The day had started out so simply. All she was doing was getting her sword refurbished. And then she had met Roxas, and things seemed to grow more and more complicated since that point in time. The battle. Kitrene's death. Her injury. This whole moment. It was all one big flux of emotions that she could have done without.

She heard his comment and looked back up at him, a small look of admittance in her teal colored eyes. Although, there was of course that little glimmer of defiance. She knew she could do it on her own. If it was something Ikaina needed to do, she would somehow do it. Suddenly, she felt her feet come out from under her again, but this time she wasn't flying through the air. Instead, she was held in Roxas' arms, and he began walking in the direction of Kitrene's home.

She didn't put up much fight, of course, for she was too tired to really say or do much. Instead, Ikaina rested her head against his chest lightly, and sighed. This was not how she had expected her day to go. She had just planned on getting her sword and relaxing at a pub for a bit before heading out to hunt for the night. That didn't look like it was going to happen at all now, though.

When they reached the shop, she didn't see, but rather heard, Roxas kick the door open, and then closed. Almost immediately, the smell of ashes and iron met her senses, and Ikaina wrinkled her nose at it. There weren't many smells on earth that she liked all that much. Looking up, she found Roxas looking back at her, and she let a small smile cross her face. With a nod, she jerked her head in the direction of the small bedroom, and the two made their way into the new make-shift hospital.

Roxas laid her on the bed, and Ikaina felt a strong relief to finally be lying somewhere that was fairly comfortable. When he questioned her on where the medicines were, she stated, "In the washroom, through that door." Her voice was soft and weak, probably due to the immense amount of blood she had lost already. Ikaina watched as he walked through the door and out of sight, and she just managed to sit up and release the sword and sheath from around her waist. Pulling the dagger out of its hold at her ankle, it was tossed to the floor next to her other weapon.

He returned with the medicines and bandages, and Ikaina laid back, nodding to him and closing her eyes. She knew very well that this was going to sting. But that was good. It would be a reminder to her that she needed to be more cautious in the future. Her eyes turned that dangerous shade of yellow-orange, and she whimpered slightly the first time he began rinsing her wound. But she knew it would only get worse. Staying quiet, she stared blankly at the ceiling, biting her lower lip, not moving and barely breathing, waiting for him to finish.

Ikaina wasn't sure how long it took, but it seemed like hours. After putting things away, she opened her eyes to find him standing next to her. Get some sleep....no problem... she thought amusedly. Letting her head rest fully on the pillow, Ikaina reached a hand up to brush away a strand of her black hair, pushing it behind her ear. When he said that he would stay for a while yet, Ikaina smiled at him. "Thanks, Roxas." she managed to get out, her voice only a little stronger than before. "I owe you one.", and she watched as he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Ikaina fell asleep almost instantly, her dreams bringing a strange phenomenon in her slumber.

Ikaina stood in the square, the horrible creature before her and Roxas nowhere to be seen. The only other being around was Kitrene, his face seeming to be showing even more clearly the pain he was feeling, and his screams becoming audible words of 'help me, Ikaina! Do something! Anything!' Yet with every step she took, he screamed louder and louder, and the creature advanced more and more quickly, until with one step, Kitrene was gone, the creature having swallowed him whole. But as the creature looked to Ikaina, it changed to the figure of a man.

Theonaru stood before her, a displeased look on his rugged face, his arms folded in front of him. 'This is what you do with your power? Let friends die?' he questioned, coming only a few steps closer to her. 'You haven't even gotten that wretched Neoruko yet, have you?'

'No father...I have not....' Her own voice seemed foreign to her, as if she was only a young child of five again.

'Have I taught you nothing? You are no daughter of mine...' And he disappeared, leaving Ikaina crying in the middle of the square, no longer a woman, but a frightened girl missing her father, feeling pain at her abandonment.

Seemingly out of nowhere, she heard the words, We'll meet again, Ikaina. I promise', in the voice of her new-found friend.

When she woke a few hours later, Ikaina walked into the living room to find that Roxas was nowhere to be found. Of course, she hadn't expected him to sit around waiting the entire time. In fact, she had been surprised that he had insisted on helping her so much. It was her own fault that she had been hurt, and it should have been up to her to fix her own mess. But she would take help when it was needed, and she knew that those final words she had heard in her sleep had actually been said. And she didn't doubt it. Roxas and Ikaina would see each other again. Hopefully soon.

Ikaina stayed in the house for a while, sitting in the cushioned armchair, staring at the dancing flames of the fire. It was entrancing in so many ways, that it allowed herself to let her mind wander. You've got a lot of work ahead of you, Ikaina... she told herself. She still needed to find Neo, which was at the top of her list, but she also wished to find out more about her new accomplice and his life. People were a mystery to her...

...And Ikaina loved mysteries.