Closed Getting Out of Dodge (Elias)

[Yoona]

2nd Day of Summer, 514 AV

Change.

Spring was giving way to Summer. Soon the days would grow longer, and the air would become heavy with the relentless onslaught of heat from the sun.

Sitting in the very back of the carriage, Yoona hung her head, her pure-black eyes focused intently on the ground. She'd been like this for a while, now, having allowed herself to drift in her thoughts as the rickety carrier went on its way, the wheels clicking and clacking as they rolled along the stone-laden merchant's path.

Today was a new day, for Ravok was a new city, filled with plenty of new sights and smells. Yoona wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, as her Trader hadn't told her much when they were still trekking through Nyka (though she'd gotten a kick out of watching all of the "monks" go by in their long robes). Admittedly, she couldn't remember ever seeing a body of water as gigantic as the lake was. Oddly enough, the city seemed to sit right in the middle of it, defying all known laws of logic by staying afloat.

And yet, as interesting as the sights were, Yoona wasn't here to sight-see. If she had the ultimate say-so, there was a great chance that she wouldn't even be here, at all.

Frowning, the Chaktawe woman shifted her gaze over to her hands, which she held in her lap. Around her wrists were the thick metal cuffs that she'd long since grown used to, the chains binding them together rattling ever so slightly whenever the carriage shuddered. There were some around her ankles, too. As far as Yoona was concerned, the metal binds were meant for the safety of her Trader. By now, the foolish man would have learned to know better than to leave her arms and legs free.

And so it was that she'd been brought here, to this floating merchant's hub. Business matters, of course; that's what things always were about, nowadays.

Lost in her daydreaming, Yoona didn't notice as the carriage came to an abrupt stop, the labor horses at the front snorting and stamping at the ground as they were halted. The wooden contraption shook, and she came to just in time to catch her Trader slide himself out of his seat.

Had they reached the gate? She wasn't sure, so she leaned back and strained to listen for the grubby man's voice. It sounded as though he was talking with someone. About what?

'Business matters.'

The thought was immediate, almost impulsive. Yoona let out a long, annoyed sigh before straightening herself up.

They'd talk for a while, then her Trader would return, load himself up on the carriage, and head towards the heart of the floating city. Then he'd probably get some food for himself and make a detour, once again on the hunt for business. And what did that business mean? More chains, more cuffs, less food...

...Unless...

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts'

[Redd]

Redd lifted her nose to the sky as she enjoyed the soft breeze that ruffled through her thick red pelt. The sun that drifted down from the sky, highlighting the deep browns and the black within her coat. The white under her chin clearly visible as it trailed from under her chin, underneath her throat and under her belly. The only difference in her coat that she had observed, was the fact that the colour of her coat had slightly changed upon her left paw. Fur that was once red, was in the shape of a half black sun.

She turned her head to look back behind her, her golden hues looking back at her master, Master Elias. Today was the first time that he had allowed her shift into her wolf form since they had first met and she had felt some-what relieved, that she could finally slip into a form that she was more familiar with.

The young wolf turned around to pad towards her master, keeping in mind to make sure that she didn't appear like danger. She did this by lowering her tail and her head, before flickering her ears back and then lowering them as well. The moment she reached him, she rubbed her form against him, almost like she was thanking him in her own way.

It was then that she turned away from him, padding away as she lifted her nose to scent the air, her ears pricking forwards. She had to remind herself that she was out here to show him how she hunted. Her fractured ribs still gave her trouble, so she would only be hunting for smaller type prey. She also feared that her time in captivity had also made her skills a little soft around the edges.

Padding forwards, she lowered her nose to the ground, taking in the scents as she enjoyed the feel of fertile earth underneath her paws. An ear flickered back as she picked up a scent, lifting her head a little, her golden hues seeking out the source of the scent.

A few steps forwards, she paused in her steps, lowering her nose she took in the scent once more, both of her ears flickering forwards at this, her nose lifting slightly as she spotted exactly what she had been looking for. A clear set of rabbit prints was marked into the soft dirt and she began to pad forwards with more enthusiasm.

It was then that she spotted the rabbit under a bush and in her haste, she lunged forwards, her powerful jaws snapping at the little animal. The animal having been startled, scattered out from underneath the bush.

Taking a moment to spit out the piece of branch that she had accidentally snapped down upon, she renewed her efforts to chase after the rabbit, unaware that they were getting closer to the city's gate for she had felt the grips of blood-thirst seep into her being, wanting that taste of blood and flesh.

It was at that point as the rabbit dashed off in front of a large beast, with Redd close upon its tail that she realized her surroundings. The large beast that appeared to be pulling something reared with fright. This making Redd scatter backwards away from the flailing hooves of the beast, the rabbit and her blood-thirst soon forgotten.

However, the flailing hooves was soon forgotten as well as she avoided the human weapons while a shout was raised all around her. This making her soon run back towards Master Elias. She didn't want to upset him by attacking in defense, so she had simply returned back to his side, her head lowering as she growled softly back at the strange humans. She pressed her side against Master Elias's leg as her ears flickered back against her head.

[Yoona]

Yoona listened some more. The man was still talking, occasionally using a word or phrase that she couldn't understand. Perhaps he was trying to strike up a bribe? Or gain some sort of special access to the city? Whatever the hell they were going back and forth about, it was taking a long time, and Yoona was growing impatient.

'Blah, blah, blah...I'm going to grow old just by sitting here and waiting.'

And then a thought occurred to her. An interesting thought.

'But I don't have to just sit here and wait. No...he's distracted, now. If I can find some way out of these cuffs, I...or maybe I can use them to my advantage. Yes, there has to be a way...'

The timing couldn't be more perfect. Here she was, virtually left alone for the first time in weeks while her Trader was busy yammering away. She was bound, yes, but the carriage was wide open, so it wouldn't be too hard for her to just...get out and run. And then keep running.

There, that was it. That was the plan! She'd run and run and run, and keep going until she hit some woods. The vast lands beyond Eyktol were foreign to her, yes, but she'd been making herself learn things throughout her various journeys. Yoona was more than capable of surviving on her own, and was more than prepared to deal with the consequential hardships. Her entire life had been a hardship, so there would be no difference. And what struggles could truly compare to a life of unwilling servitude?

Straightening up a bit, Yoona once again glanced at her wrist and ankle cuffs. The things were thick but weak, rusting with age, the keyless locks that kept the chains in place jostling around in their holes. She assumed that they'd been used on countless other slaves, before, and with each passing set of wrists the bounds had probably been made weaker and weaker, constantly strained and worked. The ankle restraints, too, were obvious hand-me-downs. The Fat Man didn't seem to have thought twice when putting the old things on her limbs. Perhaps, if she tried hard enough, she could break them with relative ease...and a good amount of force. Or perhaps she'd need to find some help. A weapon-smith, maybe. But those kinds of people would be within the city, and she intended on getting as far from the wretched place as possible within the next few bells...

'It doesn't matter. You can take care of that once you're far, far away. There's no time to waste. Go, now!'

Yoona didn't hesitate for another moment. With a grunt of effort, the Chaktawe woman threw herself to the ground and rolled out of the carriage, tumbling out onto the stony path. Then she scrambled to her feet, or at least tried to; she stayed upright for a fleeting moment before the chain connecting her ankle cuffs strained and brought her down to her knees. Swearing, the woman got back onto her feet to try again, only to trip over her own feet.

Moving was barely possible with those petching cuffs...how in the world was she supposed to run with them on?

Suddenly out of ideas and desperate, Yoona let out a frustrated growl as she began to thrash about on the ground, putting as much strain on her ankle cuffs as was possible. In the distance, she could just sense her Trader turn his head towards the carriage, and could already imagine the confused look on his face; all of his features seemed to contort when he was shocked. Soon enough he'd be angry, and his face would beam a deep, rash-red.

Time, time, she was running out of time...

There was a sudden click! For a moment, Yoona froze, but then she felt one of the chains split and pop out of its hole in one of the cuffs, separating her ankles. With a yowl of triumph, the woman spread her still-cuffed legs out as she fought to scramble to her feet. A short distance away, the Trader was starting towards her, yelling in surprise and mounting fury. "'Ey, you get your sorry carcass back inside! Back inside! Do as you're told, you defiant whelp!"

Yoona merely stuck her tongue out at the red-faced man, then turned on her heels and started to run, laughing as she went. It was with sudden abruptness that she paused and twisted back around, darting over to the carriage and reaching in. The Fat man kept his belongings in a knapsack that he tended to toss in the back; nabbing it was a last-minute thought, and Yoona was certain that she'd need the things inside if she planned on making it on her own. Hopefully, there were a handful of Mizas inside, too. Clutching the bag in her bound hands, Yoona started to sprint, albeit wobbling a little as she went. The man went after her, though obviously not the most physically fit person, waving his arms around and shouting. "Stop! Dammit all!"

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts'

[Elias Caldera]

There was something to be said for the serenity of the forest. Lush, wild, chaotic, Elias was confident it must have been a favorite pass time for Rhysol himself whenever the Defiler decided to take a break from the cities of man so he could come out to play with monsters. He was damn certain Redd enjoyed it, that was for sure. The rambunctious kelvic had practically beamed the moment he told her he was going to let her shift for the first time since her capture. Disciplining her into accepting her other half as much as she did the wolf had proven turbulent over the past few weeks. A life in the wild -a life as an animal- was not something so easily dismissed he learned. Her dismay had not been lost on her master however, and the moment he asked her to show him how she hunted, Red was up and out of her clothes and collar faster than he could even blink, a burnished red light enveloping her lithe form as she danced away on all four paws.

He smacked a mosquito upon his sweat drenched neck. Elias hated the outdoors.

Summer was a pleasant time of year to go running around under the sun... in Ravok. In the wilderness, he became prey for more than just the things that lurked in the tall grass, but more terrifyingly, the bugs. They feasted on him like a banquet, even as he ran to keep pace with Redd, the wolf leaping and bounding as if she were a ecstatic pup and her injuries merely a memory of the past. It worried him greatly whether this was a mistake or not. The entire point of keeping her trapped and bottled up where he could keep an eye on her was so her injuries could heal. They had gone to the healing hand the day after he had first collared her, but even then, the treatment had been mainly rest and relaxation. Something Redd seemed incapable of, even if it brought her master incomprehensible amounts of anxiety. Elias had realized however, that to deny the animal was to deny the kelvic as a whole. The two needed to be one, and Redd had been a girl for far too long it seemed. Today, if only for a little while, he would allow the wolf to come out and play.

Unfortunately, out here, Elias definitely couldn't afford to let her out of his sight either. So he ran. Leaping and bounding right beside her, haggard breath and labored steps trumpeting his approach like a marching band through the foliage. His soaked shirt had long ago disappeared into his rucksack, right along with all the simple attire his slave had been so quick to forget as well. Upon his hip however, he wore his longsword, its heavy steel a comforting reminder if not a beleaguering weight he did not relish suffering through this marathon with. On his back twenty arrows in a quiver rested, their method of delivery, a compact short bow he had recently purchased, gripped tight in his hand. If anything, this little escapade had demonstrated just how out of shape he had let himself become after the storm had left him bed ridden for months. He should have never had let himself waste away like that, but guilt and grief just had a method of keeping a man down, regardless of how strong he thought he was.

Eventually, Redd came to a halt as the two of them neared what Elias was sure was the outpost they left a little earlier. Clearly she had been following something in the air, otherwise the novice mage didn't want to believe a wolf could get lost and had had them running in circles this whole time. He wanted to ask, but instead remained silent, watching with a mixed sense of pride and hidden hesitation as she suddenly began to stalk towards him. Many a day he would lie awake, convincing himself there was some problem, some hint he had overlooked when staring into those golden, hazel eyes. Some silly little thing that could bring all his work on her crumbling down upon his head. It was difficult being so careful around Redd, despite how much he simply wanted to trust her completely. She had shown little else but devotion, yet still his mind raced with misgivings. The black sun upon her paw brought him a modicum on assurance however. It marked her as his and his alone, a fact that invigorated him to say the least. A test He thought warily, I'll give her a test, and when she passes it, I can put my paranoia aside.

Smiling, he gave his wolf a small rub behind the ears as she nuzzled against his leg. It was something he had warned himself against doing, but there was just an instinctual pull about petting that he couldn't help himself sometimes. In silent appreciation however, he let the contact break after a while, watching instead as she began to track and hunt her quarry with a renewed vigor. Drawing an arrow and notching it, he prepared himself for what was surely to come next. The kill...

The hare bolted without warning, Redd's vicious jaws barely missing its brown fur as it leapt from the bush and careened out of her reach. Elias hastily loosed his arrow after the creature, but his shot only found dirt. With a growl of frustration that he was sure mirrored Redd's one of excitement, Elias gave chase alongside her, grabbing his fallen arrow as he hurtled through the forest. The tacky hunter barely noticed the fading vegetation buzzing by him as he ran before he realized where this chase was leading. He had little chance to warn Redd before the wolf sprinted out in front of a carriage upon the path the two of them had just stumbled on. What followed was a great deal of cursing and shouting as the horse pulling the cart reared up, its master nearly tumbling out of his seat as a result. In a whirl of red fur, his slave was back at his side however, safe from the whip of the old driver. Despite his better judgement, a wave of fury rolled over Elias at the sight of the man's attack, and as the driver noticed Redd at his side, a string of curses were flung at him as well. The young Ravokian had the misguided notion that he was in the right to curse back at the wrinkled old bastard.

That had been a mistake.

As Elias suffered railing into that he hadn't experienced since he had been an mewling petitioner in front of the ebonstryfe instructors, he couldn't help but notice something shuffling off in the distance. A great deal of attention had unfortunately fallen upon him, bare chested and layered in weaponry as he was, and it seemed the sweaty distraction that had served someone else just perfectly. Two carts down and perhaps half a dozen pairs of eyes later, someone was using him to slip away unseen. His attention torn between the spit peddling war cry of the old man his slave had insulted, and the strange and very chained woman who was now flailing against her restraints on the dirt, Elias recognized more than just one opportunity cropping up as the situation presented itself. Startlingly unannounced and sudden, Elias forced the brief flash of an image into Redd's mind with his hypnotism, djed leaking from his aura into hers as the two stood poised next to one another. It was of the woman he had seen. Hallucinations were still something far out of his reach, but the mage had learned with intrigue, that hypnotism didn't have to exactly be limited to dominating a mind, it could also be used as as crude and cruel means of communications as well.

Redd would either believe or not, that there was a woman over where Elias's shoddy image had shown her. She would however, feel the need to pursue and observe far more fervently as her master mashed the idea into her own prompts to action. The result, hopefully, was that Elias had just unleashed Redd upon the runaway slave, a silent order that compelled her to track the the tanned skinned girl for the time being. As for the young man himself however, he had a great deal of apologizing to do until he could get away himself.

LedgerComposite Shortbow -70GM
40 Arrows -2GM
Quiver -20GM (Wth, why are quivers so expensive!? >_<

[Redd]

Redd's golden hues had been focused upon the old man that had tried to strike her with his old snake looking weapon, so her ears had been pressed back against her head as she growled softly from her master's side.

She wanted nothing more than to do what she had done when faced with humans. Attack, attack to defend, to survive, but she remained where she was. She listened as her master seemed to curse back. Whatever the argument was, it was soon lost upon her as an image flashed through her mind.

Her ears pricked forwards as her head snapped around to the source of it, seeking out the area of which the image had indicated, her gaze drifting along and passed the carts to spy what appeared to be some kind of metal upon the ground where the image of the woman had been. Perhaps it was something the woman in the image had dropped?

Quickly, her gaze returned back to her master's face, watching him for any signs that that she should chase after the woman who had appeared within her thoughts. Finding no objections to her inquiring golden gaze, she began to pad away from Master Elias, her nose to the ground as she began to sift through scents. One ear had flickered back, in case Elias would issue any orders in response to her leaving his side, but she didn't hear anything yet, so her ear flickered forwards once more.

The young wolf felt the need to track and obverse this girl strongly, as if doing so would earn a small part of her master's trust. Her pace began to pick up along with the urgency to find the woman that had appeared to have escaped, making her way passed the other carts.

As soon as she reached the broken pieces of metal, she began to sniff at it, a soft growl was given in response to the scent. It was no human, nor was it Symenestra or animal. It was a scent that Redd was unable to identify and she lowered her nose to the ground in the area of which the broken pieces were found in.

Catching a hold of the scent and finding a clear set of foot prints, she began her pursuit, her pace at a slow trot. She didn't want to disappoint her master by loosing the scent and seeing as they seem to be trailing in towards the forest, there would be no way she would loose the scent by mixing it up with other human scents. The only way she would loose the scent is if the woman had gone through water, but seeing as the only source of water that was around nearby was the lake, there was no way that would happen either.

These were forests that Redd had spent most of her life within, so she had the upper hand of tracking the woman faster then the escapee would like. The escapee only had a few chimes start, so soon enough Redd would find the woman.

[Yoona]

This wasn't Yoona's first escape attempt. Truthfully, a majority of the various bruises, cuts, and scrapes that littered her body were her own fault, evidence of the repeated times she'd gone crawling through bushes or vaulting over walls to flee. Each and every one of those attempts had ended up being bitter failures, but the woman was never discouraged from trying, again, and had learned to start keeping track of her mistakes so that she could avoid them from then on. With each acknowledged error came a few extra, precious chimes that let her get closer and closer to the freedom that she so fervently sought.

Yoona knew how to bide her time well, and how to use the land to her advantage, despite how strange it was to her. She knew when to conserve her energy and when to use it all in a quick, powerful burst. Sitting in the back of that carriage, Yoona had been mindful of her energy reserves, having been still and quiet most of the day to save up extra bits, just in case. And what a brilliant tactic it'd turned out to be; the moment she'd convinced herself to make a break for it, she'd dredged up every ounce of power she could muster from within her very core and had focused it in her legs. Only her legs. For the time being, they were the only parts of her body that she needed working non-stop. Now, as the woman ran into the forest, her feet pounding the dirt, heart pound-pound-pounding at her chest, that power seemed to grow.

Adrenaline. It was coursing through her veins and trickling into every fiber, every muscle tendon. Yoona felt as though she could run a mile, if she needed to, or maybe two or three, or even four. She could run as long as she needed to, as fast as she needed to, until she'd gotten to a place where she could be safe.

All of a sudden, Yoona could feel the subtle vibrations in the air as they brushed by her fingertips. Someone...or something...was following her.

Her Trader, perhaps...? No, it couldn't be. The man was much too old and fat to have kept up with her for so long. Had he called for help, then?

Whatever the case, this new presence seemed to be closing in on her. Fast.

'It's chasing me. The petching thing is probably trying to catch me... If I stop, and find a hiding spot, what would happen, then...?'

It was an idea, but...Yoona wasn't too keen on slowing down, already. If she kept going, it was possible that she could tire the creature out...and herself, in the process. These adrenaline rushes usually lasted a while, but Yoona could tell that it wouldn't be long before the numbing pain returned to her legs.

And if the creature caught up to her, what would she do?

'Fight. You'd fight. Man or beast, it doesn't matter; those who stand in your way will have to warded off by force.'

Her breaths beginning to come out ragged, Yoona sped up a little.

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts'

[Elias Caldera]

As focus shifted from the lopsided argument to the shouting and flailing of the regrettably unfit man chasing after his escaped slave, Elias quickly realized now he too had the perfect chance to flee as well. Without wasting a second thought he casually strolled away, careful to not let himself be seen by the old man now glaring off in the opposite direction, as he started off into a full blown jog. Looking back over his shoulder, the mage couldn't help but notice the distinct lack of angry men chasing after him, or even better, after the slave. A curious thing that either meant the hollering master still trying to give pursuit while systematically struggling to not fall flat on his face in the process, had either done something to upset the still still idle styfers who guarded the post, or, just had the misfortune of nothing being a citizen.

For anyone who was, the sight of a fleeing slave would have elicited a few riders with chains and collars at the very least. It was to be expected as per the benefit of one's status in Ravok, but no one seemed bothered enough to care about the woman save for the man who was swiftly losing her. All the more reason Elias's plan seemed so perfect now that he began putting the details together. A runaway slave met a free slave, one he could capture and take for himself just as easily as it sounded. With no master to claim her and no papers to save her, she may as well have been his already. An exciting prospect considering how piqued his interest had been after what little he had seen. With skin of bronze and hair like midnight, Elias could hardly help himself from following such an intriguing sight. This however, was Redd's hunt.

Elias was no racehorse that he could sprint off behind her with any reasonable expectations other than crumpling into a gasping heap a few yards away. He knew this just as clearly as he knew his wolf would have a better chance of catching up and ensnaring the slave well before he could. The fact that she had managed a small head start however, did little to help his hopes of conquest. Even now as he ran to keep up, Elias could not find hide nor hair of her anywhere in sight. Instead he was forced to rely on following Redd from a distance and watching as intently as he could as the kelvic tracked her prey. He wondered if his frail hypnotic influence would restrain her entirely, or if she would give in to her baser instincts and attack. That wouldn't do him any good, a torn up slave went for barely a pittance on the auction. It would be like selling Redd herself all over again. He smirked. Look at me, Elias, hunter of slaves all of a sudden... I need a hobby.

[Redd]

Redd made sure that she was thorough, making sure that her nose stayed on track. Her golden hues made sure to track the footsteps in the fertile earth, her right ear occasionally flickering back as if she was listening for something.

Then, suddenly, she heard it, the sharp snap of a twig and she then felt it through the pads of her paws as the vibrations indicated that there was something or someone running. It was most definitely not really caring about the fact that it or should she say, she, was not trying to stay quiet.

The young wolf launched into a run, still following the scent which was much stronger now that she was gaining upon the woman. Both of her ears flickered back as she lifted her gaze to spy the other woman running and it seemed that the woman had doubled her efforts.

To Redd, this was just like any normal hunt, except this time, this time was towards something that looked human but didn't smell like one. It was also a hunt without a pack of wolves to back her up should things go south, Redd was hoping that her master would be right beside her if they did. She had been able to rely on him so far.

The thing about tailing someone, was the fact that if they turned around, they could clearly and easily spot the one tailing them. Which meant that they could easily change their direction or even double their efforts, which would only wear themselves out. So she wanted nothing more then to dash out in front of the woman, to head her off with snarls and snapping jaws. Instead, she stayed closed behind the young woman, but far enough away to only be considered as observing and tracking. Besides, this woman had to tired out eventually. Right?

[Yoona]

It was near the first few spindly trees of the forest that the slave-trader finally came to a stop, squatting on his knees as he wheezed and fought for breath, his face a beaming red. The young Chaktawe woman had, quite literally, left him in the dust.

When Elias sped by him, seeming preoccupied with his own internal struggles, the trader merely lifted his head and watched him go for a while. Then he straightened up and shouted after him, his voice hoarse. "You chase that whelp down and drag 'er back here, you hear?! Drag 'er back...!! For Gods' sakes..."

A handful of nearby men flocked towards him, just then; they had been bored onlookers up until this point, and it seemed as though they had finally convinced themselves that it would be good to do something. That something ended up being asking the old trader if he was alright. He spat swears at them in response, enraged.

"Worthless good-for-nothings! If you're gonna help me at all, go and call someone! Guards, whoever, I could give less of a shit; just someone!"

Alas, the grubby man's "property" was a good distance away, by now, tearing up soil and clumps of grass as she streaked through the forest with a pair of pursuers on her heels.

On the bright side of things, the adrenaline was still flowing throughout her system; Yoona felt well enough that she'd be able to keep running for a little while, though now it seemed as though things had escalated into a contest to see who would be the one to drop first.

She ended up becoming the loser.

Whether it was a twig, log, or small rock, the woman couldn't be sure, but no sooner than a chime later did something snag her foot. And then Yoona found herself wrenched forward, letting out a string of curses in her native tongue as she soon went tumbling to the ground and landed a few feet away on her side, her feathered headband askew.

Dammit all! This was bad...really bad. Her pursuers would catch up to her, and there was no telling how close they were, by now. She'd be forced to—

'Fight. Two against one is fair enough. You can take them on, no sweat, no problem.'

Right. Fight. She could, she would, fight, because there was simply no way in the world that she would let herself be brought back to that pathetic waste in human flesh. She wouldn't let herself be shoved back into that carriage, wouldn't let herself be sold off to strangers or paraded around the city like some sort of exotic good. Yoona was sick and tired of the life that she'd been forced to live. She wanted a new one, one that she could control and live as she wanted to. A life without servitude and abuse.

And these people wanted to take that life away from her.

Blowing a few stray strands of hair out of her face and readjusting her headband, Yoona lifted herself up off of the ground, her bound hands reaching for the knapsack to go tearing into it. Normally she kept a dagger on her at all times, but a plethora of failed attempts at fleeing had all but destroyed the freedom she had in keeping her own things, let alone weapons. She'd managed to buy a dagger back in Nyka from some shady merchant, only to have it immediately confiscated and hid away with the rest of her trader's things. Within ticks, she could feel her fingers slide along the small weapon's hilt. It was a bit dull, but it would do. In the meantime, she kept her eyes glued ahead, watching as the distant running shapes grew larger and clearer. One seemed to be on four legs, while the other was bipedal. Human and animal. A hunting pair, tracking her down.

Yoona decided to give the two a final chance, of sorts.

"I'm giving to you a warning! Don't come here!" She said, raising her voice as she spoke in her somewhat-choppy Common. "Turn around, now, and no hurt. Come closer, and I fight."

To emphasize that she was being serious, Yoona fully drew the dagger and held it defensively in front of her chest, her black eyes smouldering.

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts'

[Elias Caldera]

The chase had taken the pair a fair distance from the bustling of the outpost by the time Elias was beginning to feel a burn in his lungs that could have only been matched by the burn in his legs. He groaned, angry at himself for his own blatant weakness, and a little bit more angry at the slave he was chasing. She had some nerve, running for her life like this. How inconsiderate could one person be? I mean honestly! He sighed, a waste of air he could hardly afford. Redd, who by that time had widened the gap between herself and her master through all the excitement, suddenly reacted to something she had seen up ahead. Elias was too far away to notice what it was that had so abruptly caught the wolf's attention, be he thought he recognized that sudden tension and bristling impulse her body delved into, even from so far away. She was readying herself to strike. When she burst forth with an sudden and ferocious explosion of speed, Elias, with a hissed cursed under his breath, knew he was correct. He set his heel deep into the dirt and pushed off, putting all he had into catching up with one last sprint. He arrived on scene a moment later to find his wolf prone and snarling at the strange woman as she scrambled, all very calmly, to find her feet.

Redd drew in fierce and first upon her quarry, but her bow wielding master wasn't long behind. As he drew near however, intending to take things as cordially as a man in his position could, the sight of the bone handled dagger in her vice like grip caught him off guard. Reacting on what his training had taught him before all else, Elias drew an arrow from his quiver and notched it in one fluid motion, hesitating only then about what to do next. Did he really need to point it at her? Was that wise. Redd had already began to circle, fangs bared and ears slicked back in barely contained savagery. As for the woman, she seemed to have surrendered the idea of running anymore -something he was dearly glad for- but yet the fiery defiance in her countenance was too plain to see. If he was forced to be honest however, the young mage would have been slightly ashamed to admit that he hadn't withheld his actions simply because he was pondering the situation to a depth of cunning few could comprehend, let alone judge... No, instead, Elias simply found himself a tad bit enraptured by the exotic beauty he and Redd had so eagerly chased down. Her skin was sun kissed to a degree she could have only come from the far south. Tall and powerfully built, he body rippled and strained with the tensing sea of muscle that lay hidden underneath. White paint flowed across her features as well, marred and highlighted in places by the dirt and thin sheen of sweat that had come from the pursuit. It wasn't her physique he found himself fixated on however, it was her eyes. Black and furious, it was like looking into the void itself. Elias could have almost shuddered under their indignant glare.

Almost.

She flung a string of broken common at him, her dagger waving in front of her heaving chest in a threatening manner. The ex apprentice simply cocked an eyebrow at her, more curious now at the language he had heard her barking out earlier during her fateful fall than he was intimidated by the petty knife stabbing towards him. Shackled as she was however, the tan skinned foreigner was still very much a danger, less so to Elias with his bow and fateful companion, but had she managed to pull her weapon after sneaking into the city with it... well, the young Ravokian didn't want to toot his own resounding horn or anything, but he had likely just saved her owner's life with this little escapade. What kind of moron lets his slave hide a weapon away in the first place. He glanced at the kelvic as he mused, noting the unbridled bloodlust building within her growls. Part of him wanted to be disappointed at the wolf, her apparent lack of control a clear and damning step in the wrong direction from what her master was obviously trying to imprint upon her, but another part of him, a bigger part, realized he was slightly impressed with how well she had done. Hunting down the prize and cornering it as easily as she had, it was all very exhilarating to watch, especially when done so painlessly. Elias was no hunter himself, but perhaps in the future, the two of them were destined for more hunts like this one. Elias was certain that combined, the pair of them would make more than an equal match for any rabbit or small woodland creature that stumbled across their path.

"Easy Redd, no need for any harm here, right?"

He had directed the first part of that at the wolf, but eventually his eyes had fixed on the Chawktee's... or was it Chawktawe? He had never seen one so up close before, let alone talked to one. He felt intrigue doing battle with his better judgement, and the feeling did not suit him. "I'm assuming you can understand me, and I'm also assuming you have a little common sense about you as well. You'll notice then, that dagger you've got won't help you against this..." He said, hefting his bow until the point of his knocked arrow was lazily pointing at her legs. "...Or her." Another nod at Redd. "I don't know if you know what a wolf can do to a person's calf -or their throat- once they've sunken their teeth in..." He gave a small pause to allow Redd an expository growl for added effect "But if you don't wanna find out, I suggest you throw that blade to the ground and display a little of that common sense I mentioned earlier." He raised his own weapon until it was level with his eye. Looking down the length of the arrow to the woman on the other end, he gave her one final chance before he was compelled do to something he might have regretted later.

"Now."