Finding Sanctuary(Kyra)

[Volinir Orchid]

12th of Summer, 512AV Two bells before dawn Ravok was peaceful when it was empty. The lake was as calm as it would ever be, and the night gave the surface of the water the appearance of rippling black velvet. A loose sheet of paper flipped and drifted in the wind, finally touching down in the middle of a canal with a small ring of ripples. At around the same time, a rather bloodied, very frightened Symenestra dashed down the street and across a nearby bridge, his bare feet pounding into the wood. His breathing was coming in short, shallow gasps, and there was a painful pounding in his scalp where a crossbow bolt grazed it. In what was becoming an increasingly familiar occurrence, Volinir was running from something that wanted to kill him. "Zlynge..." he muttered under his breath as he barrels down the narrow walkways. Why had he tried to break into that house? Didn't he know better than to tempt fate like that? Apparently not. He'd be lucky if there would be anything left to flog if he was caught. So it was time to vanish. A couple ripped sections of sleeve wrapped around his hands covered his tattoo; now he had to find somewhere to vanish to. There were few places that would let someone like him in, and fewer that he was aware of. At the moment, the only plan he could think of was the one he was busily executing: Getting as far away from the scene of the crime as possible. He cast a glance behind him to make sure he wasn't followed. In hindsight, taking his eyes off where he was going while running full pelt probably wasn't the best idea.

[Kyra]

Kyra laid on her back, arms extended to either side of her, and one knee rising just above the other. Blondish, silver hair curled around her head and cheeks, finally settling on the roofing beneath her head. Simple clothing, cloth in style, in colors of blood red and oily black, wrapped tightly and hugged her slender form. In recent nights, and after a long chase, she had rediscovered her love of climbing buildings. It had been a year in passing, since the last time that she had scaled a building, and had forgotten the freedom of it all.

She now laid atop a tall building, not anywhere near the tallest, but a bit higher than the average size. It was peaceful being up and away from the city, and although it was night and most of the citizens were in doors, there were still those like herself who prowled the night. Kyra stared up into the never ending turn of blue that covered the nights sky. Her golden eyes appeared almost black with the absence of strong light, and causing her pupils to look even larger.

It was moments like these, the silent times in which she could almost escape herself and wonder far beyond. Sometimes her thoughts would disappear, and other times they would focus on something important and not. On this night she thought about her existence and if there was any meaning behind it. She had found happiness and lost it twice, her world turned and crushed, leaving her alone yet again. She had started to wonder if she had been cursed by the God that her mother worshiped, Rhysol.

It was a reoccurring thought, and one she only held onto in the moments when the night seemed the coldest. A sudden ruckus caught her attention, hard thumps upon paved ground echoed through the skinny slips of alleyways and into her ears. People were running, or perhaps they were chasing someone. Kyra quickly pulled herself up and crawled to the end of the roof and peered down into the streets. She noticed a long, figured moving about and could see lights, probably from lanterns of the people perusing him.

Kyra wasn't the heroic type, and would never step out to save someone she didn't like. Still, the kevlic was bored an decided to at lease see what was going on. If they were in fact chasing him, a fight could break out which would give her the chance to sneak in and loot whatever she could take. Standing up, she looked around and realized that the drop from the roof was too high. She turned away, making careful steps as she moved back across the roof and down to the ledge that she had used to climb up.

A thought occurred to her, as she made her way down the uneven turns, and edges that she had used to scale her way up to the ledge. The scene that she had just barely witness reminded her of something she had done before, and not so long ago. It dawned on her that the pursued was probably a thief trying to escape capture. If she was right, he could possibly have something of value on him, something that she could take for herself.

Her boots made a soft thump, as they connected with the ground. Turning quickly, Kyra raced to the end of the alley and peered out into the opening. The tall man came bolting towards her without looking in front of him. It was too easy, and she couldn't allow a chance to go untaken. "Hey.." She whispered.

"Hey you..tall man?" Once he looked towards her, she smiled and lifted her hand, waving him to come closer. "This way....this way." Her soft whisper echoed through the alley. Her hips twisted, almost in a rhythm, as she walked backwards and further into the alley. "Follow me.." A soft giggled escaped her lips as she quickly turned and raced down the alley.

[Volinir Orchid]

He was faster than them, but not by much, and it was only a matter of time before they surrounded him. In other words, he was petched. Suddenly he heard a faint footfall, and turned his head to see... "Huh?" It was a woman with creamy white skin and the silver hair of his people. Hers wasn't the tarnished color of Volinir's, however. No, she shone like a sliver of the moon. Amethyst eyes met gold. She even seemed to have the same enlarged pupils. To the Symenestra, she was beautiful. He was told he had a charming smile, when he wanted to. Whether or not that was true was about to be tested. He scampered after her at first, then bolted, soon at her side thanks to the lightness of his skeleton. In the meanwhile, the better part of the crowd ran past the alleyway, a male voice shouting, "Find the spider!" Thank Viratas for sending this girl his way before they did. "Thank you..." he said in velveteen Symenos, "The meat would've had my head on a pike right now if it wasn't for you." Volinir didn't know where they were going, but at the moment, he didn't care. "What's your name?" he asked in Common.

[Kyra]

Kyra raced through the alley and quickly turned right onto a street, and then left into another alley. She glanced back over her shoulder to see if the stranger was still following her and continued on. Within moments, he had caught up to her, and raced at her side. He was fast and seemed to have no trouble keeping pace.

She ignored his odd speech, and even still once he started to speak common. "Hurry..this way." She said in a low tone, as she made a sharp left turn onto another street. Since he was fast enough, she didn't have to worry about slowing down, or looking back to make sure that she hadn't lost him. Kyra sprinted on, blondish, silver hair flowed in the wind, animated almost as it rose and flung about her shoulders and back.

Slipping into yet another alley, she moved lightly, and peaked out into the opening. They had made their way into the Merchants ring, and Kyra looked around more to be sure that they weren't still be chased. She suddenly turned, grabbing the much taller man and pulling him closer as she jammed her knee into his stomach.

Forcing him onto his back, Kyra settled on top of him and leaned forward. She stared down at him, a haunting glow in her golden eyes. Just as she was about to speak, she heard noises. Whispers and light chatter among grumbles, as a few drunkers made their way pass the alley. She quickly laid against him, her hand covered his mouth to hold in his screams and she pressed her lips against the back of her hand, to allow a different conclusion should anyone spot them.

Once they had moved on, she rose atop him again, removing her hand from his mouth, and bringing her dagger from her belt to rest at his throat with her other hand. "I don't know what you took, but I want it.." She smiled devilishly, her eyes poured over him and back into his own. "Give it to me, and I'll let you live." She finished, her voice almost a whisper, and followed by an innocent giggle.

[Volinir Orchid]

The hapless Symenestra never even thought what he had mistook for another of his kind was harboring any unpleasant thoughts. He practically walked into her knee, doubling over it and coughing in pain before getting shoved onto his back, pebbles digging into his hide. Beauty and luck weren't on Volinir's mind anymore. He had to fight back. He would have, if it weren't for the horrid pain in his gut. As it was, he could do little more than clutch at the spot she struck him. She straddled him without any trouble, and his fangs extended to their full length of an inch. He tried to find a way to puncture her skin, glaring up at her defiantly. He turned a little pink when she tried to throw off the drunkards in her special way. Once the dagger was against his throat, he simply lay there. What else could he do? Simply rolling over and taking a beating wasn't something unfamiliar to him, either. Volinir hissed complacently, "I don't have anything! They wouldn't have been chasing me if I did. Now please get off." Should she comply, he'd push himself off the ground and dust himself off, smirking slightly.

[Kyra]

"You're no fun." She pouted and pulled herself off of him. A closer look revealed a greyish skin tone, and something of webbed hair. His eyes were as dark as her own with the absents of light. Kyra stared at him, watching him closely as he stood up and rusted himself off. Up close, his appearance was rather different in a sense. He looked almost sickly, and his arms were rather long.

She wasn't sure what to think of him, and the sly smirk he made, did little to make her believe his words. She started to move away from him as she stepped backwards and toward the end of the ally. Kyra wasn't in a viscous mood, but a rather playful one. If he didn't have anything on him, then why were people chasing him? She wondered this to herself as she continued to move back.

If he didn't steal anything then perhaps he had harmed someone. The fangs she had noticed looked dangerous, and she started to wonder if he had attacked and maybe killed someone. A smirked rose and spread across her own lips as she decided to speak. "I don't think I believe you...Maybe I'll call them back. I'm sure that they can clear this up?"

There was definitely something strange, even dangerous about this tall man. She wondered for a moment if he was a kelvic, but he didn't seem, or act like one. No, she could tell that he was something else..possibly. Whatever he was, he was boring and on a night such as this, the girl needed some action. "Who knows...maybe I'll even get an award for catching you."

[Volinir Orchid]

The price of pride could be high sometimes. He had smirked to hide his fear, and wound up convincing her he was hiding the Voice's treasure. When she suggested hauling him in however, Volinir bared his teeth. "And then what? You think they'll listen to you?" he growled, "We're not people to them." As if on time, a brown haired boy of about seventeen appeared in the alleyway. He was wielding a cleaver in one hand, and a torch in the other. He pointed frantically at them, shouting, "I found the spider, and his wench too!" Volinir muttered an oath under his breath and looked at Kyra with a bemused expression. "Looks like the kid wants a reward too." Four others joined him: A hard faced woman with straw colored hair, muscular arms and a carving knife, a heavy set man with balding black hair and a two by four, and a pair of twins with short dirty blonde hair brandishing chains. None looked particularly competent with their weapons. All of them looked angry. While Volinir was no master of combat himself, and would normally break into a run, he was convinced the girl in front of him was a more than able fighter, and he was in a rather... dangerous mood tonight. The corners of his mouth curled upward. "So, we can fight each other until those idiots come and haul us off to the slave pens, or we can have a bit of fun..." Volinir shifted into a wide stance and raised his arms in front of him to protect his face, his ebony claws glinting in the meager light. "Two for each of us, and we'll split the last one?" he said mischievously.

[Kyra]

Kyra giggled, and folded her arms over her chest, as she raised a single finger to her lips. She found it odd, albeit amusing, that he thought they looked anything like each other. She had lived at least half of her life in the city without much trouble. Although some of that trouble could be contributed to her own reckless and violent behavior. The looks she garnered from people were the exact opposite from this man, as it seemed by the way he spoke. "Why, whatever do you mean tall man?"

Her lips twisted, brow furring, as her features took on a more animistic tone. She moved closer to the wall opposite him, keeping her eyes on him if he decided to charge her. "We're not the same...you and I. If you can't hide your true nature, then that is your problem...I'm fine." She paused suddenly, hearing the sound of thumping, boots pacing against the ground and closing in.

Kyra frowned as the young, boy spoke, calling to others that he had found the spider, and claiming that she was his accomplice. She growled under her breath, narrowing her eyes as more humans showed up, all carrying some form of weaponry. They didn't look particularly dangerous, at least not as much as the mercenaries that she had fought before.

Even so, this wasn't her fight. The people wanted the spider, as they called him, and that had nothing to do with her. If there were some way that she could benefit from fighting along side him, then she would. But as it was, he was just looking for a helping hand. The shy kelvic moved back a bit more and closer to the exit opposite the angry mob.

She smiled, her eyes beaming towards the stranger as she bit her bottom lip."Oh, I think you can handle them on your own. I'd...hate to get in your way." With a gentle wave of her hand, another giggle followed as she dashed to the exit and disappeared into the shadows.

[Volinir Orchid]

Volinir laughed bitterly. "Some job you're doing. I knew you for what you were the moment I saw you. If you've been away from home so long you've forgotten Viratas, and what he does to blood traitors, then..." he shrugged, "You know as well as I do what will happen to you." Looking her over once more, he noticed some things more than a little disheartening. A quick glance at her hand revealed human nails, and the pupils of her eyes were slit. Either she was a half, or just a very pale girl. Likely the former, considering her style of clothing. Then of course came the small mob. Most likely the family Volinir had tried to rob. He'd fought worse. The only thing that worried him was the twins with the chains. Still, between the two of them, they should be able to- "I think you can handle them on your own. I'd...hate to get in your way." The trick of hiding in darkness was effective enough on the family, whose patriarch promptly barked "Split up!" On the Symenestra who grew up in eternal twilight, not so much. Volinir lunged forward and snatched at Kyra's collar. Should he succeed in grabbing hold of her, he'd yank her back into the alley with an angry grin. "No, you're staying. Just keep behind me if you're so worried." Otherwise, one of the twins and the man with the two by four would chase after Kyra, leaving Volinir to tend to the other three.

[Kyra]

Kyra didn't listen much to what else the man had to say. He continued to speak as if he knew her, when she was sure that they had never met before. Each face she saw had been etched into her mind , their scent placed into her memory. He was a stranger, and a rather odd one at that. She could only imagine that it was his attempt to possibly guilt her into staying, or perhaps trick her into thinking that she knew him so that she would want to stay and fight.

It didn't work as he had thought, for her, closeness was a thing of the past. Something she had long forgot. It was in her very being to seek out the companionship of another, but he didn't seem like anyone she wanted to get to know, and she didn't feel like staying around to find out. As she raced to make a quick exit and leave him to whatever fate the angry mod held for him, she noticed him lunging towards her and ducked his reach as she sped off.

She could hear the people yelling, deciding to split up in order to hunt them both down. Kyra assumed that the tall man escaped as well, but gave little thought to it. She was more concerned with her own survival. She had left the safety and comfort of the roof top to investigate the mysterious racket, and now found herself being chased for a crime she didn't commit. It was exciting, yet not the type of excitement that she was looking for.

Kyra slipped into the closed alley and waited, her back pressed against the wall, and her ears perked to catch even the slightly sound of movement. She didn't have to wait long, soon hearing the patter of boots, and the odd rustling of a chain, as the two men raced to find her. She waited, stayed silent until she could hear their faint breathing almost against her shoulder.

She quickly turned into the opening, holding the wall for balance, as she swung her foot out in a sweeping motion, catching the man with the two by four off guard. He hadn't noticed her, and easily stumbled over her foot and fell to the ground. Kyra winched from the shock of the impact as it vibrated up her calf. She ignored the pain and stepped forward punting the man in the side of his head as hard as she could.

A horrific thud echoed through the alley as he groaned and collapsed on the ground. However, before she had the chance to move, a light jingle cut into the silence as the chain whipped across her back. Kyra cried out and stumbled forward, all the way to the other side of the street, as she pressed her back against the wall again. A hard sting burned into her back, and she wasn't sure if it had drawn blood or not.

There wasn't any time to check, or even think as the chain wielding man crossed over to her. He tossed back his arm and swung the chain as hard as he could. Kyra curled her body and stumbled left to avoid it, and then back right as he drew back and swung it again. A wicked smile grew against the man's lips as he saw his victory playing out before his eyes.

He swung the chain again, this time Kyra reached out, allowing the twisted metal to wrap around her arm. She reached out with her other hand to catch hold as she tried to pull the weapon free of his grip. The much bigger man was stronger however, and easily pulled her off the wall and into his grip. As she stumbled forward, unwillingly Kyra gasped as she found herself in his grips. His hands curled tightly around her tiny arms as he drew her closer, laughing maliciously. With her arms somewhat bound she did the only thing she could think to do, her knee suddenly lifted driving heavily into the man's crotch.

He couched, quickly releasing her, as he leaned over. She moved close to him, retrieving her dagger from her belt and ramming it into his gut, once and then a second time before she let him fall to the ground. Kyra panted, the sting in her back still burning, and she could already feel her calf swelling. She wanted to leave now, and disappear into the night, but there were things left undone. They sought to bring her into their chase of the tall man, and they would get exactly that.