Shadowy Steps (Seth)

[Alenias]

Season of Winter, Day 18, 510 AV

Returning home once more after a day of searching for Treanas Alenias sat heavily on the ground with a sigh. Curling her knees up to her chest she hugged them tightly to herself as she rocked back and forth. It had been so long since she had seen Treanas... what was she going to do if she never found him? Just the thought of never seeing Treanas ever again brought tears to her eyes, and she gave a soft whimper at the growing urge to just cry and cry and cry until she fell asleep.

Just before she burst into sobs though a thought occurred to her. After Dervish had helped her look for Treanas she had heard someone walking around at night, and had caught glimpses of fleeing shadows when she went to look who it was. Maybe, whoever it was, they knew about Treanas!

With renewed energy and determination Alenias quietly crept over next to the door to the outside and crouched next to it. She did not know when the footsteps would come back, or if they would tonight, but if they did she would be ready to go out and find out who it was. If it could lead to finding Treanas then she had to try it.

[Seth]

It was a pretty normal night in Ravok. There was the steady sound of a soft rain outside, which was normal for the Winter season. Since it was in the middle of the night, the innocent young Kelvic would be able to hear the noises of drunkards finally heading home. Ravok stayed pretty alive during all hours of the Sun and Moon, although a different kind of life tended to show itself at night. The dangers of night were likely lost upon the young Kelvic, though. She was hidden away in her home, and there wasn't that much to bother her. Certainly the warm rain and the tired drinkers wouldn't come to pester her, would they? Then who did the shadowy steps belong to? Finally, something happened. Alenias would see it long before it actually entered the house, a long shadow stretching out across the floorboards of the abandoned little area she made her home in. She would barely be able to pick up the sound of soft footsteps, and then soon, a tall and looming figure would enter. It walked right past her, not noticing the little girl at the side, in the shadows. This time, it was being much braver than normal. It slowly headed right toward the staircase that led up to her sleeping quarters, much farther than she had ever heard it creep before. Suddenly, it accidentally stepped on a floorboard, the old wood giving out a protesting moan. Freezing, the figure let out a low and whispered curse, in what sounded like the voice of a man. It stood there, totally still, breathing slightly hard. It had something in it's hands. The little Kelvic couldn't be sure what. There was something very odd about all of this.

[Alenias]

Alenias' eyes widened slightly as she saw the long shadow, and she froze as she heard the steps. When the figure appeared her eyes followed it as she tried to figure out who it was. Was it Treanas? No, Treanas would never sneak in like that. When the figure stepped on the floorboard and froze she knew it wasn't Treanas. Which meant this man did not belong here!

Furry filled Alenias, and she trembled as she glared at the man. After a few seconds of watching him stand still she stood up from where she had been hiding and called out loudly, "You get out! This is not your home, get out!"

She stood as tall and imposing as she could, nothing but anger showing on her face. If the man did not leave at her words then she ready to attack him, even as unarmed as she was. No one belonged her but Treanas and her!

[Seth]

The dark figure froze as she yelled out. It had been ready to start it's trek again, but now, it had an unwanted visitor. It slowly turned, the shadows still hiding it, to look upon the person who had interrupted his invasion. It stood there, still once more, a dark statue staring down upon the small Alenias. It slowly cocked it's head to the side, still refusing to respond to her. She would be able to feel it's gaze upon her face, studying her, examining her. After a moment, it started to chuckle. It was a deep chuckle, a slurred one. Whoever this was, they were drunk. "Hahaha... Hello little birdie." Whoever it was, they knew she was a Kelvic. They also seemed to know something about her true form. "See, I saw you fly here once... and well, I followed ya. Do you know how much money a Kelvic brings in on the slave market? Do ya? I am gonna catch ya, little birdie. And I am gonna sell you. Be still, and be a good little girl, so daddy doesn't have to cut you." Daddy. Would the innocent little girl be able to understand there was a sick sense of perversion fresh within the man's mind? Suddenly, the man shifted his hands a bit, and the bright glint of a dagger flourished into existence. He held the blade in one hand, and slowly advanced on her, chuckling quietly to himself.

[Alenias]

As the man stood silent Alenias continued to glare angrily at him. Outside of her home she would have been nervous or uncomfortable with such a focused gaze on her, but here all that mattered was that the man did not belong. Just as she was about to throw herself at the man to force him out he started to chuckle, and she paused in surprise. Why would he laugh?

Only when the man started to talk did Alenias' furry die down. The man wanted to catch her, to take her away from here.That was even worse than him being in her home! The rest of what he said didn't matter. She had to get away, she could not let herself be taken by anyone or Treanas would be upset!

As the man moved towards her Alenias slowly backed up, her wide eyes watching him and the shiny blade he held. After a couple slow steps she quickly turned and darted out through the doorway. She didn't go far before glancing back, still wanting the man out of her home. Once he was out she could run and hide, and then he would go away.

[Seth]

A chuckle echoed from the man's lips, and as she spun to run from him, he leapt forward. She managed to get a few steps ahead of him, but the man's long legs were too much for her to overcome. A hand wrapped around her long and messy hair as it flew up behind her, and he yanked, painfully tugging her back to where she had first began. It would feel as if her scalp had just gotten tugged off with the force he put into the pull! This man was really trying to hurt her! He chuckled again, and stepped forward, wrapping his fist tightly within her golden locks. With a slight growl, he sent his blade twisting down, aiming for her shoulder. He wouldn't mind injuring her if it meant her "cooperation". Amidst the panic and the chaos, Alenias might be able to make out a noise coming from the outside. It sounded as if people were close, perhaps more drunks trying to stagger their way home... or perhaps her savior. She had a few choices here, and one of those choices had just revealed itself. Would it be the one she took? "Hold still little birdie..." A demonic chuckle, even while he stabbed with his blade, attempting to cut a mere child.

[Alenias]

Alenias gave a startled cry as the man pulled on her hair, and tears filled her eyes at the pain of the pull and her resulting hard fall to the floor. On her back she saw the flash of the man's dagger coming down, and with a gasp she twisted to the side to avoid his stab.

This was quickly getting very very bad very quickly. The man not only wanted to take her away, but was trying to hurt her too! Treanas had told her if anyone tried to hurt her she had to get away as fast as possible. With her hair stuck she couldn't get away now, but feathers would at least come out...

Hearing the noise outside, and hoping for a distraction, she took a deep breath before screaming as loud as she possibly could, "HELP! HELP!" No sooner had the words left her mouth than she transformed in a swirl of light, hopefully leaving the startled man with a fist full of feathers as she frantically flapped her wings to get out of the house and away from him.

[Seth]

Would the people outside be her saviors? She had made a split second decision to call out for them... would it serve her well? She had managed to twist away from the dangerous blade, and it had just barely nicked her on the way down. It drew a small scratch across the side of her arm, drawing a thin line of ruby red blood, giving her a small sample of the possible pain she could eventually be in. So, like any smart person would, the girl called out for help. She also managed to avoid the next dagger blow, the man cursing out loud and slashing wildly right as she transformed. "Petching little bird!" The blows went wild, all where her human form had used to be, leaving her own body unharmed. There was a loud series of footsteps that echoed from outside, and two more men burst onto the scene, the scent of achohol further filling the room. These two were drunk, too. And in their hands... They held nets. "Having a little trouble with the birdie, eh? Hahah!" The two men laughed at their apparent partner, who was wildly slashing at Alenias still, attempting to at least land some sort of blow on her. He cursed at them, and threw down his knife, taking the other object from his hand and holding it high. He had a net too. All at once they threw the fishing nets, attempting to snare the birdie. As she flew about, trying to get out of the house, she would find the three large nets flying at her. She was about to have a test of her flying skills. Would she pass?

[Alenias]

Flitting about to avoid the wild slashes of the man's dagger Alenias was about to try and leave the building when the entrance was blocked by the arrival of two more men. For a moment she thought they might help, but it seemed they were bad men like the other!

Circling around again she caught sight of the nets shortly before the three men threw them. Getting caught in one of those would be very bad, and so she almost instinctively flew away from them, diving down towards the floor to try and get under them and away before they could catch her and drag her to the ground.

She dove down too hard and too fast though, and ended up bouncing roughly off of the floor. Alenias' world shook with the impact, and her flight became wobbly as she tried to get back up higher and regain her bearings. She couldn't let these bad men catch her!

[Seth]

The men cursed as the bird flew expertly through their nets, ducking under them, divebombing toward the floor. They quickly scrambled to gather them back up again, hoping to ready them for another throw. They were desperate men, and by the light that was shining through the boarded up windows of the old house, she could see the greed brightening their eyes. The smell of achohol was in the air as well, signaling that the men were drunk. So they were drunk, greedy, and desperate for whatever that greed would bring them. Not a good combination at all. Her bounce slowed her, and as she tried to get her bearings, she would be stricken to find that one of the men had gathered their net. The other two were still struggling, but this one was ready. With a snarl and a shout, he hurled his net again, tossing it skillfully at the girl. Perhaps he was a fishermen, when he wasn't being an attacker and a kidnapper? The girl would be even worse off when the fishing net snagged her, easily tangling up her wings, preventing her from getting anywhere fast with her desperate escape attempts. She now had another predicament. She was outnumbered, and finally, they had managed to snag her. She was learning a lesson. A Kelvic who roamed freely within the streets of Ravok was in a dangerous position. She had nothing protecting her from slavery, no master to claim her. She was pretty much a sitting bundle of Mizas, waiting for someone to snatch them up. She was an innocent Kelvic without any kind of registration, the perfect kind for the Slave Market.