[IC] Chasing the Sky

[Akayaofthemoon]

The air was frigid and the sky inked black with a swirl of clouds above which blocked out any form of true light. The white snow drifting from the clouds, danced upon the wind, making any form of sight that much more difficult and every step a slower pace as it piled around the boots she wore. It was hard to imagine that when she started on this path that the night had been so clear that it seemed unreal. It was not common for many to take this path across the giant leaves, usually more dangerous then others but things like that never deterred Aruna and she knew that she could hold her own but maybe should have listened to reason for once. A shiver ran up her spine as another sharp gust of wind blew, pulling her blood red cloak along with it and exposing her to the harsh icy storm for a moment before shooting in the other direction so that her cloak was now tugging her along. Her golden eyes squinted as her pale hands came up to hold her cloak firmly around her as she decided which direction she would need to go in since she had been wandering on this path longer then she thought she should have and didn't want to be going in circles. It was hard to tell with the snow filling her tracks almost as fast as she made them but that was a probably a trick of the dark.

Once hand clutched her red cloak as the other reached for the pouch at her side, her 'basket' looked small as if it could only hold a few coins but in fact it could carry so much more. Her fingers dived into the basket before her hand itself disappeared with in its confines until her fingers grasped around the object of her desire and as she retracted her hand, the pouch expanded a bit around the rim to make way for the lantern that had just materialized. It wasn't much and was quite old fashioned but it would at least provide light if not also give her a warning if anything was larking around. Carefully, Aruna opened the side glass panel to the lantern and gently pushed her blonde hair behind her ears as her eyes closed as she held it up to her face. She took a deep breath, blocking out the noise the cold and just waited before slowly opening her golden eyes once more and blowing gently on the wick. It seemed like nothing would happen at first but slowly, a small stream of smoke appeared before the wick sparked with a glowing blue flame that soon flickered brightly in its protective glass case.

Aruna closed the side panel once more before latching it closed and continuing onward, one hand holding the lantern and the other lightly gripping the handle to the blade hooked at her belt. The storm was finally letting up a bit so the snow was falling softer with no harsh wind to whip it around which gave her more freedom to move and not have to worry about her cloak as much. This would prove to be most helpful if something were to happen since the snow piled at her boots would already slow her down.

[Orchestratic]

Praxis watched in awe as the small girl dashed from one place to the other, pulled a lamp from no where, and then lit it with only her breath. He had met very few magic users, and he definitely didn't expect to meet one picking the large berries that grow under the large leaves here. He would get them for desert, but they were heard to find, although he had just found one before watching the young girl demonstrate her abilities and those of her.... objects. The lamp either came from the cloak or the small pouch, and neither were big enough for her to have it hidden in; especially with how the wind blew the cloak. They just had had to be valuable. A grin stretched over his face as he watched her move into the snow she wasn't used to seeing through. "This shouldn't be too hard..."3

The Wolfen watched from about twenty feet above on a large leaf, now ducked down and out of sight. He quickly split the delicious berry into four pieces so it would fit in his two pouches on his belt. As she walked further away, Praxis put his hands on the ground as well and leaped from his leaf to a closer one, making only a small rustle, being a trained hunter. He continued to leap until the girl was close to an over hanging branch which he then also jumped gracefully to. He crawled on all fours, imitating his ancestors to help move the loud weight off of his steps as he followed her on the branch until he was slightly ahead of where she would be going. Turning toward her path, he scrunched into a ready position and extended his claws, gripping the branch to lean a bit off of it. A small grin turned into a much larger one when he dashed from the branch, swiping the cloak from her back and landing behind her, leaving them to face opposite directions. He would have to check his loot later, though, considering he was in the presence of a magic-user, and after not sleeping in three days he didn't have enough energy to read her for her abilities, so he used the only ability he had the energy for and created a one-person illusion of another Praxis, but only one, standing next to him holding the cloak as they both turned around to see the victim, preparing for her answer to his attack.... until Praxis's eyes fell upon the scars that were briefly shown on her back. Suddenly his left hand felt like it was being held over fire right where his mother had left his scar, never to heal. He had no way of confirming if the scars she bore were those of the Wolfen, especially because he could only see what was shown through the slash marks he had accidentally left on her garment, but he had a gut feeling, and a Wolfen always follows it's instincts.

Praxis stood still as she took her reaction, his illusion-clone darting off to the left on only two feet with the cloak in his hand, as Praxis should be doing, but suddenly he couldn't. The Wolfen scars flooded memores of his abandoned family into his head for a moment as he stood still, but was able to snap out of it while the clone had disappeared into the thick leaves, leaving Praxis to only hope she wouldn't know who was who, but that seemed unlikely as he had been still, giving her much time to react as it seemed she was clearly faster than him when she wanted to be.

[Akayaofthemoon]

Watched, that is how Aruna felt the more she walked onward and she didn't like it one bit. It made her nerves on edge and even though she was trying to do her best to act normal as she looked about for a sign of a person, it was coming up fruitless. No one was around or at least none she could see through the storm or with the little illumination the lantern was able to give her. She hated feeling like prey or a sitting duck for something that she didn't know. With that thought in mind, she gripped the handle to her sword tighter and tried to keep past thought out of her mind since it would be no help to her at the moment.

Aruna only paused for a second when she suddenly gasped, feeling a hand swipe her cloak from her back as well as slightly rip into her shirt. Her legs gave out, dropping her knees into the snow as she tried to relax herself but her breath would calm as fear coursed through her veins and the scars on her back screamed in pain. She was afraid to see those eyes looking at her or feel those claws raking into her skin and it made her body shake. The cold was long forgotten even as it was soaking her clothes and wetting her hair as she slowly stood up from the ground. Her fear slowly boiled to anger as no further attack came and slowly she turned to see the face of her attacker but found them to be running off like some coward. Her eyes glared, as she drew her sword and was ready to teleport after the person when she noticed something out of the corner of her golden eyes. She was not alone. She spun in the direction of the person in her presence before pure rage and hatred flashed upon her features. Wolfen. Would she ever be able to get away from this beings kind? Aruna believed that no being of Wolfen kind could be good and it kept being proven with acts such as these. Attacking a woman, in a storm, stealing and so cowardly as to do it all from behind without honor.
Aruna teleported straight in front of him, sword at the neck as she spoke very calm, "Give me back what is mine. I will not say it twice."

[Orchestratic]

When the girl dropped to her knees, her mind was racing and it became difficult to read except one thing: she really hated Wolfen. Clearly the scars on her back had come from his kind, just as Praxis thought. His own scar through his hand began to burn even worse than before, causing him to tighten his grip around the cloak he had taken from this girl. Just as she was standing up, he finally snapped out of his shock and was about to turn and run when her mind began to consider something very alarming: teleportation. His eyes darted to her sword as his heart skipped a beat. Whoops, Praxis thought. He hadn't really expected her to be a fighter. Although, just because she has a sword doesn't mean she can fight, right? Besides, it's possible that her teleportation wouldn't cover the gap between them, especially considering how much preparation it took her to ignite the lantern while standing on these giant Yggdrasil leafs, which act as mana sources.
Just as the Wolfen was about to turn and run, the figure of the girl vanished and was suddenly arms length away from him, extending a sharp, cold blade and pressing it against Praxis' exposed throat. His head was tilted back from the blade as she made her threats, and when she was finished he smirked down at her. So her teleportation is just speed, huh? he analyzed, noticing the kicked up trail of snow behind her. He began to search the girl's mind for the information he wanted. It went pretty smoothly seeing as they were standing on and surrounded by considerably sized mana sources. Suddenly, he jumped back, putting almost the same distance as before between them. "That's some impressive speed you have. However, speed will only get you so far..." Praxis paused, then continued when he found her name in her mind. "... Miss Aruna." With that, he slumped down on all fours where he was most agile and pushed off the ground as hard as he could, and, with the help of some minor air magic his tribe specialized in, reached a limb about fifteen feet off the ground. Pulling himself up on top of it, he attempted to hide his exhausted sigh. The digging that deep into someone's mind and then using a different kind of magic so quickly wouldn't have even been possible had they not been in such a mana-rich place. He smirked down toward the newly identified Aruna and waved before turning and leaping in the opposite direction toward another branch.

[Akayaofthemoon]

Aruna didn't like that smug smirk on this Wolfen's face and she wished more then anything that she could just wipe it off but she would give him a chance before striking him. She hated all Wolfen with every fiber of her being but she would not stoop to there level of just attacking. She didn't know why he looked so calm but she wasn't going to take her eyes off him for a second since he could have a trick up his sleeve. They had a stare down which only seem to last a few seconds before he jumped back away from her blade, making her glare as she swiped her sword to the side before setting it in a defense position. Aruna scoffed at his observation about her teleporting being nothing but speed. She already knew that speed wasn't everything which is why she had learned to use a sword but the way he put it made her sound like she was a child with a twig for a weapon. She was about to respond when he finished his sentence with her name which made her frown.

Aruna was not only shocked that he knew her name but hated his voice speaking her name when that information was not his to have. She moved into a attack position as he slipped onto all fours which made her tense up more since she knew exactly how fast and agile they were on all fours compare to on their feet. She went to attack but stopped on the first step as he jumped up to the upper levels, leaving her down below to stare up at him calming. He continued to smirk at her before waving, taking off in the opposite direction but she wasn't going to let him get away. He kept underestimating her and she was done with it.

She knew that it would use up a good amount of energy if she followed him up there so she decided to chase him from down below. It would give her the advantage to surprise him up top or even better, she could lure him down somehow. The leaves gave her the mana she needed to keep teleporting with enough energy to fight if need be. If she went up above, it would cause her exhaustion and even pain if she pushed herself too far. Aruna moved to chase after him but then decided that it would be better to wait it out instead of risking the energy if a fight were to ensue. Instead, she carefully slipped herself in the shadows and hid, only moving to hide herself closer to his location so she could see him but not the other way around.

[Orchestratic]

The first branch that was targeted was caught between two clawed and scarred hands that extended from Praxis's body as he used it's position to lightly near another one below him to use as a foothold, the stolen cloak and hood clenched between his jaws. He agilely continued on this path, leaving Aruna on the path of giant leaves below. Even when he had to look forward and couldn't look down, he could hear her quite clearly; apparently moving your body so quickly was loud even when it was done with magic. Or maybe her mind was too clouded with anger to focus? The thought amused the Wolfen as he dropped down on all fours to prepare for a much larger leap, but halted before jumping. The sounds had stopped, and peering down revealed no one to his eyes. Although he appeared to be alone for the moment, he let out an audible and curious "hmmmmm". Did she give up? It didn't seem likely, not after what he saw of her personality in her mind -- firsthand, as well. However, it really did appear she was gone. Using such a gift of speed to run away seems like such a waste...

Not only that, but it was also a waste of a good mark; he still really wanted that magical bag. In fact, he had only elected to take the cloak to try to provide an opening. It'd been awhile since he had seen an prize he craved so much. And now what do I have? This cloak?, Praxis thought, feeling defeated as he held out the hooded garment with a large sigh. The only upside in sight seemed to be that she very well had the ability to kill him, and this way he wouldn't have to fight back. There was no point in engaging in conflict when he could've had his prize and gone quietly.

With another thoughtful half-groan, the Wolfen leapt to the giant leaves below, landing in a primal looking position. His current hideout was back the way he came by a little short of a mile, if memory served. Acting like an animal would be the fastest way to return. Still slumped down on all four limbs, Praxis stretched out with an exhausted yawn. Three days... it had been three full days since he had rested his eyes under the moon's protective watch... assuming the moon watched over defected Wolfen. He liked to believe it did and still gave the moon his all, and his trust, but he'd been having trouble sleeping lately. He couldn't place why, but when the moon was out it almost seemed... hostile in comparison to the nights he knew. Whatever the feeling was, it hung on him like a tiny hint of dread, and somehow kept him up. While he couldn't sleep he was filling his time with training and hunting marks, so it wasn't all bad, but a rest is what he really needed.

Reaching down to pick up the cloak between his jaws, Praxis took off in whatever qualified as full-sprint when you were a Wolfen who was 75 hours short on sleep. His mind took off as his body went on autopilot, dashing only in the direction his current home. As his hands and feet rhythmically beat on the ground, his mind pondered the small victory he had achieved that was grasped in his teeth. Earlier, Aruna seemed... that girl seemed to pull a lantern out of nothingness, but Praxis hadn't identified the cause. He was betting it had been the pouch, but this cloak was also a possibility. There had to be some reason she wanted it back, right? Ar.. the girl had shown too much aggression to get back a simple garment, so Praxis had hope it was more than that.

Before long, his hands and feet began to beat on a softer ground as branches stuck out wildly creating an unkempt forest of 'trees' around him. Stopping under a tree that had fallen into another that was now propping it up, the Wolfen carefully climbed the tilted tree to the midsection of the tree that kept it up and pushed lightly against the bark, revealing a small door he had created out of boredom and nimbly crawled through the tree's body and out the other side to a wild pile of crossing branches that he had previously covered with a large tarp on top of lots of brush, creating a large nest. The nest was littered with trinkets ranging in size and variety, all seemingly thrown out randomly, but it all seemed organized to its new owner. Scooting a silver dagger and a golden-cased flint ignitor with his foot, the exhausted creature collapsed onto an open spot and tossed the cloak aside in a pile, electing to examine it after some rest. Praxis didn't know if he'd be able to sleep, but trying was necessary. His eyelids slowly hid the darkening sky from his gaze as he lay flat on his back, praying for effective sleep.

[Akayaofthemoon]

Aruna pressed her body up against the 'tree' she was crouched behind as the Wolfen dropped back down to the giant leaves below. She didn't want to risk being seen so the smaller she made herself the better. It was hard to keep her breathing as calm and quiet as possible, making sure to watch the other closely and breath at the same moments he did to lessen the risk of his heightened hearing catching her. This would be the only way to get her mother's cloak back and the one chance to do it with out a fight. There was no way she was letting go of it and certainly not to a Wolfen if she could help it. She waited for him to move, planning on waiting till there was a good distance before following foot fall for foot fall. It was the best way to trick his hearing if he was still watching for her and if he had thought she had run away then she didn't want him to clue in that she was still there.

The moon made her feel restless as she waited, never having liked the moon. The moonless nights were a gift to her as it showed off the stars and the moonlight wouldn't give her away which kept her safe. The sun was her joy, her grandmother's ways rubbing off on her over time as the Libelulanim praised the sun for it was the sun that gave them flight. That was a thought for another time though as the Wolfen placed Aruna's cloak gently in his jaws before running at full speed in the direction they had just come from. She took of after him, moving carefully to not be seen and heard but it didn't seem he would anyway. Aruna knew what someone on autopilot looked like as his movements were not quite what they were before which meant he was lost in thought.

It was no long before they reached a wild twisted forest of 'trees' which made her switch to a path above since the ground would no longer be the quietest way to move. Aruna stopped as he did, dropping onto all fours as she stayed close to the 'branch' she was on. Her eyes never moved off his form as she watch him come up to a fallen 'tree' that was propped against another which would make a fine covering but what really surprised her was the hidden door. Aruna wanted to be safe though and waited a good hour before following inside, not wanting to risk the other being awake. She crawled into the tree's body, making her way through only to have a nest revealed to her. She had been prepare to find a whole pack but it seemed this Wolfen was alone which she had never seen before. Shaking the thought away, she noticed the littering of trinkets all around but none of them mattered to her as her golden eyes scanned for what was hers. Once she spotted it, she carefully looked to the Wolfen to make sure he stayed sleeping.

Aruna crawled softly around the sleeping man, watching out for the trinkets scattered about in piles as she made her way to where she needed to be. The second her hands finally clutched onto the familiar cloth she teleported out of there and thought of her own temporary home. It would set her back on her trip she had planned but now she wanted to head in a different direction anyways. The second she reappeared, her legs dropped from underneath her and her breath came out in pants as she was too weak to even think of moving. She had not teleport that big of a distance in such a long time but pushing herself to the limit was the only way Aruna knew she would be safe for at least a day. She only had enough energy to curl around the red cloak as she hugged it to her chest with a soft smile.

[Orchestratic]

The swift sound of the small girl vanishing out of his makeshift nest broke Praxis's light sleep. He looked around on alert always worried about the many enemies he's probably made by now, and immediately noticed something was off. He hadn't been asleep for very long, but he was still too groggy to place what was peculiar in his tiny temporary home. As he wiped his eyes, he moved to get up and felt the cold metal of the silver dagger he had moved so he could lay down, and suddenly his previous adventure came rushing back to him. Eyes wide, the Wolfen jerked his head in all directions, peering through the still darkened night to search for his most recently acquired loot. Dammit! he cursed in his mind, snarling slightly after his search came up empty. It had to be Aruna... that girl, right? Nothing else was taken. Clearly, there was something special about the red garment, and Praxis was not willing to let it get away from him.

Jumping to his feet, he immediately began searching for any signs of where she had went, but only found the disturbed part of the nest where she must have began her teleportation exit. That ability sure seemed useful and would probably make her hard to track, but a Wolfen's nose was a hard one to fool. Examining the spot he remembered tossing the cloak before, he inhaled swiftly a few times until he had the scent. It had been awhile since he had to track someone using his more primal abilities, but instinct never dies. Without a second thought, he leapt from through the brush that surrounded the nest to land violently below, forgetting exactly how high he was. After a chuckle a small recovery, the hunt was on.

After quite some time of searching, Praxis began to question the futility of this search. With such speed, she could be anywhere by now given the energy. With a defeated sigh, the Wolfen dropped his head and began to head back, deciding his last resort would be to check his traps. Most of his traps were concentrated near the closest road, so he decided to start there. However, the closer he got, the more he picked up on the scent of his target. Morale rising, Praxis hopped up onto a higher level and began his search from above, closing in on the sweet smell of victory. As the scent got stronger, he realized it was highly concentrated in one area and there were no sounds around, suggesting she was resting somewhere nearby. Another cocky smile crossed the Wolfen's lips as he eagerly but stealthily crept along the upper levels of the branches, searching the ground below before coming across a prone Aruna, still clutching his prize to her chest, curled up in small den. From this angle, she seemed far less violent -- less volatile then she had before. Praxis hadn't ever really felt too much guilt for his theft and tricks in the past, but there was something about her connection to this cloak that almost made him want to let her keep it.... almost. The least he could do was let her live, though, for she could have easily taken his life twice over already.

As the Wolfen slowly crept to the ground, he closed his eyes to gather the mana and subtly took a minor hold of her mind, reading only her alertness. As long as she stayed in a resting position, he wouldn't have to do anything rash... but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun with the only real competition he'd met in quite some time. Soundlessly, he crept around her resting place until he found a good place to set up a snare. Quickly and quietly he returned to one of his set snares, disarmed it and returned to where the girl slept, setting it up directly in front of the open part of the den and from a branch above. Judging by her height, Aruna's trapped position would put her and Praxis's height at about the same level, he guessed. He knew this was a lot of trouble to go through just to steal from someone, but Praxis wasn't a fan of getting things taken back after he had claimed ownership over them. Taking a seat in front of the open side of the den, he remembered the fruit he had cut earlier when he had originally encountered the girl.Taking one of the slices out, he sank his teeth into it with an intentionally loud crunch. Wiping the dripping juices from his chin, he looked in Aruna's direction, speaking with food still between his teeth. "Sup."

[Akayaofthemoon]

The sun shone down warming everything around, the smell of lavender filled the air as she rested among the flower that scattered the field. It was completely peaceful and her eyes stayed closed till a sound pulled at her senses, making her eyes open.She heard a gentle voice calling out to her, one that she could recognize even in a crowd which made a smile grow on her face as she pushed herself up. Her mother smiled, her long blonde hair dancing on the wind along with her always adorn red cloak. The warm brown eyes looking at her suddenly lit up, a laugh ringing out over the quiet as her father hugged her mother from behind before spinning her in a circle. They looked so happy together in this moment. The way her father looked at her mother with those golden eyes so much like her own said everything about how he felt and she hoped that one day someone might look at her the same way. After a small kiss, he returned to packing which gave her only a view of his back shined with dazzling wings and his full head of brown hair.She knew that her mother was waving her over so they could help pack up the picnic and leave the clearing but she just wanted to watch them a bit longer.
It was then that a rustling pulled her attention, turning to look of behind her but seeing nothing there. It still gave her an eerie feel, making her back way and turn to yell for her parents but she found herself standing alone. Panicking, she rushed to where they had been but there was no sign of them anywhere. Suddenly, the dark was settling in as the clouds churned overhead making the warmth she had just felt leave her. The flowers started to curl up, dying all around her as it spread from her feet out over the entire field and becoming a barren wasteland. She moved to run, to get away but the light disappeared making her look up as the sun shattered into bits leave nothing. The moon rose, giving her a small amount of light but her breath clogged as bodies scattered the field and blood was splattered on her dress. She wanted to scream, cry, call out but her voice wouldn't work as she just was frozen. A growling sounds made her heart race, her head turned slowly to look over her shoulder only to find a large black wolf and blood dripping from its fangs. She dashed forward, stumbling and trying to move as fast as she could to get away or trample over the dead. She didn't know how or when she had gotten into the forest but it seemed to make her means of escape all the more difficult as the roots stuck up and branches clawed at her, all the while she could hear the pounding of footfalls behind her and the howling that never seemed to stop. Finally, her foot caught on a root and she tripped, smashing into the ground as well as something wet. She shakily pushed herself up only to find a sword, stuck in the ground with a familiar red cloak rested on top with a pool of blood leaking out of the area. The light of the moon was getting dimmer, cracks slowly appearing on its surface. She knew she had to keep moving or this would be the end but she just couldn't do it as the tears flowed down her cheeks. She could hear the wolf getting closer, it wouldn't be long now...once it was dark it would all be over...

The moon shattered...

The darkness fell....

The pain in her back grew...

This time she would not escape.....

"Aruna....."

Who was that? How do they know my name?

"Aruna...."

There it is again. Where are they?

She fought to see through the darkness and find out who could be calling. She wasn't sure if she knew this voice.....but something told her that she needed to find who it belonged too. It was then that a dull light appeared but not in the form she had been expecting. Looking to her hand, the glowing was a small red string that was tied to her pinky and it traveled outward, away from her and leading somewhere unknown.

"Follow it.....Come find me."

She stood, letting the string guide her way. It seemed like she was drifting through the darkness forever, like it would never end when she saw a hand reaching out to her. The string seemed to be tied to the other hands pinky as well showing that they were on the same connecting red string. Had this person been searching for her? Why couldn't she see the owner of it? She ran to get closer, wanting to meet this person when she was almost close enough to brush fingers with the hand....the ground fell out from under her feet with a loud crunch.

Aruna shot awake, startled by not only her dream but the loud crunch that was too close for comfort. She rushed out of her den, one arm clutching her mother's cloak tight while the other reached for her father's sword. Sadly, before she could even touch the handle, Aruna found the world spinning as she was flipped upside down and her legs caught in a trap. Her free hand now had to be used to keep her shirt from falling while the other barely was able to hold onto the red cloak. She now glared at the man who was probably responsible for her predicament and sighed in annoyance at the others antics. "Though I usually admire persistence, this is not one of those cases. Other then testing my patience and ruining an otherwise beautiful morning, don't Wolfen like you have better things to do then steal something that they have no claim over and don't belong too?" Aruna answered, clearly annoyed and unhappy with the current position of things. She would not give up her mother's cloak and she would be getting back every time, no matter how long it took.

[Orchestratic]

The fruit between Praxis's teeth stayed whole as he ceased chewing. As the girl stirred in her sleep, the minor link he connected with her consciousness made it obvious that her dreams were causing her unpleasant thoughts, doing the same for him. His skin began to crawl as the feeling crept over to him, though he hadn't the slightest clue what could be making her feel this way. He tried to shake the feeling, knowing that if he lost connection for even a moment she could be up and at his throat in an instant, and so he bore the feeling. He had felt a similar feeling several times, including while taking his own mother's life, although this wasn't exactly that intense. With a short sigh, he exhaled in relief that she had finally woken up, ending his mental anguish. Seeing her like this - upside-down or otherwise - after the experience she must have just been through in her mind made Praxis feel legitimate sorrow for this girl. He had no idea what she had experienced, but clearly she was no stranger to the pains he knew all too well. He rubbed his scar on his hand as he spoke, fighting off the terrible memories of defecting and betrayal while listening to her.

Trying to play off his cocky position once again, he attempted his smile once more, but there was much less to it than before after what he had just felt. Gladly, he relieved the connection between their minds and stood up, putting their heads at nearly the same height, although they were about six feet apart.Looking her up and down, he realized he hadn't noticed her body before -- she was quite attractive, but maybe it had simply been difficult to see through her initial volatile reaction. In her hand she still held the cloak, not even wearing it. She had been clutching it in her sleep, and now, still not willing to release it, she clung to it as if it were a lifeline? There was something about this garment, and Praxis wasn't sure he wanted it anymore, no matter it's property. He was certain the feelings that came from the forethought of Aruna's dreams were somehow tied to that cloak.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Aruna," he spoke challengingly, mentioning her name again as if to bother her with the fact that he knew it. "But I'm afraid there aren't really any Wolfen like me -- not as far as I know, anyway." He took a step toward her, making sure to keep his distance from such a dangerous opponent.Trapped her not, she was obviously full of surprises. "Besides, ownership is really just a word... if you were to continue on the journey I left you on, would I not have been the owner of that cloak?" The Wolfen smiled as he crossed his arms behind his back, beginning to walk a circle around the trapped Aruna. A sigh escaped his lips as he watched the ground where he walked rather than making eye contact. "But, really, you needn't worry anymore..." he spoke softly, his voice almost trailing away before returning when he looked back up, but still away from his hanging target. His face no longer showed any signs of victory, but rather slight regret; sadness. "I was mistaken about the cloak. I thought it was.... it's not what I expected, and you have my sincere apologies." Now having made a half circle around her, he examined her backside, particularly the partial Wolfen scars he had noticed before. "While you definitely interest me, I'm willing to let you go -- and take nothing," he continued, honest to the core. "But first, you must tell me..."

In one swift move, the Wolfen was inches away from the girls beautiful face, their eyes meeting with nearly visible intensity. "What does that garment mean to you?" He asked her, legitimately perplexed. "I saw you pull a lantern out of it where there was absolutely no space to fit it... yet that clearly has nothing to do with it's significance to you. If I can't have it... I must know." Praxis's face was a little more serious than he had intended it to be, but the subject really did intrigue every fiber of his being.

[Akayaofthemoon]

Once he stood, Aruna was able to notice just how tall the other was and what predicament she was in was much clearer. She could barely defend in the current position if he attacked her and if she wanted to get out of the trap, it meant letting go of her shirt which would expose herself or she would have to drop her mother's cloak. Neither of those options look favorable to her so it put her between a rock and a hard place on what to do. She glared at the Wolfen as he spoke, annoyed at the use of her name even though she had never given it and his words had her biting the inside of her mouth but she needed to play nice. The only way she could manage that was to not say anything at all since her words would probably just get her into trouble. The only thing that was nagging at her was the comment about no other Wolfen like him which pulled at the other question she had been curious about the night before....why was he not with a pack? It didn't really matter but it was definitely abnormal in their kind as far as she knew anyway.

Aruna felt herself stiffen and her mind jolted out of her thoughts as he started to circle her, feeling nervous as he disappeared from her sight and was behind her. It took everything she had to breath calmly and try to focus on what he said as he continued on with his words since she had not interrupted him by speaking. It was a bit surprising to hear him say he was mistaken but not only that but he was...apologizing...to her? Her features showed her confusion as her eyebrows furrowed together and she twisted her head a bit, trying to get a good look at him as he spoke of letting her go and taking nothing which made her weary. She didn't believe it for a second, everything had a catch.

Suddenly her eyes were looking directly into his, gazes locked and faces just inches apart from one another. Aruna's eyes widened, surprise visible since she had never had anyone so close to her before or even looking at her as intensely as this Wolfen was. The request he made was simple and he seemed to be completely serious, his eyes not telling her any lies. She didn't know if she wanted to tell him her personal information but it seemed that was only way out of this mess. She bite her lip lightly before sighing, " If you must know then I shall tell you but I want something a little more in return then being set free. I want your name after you let me go...I am giving you personal information and it seems fair that you do the same." Aruna stated completely serious as she looked to him for any objects.

"This cloak is the last and only piece of my mother just as my sword is the last and only piece left of my father." she said in almost a whisper, knowing his heightened sense could hear her and the distance between them would make it impossible for him not to hear her low reply.

[Orchestratic]

Still very close to her as her answer flowed, Praxis was taken aback slightly by her request in return. He took no time to consider as it was an entirely fair request, and respectfully nodded to her, doing his best to keep his eyes away from hers now. Before speaking, Aruna had bitten her lip in such a way that had inexplicably made her more attractive to him. Even as he she held her shirt from falling, the Wolfen's keen eyes could identify her body in a way that he really wanted to avoid. Unaware if his face showed any signs of resembling her beloved cloak, he took a step back to use the mornings light - or rather lack there of - to avoid her finding out if his face did, either. He played this off with the crossing of his arms, prepared to listen.

The girl's low reply caused Praxis's ears to perk up slightly, lowering his eyes in what seemed like shame. The scar over the moon on his hand began to once again become apparent to him, emulating a burning feeling -- a feeling of losing a mother, he supposed. With sadness now hanging in the corners of his eyes, he raised them to meet hers. Many of the things he had taken from marks had without a doubt been just as important to them, but hearing the pain in this girl's voice and feeling the overwhelming sense that was connected to Aruna's dream previously made this situation seem far different than any other job he had pulled, big or small, but there was no evidence that it should be. This confused and frustrated him slightly, but instead he again approached the fair girl, left hand raised in front of him in display.

"This scar is my cloak, I suppose," he spoke as he closed his eyes in regret, clenc. He wasn't a fan of being so melodramatic, but that seemed to be one of the many things this girl could trigger from him. "Because it too is the last piece of my mother that I'll ever get. Likely the entire Althebetr, actually." A sad smirk now crept along his face as he revealed his last name, reopening his brown eyes to meet the beautiful golden ones of hers. "Praxis Althebeter," He continued obligingly.

With that, his raised and scarred hand began to open even wider, the claws on it extending sharply and dangerously, his eyes never leaving hers. "Charmed," he said in the same second as swiftly bringing his sharp nails to the rope that bound her feet, his other hand already lightly gripped around the hand protecting her clothing from falling. As the girl was released, his other arm provided a point for her body to pivot around to bring her feet to a landing position, although the hand he used to to free her had already been so quickly moved to slow the descent of her legs and allow for her to land without harm. Quickly removing his hands from her as to not offend her, he once again refused to meet her gorgeous golden eyes as he put another step of distance between them for her comfort. Not understanding the cause of this such rash change of his character, he attempted once more to separate their minds in hopes that his sentiment was merely her's being emulated, only to find the the link had been successfully done so during his previous attempt, leaving him the only culprit of the notions he was struggling to comprehend.

As his eyes still traced her body for any focal point other than her eyes, Praxis began to rummage through the pouch on his side and from them produced the final two pieces of the large berry he had cut up prior to his first encounter with the girl, thrusting a single slice toward Aruna with the softest grin he could manage while keeping the last chunk for himself. "Obviously semi-rare fruit and an apology aren't enough, but they're all I have right now," the Wolfen said softly, his eyes finally following her body up to once again meet her golden eyes, suppressing the urge to let his eyes linger on her body. He wasn't entirely sure if his eyes showed the regret he felt for snatching the garment - nor was he certain why he felt it at all - but being as this was all rather new to him, he tried his best to feel and express the emotion... only too late, though, did he realize she had very little reason to accept what he had done to her, yet chose to let the offer stand.

[Akayaofthemoon]

Sadness...sadness was the emotion that held in his eyes as they met hers once more. She didn't know if it was a sadness for her or something else but Aruna didn't like seeing it. If it was for her then she didn't need his pity but if it was for himself...well... Aruna wasn't sure how to feel about that or more over why she didn't like the idea of sadness for himself. Pushing the thought from her mind, she watched him carefully as he moved forward knowing that he had his answer so wither or not he kept his word was up to him now. It surprised her when he lifted his left hand, not to cause her any harm but to show her a scar that resided there and one that seemed quite familiar. It was confusing to hear about the scar being his only thing connecting of his mother but it also brought about a chill to think that it meant his own mother had done such a thing to him. What kind of mother did that? Also, Althebetr had to be his pack so what had happened there?

Aruna golden eyes looked into his brown ones, curiosity clearly visible as she held back any questions. She wouldn't want someone digging in her past so why do it to someone else? Trust was worth waiting for but in this case Aruna was happy to never know since she hoped that this would clear up their problems between one another so this situation wouldn't happen again. She had asked for a name and the Wolfen had given one though it was only a last one, that is until he spoke up once more to give his full name. Aruna opened her mouth to reply but suddenly a squeal of shock was made instead of words as Praxis sliced the rope holding her up with his clawed hand. Aruna's eyes closed in fear, bracing herself for a fall when she feel a hand pressed against her own and another being used to pivot her body to land in a standing position. As quickly as his hands had been on her was how quickly he let go but she could still feel the warmth of them on her skin and the tingle that was telling her that it had all really happened.

Aruna turned away from him for a second feeling rather uncomfortable at how close a Wolfen had been to her and let alone touching her. It was worse that she was slightly blushing from embarrassment as well as the fact that she had never had someone that close to her before or protecting her even though it had been Praxis fault in the first place. She took a deep breath, calming her face down and pulling her red cloak on since it gave or a little bit more comfort before turn back to look at the Wolfen before her. Praxis was once again determined to throw her off balance once more as he thrusted a single slice of fruit in her direction with a soft smile and a look in his eyes that she didn't understand. Golden eyes moved to look at the small peace offering before looking into Praxis's brown eye before looking down at the fruit once more. Slowly, Aruna reached out her hand to take it, stopping only centimeters from it but turning her attention to Praxis. " Zeaxanthin. My last name...it's Zeaxanthin." she said before taking hold of the fruit and plopping it into her mouth.

[Orchestratic]

Noticing Aruna's blush only made Praxis's skin burn with it's own blush, which he wasn't used to. The feeling almost made him sick, and when she took up the berry from him he physically shook his head slightly to get it away from him. This girl could, evidently, create a lot of weird reactions from him, so he'd try his best not to let them get the better of him. He had to keep his wits about him... right? He still wanted the cloak, or the bag, right? Or was that even a goal anymore, and was she simply just interesting? He pondered this thought as he scanned for both items in consideration, suddenly realizing he could see them both with ease now, as the sun was beginning to rise. "Another sleepless night," he sighed, instinctively dropping to the ground before taking a bite.

"Zeaxanthin..." he repeated aloud. Is there a thing about you that isn't- closing his eyes seemed to halt his thoughts before they whispered the word "beautiful", but he didn't know why he cared if he thought it -- he'd enjoyed the companies of attractive women before. For someone with so much control over mental magic, you seem to lack a lot of control over your own mind... the Wolfen told himself, laughing in his mind.

He was glad she had returned the courtesy of sharing her surname, because he really did want to know it when he looked at her, and it also showed that she didn't know exactly what his abilities were. Praxis knew the name, but he was sure it wasn't from her bloodline. He knew lots of names and using memory magic allowed him to remember quite a bit, so names came naturally to him. He could recall two children from his childhood he used to play with, though they weren't Wolfen, that shared that name with her. The thought made him smile as he lost himself in his memories, almost forgetting where he was, yet somehow he found it difficult to forget who he was with. As his mind wandered, as did his eyes but this time he let them linger on her. As a Wolfen, he fought many primal urges and instincts daily, but it had been a long night and staring at her was one he was already exhausted of. He could only hope that his tired eyes made it obvious - or falsely so - that he was staring out of exhaustion. Surely she would understand, yet he played it off as if he was staring passed her.

He barely noticed he was sitting before almost taking a bite, stopping with the food inches from his fangs. Looking up to her slightly embarrassed, he again felt unable to speak correctly. "I uhh.... sorry, sharing a first meal with someone on the ground is part of an old Wolfen tradition. There's more, but.... obviously it's not..." he sighed, then chuckled to himself as he stumbled over his words as if he had never used them before. "I guess I held onto more from the Althebetr clan than I realized. I guess I haven't exactly had a civil meal with someone since I left." He remembered just then the curiosity that seem to pique in her when he spoke of his clan and past before, but didn't expand further. Wolfen had hurt her -- they had maimed her in a way he could not heal or probably understand, so talking about them was probably not high on her list of priorities.

Praxis tried to continue eating the large slice of the giant fruit, but he couldn't seem to feel comfortable. The lack of ritual must've been getting to him, he guessed, so he tried to focus on her. Meeting her eyes, he immediately launched a full-scale invasion onto the recesses of her mind to learn more about her, but halted once again. This was a habit, obviously, and it wouldn't do -- not here... not with her. He preferred to learn about Aruna through her own words, though right now she was likely reluctant to share them with him. "I understand if you want to leave," he said, not wanting to look up from the ground. "I am the reason you're still backtracked this far, after all." He decided to break his rule already as he spoke, searching her mind for her destination, but only going as deep as surface thoughts. This would be easiest while talking about it. "I don't know where you were headed, but I apologize for stalling you." He took another bite and finally relented to looking into her beautiful golden eyes once again, though they made him weak in ways he preferred not to feel. "+

[Akayaofthemoon]

Aruna shifted her feet in discomfort, trying to look anywhere else other than Praxis as he spoke of Wolfen traditions on sharing a first meal with another. She had thought when he plopped to the ground it was because of exhaustion since he had 'another sleepless night' as he had stated, probably tracking her. It made her feel awkward since the last thing she wanted to do was sit but at the same time she felt pressured that she should sit since she understood that some people were very close to tradition and thought others should be too. Aruna's grandmother had always tried to stick to the traditions of her kind and forced Aruna to follow them as well or as close as she could. Her grandmother had told her the reason to follow others traditions was to show them respect and respect of their people or ways. This was one of the reasons she couldn't push herself to sit since she didn't know if the respect was deserved yet.

" I am not sure this really qualifies as a meal...civil or otherwise but I guess it is the closest thing I've had to sharing something like that in awhile." Aruna stated, glancing over at him. "As for leaving, I should probably head in that direction and try to make up for lost time. Thank you for the fruit." she said, looking into Praxis eyes once more before turning in the direction of her grandmother's once again, a wave behind her as she started off.

[Orchestratic]

Praxis didn't lift his head and closed his eyes slowly as soon as he could tell Aruna wanted to leave. He understood, and even so it made more sense than just a girl with her qualms with his kind considering what had happened in the short time since they'd met. Even still, he wondered if he could let such an interesting figure go. He'd convinced himself by now that it was still about the magical item she had, but he hadn't even bothered looking for it since she woke up.

The lone Wolfen continued to keep his head down and in his large berry, eating it slow so he needn't anywhere else to look, and nodded as she spoke. "I understand," he spoke finally, seemingly unaffected as his head still never lifted much. "Good luck, and I... am really sorry." Praxis knew very well it should've been more heartfelt, but he was pretty rusty on sincere apologies. "Oh, and... you're welcome for the fruit. I hope you liked it." After she paused and turned away, he ate the rest of the fruit in one large bite, almost angrily, though he knew he had no right to be. He couldn't bring himself to wave back at her... but he knew it wasn't goodbye anyway, and so he'd pretend that was the reason.

---

Lazing about all day had somehow become a difficult task for Praxis, considering he didn't sleep much during the night. It was even harder when you were doing so while creeping and balancing along the walls and gates of this village that seemed to have abandon all thought of technology. He had followed Aruna here hours ago - as difficult as it may be with her speed - and he couldn't help but wonder what her destination had been this whole way, but he was only a little shocked when he found out. It seemed she was returning home, but a quick look around the place quickly revealed that no one would pass over him as just another villager. So, as usual, he took the more stalker approach and took to the walls. Alas, there was no sight of the girl anywhere. He even spent quite sometime trying to search people's minds for her and came up with nothing. Had she use her dashing to get into the village, too? Surely no one would have seen her then. But that didn't seem logical... maybe they just didn't pay attention to her for some reason. After all, she seemed quite different than the rest of them, yet didn't stick out. The story here made Praxis all the more curious, and he wondered if he'd ever have the chance to ask her about it...

Shaking the unlikely thought from his head, he climbed onto the highest point he could to see around and kept an eye out for the bright red cloak he once stole, waiting for the beautiful girl to show her face in this... frankly odd town, as he relaxed against a large leaf he had curled up for a make-shift cushion, keeping his eyes peeled. She's gotta show up eventually, right...?

[Akayaofthemoon]

Aruna found herself outside the gate, staring at it for a second while trying to catch her bearings before proceeding inside. It was no surprise that she wasn't warmly welcomed here but it was the only home she really knew or had which is why it drew her back every so often. She carefully pulled off her cloak, storing it in her 'basket' for now so it would be safe and proceeded in through her own secret entrance. Most of the people ignored her, shunning her as if she were invisible and others gave her strange looks or those of disgust which was nothing new for her so Aruna did her best to just focus on where she was headed. It was a little house at the end of the gate, one of the first to be made here and of course one of the most respected since people viewed her grandmother as strong for rising up against the "shame" of her family. They were all sure that one day Aruna would be just like the others and be unable to come back but it wasn't like anyone there had given her a choice.

A light knock on the door, she waited till the elderly woman answered but felt the awkwardness instantly as the smile slipped from the others lips. "Oh, it's you dear. Come on in, no need to stand in the doorway."
She stepped in, closing the door gently behind her as she did before following her grandmother into the kitchen. Aruna took a seat while watching her grandmother cook and move about the kitchen a strange silence settling in the room. "I did not expect you. Why have you come back?"
"Don't worry, it isn't to tell you that I have found someone if that is what you are implying."
"Watch it child! Don't put words in my mouth. It isn't like I am unhappy to see you." her grandmother snapped, not even taking the time to look at her as she spoke.
"I came back to visit you and make sure that you were alright. I only have one family member left." Aruna said softly, watching as her grandmother tense at those words. Aruna knew that her grandmother was hurt by the death of her father but never spoke of it because it was forbidden to speak of the banished. It had only been brought up once when Aruna had first arrived at this small home. Her grandmother has told her to get rid of her mother's cloak since the sight of it offended her and she had instantly said no, that she would not part from it. That is when their relationship was strained....her grandmother blaming her mother for the death of her father and cursing every outsider that had shamed the family. Aruna had been hurt by these comments but if her grandmother loved her father with his mixed blood then she could be loved by her too. That thought was shattered at seven years old....now this was as close as they could get.
"Yes, well as you can see I am fine.....Aruna...I.." her grandmother started, looking at her with those large yellow eyes that held something she didn't quite understand.
"Yes?" she questioned, curious to what might be said.
"Nevermind. I don't have a room made up yet since I wasn't expecting you but I can make one up if you planned to stay. I actually planned to clean out that room yesterday but haven't been able to do much lately...maybe old age is finally creeping up on me."
"I thought you said you were feeling alright?" Aruna said, worry creeping up on her fast.
"Oh, hush it is nothing to worry about. You should worry more about wondering around in the outside. It isn't safe and you should stay here."
"I am not going to stay where I am unwelcome."
"You are not unwelcomed. You act as though you are banished Aruna. Why can't you live here? This is where you belong!"
"Everyone acts as though I am invisible or a stain on existence. How is that welcome?"
"You are an impossible child! Why can't you just be..."
"Why can't I just be what? Like everyone else? Tell me how cause I would love to know! I would love to know how I can have everyone approve of me." Aruna yelled, feeling herself choke up and tears starting to build up.
Her grandmother looked guilty, not having a word to say on the matter because they both knew exactly when everyone truly wrote her off and the only way they would approve of her was what was told to be impossible.
"You know, I should probably be going. It was nice to see you...." she said, holding back tears as she ran out of the house and using speed to get herself the rest of the way out. She leaned up against the gate, tilting her head up to the sky as she tried to keep the tears back. Aruna pulled out her cloak, draping it over her shoulders before speeding off once more. She just needed to get away from there as fast as possible and she didn't care where. The tears in her eyes stung and everything seemed blurry, the sun not seeming to help as it seemed even brighter but she was sure it was because of the tears that refused to stop. The world flew by fast, no worries to slowing down or saving energy so she didn't get dizzy or collapse.

[Orchestratic]

"'Can I track someone who can move faster than hell? Sure, why not, I love a challenge!'" Praxis mocked his own thoughts from the previous day before aloud as he walked along the ground for the longest amount of time he could remember doing so in such a normal fashion -- he had lost both sight and sound of Aruna at this point, and could only rely on his sense of smell. Just like old times... he told himself dramatically. Praxis had already decided he would abandon his search if he couldn't find a sign of her soon, but even the tracks she left when she darted around were starting to become less frequent, as if she had slowed down. Maybe he'd missed her turn off somewhere? He had been talking out loud in a sarcastic tone quite a bit lately... after he realized his 'prey' was too far away to hear him for once, he started to enjoy actually being able to make noise and thought he'd try walking around like a normal person instead of using higher ground and leaves as usual. He only passed a few people, all who seemed puzzled by a lone Wolfen or wary of him being a Wolfen at all, but he paid them no mind.... realizing only later he probably could've asked at least one if they had seen a girl in red moving irritatingly fast.

Moving forward only on the last shreds of his own patience, a town's gate soon came into view. He soon thanked a higher power who seemed to have forsaken him long ago for this luck, because he was just beginning to question why the search for this girl was so important, and he still had no real answer for that question. "Is that where you went? Look's promising enough," Praxis said, again aloud although he was alone. With a sigh of relief he approached the gate and walked through without hesitation. The first order of business would be to... "...what.. the.." he looked around, partially astonished at the creatures he was seeing. Most of them were vibrant, and he wanted to say they were almost beautiful. Could Aruna really be in a place like this? They all seemed to be of the same breed, without noticeable exception, and Aruna certainly was not. She looked better than this anyway... these people were kind of creeping him out a little. However, it was comforting to see that he seemed to have the same effect on them, as most who saw him simply stared on in complete shock and awe. Most Wolfen were used to being despised, but no one seemed scared, just... well, he couldn't tell. He hadn't spent enough social time lately to pick up on many social cues, so it took a few mind readings to realize they were all more confused at his presence than his breed. Oh well, it was pretty much the same as them being frightened to Praxis, so he shrugged it off with relative ease.

Although he didn't feel the feeling alienation the population was clearly trying to give off, he did begin to feel rather irked by all the gawking. Catching one particular individual looking at him straight in the eye, Praxis stopped and turned toward them, irritated, making them tense up instantly. "Oh, for the love of-- If you're going to stare, can you be helpful? Looking for a girl that goes by Aruna Zeaxanthin. Ring a bell? Red cloak, annoyingly fast, kinda mouthy?" Before the sentences were fully spouted, the individual was rudely on their way, but not before Praxis was able to penetrate the barrier of his mind. The cloak and surname seemed to trigger some recognition in his mind of an old house very nearby. The memory seemed fresh enough; had Aruna just arrived? It was hard to believe this place slowed down someone with such intense quickness, but even Praxis was freaked out so he wasn't all that surprised. Turning toward the one who unknowingly helped him, Praxis continued and threw his arms up, still irritated. "Uh, 'kay then. Glad we could GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER." His voice raised in irritation to make sure they had heard him, but it only made them speed up and drew further vibrant and shocked eyes his direction. With an aggravated sigh, he threw his arms back down to his side and stormed off toward the house. "Yeah, okay, I'm the freak. Clearly this place has no mirrors... weirdos." He grumbled. The truth was, he was mostly aggravated at himself. People hated Wolfen with relative ease, so their collective attitude was an easy one to shrug off, but his own was not: He had just exhausted quite a bit of energy to dig so far into that person mind as to find out how recent the memory was, and he had done it right away so it caused a ton of strain. Finding Aruna shouldn't be this important to him if he didn't even know why...

"Oh." Praxis said so quietly he practically mouthed it. He was lucky Aruna didn't hear him, as she was now standing within earshot of even a human of her turned back. He almost had passed right over her, as she was not wearing the cloak he had been searching for. She was standing in front of the house he recognized, not seeming eager to knock on the door, but when she did Praxis immediately began walking off out of sight. Whoever answered the door would have a pretty clear sight of him and would probably react as the rest of the town had... he should probably let her conduct her business before approaching her... at least, that's what he told himself. Truthfully, he had no idea if he was even going to make such a move, and what he would do if he did. It wasn't long before he heard the door creak open, but his keen senses picked up nothing more. Taking a quick look behind him, their seemed to be just... tense silence. He wanted to listen in passed the greeting but... it didn't feel right. Since when did he have morals? This is the second time Aruna, a girl he knew nothing about, sparked morality from him that was out of character, and it was already two too many. Clearly, he needed to leave: his state of living depended on it, or it could change drastically... and Praxis wasn't ready for another life-altering event in his life. So, it was decided, and as soon as he picked up on the sound of the door closing he turned toward the gates exit and swiftly made an exit on all four limbs, feeling that the faster he got out of here, the better, for whatever reason. Ignoring the even more shocked stares of those around him now, he passed through the gate and continued the way he came from, not even bothering to take an upper route again. He continued straight, feeling like taking a long route home might help him clear his head, but a few minutes of running brought him to an unbelievable sight, and a skidding halt. When his traction finally stopped him, his heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest. Mere feet in front of him was the largest hole he had ever seen in his life, and a quick look down made it seem bottomless. He would most certainly have died had he not stopped. He was in awe for another few seconds before realizing there were people of all kinds surrounding the hole, which appeared to be about 600 meters in diameter. "A sinkhole...?"

"Actually, I don't think so." An old woman nearby him answered him, startling him slightly. She was very short and appeared to have a hunched back and grey skin. He didn't recognize her race, but was also very uninterested in it.
"Uhhh. Okay... was kinda talking to myself but sure." Praxis responded sarcastically, only looking at her from the corner of his eyes. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Fine, I'll bite. What do you mean, old one?" He said, turning toward her. She never took her eyes off of the hole as she addressed him even though she was about ten feet away.
"You can't see it? The chasm goes down into Yggdrasil's bark itself; you can see the glow a little ways down that shows the bark was broken. Have you ever heard of Yggdrasil's bark actually sinking on it's own?" Others around her seemed to be agreeing with her, all studying the hole in awe as Praxis was himself.
"The glow? How the hell was I supposed to know that? I've not been around as long as you, so I've not exactly seen a lot of..." the Wolfen's voice slowed to a halt as his ears perked up at a familiar sound coming from directly behind him. He'd heard that sound nonstop lately: Aruna was zipping this way... straight at this chasm. "...uhhh-okay-thanks-bye!" He spat out quickly toward the woman as he moved toward the sound as fast as he could. She was moving fast. Really fast. Was she even paying attention? How would he stop something like that? As soon as she came within his eye line, time seemed to stop as he sighed. This is probably really going to hurt. She was now coming directly for him, but he was a small target compared to the hole. There was no time to yell to her, she'd never hear it in time anyway once she was close enough. It would take all of his focus but he'd have to get into her head at a vast distance to let her know.

"ARUNA, STOP!" He hadn't used his magic to communicate with someone this way since he had been in a pack, so he only hoped that he could still do it with precision to someone whose mind he'd only been inside of once or twice. With his only card played, he braced his body to be hit by the missile of emotions that was Aruna right now. He wanted to move, knowing very well that if she didn't stop she could easily throw them both in the hole, and he didn't like gambling with his life, so why was he? The only answer he got as he closed his eyes and thought the quickest prayer he'd ever thought in his life was that he'd rather be hit by the fastest thing he'd ever seen than consider his own emotional state.

[Akayaofthemoon]

[i]"ARUNA, STOP!"[\i]

It was that very phrase ringing in her mind that caused Aruna's eyes to widen in shock as she was jolted back into focus. The world was speeding by much faster than usual, her legs felt as if they were screaming to her in pain and for some reason she felt weaker than normal even for pushing her body as she was now. Aruna felt like the voice in her head was fimilar but couldn't pin point where she had heard it before.The voice sounded panicked even hopeful for her to stop and so she gradually slowed herself as much as sh could, her legs going numb and getting harder to control. It was at this point that she saw something in the distance, right in her path but she had no way to stop, slowing down more was the only thing she could do as she moved to skid into a stop instead of suddenly stopping and falling.

Aruna closed her eyes, knowing she was going to hit whatever was infront of her. She was luckily a pretty good speed, though she would hit hard at least it shouldn't send her flying. She felt herself slam into the object, knocking it over as she collapsed on top. Her eyes still closed, she just laid there for a moment as her legs refused to move and her breath came out in pants. She tried to focus, realizing that what was under her was not an object for it was warm as well as breathing. Aruna's eyes slammed open, fear and concern rushing through her as she force her arms to push her up slightly and was ready to apologize when her words caught in her throat. Aruna was now very close, face to face, and on top of a Wolfen. Not only that but one she had seen earlier.

"Praxis..." She whispered, confused and half dazed as she stared into his eyes for a second and tried to let her mind catch up a bit while figuring everything out as she connected the dots. She quickly pushed herself off him as best she could with no legs to help, a blush forming on her face in embarrassment as well as anger. "You were the one in my head! How could you do that!? That is a violation of my priv.... Oh...oh no... that is how you knew my name! What else did you look at!?Why did you make me stop!?" Aruna yelled in anger with a harsh glare before slowly forcing herself to calm down after he explained. "I'm sorry for running into you...and thanks for saving me." She replied softly and a bit awkward as she found herself in new territory. She didn't like that he had been in her mind but it was that same power that had actually saved her which was hard to admit.

[Orchestratic]

The path went black as Praxis closed his eyes moments before colliding with the speeding person, and suddenly he was on his back with the air being forced from his lungs. As he lay with his eyes being unable to focus, it suddenly struck him that it could be anyone with this power. Did he really just take a hit for someone he had no connection to? That certainly would not be ideal, but whoever it was seemed to react to the being called Aruna... or maybe just having another voice in their head. Although, he'd never seen this ability before, so the odds of finding it twice in one week seemed slim.

Instinctively, Praxis tried to move his hands to his temples to aid his now pounding headache, only to find his right arm was pinned to his chest. Placing his free hand over his eyes as they seemed to rattle around in his head attempting to gain focus, he took several sharp breaths in, followed by small coughs. "That certainly... did not... feel good," he whined. Suddenly he was tasting blood, and so he absently tried to move his right hand to his mouth. Unable to move it again, he suddenly felt confused and wondered how hard his head and hit the ground. Blinking wildly, he looked straight up to see the sky burning brightly for a moment, but his view was soon blocked by two more eyes looking back into his. He recognized them as Aruna's golden ones, suddenly having his stupid decision come back to him. Following her whisper, he responded "In the - slightly bruised - flesh. Speaking of, do you mind? I think I need to check myself for broken ribs."

Soon after pushing herself up, the girl was thrashing words about in her usual anger, just as he had expected. He waited for her to finish before sitting up, taking the time while laying flat to stretch his right arm and find he had no broken bones, contrary to what he expected. When Aruna had finally stopped yelling, Praxis slowly sat up and breathed out, peering over his shoulder to find the mass of people around the chasm staring at the spectacle the two had made. Rolling his eyes at both situations, he moved his shaky gaze back to his unintentional assailant. "Well, as much as I'd love to find out if you could make the jump at the speed you were going, there is a huge ass hole over there. I can't even see the bottom. Not to mention it's surrounded by gawking people who, granted would've made a better emergency brake for you in my opinion, but are probably not willing to fall straight to hell just because you can't watch where you're running." He met her glare with accidental intensity, not sure why he was suddenly angry. It wasn't long before he realized he was upset just because she was, due to being in her mind to make her stop. Coupled with the anger was also unfiltered sadness that he did not appreciate, so he shook his head and cleared the connection as fast as possible.

"Why are you sorry? It was my stupid idea to stand here. I much would've preferred to set up a snare, but I didn't have the time. That would've been pretty funny," he laughed as he stood up in pain and dusted himself off. Limping, he took a small step toward her. He wasn't sure he wanted to, but reluctantly he stuck out his hand to help her up. It seemed too vulnerable an action for his liking, so he moved his eyes away from hers and toward the chasm in the ground; he figured this would be enough to avoid explaining his ability to penetrate her thoughts. "C'mon, there are people watching," he teased. "Besides, you'll want to see this."