[IC] Saving the Damned Cont. (AkiraShadow & HiddenBeauty)

[akirashadow]

Akira looks upon Allura with a moment of relief as he watches the signs of pain slowly fade away from her face. It seems the treatment was finally over and he no longer had to forcefully hold her down against her will. He watched as the old lady gathered up her medicines and cloths that she had used to apply the ointments to Allura's burns his eyes following her every movement until she was stepping out the door. As the woman leaves Akira helps Allura into an upright sitting position as he hugs her momentarily, their is a pause of silence before Akira breaks away the fantasy of comfort and snaps it all back into reality. "This woman, she seems to know quiet a lot, especially in terms of what we are." Akira whispers still holding Allura in a hug trying to prevent the woman from hearing their conversation. "Heck, she even knew that you were an angel. I may just be being paranoid but she seems to know much more then a regular old lady should, and she keeps asking these really weird, probing questions." Akira falls silent once more as the movement of shuffling footsteps coming back into the room could be heard. He slowly releases Allura from his arms allowing her to have some space as he shuffles slightly down the bed to give room between the two.

As the old lady sits back down in her chair and sips her tea the questions start all over again. "What are the two of you doing travelling together anyway?" Akira looks to Allura as if to give her a 'see what I mean' look. "Well..." Akira states hesitantly. "That's a bit of a complicated story to it, I can assure you that our travelling together is something of chance, a coincidence you might say." Akira tries to convince even himself but the stern look the woman gives him makes him aware that she won't be easily fooled.
"Liar" She states in reference to Akira's story a soft laugh coming through as she says. "It's quite clear you have nothing to fear from me. Perhaps you might give a more honest answer?" The woman asks this time looking to Allura. Akira looks to Allura slightly concerned considering her current state.
"Can we not at least get some rest before answering these questions? You've witnessed first hand what she's been through today. Plus..." Akira coughs softly before continuing. "I could use some rest myself." He manages to get out before coughing a bit heavier which elapsed into a string of coughs that eventually came to a rest. It was becoming apparent that some of that water that had healed his wounds earlier in the cave was still residing in his lungs, not enough to cause further harm but certainly enough to irritate.

The woman lets out a sigh as she considers Akira's request, she had welcomed them in with open arms was that not enough for some information as to what they were doing together? Maybe she hadn't quiet earned his trust, but the girl, maybe she would be more forthcoming given time. "fair enough." She states to Akira's surprise. "You can rest for now but when you're awake I would like some answers." She smiles to Allura then gives Akira a more stern look. "From both of you." With that said the old lady gets up her tea in her hands, as she shuffles her way back out of the room once more. Akira turns to Allura a somewhat nervous smile on his face. "Well I bought us some time at least." Unsure of how Allura would react. "Hey you should drink some of this." Akira grabs the tea that the woman had offered him but he hadn't drank any of it, now instead offering it to Allura. "You know it really is a relief to see you're ok, thought I lost you for a moment back in that cave."

[HiddenBeauty13]

After all the intense pain that she endured, Allura was barely left with enough strength to move her arms. However, her mind was clear and she was well aware of what was going on around her. She winced slightly as Akira helped her up into a sitting position, and then into a hug, which was more comforting than she'd expected; the angel could even feel herself relaxing slightly beneath his arms. When was the last time that someone hugged me like this? She wondered silently to herself until she pulled out of the moment when she heard Akira's voice. The angel then nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement of what he'd said. "I know. It's strange, but she's a simple human being with no supernatural powers like our own." Before she can say anymore, the sound of footsteps reached Allura's ears and she resisted the urge to frown as Akira let her go, taking what warmth he had with him.

Allura then listened as the old woman and Akira exchanged a few words about their situation and how they even ended up together in the first place. Eventually, the conversation resulted in the demon getting the woman to leave them alone for the rest of the night, much to Allura's relief. She didn't have the energy to explain everything at the moment nor answer the woman's prying questions. The angel did look over to her companion with a concerned look on her face when he began to cough. She had no doubt that it was in relation to what she'd done to save him life hours before and silently made a mental note to ask him about it.

Once alone, she smiled reassuringly to Akira, who seemed to be a bit nervous about the entire situation. "It's okay. I don't think she's a threat to us or she wouldn't have brought us in and dressed my wounds...and I'll have some of that tea; it feels like I haven't had anything to drink in years." She murmured then greedily downed the tea that had been offered to her. After she was done, she placed the cup carefully beside her on the bed and looked over to Akira as he spoke. "Don't worry about me. It'll take more than a slight power over usage to take me out this world for good." Allura said with a confident smirk which soon turned into a look of concern. "Are you okay, though? Your body suffered extensive damage after the fight and it took quite a bit of holy water to heal you. Not only that, it seems to be more in your system. It shouldn't harm you in anyway but, if you want, I can extract it from your lungs myself." The angel offered with a slight smile. It would probably sap the rest of her energy but she was willing to do it.

[akirashadow]

"Well that's a relief." Akira states to Allura's confident response of her abilities. It seems the tables had turned and the concern now lay with him. "I'm fine... at least I think I'm fine. That magic of yours probably healed a lot more damage then what you realise. I've never felt pain in such a small quantity, it's strange but, I think you may have given me a fighting chance for my inevitable future." Akira was of course referring to his end goal to remove Volkran from his body once and for all. "A little water on the lungs isn't going to slow me down. Besides I don't want you to push yourself you've only just recovered from your last spell" He informs with a small smirk before another cough escapes him. "So, I guess for a change we'll both be able to get some rest eh?" Akira questions somewhat relieved, he couldn't remember the last time he was able to sleep without the constant thought that someone could end him at any moment. He stands up and moves over to the nearest wall turning back to Allura and leaning back against it.

The demon had been silent for some time, most likely a side effect of the angels magic, in fact it may have even weakened its will. How long this effect was going to last was beyond Akira's comprehension. "So how long before you think your brothers and sisters will find us? I mean I already know you weren't the only one that was sent, don't they have some way of tracking your whereabouts?" Akira probes for information from Allura information, that up until this point didn't seem important, but now that there was at least some sense of safety he wanted to know just how false that safety truly was. A small village like this one would be one of the first stops for his former comrades and if they hadn't already passed through, they soon would, but they were no threat. If need be Akira would ensure the right tactics were at play to make his escape from them, but if angels could be so easily fooled with their unbreakable determination that was something Akira wasn't so sure about. He glances round the room for a moment before glancing out into the hall. "Well I guess I'll take the chair, don't worry I'm used to sleeping rough, it can't hurt to plan that little ahead at least. anyway are you sure you're feeling alright? I don't want to stay here any longer then necessary. Personally I think we should rest up, resupply then get moving, what about you?"

[HiddenBeauty13]

Allura's concerned look soon turned to one of relief as Akira reassured her that there was nothing to worry about, though if the problem continued, she would extract the water herself, whether he wanted to or not. She then smiled when he mentioned that they could finally get a good night's rest. After spending the past two days staying up and keeping watch with only a few hours of sleep at a time, it was truly a blessing to be able to sleep without worrying about people trying to kill them in their sleep. With that thought in mind, the angel slowly adjusted herself so that she was lying down flat on her back with her head resting against the pillow that was provided for her. She then turned her head to look over to Akira as he began to speak once more.

"We have a few days at max. They're getting really agitated since I haven't been able to report anything back to them since I first arrived her back on Earth." She explained wit a soft and exhausted sigh. "And I can't necessarily lie because then I'll get into a ton of trouble...They can't find me as long as I don't activate my angelic form, but since did inside that cave, we have at least two days before they arrive." Allura added and yawned quietly before speaking once more. "I'm doing just fine; just a little sore and sleepy is all." The angel flashed him another reassuring smile. "But I definitely agree with your idea: we should spend the next day collecting necessary supplies then leave the following day. As of right now, though, I think I'll get to sleep while I still can." She mumbled sleepily and she could barely tell Akira 'good night' before closing her eyes then falling right to sleep.

[akirashadow]

Akira watches as Allura drifts off to sleep heading over to the chair as he does so. Once reaching it he unbuckles the sword sheath and crossbow from his belt resting them up against the wall, there was no need for him to bare their weight this night. He slumps down into the chair stretching his legs out as far as he could without causing himself to slip off the edge . As he waits for the energy to seep out of his body he just gazes at Allura's peaceful state, his eyes becoming heavier with each passing moment. It wasn't long until his resistance to sleep was overcome by the sheer overpower exhaustion which drowned out the adrenaline granted to him in the past few hours due to desperation, and of course, his blood magic. The night would be a peaceful one the demon had been suppressed for some time and was showing no signs of regaining superior strength any time soon. Images play through Akira's mind as though premonitions of things to come, however without the demons will strong enough these images were but a passing memory fading from not only his sight, but also his mind. There would be nothing he would remember this night, just like the dreams of most mortals were forgotten...

... Back at the forest a pair of men walked, their steps almost synchronised as they did. The Shadow Slayers had gathered enough Intel to know that Akira had headed to this very forest in recent history, it was probably the best lead they've had in some time. They come to a stop as one of them raises his hand before bringing it his nose. "That smell..." He sounded disgusted from what had stopped him though his companion remained silent. The one that spoke looks around himself before changing course, the other man following closely, they soon find themselves at small opening, one with a deceivingly sheer drop mere meters from where they entered. A charred corpse lay near the tree's and the pair make their way over to it. The man that had remained silent then spoke "Those burns..."
"Yes." The other responds quickly. "He has definitely been here, recently I'd say."
"Lance, do you really think..."
"Pursuing him may not be wise at this time Irvine, but we have no choice. This.... This body is a clear indication of that. If we don't stop him... well I wouldn't want to think what might happen." As Lance spoke the charred body began to give of a faint light, it was barely visible and Lance falls back from his knelt position as the body its eyes. "Demon! Kill it now!" Lance shouted in a panic.

Irvine swiftly drove his blade into the bodies chest, though it just seemed to ignore the wound as it stood up before them. Irvine grips the hilt of his weapon with both hands as he tries to control the situations. "Demon?" The bodies voice was raspy and blood curdling, the sort you'd expect from an animated corpse. "My my mere Mortal, how little you know." Lance and Irvine were each astounded by the creatures ability to withstand the poison coated blade. "Though I imagine the fact I'm still standing disproves that claim already." The corpse looks to Irvine "You can remove that now." not request nor order, the blade against Irvine's will slid back from the wound it had just created. "Your cause has been seen as Just and you have been chosen..."
"Chosen for what?!" Lance demanded as he stands back up from the ground.
"Know your place Mortal and do not interrupt me!" The corpse just barely managing to muster it's shout. "You were not chosen for, you were chosen by, and that was the choice of my master."
"Whatever you are, you're clearly not trustworthy." Irvine speaks keeping his weapon raised.
"ah but Mortal's you have been chosen by the divine to carry out its biding, for its mission is one and the same to yours.... more or less."
"The divine?" Lance asks with a chuckle.
"Your blasphemy will not be subject to my masters smite whilst you're helpful Mortal! It seems you know as little as he had said. Then allow me to enlighten you...."

. o O ( Lance and Irvine are side characters who will feature from time to time. I do not have an active character sheet for them though if you wish for me to create one I can )

[HiddenBeauty13]

(OOC: You don't have to make a cs if you don't want to ^^)

For the first time since she arrived on Earth, Allura was blessed with peaceful dreams instead of the usual nightmares or meetings with her boss that watched from above. For once, she stayed fast asleep until the rays of the morning sun kissed her face, gently luring her from her dreaming state. When she first opened her eyes, the angel was slightly confused. She was in an unfamiliar house, yet she did not feel as if she was in any immediate danger. Glancing to her right, she noticed Akira sleeping away in a chair. Allura wondered if he had been uncomfortable but, from the relaxed look on his face, she figured that his night was as good as her own.

Suddenly, she heard humming in another room of the cozy little home and it was soon followed by the sound of someone cooking. Sure enough, Allura got a whiff of something delicious and felt her mouth water in hunger, even though it is not necessary for her to eat food to survive. When was the last time she smelled something so appetizing as that? With that in mind, she slowly began to get out of bed, which was no easy task since her fast healing wounds were still a bit sore from her treatment. Allura managed to get on her feet without waking Akira and soon began to shuffle out of the room as quietly as possible. Once she was out into the hallway, the angel followed the smell of cooking food until she found what she'd been looking for: the kitchen.

Inside, the elderly woman who treated her wounds the night before was busy cooking away on her iron cast stove. Pieces of meat were sizzling in its own grease in an iron skillet while a pot of something yummy boiled right beside it. Meanwhile, the woman was busy pulling out a tray of hand rolled biscuits. The sight was enough to make Allura drool on herself and she didn't notice that she was staring until the elderly woman cleared her throat. "Are you hungry, dear?" She asked in a motherly tone and the angel flushed slightly in embarrassment. "I...uh...yes..." She mumbled and shuffled over to the table but did not sit down immediately. "Do you need help with anything?" The angel inquired politely; she thought it was only right to offer her service to the woman who so kindly let her stay in her home.

"Oh no, darling, I've got it. You just go on and take a seat there. I'll go on a fix your plate." Allura looked at the woman and was about to protest but soon realized that she was a stubborn one; so she sat down at the table, careful not to hit her thighs in the process. "How does your legs feel?" The elderly woman asked as she piled a spoonful of porridge, a fried strip of meat and two biscuits on a plate for Allura. "I'm still a bit sore, but I believe that I'm nearly fully healed now." The angel replied with a smile and eagerly accepted the plate from, but she didn't dig into her food. Not just yet. "May I ask who taught you how to treat wounds like that?" The old woman smiled a sad smile as she poured the both of them a cup of fresh milk.

"Ah, my husband did. You see, I met him when I was about your age actually. I could tell that he was like no other man that I'd ever met before as soon as I laid my eyes on him." A far away look crossed the woman's face and Allura could see that she still loved her husband as much as she did back then. "I would sneak out of my parents home to look at stars in the night sky with him or to simply enjoy the midnight air.

Yes, he was a mysterious one but I loved him regardless. A year or two passed and he proposed to me; of course my parents were a bit skeptical at first but I eventually convinced them to let me marry him." She added with a soft laugh before continuing on. "However, it was the night before out wedding that he revealed that he wasn't human at all. I was a bit confused at first--hell, I hadn't heard of angels and demons much before that day--but then he showed me his true form and I had no choice but to believe him. He thought I would hate him, that I would run away in disgust, but I didn't. I loved the man too much and we still got married as planned the next day.

We could never have children, but it was fine with just the two of us and I enjoyed learning all about the world that I didn't know existed...that is, until people began to notice how I aged but he didn't. It was about 10 years ago when they finally found out that my husband was a demon. They stormed our home one night and set it on fire. My husband helped me escape while holding back both the people and the fire but he was eventually overwhelmed and killed." A sad sigh escaped the woman's lips and she paused to take a sip of her milk before continuing. "I've been living here alone ever since then but it's not as bad as it sounds...especially since you and your little friend arrived her last night....speaking of which, there he is now." She said with a smile that still held a hint of sadness and gestured for Akira to come and take a seat.

"Come, sit. We have things to discuss this morning."

[akirashadow]

Akira managed to sleep right through until morning, relatively undisturbed. The best nights sleep he'd had in a long time, despite its un-comfortable location. As he wakes he raises his head slowly his eyes still heavy as he catches a glimpse of Allura shuffling passed him. He shifts his body so that he's sitting up straight and stretches out his arms and legs loosening up his tense muscles "Time to rise I guess" He mumbles out with a yawn as he pushes himself up to his feet. He stares at the doorway, he did not crave what awaited him on the other side, questions, explanations, stories, and for what? They wouldn't be here long what point was there for chit-chat? A sigh escapes him as it appeared Allura was not coming back any time soon.

He approaches the doorway about to step out into the hall until he hears Allura and the woman talking bringing him to a stop. He listens intently to the exchange of words allowing a few moments to pass before sighing once more and stepping out into the room. The smell of cooked food was dominating the air and he was surprised it had escaped him until now. Too eager to ignore his surroundings then embrace them it would seem. His thoughts circled around in his mind and he almost completely missed being addressed by the old woman. His gaze stops on Allura and he passes her a smile before heading towards the table. He remains silent until he reaches it. "It's their fear you know?" Akira breaks his own silence with the evidence he was eavesdropping. "Their fear of the unknown is what drives them to hating his kind. Although the majority do no favours for the minorities that include your husband." He looks to Allura as he takes a seat at the table "Angels however, they're the mythical doers of good. If the populous knew that they were real, well then there would be chaos." He smiles softly to her once more. "Though of course not the same kind of chaos that is seen to be brought by my kind."

Akira makes a start on his food before looking over to the woman "As much as it probably won't joy you to hear this, we won't be able to stay long, we've got important business that must be attended to. However whilst we're here I'd be grateful if you could point me in the right direction of a competent smithy. If you're willing to share the information we need so that we don't wonder around aimlessly, then I suppose there's no harm in given you information about us. However, I will not compromise myself, if you ask the wrong questions then I'm afraid I'll have to refuse your answer." His outlook on being cooperative still hadn't changed even after hearing the woman's story but this was as much for her protection as it was their own, for knowledge would always serve as a reason for bloodshed.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Allura smiled as Akira finally joined them at the table and began to add his own little input to the topic at hand. What he said was true. Many people were afraid of demons and only believed that angels were the good ones. But maybe I can show people that not every demon is as bad as they might think they are. There are some that actually have better hearts than some angels do... The angel thought as she returned Akira's smile with one of her own.

The elderly woman's smile seemed sad, but she nodded at Akira's last few words regardless. "I understand. You have to do what you have to do, after all." She said knowingly; there was no doubt that thoughts of her husband's sacrifice for her had plagued her mind. Meanwhile, Allura had also began to eat her food, maybe a bit faster than necessary, but hey; the woman could cook...! She managed to eat hey way through both biscuits and her slice of meat before finally looking over to the woman, who was still staring off at nothing in particular. "Uhm, ma'am. What is it that you would like to ask us?" The angel's tone was gentle yet firm and it seemed to wake the woman from her daze. "Oh yes. I apologize for that." She said with an apologetic smile before focusing on the two in front of her. "How did you two even become acquainted with each other? I thought it was rare that angels and demons actually got along, especially not as well as you two do."

Allura glanced over at Akira and nodded. It seemed like a harmless question, especially since the woman was right. Angels and demons were supposed to 'hate' each other, but Allura found it very difficult to hate her companion. "I happened to stubble upon him in the forest one day; he didn't attack me so I didn't attack him and we both decided to team up in order to find civilization, since living out in the forest wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do." The angel replied, twisting the truth just a bit to protect the woman; she figured that she did not need to know that she had come to Earth with the task of finding and eliminating Akira. The woman nodded, seeming to believe what Allura said, before looking to Akira.

"May I ask what made you travel through that cave on the edge of our town? People usually tend to stray away from it, as there is a myth related to that cave. Apparently,a shape shifting demon lives in the cave and uses its power to lure in the weak before taking their soul." The elderly woman said before taking a sip of her milk; Allura was busy eating a spoonful of the stew on her plate when she heard the question and she looked over to Akira, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if he was going to answer it or not.

[akirashadow]

Akira feels relieved as he realized the old woman believed Allura's answer to her questions. Although his focus was mainly on shoveling as much food as he possibly could into his stomach. His concentration was focused so heavily on this fact that he almost missed the woman's question looking up to her with his mouth half full of food. He bites down and swallows heavily clearing his mouth before speaking. "Well in all honesty I didn't know such a creature would be present in there, I tend to keep moving knowledge of local areas isn't my specialty." Akira explained to the woman as he continued. "It appeared the most direct route to get anywhere, our supplies were pretty much completely depleted. It seemed a risk worth taking at the time." Akira smirks before continuing. "Plus I don't mean to sound insulting but one shapeshifter regardless of its powers is highly unlikely to withstand our combined efforts. After all we have more then a few tricks up our sleeves."

Just like the answer Allura had given, Akira's contained some truths to it without going into too much detail about what had happened. Luckily, unlike the night before it seemed that the old woman had believed him. A few moments passed and Akira had returned to eating his food when the next question stunned him in his place. "And your tattoo?" Akira moved his right hand to cover the tattoo on his left.
"It's a forgery" He quickly responded. "A common concept, if the enemy see's you to be their friend you're more likely to pass them unharmed."
"So you would see mortals like myself as your enemy?" The woman digging deeper into the answer Akira gave.
"Only those that would see me dead, and not give me a fair chance of life." Akira was becoming agitated by the questions probing into him. He turns to look to Allura before looking back to the woman suppressing his anger before saying. "I must request that the questions end there for now lest the area gets too busy for me to even get to see the smithy." He passes the woman a smile before looking to Allura. "You staying or coming?"

Akira walks back to the bedroom picking up the crossbow and sword from their resting places. As he buckles them both to his belt once more his eyes flicker red momentarily
'Ahhh it's good to be back Akira....' Volkran states as Akira steps back out to the hall and begins to make his way towards the door, emanating a weak aura of evil energy with each step he takes before stopping just before he leaves. "I must thank you for your hospitality, it will bot be forgotten." The woman doesn't respond to Akira but quietly asks Allura. "Who is he really?"

[HiddenBeauty13]

While the woman was busy questioning Akira, Allura decided to finish up the rest of her breakfast. However, she was not so engrossed in the action that she could not follow the conversation going on around her and she was able to sense that Akira was getting a bit agitated because of her questions. So the angel gave him a reassuring look, as if to say that she was just curious before focusing back on her nearly empty plate. Though the question about his tattoo did raise a few questions of her own but Allura decided that it would be best to keep them to herself for now until they were alone once more. After nodding to his question, the angel stood and proceeded to take her plate over to the woman's sink; she figured that it was the least she could do after being she had been fed so generously by the woman.

Suddenly, Allura picked up on a faint trace of evil energy from somewhere behind her. That demon inside of him must be awake again. She thought with a frown as she returned to her seat, just as the elderly woman asked her a question about Akira's identity. "He's..." Allura had to really think about her answer. She couldn't tell the woman that he was a half demon that was being tracked down by both angels and demons alike, so she settled for another answer: "He's a demon...but he's defiantly different from others. He's a good person, just remember that." The angel replied with a smile that was polite but clearly showed that the topic was not up for discussion. The woman nodded and then slowly stood from her chair. "Come, dear. You'll need to change out of those torn clothes if you plan on blending in around here. Many of my neighbors are still talking about the 'mysterious couple that suddenly appeared out of no where' last night."

Allura allowed herself to be led to another part of the home and, after a bit of searching around, the angel was forced to wear one of the woman's old dresses. "It's a bit short on you but it fits you well." She complimented Allura as she tied a little bow in the back and the angel thanked her in response. Allura wasn't one to wear a dress, but the woman did not have any pants and her husband's were too big on her. Oh well, she would have to just suck it up and go along with it; at least she was still able to put her pouches around her waist. The angel then asked her for directions to the market area before heading out the woman's home to where Akira was waiting on the outside. "She said the market area is a little ways east from here and that it should have everything that we need...ready to go?" She asked as she looked back at Akira and smiled slightly; despite having a rough day only hours before, Allura was in a surprisingly good mood today. It must have been the delicious breakfast that the woman made for them.

[akirashadow]

Akira stood outside the house leant up against the wall as he waited for Allura to emerge from within. A few people gave him more then a moments glance as they passed those in couples and groups whispered and bantered amongst themselves as they looked away once more. It appears that he and Allura had caused quiet the stir although their hostilities towards him seemed to have either calmed down or vanished completely. Though it didn't take long for that impression to die as glances turned to looks of disgust, however when Allura stepped out of the building in what appeared a more then healthy state the looks changed from those of disgust to those of astonishment. The focus of the whispers now on how someone so badly hurt could recover so quickly. However Akira didn't pay the rumours and gossip much heed as he looks Allura up and down examining her new outfit. "Well now... never imagined you to be one to wear such an outfit." He comments with a small chuckle, before paying attention to what Allura had actually asked. "I'm ready to go." He replies with a smile as he pushes himself off from the wall heading in the direction Allura had indicated.

"Hopefully the blacksmith won't cause too much hassle when I request him to reforge this swords blade." Akira comments whilst glancing to Allura. "The amount of times you get asked why you'd want to reforge a weapon in such fine condition is rather repetitive." He remembers shortly after that he needed to re-stock on his crossbow bolts, his last one which was sitting in the weapon was damaged from already being used, it could be reused, but the effectiveness and accuracy would be greatly unreliable. "So... do you want to split the work between us or stick together?" Akira asks out of curiosity, both having their pros and cons the most notable of which being they were less likely to be hassled if they went around town together, but tasks were more likely to be completed with greater haste separated.

Being in a town always used to bring Akira into a false sense of security. He'd momentarily forget how heavily he was hunted and of the huge bounty that had been placed upon him. However it wasn't a bad thing, such as now for example, it appeared no one in this town knew of who or what he was. Plus now he had more then himself to look out for, Allura was a complete unknown to normal folk, they knew of demons and the anarchy that most would bring, but not of angels. But it was probably for the best that they knew not of angels, in fact Akira would rather they found out his true Identity to that of Allura's as there was no telling of what the reaction would be. The thoughts circled around in his mind making him completely oblivious to what was going on around him. 'Pay attention fool, I may still be weak but I know when you're wasting both our time' The cold hearted thoughts of Volkran snapped Akira back into reality as he just barely avoids walking straight into one of the town-folk that seemed determined to get in his way, probably looking for an excuse to start a fight. As Akira dodged the person he had also avoided the situation, he glances back to Allura with a small smile as he looked around. Stalls were within sight and merchants were shouting at the top of their lungs trying to entice people to buy their goods. "Well." Akira says to Allura trying to not have his voice drowned out amongst the noise. "It would seem we're here, where should we head first?" He had completely forgotten his earlier question on whether they should stick together and it would seem he was about to get his answer.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Allura smirked at his comment about her change of clothes, but decided not to respond with a witty response of her own. She smoothed out the dress a bit before walking forward along the semi crowded dirt covered streets with Akira. "Well, I would be a bit curious myself if someone asked me to fix a sword that isn't damaged." The angel added with a light shrug then began going through a mental list of what she thought she needed: Her staff was no where to be found and Allura figured that it got left behind during their battle in the cave. Since she had no intentions of going to retrieve it, she figured that she could get a new one, one that was made completely of metal instead of wood, one that would be able to remained undamaged if she enchanted it.

The angel was so deep in thought that she managed to miss Akira'a question on whether to split up or not and she was only vaguely aware that they'd finally arrived at the market area. It was only when Akira decided to raise his voice in order to assure that Allura would hear him. "Well, let's see...." Merchants were calling out their different products and their prices all at once and people scurried left and right in order to grab a great deal before it was gone. The smell of cooking foods of all different kinds floated to the angel's nose, making her mouth water a bit, even if she had already eaten that morning. "Maybe we should head to the armory first. Ya know, get the harder part out the way." She suggested with a smile and began walking forward once more.

The deeper they got into the market area, the more crowded it got and Allura nearly lost her companion a few times while she was leading him around. "Geeze. there's so many people." She mumbled to herself as 'traffic' came to a stop for some reason, making the angel sigh to herself. "Can you see the armory from her Akira?" Only people taller than Allura stood all around, blocking her view, much to her annoyance. She didn't enjoy not being able to see her surroundings at all.

[akirashadow]

Akira looks up and down the street as people shove and barge their way passed in the hussle and bussle. Akira find himself holding to Allura's shoulders to stop them from being separated from the masses of people. It took him a while before he could notice a faint smoke down the street, the kind you'd expect to emanate from the cooling of hot steel. He leans forward and speaks as close as he can to a whisper without being drowned out to Allura. "That way." A small chuckle escapes him as he uses his hands to direct Allura to facing the correct way and pushing forward softly to encourage her in the direction of the smithy. He was pretty sure of his path but on a couple of occasions he took his eyes off of Allura to double check they hadn't passed it. "For a small town it's pretty busy huh?" Akira asks to Allura still guiding her down the street as he does so. Busy as it was there were still people who managed to take the time to stop and stare at the pair, drawing them an un-naturally high level of attention. "Heh... it appears a whole lot of peoples eyes are getting stuck." Akira speculates to the attention they were drawing, luckily however they had made it to the smithy before their path was cut off by stopping town folk. Akira let out a soft sigh as he let go of Allura's shoulders and walked into the open shop space.

As he walked into the shop he un-buckled the sword and crossbow from his belt. He approached the smithy, glancing back to Allura to make sure the towns people were not disturbing her. "I'm going to need your services." Akira announces on his approach the smithy turning to face him. "I need this blade re-forged." He states as he places the sword on a workbench next to him. "Plus this crossbow could do with re-wiring and the sight being re-aligned." The smithy gives Akira an odd look as he un-sheaths the blade.
"Well... it isn't dull, nor is it chipped.... or crocked." The smithy points out the lacks of flaws in the weapon one by one. "Can't see why you'd want the blade reforged."
Akira sighed as he un-bundled a small bag from his belt, not opening it he just drops it down on the workbench. "Your payment."
"You can't be serious! You'd pay that much for this work? you must be mad!" The smithy couldn't believe the offer that was being made to him, though Akira interjected before the smithy could say anything else about the sum being offered. "You can either do the work or I'll find someone else who will, I'll also need a quiver of 30 bolts for the bow." There was a silent agreement as the smithy nodded his head in response to the offer Akira had made him. Though before taking the equipment to do the work the smithy glances over at Allura before looking back to Akira. "So... you're that couple that emerged from the cave yesterday."
"hehe..." Akira chuckles softly in response. "I guess that explains the staring, but we merely met a few days ago, we have a neutral goal in mind."
"If you say so kid." The smithy stated. "Will the young lady be wanting any work done?" The smith asks projected his voice to ensure Allura could hear him.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Allura narrowed her eyes at the people who decided to stare at the two of them as they headed to the smith's shop. Yes, she knew that they were two strangers that had randomly appeared out of a supposedly 'cursed' cave during the night but, darn, did they have to stare so intently? This thought and many others plagued the angel's mind but they soon went away as the shop came into view. It was a rather spacious area filled with everything that the smith needed to make his business successful. Glancing inside, she noticed the smith himself, he was a tall and bulky man, nothing less of what she assumed him to be like. As Akira walked over to the smith, the angel decide to keep herself occupied until he was done by examining the weapons that the smith had already forged.

The first weapon to catch her eye was a sword. It's blade seemed to be made out of the most durable type of metal and the hilt was covered with a few straps of leather, which would provide comfort for the user when he or she decides to wield the sword. Moving to the right, another weapon caught her eye. This time, it was a staff, one composed of a similar metal to the that the sword was made out of. Reaching out, she ran her fingers lightly along the entire length of the metal and quickly came to the conclusion that it would make a fine staff for her.

At that moment, she tuned in long enough to hear the smith call out to her and she turned to him, nodding slightly. "Yes, I'd like to purchase this staff here." Allura carefully removed the staff from its original space and walked over to the two. "That was a little pricy." The smith said carefully, eyeing Allura up as he did so. Apparently, he didn't think that she could afford it, so she too pulled out a money and poured out a hefty amount of coins, making the smith's eyes grow wide. "Okay...I'll accept this." Was all the smith could say as he reached out for the coins but the angel quickly put her hand over the money. "I would also like an engraving of the word 'aqua' on it as well." The man nodded and the addressed the both of them.

"Your items should be done in an hour, no later than an hour and a half. Just come back for your items then." Allura thanked the man and then waited for Akira to tag along to before heading out of the shop with him. "Where should we go next?" She called up to him, just to be sure that she could be heard by him over the roar of the crow around them. She was unaware of it now, but more towns folk had stopped to watch the two almost as soon as the exited the smith's shop. The women would lean over towards each other and whisper back and forth while some of the more immature men thought of ways on how to provoke the two. Getting along with some of the towns folk would not be an easy task.

[akirashadow]

Akira watches as Allura walks over to the smithy with the metallic staff in hand, in the event of a battle it was sure to pack a punch. Upon hearing when the weapons would be ready for their collection he goes to exit the smithy alongside Allura. Although he was almost brought to the same instantaneous as Allura was by the town folk. After hearing what Allura asks Akira simply replies "Somewhere we can get the supplies we need with being under their judgement... which may take a while to find. I can tell that merely our presence here is causing quiet the disturbance." Akira looks up and down the street, as best he could from the view he could obtain with the masses of people obstructing it due to either their continuous moving, or in most cases the lack of it. "alternatively we can keep our heads ducked down in a tavern somewhere and wait until later in the day, then once there's less people we can go about our business undisturbed." As Akira spoke a young man approached them, he didn't look much passed his late teens/early adulthood as he stops directly in front of Akira. "What are you two even still doing here?!" The man's voice was full of anger and hatred and it seemed he wasn't going to hold back.
"We're here to gather supplies and get our equipment fixed." Akira replies keeping his calm in this non-threat situation.
"Well you should hurry up and get gone! We don't need people like you here!"
Akira chucks softly before almost repeating what he'd just said. "We'll leave when we're ready to leave, no sooner, you should try to accept that."
"Yeah well people like you always bring trouble to this town! You're not welcome here, and you never will be!" As the man finishes what he has to say he spits on Akira's armour before turning and walking away.

Akira sighs as he grips some his shirt beneath the armour on his wrist and wipes down the area that had been spat on. "Well that was certainly enlightening." He mentions the Allura before clearing his throat to prevent himself from coughing again. "Although these people don't pose any threat to us we may as well heed their words before someone decides to resort to bloodshed." Akira looks up, it appeared some towns folk had been waiting merely for someone to say or do something about the pair, as some of the crowd had returned to their daily lives merely ignoring the pair of them. "So I suppose when they deem something a small time problem they'll just ignore it until it goes away. Such is the life of the inhabitants of a town such as this one I suppose. Well then shall we get moving?" Akira asks before passing Allura a smile and heading down the street looking for any market vendor who might be peddling goods they're after.

His main concern was food, something that would last a good amount of time, there was no guessing how long they'd have to go before reaching another town. Then there was the issue of new camping equipment, seeing as Akira had pretty much destroyed all of Allura's supplies on the night they met. Then lastly, the thin that was likely to be the most difficult with the towns hostilities, information gathering, they couldn't stay in town for long so finding work was clearly out of the question. What they needed was rumours or proof of nearby ruins and underground passages that had been raided and captured by the likes of Orcs and Goblins, if there was any loot to be had, those would be the places to find them.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Allura was about to respond to Akira's suggestion when a man came up to him and began to speak very rudely to the demon. While Allura was fuming on the inside, she was surprised to see that her companion was able to keep calm throughout the entire ordeal and she began to wonder if he was actually the angel here. "That was very uncalled for....but I'm glad that you didn't feed into that man's anger. I think he was waiting for you to hit him or something." She said with a grateful smile and felt her own anger receding from her body. "But yes, let's go on and get the rest of our supplies before we have another encounter like that."

With that goal in mind, Allura reached over and gently grabbed Akira's hand before tugging him forward through the crowd. However, people seemed to make an effort to stay away from the two as they walked, which made Allura's task of leading much easier than it had been before. Plus, she could actually see where she was going this time. Eventually, both her eyes and nose brought her to a vendor who was roasting meat of various kinds and sizes over a huge fire in order to make the meat tougher, which in turn would make it last longer. As they approached, the vendor glanced up at Allura with a look that made her glare. Apparently he did not get the memo that he was supposed to 'hate' the newcomers. "What can I get for you today, miss?" He inquired smoothly as he chopped up a bigger piece of meat in order to make smaller ones.

"I would like a few of your cooked meat there." The angel said, gesturing to the ones slow cooking over the fire. "I can get it for you...how much of it do you want, though?" He asked, wiping his bloodied hands on his already bloody apron. Allura turned to Akira with a raised eyebrow. "How much do you think we should get? It has to be enough to keep us full for a while." She added with a slight smile. She honestly had no idea much they should get, so she hoped that Akira would be able to help her determine a sensible amount.

[akirashadow]

Akira is willingly pulled through the market until he allows himself to walk alongside Allura with their hands still intertwined. It didn't take long for them to come to a vendor of meats. The smell had grown progressively stronger as they approached until they had finally came to be before it. As Allura inquired to Akira how much they should get the first question that sprung naturally to mind was. "How far's the next town, or village from here?" His tone and expression seemed very much well practised as though it was something he'd ask everyday. "For the amount we need lays within this knowledge."
"Well now." The vendor addresses Akira's question. "That depends entirely which way you pair are headed."
"We're something of the adventuring sort, although our true goal lies to the north we're open to whichever route seems the most wise."
"In that case, I'd advise you head west if you want to remain near civilization and well walked trade routes. The next town that way is usually two days..."
"Well then that's not so bad eh?" Akira asks passing Allura a smile.
"That's two days by horse back, otherwise you're looking closer to a week."

The fact that the supposed 'next town' was a weeks travel away seemed somewhat strange to Akira, especially one supposedly on a well walked trade route. 'He's lying' Volkran insisted in Akira's head 'Allow me to handle this...' Akira grips Allura's hand hard as his eyes flick to a red colour. He stands staring at the vendor for a moment, looking the man in the eyes. "Hey are you ok? You don't look so well." The vendor queried, upon hearing which Akira shut his eyes, and upon opening them they had returned to normal, his grip on Allura's hand softens down once more. "What of the village to the east?" Akira asked and the vendor gave him a strange look.
"For a stranger to this area you seem to know your way around."
"Sure there's a village to the east only a day away by foot but..." The vendor shook his head. "Listen kids you don't want to go that way."
"Why not what's out that way?"
"Well the forest on the edge of this town continues to the east along the route to the next town, there's a crypt about halfway. People that have come to this town from that direction often tell stories of what they've seen coming out of that place."

Akira looks to Allura and just softly says loud enough for her to hear "That actually might be worth heading out." Before raising his voice once more for the vendor to hear him. "I understand your concern, and knowing of trade routes you probably know better than I do on how much of this meat we'll need per day of travelling... Give us enough for three days supplies." The vendor shook his head before turning and getting the cuts of meat that had been requested by Allura area.
"You're making a mistake kid, no matter how much that merchants paying you to go to that place" Akira listened to these words from the vendor though didn't enquire about them, another lead worth checking it would seem, two birds with one stone. Akira paid the vendor with the required amount of gold before taking the wrapped meat with his free hand and tugging Allura softly to indicate that they were making a move once more. "You kids be careful what ever you choose to do!" the vendor called out as the pair left.
Akira shook his head before looking to Allura. "Heh... how they little they know, all thinking we're still so young. Well I suppose there's at least one gift from being what we are." Akira looked up the street in the direction they were heading seeing the familiar sign of a tavern, he began leading Allura toward it.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Allura listened intently as the two men exchanged information. She, too, was glad to hear that the nearest town was only two days away but became confused when the man added that it would be a week long travel by foot. Of course, she didn't mind walking, but that seemed a little odd and something was nagging at her that maybe the vendor was not exactly telling them the truth. Allura was momentarily distracted from her thoughts as Akira's hand tightened slightly around her own, making her blink slightly in surprise. As she glanced over at him, she noticed that his eyes had suddenly went from its usual color to red and the angel could immediately tell what was going on. Apparently that water in his lungs has warn off enough to allow the demon to gain enough strength to take over his body once more. She thought with a slightly worried look on her face but was relieved to see that Akira had retuned to normal and the rest of the conversation continued without further incident.

"Yeah, I guess so." Allura replied a little while later to Akira's comment then found herself thinking about her seemingly younger appearance. It's true that she'd been turned from human to angel when she was only about twenty years old, making her look young, but in actuality, Allura was nearly a hundred years old now. Shaking the thought away, the angel focused on their new destination: the tavern. She could hear the rowdy laughter of men and women way before they were even at the door and Allura already deemed this a place she would not willingly go into, but in order to lay low for a while, she figured that this would be the best place for the two to go.

However, as soon as they walked inside, a hush fell over the crowd that was already there and all eyes turned to them. Allura could do nothing but stare back until, thankfully, most seemed to loose interest in them and return to their own conversations. Though the angel couldn't shake the feeling that someone was still staring at the them as she led Akira over to the nearest empty table. Luckily, it was in the corner so they could have a little bit of privacy while they were here.

After sliding into the booth across from Akira, the angel smiled over to him. "Well, this should be fun?" Her voice held only a bit of sarcasm, but it wouldn't be hard to pick up on. Just as she was able to add another to that question, a woman dressed in simple clothing walked over to their table with a fake smile on her face. It was very clear that she didn't want them there too. "Would you two like some wine while you're here?" Allura glanced over to her companion and raised an eyebrow. Would ordering wine help us to fit in more? Or would declining it make them more weary of us? Could the wine possible be poisoned? All these thoughts and plenty more seemed to flood the angel's mind all at once. After being away from human civilization for decades, Allura wasn't all too sure on what to do in certain situations, especially ones like this.

[akirashadow]

As Akira sits down at the table he returns Allura's smile with one of his own. "heh just try to enjoy it." He replies "This is only the first of many we're likely to come to in our travels." As the woman approached the table Akira could tell from her body language alone that she wasn't happy with the pair being here. Unfortunately for her though she wasn't exactly in a job where she could pick and choose who she dealt with. Akira looks to Allura noticing her confused look from the woman's question. Akira leans towards Allura ans whispers. "Don't worry I know how to handle this." Akira sits back again as he passes Allura as mischievous smile. He turns himself in his chair to face the woman who was still awaiting their reply. "You know you don't need to pretend that you want us here, you're extremely bad at performing in such a way that I could see your hate for us from the moment you walked over. But you see here's the deal..."
"Well this should be interesting." The woman mutters under her breath an un-welcoming glare still in her eyes,
"You are going to serve the drinks that we want to drink, not whatever is cheapest or in the largest quantity where the quality is so poor that none of your regular patrons are interested. You will serve us what we want because, as you should well know we're more important then your regulars as we hold the key to you reputation." Akira winks at Allura as he pauses for a moment, the woman not answering back, as he thought would be the case before he continued. "Obviously you don't have to do this. But if you don't we'll simply take our business to one of your more welcoming competitors in town that are grateful for our patronage. I'll take no pride but have no quarrel in sending your reputation into the dirt through speaking the good word of how poorly you treat passers by."
"That's not true!" The woman snaps at Akira. "We just don't want you here!" her words drew the attention of some patrons, whether or not they were locals was beyond Akira's ability to tell.

"You're right in that respect but do you really think people will come listen to your side of the story, whatever your reason is for hating us, after a Demon Hunter tells them of how badly he was treated?" Akira smiles to Allura wondering to himself how much more the woman would listen to.
"You're no hunter, hunters only work with other hunters, she doesn't bare their mark."
"She doesn't bear their mark as she is my underling, and as such it is her role to observe and learn from me, she was injured due to that damnation of a creature that your town has left lingering in that cave without sending any word to us!" Akira reaches into his pocket pulling out a folded piece of parchment and shoving it into the woman's hands. "That is but a portrait given from a witness to the creature after it killed their brother due to your towns cowardice!" lies upon lies, Allura was no apprentice and Akira had his reasons for wanting to pass through the caves the fact to that the fallen had summoned the demon to his side had only made Akira's job even easier whilst he was there. He calms himself down in his moment of reflection before continuing. "Now I don't know about my companion, but I would like a tankard of ale, and don't think that there is any chance you'll be paid more then its price, if you try to rip me off I'll know." The woman still baring her anger remains silent before looking to Allura, composing her before asking.
"And what would you like to drink miss?" Akira claps sarcastically at the woman before finishing his piece by saying.
"Now that... that is more convincing."

[HiddenBeauty13]

"I'd like what he's having." Allura replied quickly, even though she had no idea what ale was. She planned to ask Akira what it was later. The woman smiled as pleasantly as she could before nodding and hurrying away from the table. Allura then turned to Akira with an amazed smile on her face. "You handled that quite well...I bet it's obvious that I haven't been around people like this in a while..." The angel said sheepishly to him before falling silent. "So what do we do in here? Simply sit here and drink ale?" The angel asked curiously as she sneakily glanced around at the scenery around them.

Despite all of the rude looks that the pair occasionally received, the actual atmosphere of the place was actually pretty nice. Drunken men laughed cheerfully at jokes and whistled at women who passed by, who only giggled in response. Couples sat close to each other and whispered sweet nothings into each others ears until someone finally cracked a smile. Of course, there were a few people who were acting out of hand but it could be easily over looked for now.