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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 19, 2009 14:31:15 GMT -5
Pari didn't actually need to say anything else to the guards now. They had decided against getting her a healer without her having to say anything, and had darted off in search of Wolf all on their own. All she had to do was stand and hold her arm and look scared and in pain, and that really wasn't very diffcult to do. She had to resist a smirk though, hiding as much as possible how pleased she was that her plan had worked. They hadn't even asked herwhy h had bitten her, or checked the tent. Stupid guards, they were probably too worried about all the trouble that they would be in because of all of this.
She smirked a little to Wolf though as he popped his head around the flap of the tent, smoothing her hair down with her uninjured arm before nodding to him. "Yeah...letsgo. Which way is out again?" She questioned as she looked around, unable to remember which direction she had come from. She was relying on him knowing where he was going. He was the one that lived here, she was sure that he kew the way out.
"Oh, and if any guards come to us then our excuse is that you are taking me to the healers." She nodded to him, glancing around befre looking back to him. "Hurry though, your Master will hear that you are out soon, and he might be more likely to recognise you."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 19, 2009 14:58:28 GMT -5
"Out...?" he looked at her as though she was crazy when she looked confused, shaking his head lightly. "You don't know the way out?" Well, this was unbelievable. This woman, who had just managed to potentially succeed in the thing that he'd been trying, and failing, to do for over forty years didn't even know her way around the place? She had been right, there hadn't been times for introductions when she'd first come into the tent, but he was sure as hell going to ask her some questions if and when they managed to get out of here. He nodded faintly, almost distractedly at what he was going to have to do if they ran into someone, and he stepped fully out of the tent. The cloak really did make him look different, but he had no doubt that his Master would smell him out if he could.
"Right, let's go." he nodded, sweeping off to the right and down the pathways between tents, through areas of shade, sunshine and brushing close to guards a few times, but they didn't even look at him. He could get used to this. At first he was merely meandering towards the exit, walking in whichever direction his Master's scent wasn't. Eventually they circled around the arena back towards where she'd originally come from, and Kai knew from memory that there was a small exit just to the left of the gate they usually made him wait in front of, and it wasn't heavily guarded. He'd made for that gate a few times, in daylight and night, but they didn't NEED to guard those exits, with the way they locked the slaves away most of the time.
The half demon found it hard to keep his nerves from getting the best of him as they trailed towards the exit, and he twitched as the sound of a violent cheer broke out in the arena some way behind them, but it seemed only to be for the large man who had beaten his opponent, yet again. Ugh, he was partially glad he'd lost now. If not, he'd still be fighting in there, and that meant this girl may not have found him at such an opportune moment. It was so anti-climatic, though, just... strolling through the gates and down the wide dirt road towards the town, he didn't quite realise that he was free until they were almost fifty metres away from the arena. "...We're out." he muttered softly. "...We're actually out."
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 19, 2009 15:51:14 GMT -5
"I was more focused on getting here before your Master than remembering the way, sorry." She murmured, holding her injured arm close to her chest. It wasn't hurting so much now, the pain having dulled to a throbbing sensation, the sharper pains only flaring up when she moved her arm. "Could you show us the way? Please? It'll be faser than me trying to find a way out of here..." She murmured and smiled to him hopefully. Surely he would show them how to get out if it meant gaining his freedom.
She moved to walk along next to him as he began to lead the way, her gaze darting around to make sure that they were't being followed. Everything was going perfectly though. Even better than she had planned. No-one gave them a second glance, they were all too busy with their own jobs to give them a second glance. News of his escape would be slow to spread too, Pari guessing that the guards would only tell someone senior when it became obvious that they couldn't find Wolf alone, and by that time she planned on being a safe distance from the arena.
A smile tugged at the edges of he lips as they stepped out of the arena without being questioned. The further they got from the arena the less she looked over her shoulder, feeling more and more confident that no-one was going to come chasing after them. Ha! She ouldn't believe it! They really had done it! They were out of the arena and he was free! Pari supposed that she was free as well, because right now she had no intentions of going home.
"We are." She nodded to him, smiling brightly. "We are really really out. You will still need to keep the cloak on, incase someone recognises you...but...you're free. Congratulations." She grinned to him, looking up at him now to study his face a little more closely. "Oh...I don't even know your name. I'm sure you're not really called Wolf, so what is your name?"
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 19, 2009 16:15:21 GMT -5
He moved to slow a little as they got further away from the arena without anyone appearing to drag him back inside, into captivity again. He was strolling now, really, a vague smile on his face from the shade of the cloak as he looked at the sprawling dirt road in front of them, the mis-matched sandy coloured houses of the town a few hundred metres away, the nobles' mansions and side roads that spanned off in all directions around him. Freedom. He didn't quite know how to react to it, to be honest. All he knew was that, if they ended up taking him back into slavery after this, it would probably break him and he'd just die. You couldn't have a tiny taste of freedom and then have it snatched from you without a price, could you?
He nodded softly at her suggestion to keep the cloak on, far too engrossed with the new sights that rose up around them to even be paying much attention. The new images were a welcome change from the arena that he'd been looking at his whole life. Eventually, as people began to drift around them without even the slightest bit of notice, he wandered to the shade of a building (he was getting far too hot, especially with the cloak on) and stopped for a minute or two.
"...Kai." he told her softly after a while, as if he'd actually had to try in order to recall his name after so long. It was either Wolf, White Wolf or Azad. He hadn't been just 'Kai' in an incredibly long time. "I think that's what they used to call me..." he added quietly, frowning and nodding faintly to himself, as if to confirm it.
"Pari, right?" he glanced at her eventually, rubbing at the scar on his face out of habit, "Why'd you do it? You're not gonna get some goons to come murder me or somethin' now, are you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, "Or wait until that idiot Master of mine sends out for a reward, and then turn me in? I need to know why you'd be such an idiot and save a single slave from an arena, and what you plan to do now." he told her firmly, pale eyes glittering in the shade of the cloak as he gazed directly at her face, before he looked down at her arm. "I hope that doesn't hurt too much, by the way..."
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 19, 2009 17:10:06 GMT -5
She followed him over into the shade, decding to stay quiet until he spoke, letting hm take everything in. From the look on his face he had never been out like this before, so everything would be new and exciting. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to see the world for the first time. After living in the arena she imagined that the world must seem big and busy, and quiet compared to the roar of the crowds. She leant back against the wall as she let her gaze slowly move over their surroundings. It was all to familiar to her, even though she didn't know the town very well he people looked the same where ever you went, a did the buildings, they were just put in different places.
She looked up a him as he told her his name, smiling a little at how unsure he sounded. "Kai." She repeated and nodded, setting the nae to memory. It wasn't a name from around here, but he wasn't really from around here either, was he? She would guess that he was from somewhere far away and exotic, where wolf people were normal and people were pale. He was probably om somewhere cold thinking about it, it would explain how pale he was.
She scowled just a little at his questions and looked down at the ground. His suspicion actually hurt a little. Why would he think that she had helped him for any reason other than to help him? Why would she want him to get hurt? And why would she go through all that trouble just for a few coins when her father earnt enough to keep her comfortably for the rest of her life? "I just wanted to help you, that is all. I don't like to see people getting hurt, and I was sat near to your Master in the crowd at the arena. I was worried about you, and I didn't think that it was right to let someone do that to you..like I said...I just wanted to help." She mumbled, rubbing at the side of her head.
She glanced to her arm at his last question. It had stopped bleeding by now, blood dried onto her arm around where his fangs had pierced her skin, dark bruising already begining to form. "It doesn't hurt too much, I'm sure that it will be fine."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 19, 2009 17:25:49 GMT -5
Kai stayed silent as she explained her reasoning behind what she'd done; he couldn't help his suspicion, he had lived in a place where nothing was free and there was usually a dirty reason behind every good thing someone did. It was unusual to even hear that someone could be so... well... selfless. She'd freed him, just because she didn't think what was happening was right, or just.
...The world could use a few more people like her. He eventually couldn't be suspicious anymore, just from the sincerity in her voice. She even seemed upset that he would think she had any bad intentions by freeing a slave. "You wanted to help..." he repeated her words, as if they were unfamiliar on his tongue, before eventually smiling faintly and nodding. "Well, thank you. For everything, you didn't have to. But you did it anyway... didn't you say you'd get in trouble if anyone caught you, though? Isn't someone going to come and look for you?" he asked softly, looking around again now.
Everything was all to new to him, yes, he was like a small child going out for the first time right now. Excitement glittered in his eyes without him even realising and he paused to watch a group of children run past, kicking a ball, before turning his attention back to her, nodding as she said her arm would be alright. "I'm glad I didn't bite too hard." he murmured, before pouting a little all of a sudden.
"Hey... you think we could go somewhere I could take off this cloak? Maybe a side street or inside or somethin'? I don't like not being able to hear well... and it's really hot in this thing." Well, it was hot to him, anyway. He'd never gotten used to the heat, but he'd learned to deal with it at least, even if it meant that he got sleepier as the day drew on, and only perked up a little when night fell. They said that night in the Xyndi Empire could be bitterly cold, even though the days were scorching, and they were right. But that's why Kai liked the night best.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 19, 2009 17:39:06 GMT -5
At least he seemed to believe her, and hadn't looked at her yet as though he thought that she was crazy. Kai wasn't the only suspicious person in the world, most people that you me thought that a person would only help them if they were getting something out of it. Sometimes she thought that everything would run smoother if everyone just had a little more faith in one another. "Come looking for me? I don't think that they will have noticed that I am missing yet. They will think that I went back to the carriage because I didn't want to watch the fighting." She shook her head, looking back in the direction of the arena. "They are better off without me anyway, less hassle for them." She murmured quietly, but offered no explination for that remark. She didn't want to go into that, she didn't partcularly want to talk about herself, he wanted to learn more about him! He was far more interesting than she was. "Of course we can." She nodded as he asked to go find a side street. "There are little wells and fountains in most streets here, even the quiet ones, so we can find somewhere to sit and I can clean your wounds up for you if you would like. I promise that I will be gentle." She offered with a smile as she stood up properly. She could also do with cleaning her own arm, but he was hurt more so her arm could wait. "We are betting getting out of the sun anyway, it get pretty unbearable in the afternoon..."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 19, 2009 17:51:33 GMT -5
He looked ready to make a comment on what she'd said about her family; well, he assumed that they were her family anyway. But by the look on her face he decided not to say anything. What did he know about families anyway? The only memories he had of his family were faded, blurry or blackened out so he couldn't quite remember them properly. He remembered the cold, though, and the snow. He loved the snow. But it was unlikely that he'd ever get to see that again.
He was dragged out of his daydream about colder times at her suggestion of cleaning his wounds, the half-breed tilting his head and nodding slowly. He wouldn't ask about that - nobody had ever cleaned him up after a fight before, and it seemed strange to him, but she could do whatever she liked if it made her happy, and he didn't have to go out of his way. After all, he owed her his freedom, and that was a pretty big debt to pay in his eyes. You never really grew out of being a slave, did you? "Alright, whatever you want..." he mumbled to her and stepped away from the wall, not quite knowing where he was going as he meandered down the street.
Side-street with a fountain, isn't that what she had talked about? He found one soon enough, deserted because of the high positioning of the sun. There were a few patches of shade but the majority of the tiny square was bathed in sunlight, but Kai could put up with that just because of the sparkling water glinting off the fountain. "Tell me about it." he mumbled at her comment about the heat being unbearable, nodding softly and trailing over to the fountain.
As soon as he had double-checked that the coast was clear he practically tore the cloak off, shaking his red-stained hair out of his face, ears pricking up at the unfamiliar sounds around him, of markets and children laughing and women chattering together. The headache had almost gone by now, as had the ringing in his ears, and he looked positively enthralled by the noises, tail flicking at his heels as he looked around. He'd already forgotten about the fountain, by the look of it. "Are all towns like this?"
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 19, 2009 18:02:42 GMT -5
Kai didn't owe her anything. He wasn't in herdebt or anything like that, not in her eyes anyway. She was helping him because she wanted to, not so that he would be in her debt or owe her. She had to remember that he was used to accepting what he was told to do, so being asked if he wanted to do something woud be alien to him. She should let him make some deicisions, just so that he got used to the fact that he really could think for himself.
Pari headed straight over towards the fountain as they turned into the empty street, sitting on the low wall that surrounded it before looking up at Kai again. He was adorable, wasn't he? In that feral kind of way. It was sort of cute how amazed he seemed by everything that she found so ordinary. "Most towns are like this, yes. Actually, this seems like a quiet end of town, the market must be a little way away from her."
She opened her bag up again and took out a wash cloth, dipping it into the water before looking up at him. "The water is nice and cool at least. You want to sit down and we can wash all that blood off? Being covered in blood isn't exactly normal." She told him with a small smile, seeming to completly forget that having a tail and wolf ears wasn't exactly normal either. "How do your feel?" She asked, obviously asking about his injuries now, scowling to herself a little at all the blood. "You have so many scars...are they all from the arena? That's awful."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 19, 2009 18:29:47 GMT -5
"Mm, market's that way." he pointed, scarily accurately to the west, back down the street they'd come down and into a larger, main-street. "That's where most of the voices are coming from, anyway." he murmured, one ear flicking in that direction for a moment before she distracted him again, the half-demon sitting down on the edge of the fountain a little way away from her, watching curiously as she dipped the cloth in the water of the fountain, absently letting his fingers trail beneath the surface of the water as he watched her work. It was deliciously cool, as she'd said, and he had to stop himself from just flopping back into the fountain. For someone with age enough to know an arsenal of things, he was strangely innocent, but he at least knew it probably wasn't normal to do something like that.
"Okay, if you want to." he lifted a bloody hand up to examine his injuries, wrinkling his nose. Usually the blood just... came off after a while, the little water he was given wasn't going to be spent cleaning his wounds, after all. "I don't really mind..." he mumbled, taking his other hand from the water to flick it absently on his arm, enjoying the cool sensation of the little droplets. Okay, so he might be suffering from a little bit of culture shock, but soon it would actually sink in that he really was free. At least he was endearing, right?
"Hm?" He didn't really know how to answer the question, since nobody had ever asked him how he felt before, frowning ever so slightly. "I'm sore all over. My head aches, but it's not as bad as before, the scratches on my back are burning and I've got a sore throat where that bastard tried to choke me. So pretty normal, I guess." he smiled to her brightly, as if that's what she wanted to know. Luckily Kai tended to heal quickly, thanks to his demonic heritage, but it still hurt while it healed. He followed her gaze down to his scars as if wondering what she was looking at, tilting his head.
"All from the arena, yeah." he told her nonchalantly, "'Cept this one." he rubbed at the scar on his face. "That was in the tent."
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 19, 2009 18:47:10 GMT -5
Pari watched him for a moment as if she was expecting him just to flop back into the water. That would be one way to get him clean, even if it wasn't the most conventional way. "Try not to wriggle too much or you'll end up soaked." She nodded as she shuffled over to him, wringing a little of the water out before lifting the cloth to start cleaning his arm first of all, starting off gently seeing as she guessed he wasn't used to anything like this. Thankfully the blood came off rather easily, and she had soon shifted to reach around him to clean the scratches on his back, leaving the cut on his head until last because that would be the one which was the sorest.
"I don't know how to help your pain, or your headache...or your ears...but a drink might help your throat." She suggested, dipping her cloth into the water of the foutain again. "These fountains are here for people to drink from, as well as to cool people off. If you want a drink just cup your hands under the running water." She told him, nodding to the thin trickle of water that flowed down into the fountain from the wall, keeping it topped up. In places that were so hot a good supply of water was essential, and you knew that no matter where you went here you would always be able to get a drink.
"There." She smiled and sat back once she had finished cleaning all of his wounds. "All finished, your wounds are all nice and clean now." She nodded as she rinsed her cloth out in the fountain before using it to clean her own arm with, being careful seeing as it was still tender.
"In the tent?" She asked, bemused by that comment. "How would you get a scar like that in the tent? Did you trip into something?" She questioned. Pari gained a great many bruises from tripping and walking into things, maybe he had done the same?
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 21, 2009 14:53:49 GMT -5
It was a weird sensation, having his cuts and bruises all cleaned up, considering that he'd never had anything like that done for him before. Staying completely still while she worked, he was still half watching the fountain distractedly, while his ears twitched now and then, flicking towards some unheard sound in the distance that he'd picked up on. He did feel better once she was finished cleaning his wounds, even he had to admit that, though he'd winced once or twice as she'd cleaned the scratches along his back. But he was surprised at how gentle she had been - Kai had gone through many things in his life, but people being gentle towards him or anyone else certainly wasn't one of them.
"I didn't say you could do anything about them." he murmured, puzzled as she analysed the list of discomforts he felt, "I only told you 'cause you asked me." he shrugged, though reached out to cup some of the water in his hands and take a drink regardless; he was really beginning to feel the sun as it crept higher, and he'd soon shuffle off into the shade to hide from it and prevent his pale skin from catching the light too harshly or anything like that. "And... thanks, by the way." he looked down at the scars that marked his skin, along with the fresh scratches, "You really didn't have to do anythin'..."
He frowned ever so slightly for the first time as she mentioned the origins of the scar on his face, reaching up to touch the silvery line almost self-consciously, even though he'd long gotten over the fact that he would be permanently disfigured by the thing. "I didn't trip and fall, no." he shook his head, speaking softly.
"My Master had a little too much to drink one night; he always gets grand ideas into his head when that happens. I must have gotten him angry during the day or somethin', even though I won the fight he put me into, and I was sleepin' too deeply by the time he came into the tent to react fast enough. All I remember is the flash of the blade in the dark..." he murmured, shrugging lightly.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 21, 2009 15:09:04 GMT -5
"I know that you didn't, but generally when people tell you that there is something wrong, or that they are uncomfortable, you try to help them." She explained to him patiently. She would have thought that he would know that. Hadn't he had any friends at all in the arena? Surely the slaves had been allowed to talk to one another, if not then it was a wonder that they hadn't all gone mad. Pari knew that if she had been locked away for years and years on her own she would have lost all of her marbles, and Kai didn't seem like he was crazy. No, he just looked like he was trying to take everything in.
"I couldn't just leave you all bloody and let your injuries get infected, could I? No need to thank me, it's alright." She shook her head at him and smiled lightly. He really didn't have any confidence in people, did he? He seemed the type that would expect someone to just walk on by and leave him if he were dying in the street, whereas Pari was sure that at least one person would stop and help her. Poor Kai, he just needed a little confidence in man instilling into him, and Pari was sure that she could help with that.
Her eyes widened at his story, a look of disbelief on her face. "Your Master just came in and...cut you? For no reason he just attacked you?" She tilted her head at him before suddenly moving to hug him, only gently though because of all the scratches on his back. "I am sorry, Kai. Some people can be awful, no-one deserves to go through that."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Apr 21, 2009 15:24:49 GMT -5
He actually chuckled a little at the merest suggestion that his injuries would get infected, shaking his head. "They won't get infected. I heal fast." he assured her softly, letting his hand drop from the scar on his face now as he glanced at her.
Surprised wasn't quite the word for it as she leant across and hugged him; he seemed dumbstruck at the gentle feeling of her arms around him, and for a second he didn't quite know how to react. Eventually he seemed to get over the shock and instead tensed up ever so slightly, not seeming to know whether he liked hugs or not. Considering how old he was and some of the things he must have known that others wouldn't have even been around to witness, he really was innocent in some ways, wasn't he? But the age showed in his eyes as he scowled a little, shrugging. "Oh, I'm sure he had a reason, a really good one. He just didn't tell me what it was." he told her, the faintest stirrings of anger in his eyes beginning to show. "Typical of him, I'd say."
The flash of his temper vanished, however, just as soon as it had made an appearance; Kai was used to forcing the emotions away, and besides that, not even his apathy, or his anger could deny him of the fact that, for now at the very least, he was free. As free as you got. "Don't worry about it, anyway." he murmured, sounding rather awkward now as he hesitantly reached up to put his hands on her shoulders and push gently to separate them again. "Didn't kill me. And I don't have to think about it anymore." He still would, but that wasn't the point here.
"You're too kind to people, Pari." he informed her after a while, smirking and running his fingers through his hair. He must have been gaining a little confidence at least, since he'd used her name.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Apr 21, 2009 16:09:44 GMT -5
"Well, he won't do anything like that to you again because you are free now." She nodded to him, not at all seeming to notice his discomfort as she hugged him, not even as he searated them. "And if anyone tries to hurt you then you can defend yourself." She added, just incase anything did happen to him, she didn't want him to not to fight back just because that was what he was used to. Not that she thought that he would do that, but just incase. She didn't quite know what to expect from him, so it was better to tell him, just incase.
"No such thing as being too kind." She smile to him and shook her head. "Some people forget to be kind sometimes, or they don't have time, so I decided that I could be extra nice to make up for it." She nodded to him, brushing her hair back from her face before letting her fingertips trail over the surface of the water. "I know that I can't do much but I do my best to help balance things out, you know?" She murmured and shrugged to him. Pari wasn't particularly good at anything else, so the least she could do was be nice to people.
"How come you heal quickly?" She asked him, tilting her head at him, attempting to shift the focus of the conversation back to him. "I'm guessing that it has something to do wit your ears and tail?" She had never heard of someone like Kai before, and while she was sure that he wasn't a regular mortal she wasn't sure what exactly he was.
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