A Villain.... or a Hero? (Continued from SO)

[Xenoxice]

Zenithe awaited for her to climb upon his back.  Listening to her compliments as she did so, he smiled ever so slightly and closed his eyes.  "You have given me more than I could have imagined.  And I await anxiously to see what the future has in store for us."  His voice chimed so melodically with a happy undertone.  Slowly, he spread his wings an held them upward and crouched down low.  "Hold on tight." he said simply.  Once he could feel her hold on tightly he would proceed to jump and beat his wings as hard as he could at the same time, creating quite a hefty wind that bent most of the trees away from them and blowing many leaves from the limbs.  A sudden jerk would be felt as they left the ground, already quite a notable distance off the dirt.  The wind blew by quickly around them, the air once again maintaining that soft warmth as they climbed higher and higher.  "Get ready, you may want to slow your breathing a bit and concentrate.  Where we're going the air is quite thin."

Up and up they soared almost completely vertical.  The sky although broad daylight seemed to be getting darker.  The moon became more visible and sun could be fully seen around the edge of the earth.  Stars shone brighter than ever and the blue sky could now be seen just barely beneath them while the sky was as dark as night above.  Leveling out for a few moments, everything seemed to stand still.  While in reality they were moving at tremendous speeds, all sense of speed was lost at this height.  "Welcome Jolene... to the edge of the world."  His voice more clear than ever in the dead silence of what was left of the air around them.  The infinite space above and the features of the forest and earth below barely able to be made out even with the best of eyesight.  "Get ready..." he warned.  "We're about to make a dive straight to the border of Escavas."  After just a few moments allowing her to take in the view and grasp on tightly, he leaned forward and began the dive at a slight angle.  What seemed to be moving much faster than he did last night in flight, was in fact so.  Speeds such as this only capable when diving from the world's end.  The ground while so far away grew and grew rapidly.  It would be hard pressed to breathe at this point with the wind beating so rapidly past them, but what an adrenaline rush and thrill it was.

As the trees became more distinct and the buildings growing near, Zenithe quickly leaned back and drew his wings out to slow down.  Down they went until the ground was just about a hundred feet away or so and he began flapping his wings to bring them to a halt.  Landing in a small clearing through the tree tops, he would allow her to dismount from his back before reverting his form to the human he would more easily be able to walk around the city with.

[Relairah]

She was also curious, and she did as he instructed as he took flight, grasping onto him. She was glad now at this moment more than ever for the cat side of her. Truly, no ordinary human could ever survive this. But it was worth it. As they soared up and up, she barely had time to take it all in until suddenly, they were at such a height, she was surprised they were not already falling apart. Of course, it was probably more to do with magic than anything... particularly his dragon magic. The same power that kept it warm as they flew must also keep it safe as they went to unimaginable places.

If it wasn't for the fact she was already having to control her breath, the mere view of what he was now showing her would have taken her breath away entirely. It was beyond anything she had ever seen or could ever fathom. Such beauty was indeed a rare privilege to behold, and once more he had stricken her with awe. She had wondered for only a moment if it were even possible for that to happen... now she knew. It was.

She barely had time to take it all in, for if the did not soon lower, she would probably lose all ability to breathe entirely. The air was so thin. It was worth it though.. She gazed around herself, eyes taking it in rapidly but also well. A special place for her and for Zenithe. She wished she could speak...

As soon as he gave the warning, she clung to him tighter than ever. She closed her eyes as they began the plunge. At this speed, even she was in danger. Or so the thought entered her mind. Once again her cat instincts seized her, warning her to do something for her own safety. Though there was nothing she could do anyway. Even thinking of letting go of him would certainly be far more dangerous... She leaned forward until her entire body lay into his. She forced herself to calm. She trusted him... and knew he would not hurt her.

The rush was indeed unlike anything she had experienced... and well worth it.

Still...

Once they slowed, she felt a wave of relief come over her. As they landed, she brought herself up slowly and swung down, landing easily on her feet in the grasses. "Oh dear stars..." she exclaimed, out of breath. She was certain her face was as pale as the moon they had seen above. She stared at Zenithe as he transformed into human form. She wasn't sure whether to be upset, amazed, overwhelmed, or joyous. All of them were a tangle within her chest. She simply continued to stare at him, orange eyes brilliant.

"Next time... perhaps you should dive a little slower," she said, straightening herself. "You should know that a cat's instinct falling like that is to sink its claws into anything and everything grounded. Although at that height.. leaving your body would have killed me." She suddenly began laughing and when she finally managed to calm herself, she sat down, needing a moment to simply breathe. "Truly, I've never seen anything like that in all my life. I can't even tell you in words my mind or my emotions right now... in only one night, you've shown me more than my wildest dreams. I can't even express my gratitude."

She stood once more, seemingly more composed. Jolene then flicked her dark brown locks in a confident fashion. "I do hope you'll show me that again sometime," she murmured, moving closer to him. She glanced down sharply at a loud grumble from her stomach, then grinned sheepishly. "Shall we?"

[Xenoxice]

Observing her reaction from the sheer speed at which they had plunged back to the ground from the very fine border that blurred between the world and the infinite space surrounding it, he grinned with his mouth hidden as it once was before behind his cloak and waited for her to finish composing herself. Hearing the loud growl of her stomach he nodded in amusement and agreement. "Yes, we shall." Holding his hand out to take hers if she would allow, he would hold it firmly, but not too tightly. Looking back to the sky, he gave a quiet sigh. "I have never been able to share that experience with anyone before..." He paused as though he was searching for something in his mind. "Teetering on a razors edge between the void of space and the safety of the ground below... experiencing both simultaneously, and yet neither..." His eyes seemed to relax and dilate very wide as he spoke. "Feeling almost weightless yet still tethered to the world beneath you. The location that experiences neither night nor day, but instead both at the same time. It is there, I feel I will discover something... important." His pupils dilated once more to their more cat-like appearance as he turned his gaze back to Jolene. "I don't know when... or what it will be or even whom it will be about. I just feel it's a place that eternally summons me... beckons me to it to find something..."

Recalling what Jolene had said just a few moments ago, he smiled to himself. "I would be honored to take you there whenever you'd like. And as for digging claws into anything, don't be afraid to if you feel the urge. I can assure you mere claws cannot penetrate my scales in that form. Even then, should the event ever arise that you do somehow manage to dismount yourself during flight, you can rest assured that I will catch you long before you reach the ground." With a not so hidden smile he chuckled quietly. "I can fly much faster than you can fall." With his other hand, he motioned towards the city. "After you." He would wait for her to go first before making one last remark in a slightly playful albeit serious tone. "I'm afraid anytime I go that high, diving at that speed is the only way back down. At that height without a clear landmark to judge by, your sense of speed becomes severely skewed, even for me. If I had to take a guess though, I would say the initial dive for the first minute or so is roughly five or six times my maximum speed near the ground which is why it may have been frightening. Thinner air means less wind resistance and pressure and that equals much greater speed." In the back of his mind he was still wondering how exactly he can speak in his true form, but it wasn't bothering him as much now since he felt he would get an answer from Jolene when she had a conclusion of her own.

[Relairah]

Jolene smiled when he took her hand. Just the feeling of his skin on hers brought warm sensations and the simple action of holding hands she found was pleasant. She listened as he talked, walking forward steadily. She was captivated by his explanation, and perhaps he was right. Perhaps there was something secret, special, and only attainable by one such as himself in that plane so far above them. She looked up slightly, though knew from here she would never be able to see anything but the expansive sky and the shining sun at this point. Her orange gaze fell to Zenithe's cloaked face. She wondered for a moment why he even covered himself so much...

She giggled when he informed her she was free to react however made her feel more comfortable. She should've known... "Well I won't stop myself next time then..." she said with a slight smirk. As he began to explain why he had to dive back to the earth at such a severe speed, she frowned slightly. "I still don't fully understand but... I trust you," she said softly. She silently thought it would probably take her some getting used to, even with knowing it was coming or knowing his reasons. "Perhaps I should find some way of collecting air... magically, of course. As fantastic as all this is... I don't think that cats were meant for such heights." She paused, glancing his way again. This time with a warm smile. "Though I guess that makes all of this even more special for me." She was feeling like being with Zenithe was both something she didn't deserve, and also something rare, extraordinary, and a gift... something she was craving more and more of and to learn even more about.

She realized it was silent for a moment. "So... I believe I owe you an answer." Initially, she had been waiting until they were seated at a table in some inn with food about to be placed in her belly. But she decided he had waited patiently, and it seemed to be the one request he had of her for the time being. "I first felt it last night, when you showed me your true form. But then, I didn't know what to look for and I didn't know what to expect. But, when you were explaining before we went to the edge of the world and showing me your transformation then, I noticed it more consciously. I think that your conclusion that you have some telepathy and can speak into the mind is the case. I definitely don't think that your vocals change in such a way that you were describing... though I suppose I've heard of dragons that can talk by forming words with their mouths. I'm not entirely certain on that matter. But for you..." she paused, "it felt like I could not just hear you in my mind... I could feel you. Like a presence." She paused again. "I hope I've helped... or at least given more clarity."

Ahead, the city was in sight... they would soon be coming to where they had been the night before.

[Xenoxice]

((OOC:  Sorry for the delay in response and shortness of it >_<"  5 days away from RP'ing spending time with family and I'm finding it hard to get the muse going again!))

Zenithe listened very carefully to Jolene's answer and nodded slowly as if he was agreeing.  Pondering it over himself for a moment, he spoke back to her as they continued to walk closer to the inn from the night before.  "Well, what you explained makes sense.  I was leaning towards that answer as well and you only confirmed what I was thinking."  Looking up, he could see the inn from the night before just feet away.  With a deep breath he looked and smiled ever so slightly.  "We're here." he paused for a moment before continuing. "At least were back to where we were.  As to where we're going to eat, I'll leave that up to you as I'm sure you know the area better than me.  I was merely passing through for a job last night when all this began to unfold, so it looks like I'll be hanging around a while now."  With a hidden smirk he attempted to nudge Jolene playfully letting her know she was the reason for his staying.  With a slow breath taking in the city air now, he exhaled softly.  "After you..." with a momentary pause and a small bow, he finished his sentence with a playful wink.  "My love."

[Relairah]

She smiled up at him. "Glad I could help," she said. As he spoke next, she also turned her gaze from his form to the inn before them. Part of her wanted to go in... see if it was indeed cleaned up and settled or not. But, then she had a better idea.

As Zenithe's fingers were still entwined with hers, she suddenly had the feeling to entertain him a bit. It was true she was familiar with this place. Too familiar perhaps. And it was also true that this place was familiar with her. Even if it had been a long time since she had been here... since she had left so many years before and discovered so much... she still had a reputation. And there were perhaps only a few places in town that would even allow her close. She smirked, her fiery eyes glimmering suddenly.

First, she stepped forward and spun so that she faced him. Slowly, she released his fingers. Instead of playing cat and mouse, as they had before, where he was the mouse... now it was his turn to try and catch her. Where they would end would be where they would eat. When he said, "After you... my love," it caused her heart to stutter. For a moment, her eyes gained only tenderness and she fiercely desired to grasp him in a scorching kiss. All her life, she had only ever wanted this. Someone to love and accept her. Every part of her for who she was... and to also be by her side no matter what life brought. But she was still scared. But she was getting softer... more bold with these new affections.

It had almost made her falter... but her mischievous side was still at work and she slowly smirked... "Yes indeed... follow... and catch me if you can," she said with a smirk. And with that, she was off. She didn't even give him a chance to catch on to what she was doing. Although she wouldn't be surprised if he already had. Given his job as a mercenary... but still, she darted, her movements quick, agile and her turns sharp. She leaped on top of a lamp post and from their sprung herself to a rooftop. She moved between buildings and even leaped down into alleyways and darted around corners as fluidly as if she was running a straight path down the street. She wondered if she was even giving Zenithe a challenge. The way he had moved the night before... it had taken her cat instincts to detect his movements. She never would have been able to catch him on mortal strength alone. But then... even if she couldn't exactly teleport, she waslike a zig-zagging dart, and she was certain at the least she was entertaining him.

[Xenoxice]

Staring at Jolene's face as she turned to face him made his heart beat just a little faster.  Her beauty was one thing Zenithe thought he would never be able to look at nor admire enough.  Lost in his own thoughts and somewhat spaced out, he was quickly brought back to reality by her soothing voice.  "Yes indeed... follow..."  his mind now quickly returning him back to his surroundings.  "and catch me if you can."  Hearing those words he raised his brow with an intrigued and amused look.  He watched as she took off.  So nimble and agile were her movements.  Looking on with the same wonder as he had last night as she was chasing him.  Now the tables had turned and it was him chasing her.

Observing her movements as she had jumped to the lamp post and used the momentum to spring to the rooftop, he began to think to himself how to catch her.  Seems she knows very well how to carry momentum through her movements and maintain it.  I'll have to follow high and anticipate direction.  Knowing full well his current form wouldn't be able to keep up with her in broad daylight without any shadows to use his abilities, he relied on a more unconventional method he's learned to use over the years to compensate for that weakness.  Being born knowing how to shape-shift had its advantages.  With fine control over partial shifting he allowed the muscles in his legs to change and become more dense. Gaining some of the strength he has in his dragon form.  With a quick running start and a jump he prepared for mid-stride, he leaped straight from the ground to the rooftop seemingly with ease.  His eyes narrowed as he began to become more amused and satisfied with their little chase.  Running after Jolene he leaped from rooftop to rooftop watching her movements in the alleys below.  When needing to make a sharp turn of his own, he partially shifted his foot so his claws would be exposed and dig into the roofs of the buildings below him to keep traction.  His eyes kept upon Jolene with relative ease due to being used to quick movements and high speeds, though moments did arise where she went in a different direction than he had expected.

After a while of chasing her down, he thought to himself Time to finish this game.  Shifting his legs further he gained more speed before leaning forward and jumping as hard as he could, sending himself barreling towards Jolene.  If she had continued in a straight path, he would have flown past her and shifted the claws in his hands and his feet to stop himself but digging them into the ground and ripping it apart as he slid by.  If she had veered in any direction, he would use the same method of stopping himself before leaping at her once more.

[Relairah]

As Jolene traveled, she did not merely stay on the streets. She moved easily upward
onto roofs and back down as she saw fit. She even leaped onto hanging street covers, surprising whoever was
underneath them. She was also not unaware of Zenithe's movements above her, always her ears listening for
his movements as well.

When he suddenly barreled by, however, that did catch her slightly off guard, and she leapt back, orange
gaze sharply falling to his figure. Though a smirk graced her lips. Impressive. She darted, avoiding him
as he lunged after her again. She now debated whether she should keep running, or let him catch her.
They weren't quite yet at the place she'd had in mind to eat...

Once more, she leaped into the air, landing on yet another light post. She stood on it easily, hands on
her hips and grinned down at Zenithe. "You're not bad," she said with a grin. "But I doubt you can be
as dainty as me!" It was more of a light-hearted challenge. There was so much he could do that she
certainly couldn't. And she was also only teasing. He was magnificent. And graceful. And beautiful...
if it was appropriate to call him so.

She leaped down once more, this time aiming to tackle him. She doubted that if she were successful,
it would do any sort of damage. He would probably simply catch her. But she couldn't be too certain...

Regardless, she grabbed for his hand again, and if he let her, she would take off once more, this time
running with him. "Come on... we're almost there," she would say.

And sure enough, around two more buildings was the place Jolene had been aiming for. It was a quaint place,
hidden behind two massive other buildings and definitely out of the way. However, on first entry, the smell
of warm delicious things baking filled the air. The place was somewhat dark, dim light filtering in to the
otherwise only candlelit room. There were several large round tables with wooden carved chairs and a simple
bar in the back leading into a clearly small kitchen. Despite its hole-in-the-wall type appearance, there
were several people inside, all laughing and enjoying light conversation.

Jolene headed straight for a table in one of the far corners near the counter. "I guarantee you've never
tasted heaven till you've eaten here," Jolene said, plopping herself in a chair and making herself comfortable.
She waved a hand at the man behind the counter, who raised a brow.

"Well, I'll be dammed... if it ain't Jolene."

"Give me my old order! It's been too long," she said with a smile, before turning her gaze to Zenithe. She
wanted to gauge his reaction.

[Xenoxice]

Watching her movements as she leaped back and out of the way once more, Zenithe followed suit with as much fun as he had before. Observing every inch of her figure as she moved with such finesse until she leaped up upon a lamp post once more. Her comment about being as dainty as she was absolutely true. There was certainly no way in his figure, in either form, he could possibly be as dainty nor agile as her. His movement were more from wit and strength to compensate for lacking in that area. Still, he found her comments and compliments amusing, yet playful. A slight hidden smirk growing each second behind his covered face as he awaited to see what she would do next. Leaping down from the lamp post isn't exactly what he had expected Jolene would do, but when he noticed she was headed straight for him, he assumed it was to knock him down even if just to slow him down and resume the chase. As she fell towards him he simply caught her and set her down as she grabbed for his hand.

Allowing her to do as she pleased, he followed her as she lead him around a few more buildings and to their apparent destination. Looking the building over with a glance from the outside, he noted its surroundings from the alleyways to the neighboring buildings and streets. A habit or sorts he had formed from all his time as a mercenary... creating mental pictures of an area prior to the execution of a mission for quick and easy escapes. Pushing that aside in his mind, he stepped inside the building and let his senses become filled with the smells, sounds and sight of what was around him. Certainly a place he had not been before, but once again, he only glanced around for a quick mental image before following Jolene's footsteps. Listening to her claims of the food that was served here, he looked around a little more with great interest. Indeed the food smelled delicious and it had been quite some time since last he ate.  How long has it been.... 6 weeks or so since I last ate...? Longer since it has been a decent meal.... This is the first time I've really had a chance to sit and enjoy myself in a long time... his mind was distracted only for a moment as he thought to himself. Soon enough his ferocious appetite would be revealed due to him retaining a few traits from his true form. His human form would become more apparently clear to be his secondary form, even though he preferred to stay in it more often in public. With a hidden smile behind his cloaks mask, he sat himself down next to Jolene and awaited until the man behind the counter looked to him before he spoke what he wanted.. and he was sure the man would find him to be one of his finest patrons...  "Three of everything... any meat leave it raw..."  With that sentence, he looked back at Jolene, removing his sword with sheathe still attached where it rested upon his side, and leaning it against the table. "The food smells wonderful.  I hope it tastes as good as it smells?"

[Relairah]

At Zenithe's first words inside the place... Jolene gaped. She knew very little about dragons... and being as they were so large... she would've thought they had to eat far more often than that. But before she could even question, his order seemed to suddenly answer everything. She stared at him, blinking a few times to compose herself. Eating that much... well... with such a long waiting period was understandable. But raw? Could he possibly shock her any more?

He seemed so casual, talking about the food. Well of course for him this was a normal thing... "Er..." she started. It seemed Jolene hardly cared at that moment if she seemed unlady-like. She never really had been mannered to begin with. "Yea... you'll just have to... find out..."

She paused, as if debating whether or not to ask something. Then she blurted, "Are you crazy? Why not eat more often?" Besides... if he did... perhaps he wouldn't eat so much. Or at least... spend... she hadn't even considered the money. Then again he was a mercenary. She shook her head, baffled. Well... she supposed she'd have learned sooner or later. Although... she wondered if this was something she'd ever get used to.

Her food was out shortly, but the man behind the counter informed Zenithe he'd have to wait a while. They had hardly been expecting such a large order on short notice. Jolene's plate was an array of sausages cooked to charred perfection on the outside around a stack of powdered sugar-covered pastries. She seemed to also feel no qualms diving in. Throughout her life, she'd always had to eat often on the go or when she got a chance and had developed little sense of others around her. Though she wasn't sloppy. Merely swift.

[Xenoxice]

Listening to Jolene's words he didn't even seem phased by her comment about being crazy or eating more often.  He simply listened to her voice with utter content and smiled behind his mask.  As he waited to respond until she at least got her food and began to eat.  He sniffed the air deeply as he looked at her food and closed his eyes for a moment thinking to himself; If all the food looks and smells this good... I'm in for a nice treat... Once snapping himself back to reality, he looked at Jolene with that same hidden smile as before.  "Well, I could eat more often if I wanted to.  But then I would be eating just for the sake of eating and the flavor of food in my mouth.  My race only needs to eat by necessity every two months so I had another two weeks in me before I would actually NEED to stop and eat.  Unfortunately if you haven't noticed yet, my dragon form is my natural form and thus I retain some of the traits as such even in this one.  Hence why I ordered so much food.  And I don't cook any meat while in my true form, so I eat it as it comes naturally.... off the bone."  Looking at her with inquisitive eyes, he was curious to see how she would react or what she would say next. The day had been a fun one thus far, much more so than Zenithe had experienced in a long time and he was anxious to see what the day would bring next.

[Relairah]

As he explained, she was still blown away. She had already deduced some of it... after all it made sense. Especially given he was a descendant of a guardian... meaning his origins themselves would be more dragon than human. But still. It didn't make the whole ordeal any less shocking. Still, she eventually let it go...

A bit after Jolene had already finished eating, several heaping plates of food were set before Zenithe, piled high with all the things that he had ordered. She had to keep her composure, staring intently at all that food. Especially the raw meat... it was just so... different. Still, she pushed it aside. She might as well just get used to it now.

"So... what do you think?" she asked.

[Xenoxice]

Looking at the plates full of food... succulent meats, sides, fruits and vegetables, he licked his lips once before pulling his mask back and his hood down.  He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose slowly and deeply, smelling everything all at once and individually.  "It all looks so wonderful and smells amazing!"  A look of great approval crosses his face before he began to take abnormally large bites out of the food.  Clearly he was enjoying the flavors with much appreciation.  One may be able to determine that he had shifted some of his teeth in the back of his mouth to assist chewing such immense amounts of food at once, but how he didn't swell up like a balloon at the same time was a miracle to most who watched, save for maybe Jolene.  Several plates piled high and already half of them emptied within a matter of a couple minutes.  Occasionally looking at Jolene as he ate with a smirk on his face, he continued his meal and never once slowed his pace.  It was almost as if he wasn't filling up at all even though he was.

After about ten minutes every scrap of food was gone, all the way down to any bit of fat that was on the raw meats.  Wiping his mouth clean, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a handful of solid gold coins and placed them on the table.  Easily enough to have payed for his hefty portions several times over.  Looking to the man behind the bar he gave a smile.  "Keep the change.  Best meal I've had in a long while."  He turned his attention back to Jolene and sighed slowly.  "Well, that should last me a good while and I have to admit you're right.  I have tasted heaven.  That was some of the best I have honestly had in a while.  I would certainly like to eat here with you again sometime."  Leaning back in his chair, placing his sword in its sheathe across his lap with one foot up upon the other knee, he looked at her with that same inquisitive look as before.  "So, did you have any plans for today before I came along?"  His gaze was almost playful and daring at the same time to see what she would say.

[Relairah]

It was true. The entire place seemed to have quieted and turned their focus on this mysterious cloaked figure in the corner with the not so mysterious Jolene who ate the entire restaurant's menu three times over in only ten minutes. It seemed everyone in there was baited on whether or not to leap all over him asking questions, or mind their own business. For someone expert on staying inconspicuous... Jolene assumed he probably drew this kind of attention at least when eating. Maybe he was used to it.

She was hardly bothered. At least there was no need to try and impress each other. Apparently they each had their own eating habits and that was that. At least they both ate quickly...

"Well I'm glad that I didn't disappoint," she said as Zenithe agreed the food was amazing. He'd barely had time to really enjoy it... but then... with the way she ate neither did she perhaps.

At his question, she gained a slight look of mischief... "Well... I did come back in town with the intent of trades." And also for a job. As she had told him the night before, she was a thief for hire. And this was how she made her 'honest living'. At least she now 'earned' money to pay for things as opposed to just stealing from the market place. This particular buyer was one of the uptown merchants further inland from the coast and she had been instructed to meet him at noon this day in his home to find out more details.

"Come on... let's get out of here before these people decide to start asking too many questions!" she said, grasping for Zenithe's hand once more, if he allowed, and darting for the door. She waved at the cook, who shook his head and returned to his duties.

She made her way toward the market place. It was still some time before she needed to meet the merchant, and she earnestly felt like seeing what had become of all the people she once pillaged... to some degree. The market was already lively with vendors offering their goods and probably trying to sell them for more than they were worth. She strolled through casually, wondering if any of them might recognize her. What she hadn't been counting on were the guards that once chased her about the place...

Once again, Jolene found herself grateful for her mastery of her cat instincts. At the sound of something swiftly breaking through the air, she leaned back, grasping an arrow in her hand and stopping it just inches in front of her face. Her gaze was fiery as she looked for the shooter. A guard... of course. A smirk graced her lips. "Want to play with the cat, do you?" she asked.

The guard who had shot the arrow... his face had turned pale white. Clearly he had not been expecting her to dodge his attack in such a way. The girl they had known back then hadn't even known about her cat side. Let alone been this skilled. But she was no longer a girl. Jolene swiftly leaped through the crowd and landed near the guard. Perhaps she shouldn't have toyed with him... But he had upset her... and first thing on a perfectly good morning! "Run along... while you still can. Don't worry... I'm not here to steal anything."

The guard's face seemed to regain its color, and even grew red. He straightened himself, glaring daggers at Jolene. "I will not be made fun of by a lowly thief. And regardless of now, you've still to pay for past crimes, little girl." He spat at her, raising his crossbow once more and pointing it right at her breast.

Jolene managed to dodge the ball of spit that landed somewhere behind her. As the guard fired the crossbow again, she bent back, catching herself on her hands and flipping back to her feet. She crouched. If it was a fight he wanted... she'd give it to him. Guard or not.

[Xenoxice]

Giving a small but silent shrug to Jolene's comments about leaving before others came to ask him questions, he allowed her to take his hand and lead him outside the cozy building and back into the streets. He was curious after all to see what business she had in the city. Onward they went to the marketplace where vendor stands were scattered everywhere and bustling people walked about. Having so many people nearby made Zenithe more aware of his actions as far as how it affected others since there was so many innocent around. Then came a hissing in the air, a sound he was all too familiar with. Quickly readying himself as he wasn't sure who was about to be struck yet until he snapped his gaze to Jolene that had just caught the arrow mid-flight. With a hidden smirk, he looked at her with much approval. Expecting no less from the one he had taken such a liking to.

Deciding to follow her closely through the crowd until she landed herself before the guard that had fired at her, he backed off a bit and let Jolene have her space, keeping a few yards directly behind her with a keen eye and hand grasping the handle of his sword readily. Watching on as the guard spit at her, he could feel himself becoming more angered at the so called 'protectors' of the town. Disrespectful little insect... he thought to himself with venom in every word. Not quite expecting Jolene to dodge the next shot the way she did with him standing directly behind her a few yards away, but ever ready, her dodge allowed the arrow the sail straight past her and towards Zenithe. Trained reflexes allowed him to unsheathe his blade and with a single smooth and quick upward slice, he split the arrow clean in two so the halves embedded themselves into the wooden posts of a vendors stand on either side of him.

Now passersby began to scramble to get out of the crossfire so they themselves didn't get hit by accident. Several guards could be heard coming down an alleyway nearby as they came to investigate what the commotion was. Moving himself between them and where Jolene had been with the other guard, he quickly turned his sword them, bringing them to a halt momentarily. Pointing the large blade at their necks he made a simple yet threatening ultimatum. "Unless you want your heads shipped to your loved ones in a basket, I'd stay where you are." Somewhat baffled by his words, the guards remained in place, looking between each other with a puzzled and slightly horrified expression. Zenithe's gaze shot to Jolene for a moment to see how things were going with her little game.