Almost Peaceful Afternoon(Open)

[Pbyer]

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Hm..curious... The wolves had bounded off, those that still could, the rest lay in a bloodied mess. A few scattered by the feet of Royll, and one such body was atop his hat. Perhaps to the boy's dismay he seemed a bit more worried about retrieving his hat than answering his question when the time finally came. With his blade sheathed, he ducked down low next to the body and shifted it off his hat.

His hat was trampled, wrinkled in several places and bloodstained; however this didn't stop him from shaking it off and putting it promptly back atop his beach blonde hair. With that done, he finally turned over to the fox. It seemed that the boy thought these wolves were after him. Strangely, that thought had never occurred to Royll himself, at least not until now. Now the cogs in his head were visibly turning as he stepped closer to the fox. His hat was lowered at this point, nearly shielding his eyes entirely from view.

"I have more enemies than I can count. Although, I have to say this is the first time they have used wolves to apprehend me. It makes ya think doesn't it?" He paused looking up at the moon. Perhaps, they figured that the boy would finish him off in a blind rage. Regardless, his remaining energy would be enough to handle the fox as it were anyways. He adjusted his hat.

"Still, I am not entirely convinced that it was any of these 'enemies' that sent those wolves upon us. It is true, that I am being pursued; however my identity has remained secret for years. I highly doubt they just stumbled upon me. Then again...the world is rather cruel at times." He sighed, there was no further reason to think about it. After all, that was no scouting force, they wanted blood; whomever they were. It would take time for the escapees to report to their masters. And still a longer time to reengage.

[Doku Shiko]

Doku nodded a bit. He shook out his fur a bit and continued to lick the blood off. The metallic taste stayed on his tongue and it was getting rather annoying. He looked up at the other man. "The wolves. They don't go by looks.... The sniff.... Your scent," he said, trying to speak again. He hadn't spoken much while in fox form, so it was still difficult. He blinked, wondering what to say next. He looked in the distance, wondering if the wolves were going to come back. He saw a few glittering eyes, but those wolves were just scouts. He bared his teeth and they ran away.

"You.... are great at.... fighting," he commented, looking back at the man. He gave him a foxish grin, before standing up on all fours. He had gotten some of the blood off. He moved over to his pack and opened it. He grabbed a pair of pants and a new pair of boots and laid them out for when he would change back into human form. "I... try and control... this form. Its difficult. I'm resisting the urge to attack you...," he added, looking at the moon.

[Pbyer]

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Doku's comment was very true. In fact, other than haggard breathing from fatigue, Royll hadn't taken any damage. Unless of course you count his hat, which was nearly in tatters. Although, his limits would have been reached if he was forced to continue the onslaught much longer. It was one thing to use his speed to end a battle quickly, but if prolonged it was dangerous for him to use of so much energy at once. That lesson was learned the hard way and almost resulted in his death earlier on.

Still, Royll wasn't convinced that the 'enemies' of his past had found him by scent alone; and this clearly showed in the shaking of his head. He also went as far as waving a scolding finger at the fox to remind him what would happen if he should attack. "I wouldn't let that resistance falter. I meant what I said earlier." The statement itself was rather cruel, and his tone was strangely dry and unappealing when he spoke. However, the mere gaze from his eyes revealed more curiosity than anything else.

"Come now though, you give my abilities too much credit. You can't possibly be a proper judge without understanding them. Although, I'd be a fool if I didn't accept such a compliment." As quickly as he spoke his tone changed back to its usual indifferent and nonchalant nature. Also, he was smirking again which was a sure sign of basic amusement. After a brief pause he stepped in the direction of the fox.

"I must ask you though...shifter: in any of your recent travels have you seen a female of your kind? In her un-shifted state she would appear nothing more than a girl in your eyes. With darkly colored purple hair, almost black in fact. She transforms into a wolf, not too dissimilar than the ones we just fought. Except for her pitch black fur and leaner body." During this description his eyes bore a strange tone of sadness, which was conveniently hidden by his hat. However, even practiced liars find it hard to keep such emotion from their voice. Perhaps the fact that he was speaking of such a shifter would shed some light upon the knowledge he seemed to naturally have about them.

[Doku Shiko]

Doku looked at the man and thought for a moment. He then shook his head. "No... I have never... seen any of... my kind," he said, sadly. He felt alone and hollow on the inside. He didn't bother keeping the emotion from his voice. "What... does this girl... mean to you?" he asked all of a sudden. He was curious. He hadn't been around girls much. He always runs away, never staying in a village for longer than a few days. He wanted to know why this man would go this far to look for someone.

He tilted his head. "I haven't.... been around many girls.... I run and.... stay a loner," he added, his ears drooping a bit at the thought of not having anybody. He looked at him with his silvery eyes, filled with sadness.

[Pbyer]

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That's was unexpected...whether intentional or not...he's good at deflecting.

Royll almost seemed taken aback by Doku's question, in fact if it wasn't for the casual shifting of his hat it may have been obvious the types of emotions he was keeping in. They lingered only for a moment in his eye, and in his partially opened mouth. However, that simple gesture: shifting his hat, cast them away entirely; and instead his usual demeanor took hold. Although it was none of the shifter's business, perhaps he did owe him at least somewhat of an explanation. If those wolves were indeed after him; it was only just. Still, his speech was veiled; emotionless.

"She's my daughter."

[Doku Shiko]

Doku blinked a bit shocked. He looked down at the ground, wondering what he should say. Finally he looked back up."I am... sorry. I... would love... to help," he stated, looking at the man straight in the eyes. He stretched a bit, loosening his muscles. He stood up straight. "My name is.... Doku Shiko," he stated, introducing himself finally. He sat down again, unsure of what to do.

"I don't know.... if you want me to, but.... I will help," he stated, laying down. His eyes had a gleam of happiness in them. He now had something to do. He could look for someone. He could finally help someone. And if he found her, he will have finally met someone like him. A shifter.

((Sorry for the short posts))

[Pbyer]

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...Perhaps...all he really needed was a purpose... Royll shrugged at this, but the boy did appear happier after he learned that the shifter was in fact the man's daughter. Regardless, it wouldn't be very fair to introduce such a conflict without allowing involvement if he so wished. Still, could he be trusted? Despite his recent resistance, he still wouldn't be able to control himself during a full moon; and the last thing Royll wanted to do was endanger her.

With a sigh, a defeated one at that, he made his decision. "Who am I to take away free will? If you want to help, I won't stop you. However, if you do anything to threaten her. I'll end you." He finished flatly, his tone serious, and his eyes clearly revealing such a killing intent as he waked up even closer to the fox. As he was within arms reach he knelt down beside the shifter. A rather plain frown sat upon his face now.

"Now, let me take a look at that wound. It's the least I can do, considering it is the result of my own hand." A free hand gestured in Doku's direction, and it seemed to gravitate over to his massive shoulder. The gash, it wasn't as deep as he originally thought, however it would require some treatment. "Name's Royll by the way..." He mentioned in passing; there was no need to hide his real name from this boy. "Funny thing...the destructive power of the energy I possess. That same destructive force can be used to undo damage."

As he said this, a blue hue extended out from his hand and soon after engulfed Doku's shoulder. It would take some time, but it was obvious that the wound was closing up and the blood flow stopping.

(It's no big deal. Sometimes short is better.)

[Doku Shiko]

Doku let the man look at his shoulder. He nodded. "If she takes after you.... she'd probably kill me.... before you could," he stated, a bit jokingly. He hoped to lighten up the mood. He could feel the wound slowly healing. He sighed a bit as the pain began to ebb away, yet the stiffness was still there. When the man was done, he flexed his shoulder. It was getting to feel a bit better. He looked up at Royll, thankful.

"I am... thankful. I will be extra careful.... When was the last time.... you saw her?" he asked, looking at his.. acquaintance.

[Pbyer]

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"Y'know, there's more truth in that than you think. She's always had quite a temper. It's the reason she stormed off." Royll sighed as he released the energy that was binding Doku's shoulder shut. With the work done, and the wound healed there was hardly anymore of a reason to expand such energy. Besides, the fatigue was beginning to show on his face now. A few droplets of sweat the only indication of such, and of course the sigh of relief as he let the energy disperse.

As he finished, he leaned back and adjusted his hat. The truth behind all of this was, he had been out searching for her for nearly a month now. Although, she could handle herself quite well. She was still so young, perhaps to full of herself as well. That was partially his fault, and he'd admit to that. However, she just wasn't ready for the harsh realities that this world could drop upon you. There were things she couldn't possibly understand. Things he didn't want her to understand.

"Let's see about a month now." He answered, although his voice hardly let out a worried tone. However, his eyes showed the truth, and in them was both fear and worry. He couldn't help it. No matter what his usual personality was, it was nearly replaced by his own emotions that rushed through him. To be honest, he still blamed himself for the whole situation. If he had just told her the truth from the beginning she wouldn't have run off. She wouldn't have felt the need. Even with her powers, those questions about herself would have been answered in time. If he had just told the truth about her mother.

"Truth is...she's looking for her mother. I didn't have the heart to tell her, that she passed away years ago. It was wrong of me to hide the fact, but I was just trying to protect her from useless pain." He sighed with his own explanation, not even realizing it probably wouldn't help in the search. The topic had just been brought up and it was hard to close a can of worms once it was opened.

[Doku Shiko]

Doku listened to Royll. He looked at the moon, wondering how the young shifter was doing tonight. She couldn't be that old, as her father wasn't that old. He snorted as a fly landed on his nose. He shook his head, sending the fly buzzing away. He glanced at the dirty blond haired man and shook his head. "I can... understand... what it is like... to lose a... mother," he stated, struggling to get the words out. He sighed. He hadn't talked about his mother since she died. He didn't want anybody to know. He thought about her all the time, but said nothing.

"It is... hard to lose... a parent. But harder to lose.... both," he added, turning back to the moon. He let out a small whine of sadness. He couldn't stop himself. "My mother.... died by assassins. They were... after the Queen of... Drakon. She was... a loyal servant... I hid under the bed.... that night.... and watched. I watched.... her blood fall to the floor," he added, his eyes watering, yet no tears spilled over.

"I ran... after that. I looked.... for the assassins... But I couldn't.... find them," he replied, a low growl in his voice, but he didn't move except to glance at Royll.

[Pbyer]

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Assassins huh...a botched attempt to kill the queen...how interesting.

Now this was something Royll wasn't expecting from the lad. To talk about his parents so openly was a bit unnatural, especially considering that they barely knew each other. However, sometimes relationships built on that sort of trust, when each side opened up a side of themselves that many did not know,work better than the best of friendships. The last thing that he wanted to see though, was something as powerful as a shifter cry and as such he turned away to protect the dignity of the situation.

As the fox finished, Royll looked upon the moon, which was now slowly being covered by a veil of dark clouds. They weren't storm clouds, but they began to block out the light nonetheless. If the remaining wolves amongst the trees wanted to attack, now would be a good time to do so. Somehow however, that didn't seem very likely after the blow they had taken in their earlier attempt. He sighed at this, hearing the pain in the boy's voice was bad enough, but on such a gloomy night at this, everything was worse.

"Easy now, it's alright. There's no need to get worked up right now. Sometimes life works in mysterious ways. Things aren't set in stone, but even if you tried, there wasn't much you would have been able to do." He turned at this point, facing the fox again, but adjusting his hat to cover his gaze once more. For once, his voice was actually that of a soothing tone. It wasn't so much indifferent as sympathetic now. "If you should run into her...the truth you know, keep it to yourself. That kinda thing has to come from someone like me; understand?" He wasn't asking much; he had every right to stop others from fixing his own wrongs.

[Doku Shiko]

Doku looked at him and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly, calming himself. He then heard the man's request. "I wasn't planning... on telling... your daughter," he mentioned, giving a slight nod. He forced his ears to perk up a bit so he didn't look so sad. "If I find her.... I shall stick by her... until you are around... I promise to help protect her," he commented, giving a small shake of his fur again. He looked at the moon, but it was covered by clouds, sending them into darkness. He didn't mind so much. His senses were still very high, so he knew where the man was.

"How... old is... your daughter?" he asked, his ear flicking a mosquito away. These bugs were getting annoying. They always came towards him when he was in fox form. Of course, bugs normally went to things that didn't smell too great. That could be why. He hadn't gotten a real bath in a few days, so he probably didn't smell good. Not at all.

[Pbyer]

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His resolve is rather admiral. Royll noted with a small smile. Not like the fox would be able to see, given the darkness now. The flowers at his feet were no longer visible. However, their scent remained, and it was still just as beautiful as it was earlier in the day. In fact, more so now that the source of such a smell was masked in darkness. To think that air could be changed sweet by mere plants was a rather complex thought to begin with.

"Nine-years old, actually not quite. Her birthday is coming up in a month or so." He did answer after a brief pause. It wasn't that he had to count up the years his daughter had been around, rather he wasn't exactly sure why the fox wanted to know. Regardless, he guessed that it would help in the search; although it wasn't like the declaration of her age changed her description much.

To top off the darkness, a small breeze now came upon. It sent chills down Royll's spine and caused him to quiver back in his clothing. Instinctively, his hand also fell upon his hat, to keep it from blowing away in said breeze. That would just put the icing on the cake: chasing a hat down in the middle of the night, with no light and no way of visible recognizing it in its battered state.

"Like I said, a child in your eyes."

[Doku Shiko]

Doku nodded. "She is indeed young," he stated. He let out a huge yawn before laying back. "What was her mother like?" he asked. He just wanted to know, wondering if her mother was like his. He wanted to know if she was loving and if she was brave. He didn't know why he was so curious. Maybe he wanted to know why Royll's daughter ran off without her father's help. He looked at Royll. "I don't see.... why you wouldn't... tell your daughter," he commented.

He closed his eyes as he listened to the wind rustle the grass and flowers. It calmed him a bit. He focused on the sweet smell of the flowers so he could relax a bit. He didn't feel like ruining the time he had to spend with someone else. That and he didn't feel like fighting anymore. It was quite tiring at times.

[Pbyer]

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Royll sighed, he guessed it was only natural for the boy to be curious, but this was not what he expected from him. The man couldn't remember the last time he had actually talked about Jasmine's mother. Other than their fight that is, and to be honest that was more about his lies than her mother anyways. To be quite honest, there wasn't much to tell, since the child had no memory of her mother. After all, she died while giving birth.

"She was a member of a tribe of shifters I met while wandering. To be honest, I was the reason she was cast out. Apparently, it is taboo for a shifter to have a human lover, or something to that extent. I never really understood it, and I really didn't care too. All I knew is I didn't want her to disappear like everyone else in my life had a tendency of doing." He paused at this, not because it was untrue, but because it brought up more painful memories than he cared to admit. Luckily, the fox had asked why he saw fit to keep such knowledge from his daughter; and he was able to shift the subject with a subtle shifting of his hat.

"She died giving birth. Jasmine, doesn't have any memory of her, and I always used to tell her her mother was off on some adventure in a far away land. Foolish of me perhaps, but I really only wanted to prolong her imaginary fairytale as long as possible. This world is a cruel one, and I thought if I could shield her from any amount of pain it would eventually provide I'd do it." This said he stopped, unlike his fox companion he was still standing up, gazing at the moon. There was a subtle twitch of his sword arm, and the vague warning that he should be heading back; but for some reason none of that came up in conversation.