You better trust in me just like I’m sayin’

Once the initial shock of appearing in this land out of legitimately fucking nowhere kind of wears off, Kaid finally figures that maybe he could run about and see the sights. He has no idea what this place has to offer him and yet, he feels lost without a goal. He feels lost without them…

Which shouldn’t be as traumatic of a realization as it is, but yeahhh. He has the rings in his ears and the chain around his neck as reminders, but that is it.

What is here to do out here? Who is he to kill? Who is he to listen to?

He asks these questions on repeat as if he isn’t enjoying being a free man for the first time in his life. But his sickness still lingers. What is he going to do about that? He can’t cure it — only they knew how to.

The glass eyed men with their strange circular snouts.

The feeling of being lead still suffocated him — the feeling of the chain around his neck tightening.

With all these complicated thoughts drifting through his head, one much more simple one accompanies them…

I’m fucked.

But oh well, what’s he to do about it? Exactly. Nothing. He can’t do anything. He has no goal. Without them, he has no purpose. He’s died before. Maybe this time it was just permanent.

Ugh. Permanent? Sounds peaceful. Not really his style.

Whatever.

So he moves through the forest in the fiery orange of the rising sun, large paws drifting him over foliage and branches.

What will become of his future?
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Empyrean was thoroughly guarded, always foraging between the trees and gauging who passed by, and who was inquiring their borders. Safely by the older generation, most within the mountain hailed as warriors. But as any careful family, they often sought around them.. Ara didn't like the thought if anyone would claim so close to Empyrean, that she too took up the mantle of scavenging around and searching if there was any others around. Though most if not all, were only passerby loners and rogues, or other predators that had no intention of settling down.

She could smell someone within the forest. A stranger, and Ara hid in the shadows of so. Carefully prowling through, downwind so that hid better in the background. It was still fresh, he was still in the area, and in the lone distance.. Vaguely she could make out someone.

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Kaid had absolutely no damn clue anyone was following him. So enveloped in his thought that he seemed blind to the world around him. Which is very unlike him honestly. He’s used to going out on missions — being constantly alert. Now that has fallen adrift; as does his purpose to live.

Because…why live if one has no purpose or goal?

He can’t think of why, so dying doesn’t sound horrible, but he will not intentionally seek it out. Just like back then, he never intentionally looked for death, it just so happened to find him. Which, at the time, was very inconvenient. Only because he had a job to do of course.

But here he goes, continuing on his way. He doesn’t smell anything besides the faded scent of passing animals…

How boring.

Is it time to die yet?

Mmm, nah. Not yet, Mads. He tells himself.

Maybe later though… He thinks afterwards.

But despite the evidence of being alone, he feels watched. He rationalizes though. Maybe it’s a cute little deer? Or maybe a bear or mountain lion. Ooh, how exciting would it be to fight one of those? Very dangerous. He likes dangerous.

So he stills, tail lifting slightly and head rising from its place even with his shoulders. Turning his head around him slowly to have a look at the land before him. Large, pierced ears swivel and go into what is largely called ‘airplane mode’ as he listens.

Nothing.

How disappointing.

But for shits and gigs he smiles to himself. “Hello~! I know you’re out there. Come on out, yeah?” He yells out weakly, smile turning into a smirk.

He wonders if something — or someone — will actually respond.
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She emerged, dressed in confidence and without a fear, but guarded against this stranger. They were large towering over herself and most of the family but strange in the way he looked. Markings that indicated something other then wolf, she didn't think he was one naturally built due to the strioes that reminded her of a raccoon if anything else. Unnatural, to this land ; but dogs were foreign to Ara, none were in Empyrean and none that she encountered. She felt he was a enigma, a freak ; but gazed at him steady, watching silently.

She would tell @Hydra of this strange man later.

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A wolf actually emerges when he speaks out to the nature around him. Damn, he actually had no idea anyone was there, but life is full of surprises, now isn’t it? He’d think so, for the individual that reveals themselves to him is void of any colors — no, no, no their pelt is so dark and sleek. Quite impressive really — pretty in it’s own way.

And those eyes. Wow! Golden and sparkling, the only drop of color on their person it seems. He wonders if their tongue would be dark too, or would it be the cute strawberry pink that seems so normal to everyone else.

Still, here they are, oozing confidence and fearlessness despite the way he stands a fair bit taller than them. He tilts his head and a winning, handsome smile curves one side of his lips — a lopsided smile — but it isn’t disgustingly confident or patronizing, but rather friendly and maybe even a touch flirty.

“Well, didn’t expect anyone to actually be there, hm?” He hums, taking a casual few steps closer but not uncomfortably so. “Name’s Maddox, who might you be pretty?”
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She was mildly disturbed over his speech, beaming of a flower-tongue that described her as pretty. She had looked at his pelt and strange way it was, but gazing at him once more, he was surely near that of.. Two years? Perhaps, give or take. He looked young, someone who was firmly entering the adulthood and yet shown words to someone much younger — Ara knew she hadn't officially hit even a year. Her ears twitched lightly, looking neutrality at him and a tail swishing behind.

The Ostrega didn't like him.

"Why are you here?" leaving his questions unanswered.

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He can tell she’s scrutinizing him, but all he does is sit there and take it. He doesn’t mind being gawked at, he knows what he looks like. He was genetically engineered to look the way he does. Genetically engineered to do perform to the highest degree in his old life. But the men with the weird faces aren’t here, so he has no goal now — which is unnerving. Imagine finally being free and then realizing that he has no purpose when his slavers are gone. How weird is that? Like for real.

Either way, he has no shame physically or mentally. So he lets her stare, not that he could stop her from doing so obviously, but hey it’s the thought that counts right?

Only then she’s completely ignoring his question in favor of her own. He smiles and lets out a huff of a laugh. So she’s that kind of girl, huh? The stoic faced and serious. That’s fine, he’s felt with those before.

“Why am I here?” He says rhetorically back. “Honestly, I have no idea.” He answers truthfully. “I just have been wanderin’ ya see. I don’t even know where here is.”

And then he thinks about it, looking back at her curiously. “Am I on your lands? If so, that’s my bad.” He chuckles casually then, accent strong with his words. “Uh, I can leave if ya want?”
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They reminded her of something, but she couldn't put a thought to it. Silly, wasn't the correct word, neither was an annoyance ; the man spoke in a voice that indicated a..? Words full of flowers and an arrogance, Ara thought, that was strange, especially as he claimed he had just arrived and knows of nothing. A respectable confidence to say the least, but she already deducted he was not someone she'd get along with, much less wish to see around Empyrean land — though her mother would be more then welcoming to bodies.

That wasn't her place though.

"It's near," this wasn't their territory, but close enough that stragglers were not were-liked.. So she stared at him, a somewhat expectation he would do as he says, leave.

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