Katerina eyes looked up to see the Captain shields go down. She didn’t move to attack. She knew the man she came with could handle this himself. His movements were almost graceful with every hit, and calculated. He knew exactly what he was doing. A small smile tugged on the corner of her lips. He was no amateur and was quiet attractive. Pushing those thoughts away, she watched as the Captain died before her. This was an exciting fight from beginning to end. Katerina was proud of herself.

Pushing herself off the wall she was leaning on, she clapped her hands a bit at the man as he walked before her. “Good job.” She said with a smile. She shrugged at his comment about her jumping at the mage. “I always go for the bold attack, because I know I can do it.” She said a bit of her cockiness showing through.

The wolf demon listened to his apology and shook her head. “It is alright, but I will take you up on that drink.” She said with a nod. Noticing the tower near them, she knew that the tall wall was under them. How else did his men repel down to get to the city. “I'll race you there.. The guards can handle this mess..” She said with a smirk, and ran towards the side of the railing and jumped over it and off the side of the ship. Her hand coat a rope that was hanging off the side of the ship that the other men left and slide down

Katerina voice called up to him before she landed on the brick below. “No teleporting!” She laughed a bit as she started ran off towards the edge of the wall and jumped again. Her feet landed on a rooftop below and ran. He wasn’t a wolf. He might be able to teleport but she knew how to run and run fast. She didn’t run on the ground below, there was too much commotion. Her eyes caught the guards capturing the pirates and a few being killed because of their resistance. Soon the city would be back to normal.

Jumping from roof to roof, she headed to the inn she was staying at. Her breaths came in quick bursts and her heart continued to beat fast. “If I beat him, and I know I will, he better not be a baby and wallow in it.’ She thought with a laugh while she ran off the side of the roof and jumped. Her feet landing gracefully on the stone path below in front of the Inn.

He smirked lightly at her response.  Strong women, he always liked strong women.  And this one was a bold fighter to boot.  With how she held herself and how she’d displayed herself in combat he knew even in this short amount of time that it wasn’t all talk.  Thinking back to even coming up to the airship he recalled how she took every fight head on.  Not exactly his own style, but to each their own, and in the end it worked out: they balanced each other. 
 
Looking over the ship’s edge he took note of the mass of guards filling the square below.  It was a little irritating to know that just the two of them had done the brunt of the work, but then he reminded himself that not every person had the same particular set of skills that they did.  Torinasu seemed to buzz in agreement at his side. “Well,” he looked back to her now, “you’re right about that.”
 
His smile broadened when she agreed to his offer but it soon was gone with a surprised part of his lips when she challenged him and leapt over the rail.  He gripped the wooden side and watched as she fell towards the ground and then quickly pulled himself over to drop after her.  Just as he was about to flicker to give himself the advantage he heard her shout and nearly stumbled from having to stop himself mid teleport.
 
On foot he was still quite fast, but even without her lead ahead of him he could tell that she’d beat him in a footrace.  This day at least.  Relying on teleporting as much as he did made him light of feet but his muscles weren’t finetuned for long distance running anymore.  Still he found himself laughing as he pushed himself faster.  He welcomed the cold burn in his lungs from the chilly night air as his breathing came in deeper succession.
 
She decided to take the high road, quite literally: bounding from roof top to roof top with feline litheness, and soon he couldn’t even see the whip of her hair anymore.  As the inn came into view he saw her drop down to the ground nearly ten seconds before he could reach it.  Sweat traced his brow, the back of his neck, and he could feel it against his chest and the small of his back now that adrenaline was wearing off.  Despite that he smiled, even as goosebumps ran up his skin, and he spoke between heavy breaths, “Y-Yes well, I-I think that’s earned me paying for the first few rounds.”

She smiled at the man before her as he arrived after her. “How is it being beat by a woman?” Katerina joked but her joke was gone as she saw the few bodies that lined the street. They saved many lives by taking out the airship, but some were still lost. The pirates that were on the ground had killed some people before the guards were able to subdue them. She let out a sigh. “At least we saved the city.” She said as she started to walk towards the tavern.

“No one will know.” She thought to herself. The wolf demon wasn’t one tell the world about what she had done, but sometimes this still got to her. With her new lifestyle, she would say lives almost every day. Instead of taking them, like she had done years ago. Pushing her feelings away, she entered the inn.

Katerina eyes widened. The people of the inn were cleaning up the wrecked bar. Tables and chairs flipped over. Even blood was splattered against walls and floors. The bodies were gone now, just removed before they had entered. One guard was still inside the inn talking to the Barkeep. He nodded then walked around them towards the exit.

The emotions of the elemental went wild with fear. “Be back.” She said quickly before bolting up the stairs. She hoped her daughter was alright, or someone was going to pay. Running down to the end of the hall, she saw the dead body there by the door. Apparently, they didn’t get everyone yet. She just about broke down the door when she entered.

A breath escaped her she didn’t know she was holding when seeing her daughter alive and well. “Kiyomi!” She rushed over to her daughter that was sitting on the bed. “Mom!!” Her daughter said as her eyes filled with tears. “Everything is alright.” Katerina soothed as she kissed her daughter’s head. “He saved me, Mom. Alexander saved me.” Kiyomi leaned back to look over at the large tiger who sat besides the window. “Thank you.” The wolf demon said with tears in her eyes, but quickly blinked them away. The tiger nodded. “She needs sleep, but she didn’t want to unless you were okay.” The tiger voiced his concern about his dear friend.

They hugged once more before Katerina laid next to her daughter. She ran her fingers through Kiyomi’s hair. “I love you, Mom.” Kiyomi mumbled as her eyes began to close. She was exhausted and soon fell asleep. "I love you too, Sweetheart," Katerina whispered to her daughter before kissing her head and slowly moving out of bed.


It hadn’t even been more than fifteen minutes and she had forgotten about the man downstairs waiting for her. “I’ll be back later. I have someone waiting for me downstairs. I won’t be long.” She whispered to the tiger as she made her way towards the bowl of water and washed off her face. Fixing her hair, she combed it with her wet fingers. It had become a mess. The once wounds that were on her face were now gone because of her healing powers. With a look in the mirror, she nodded. She was now presentable.  

A sigh escaped her lips as she headed down stairs. It was a long night, but she had someone handsome that was waiting for her. “Hmm..” A smile curved on her lips. She hadn’t paid attention to his looks much. The man who fought besides her was handsome and a great fighter.

Upon reaching him, she decided it was time to make proper introduction. Holding out her hand, she smiled at him. "Katerina Silverstein. It is very nice to meet you."

The corner of his lips quirked up in a light smirk, “About the same as it usually is: oddly satisfying.”  Not a lie since he always enjoyed the company of strong women.  He, however, did not allow his eyes to fall on the lifeless bodies in the streets.  In his line of work he had grown accustomed to being around them, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.  A prayer would be said for their souls and in the wee hours before dawn he knew he’d help bury, but right now he wanted to let his mind ease.  It was a controlled form of desensitization. 
 
That familiar perfume of blood filled his nostrils as they walked into the inn and his eyes slowly surveyed the scene of men and women helping put things back in order.  Their heartbeats and breathing gave them away along with their haunted eyes.  Not everyone was so used to death and he nodded quietly as she dismissed herself.  Normally he would have paid her reaction more mind, but right now he walked further into the building to the tavern.  A warm smile formed as he silently assisted.
 
Once the furniture had been righted -what furniture was intact at least-, he looked around.  A bucket of warm soapy water was brought to the bar with clean rags.  People circled around it, taking one for themselves and soaking straight through before setting to scrubbing at the bloodstains.  That was about all he could take of that and lifted a hand up, again remaining silent and using only gesture before bringing his palms together.  His eyes closed, sensing out the auras around him, the tint of blood that shone negatively to his mind’s eye.  Blood, yes, he was very used to blood…You don’t hunt vampires and stay stranger to it. 
 
His lips moved quietly and he felt a surge of holy light bud between his palms: forcing them to slowly push apart.  It grew stronger, warmer, and to anyone less skilled their skin would have been burned by the purity alone, much less the amount.  When he felt it about ready to reach its peak, only then did his eyes open: their green shining brilliantly as he released the light into the room.  While it seemed to move chaotically, it was in fact moving so quickly that it only gave off that impression.  It darted in rays, dancing along the floor, the walls, glasses, windows, licking up all traces of blood until the room was left completely spotless of it.  Cleaning dirt and grime was one thing, but the spilled blood of your loved ones or just people in general…?  No, he could at least use some of his magick for that. 
 
As the light faded away, its duty now done, he looked to the surprised faces in the tavern.  He nervously scratched the back of his neck and offered an awkward smile before moving to retrieve his own rag.  Soon they had the room clean, well, clean enough for people to sit and rest.  He was about done with his first drink when the woman he’d fought alongside came back and he smiled at her.  He moved his hand to hers and shook it firmly, “A lovely name.  I’m Naota Uharu.”
 
He pulled his hand back and rested both arms on the bartop, “Wasn’t sure I was going to see you again.”  Placing his coins on the bar, he moved around to the back and retrieved an amber bottle of strong liquor.  Everyone was resting and there had been a silent understanding to form between all of them.  He stayed on the opposite side of the bar as he pulled up two half glasses and filled them, “I thought you might have fallen asleep.”  He chuckled and rose his own glass up, taking a sip from it.  It burned all the way down his throat, but it was soothing in contrast to the soreness in his muscles.

Katerina now with worries gone could spend the night relaxing. It was already a long night and she wasn’t ready for bed just yet. Kiyomi was safe upstairs in their room, the pirates and the mages were gone, and the guards were picking off the rest. When she went back down the stairs, she introduced herself to the man she fought alongside. With a shake of their hands, she finally found out his name. “Pleasure to meet you, Noata.” Katerina said with a smile. Sitting down at the bar, she watched him move around the bar.

Noata soon poured them two cups and made a comment. A smile lined her lips, “Couldn’t fall asleep if I wanted to after an evening like this…..I need to relax..” The wolf demon said looking at the glass in her hands. Bringing it to her lips she inhaled deeply, she took in the strong smell of the liquid. “Good taste.” She commented before drinking down the contents of the drink in a few gulps. When she finished, she set the glass down with a sigh of relief. The night was almost over and they would soon be gone.

With no more chaos around them, Katerina was able to finally look at him. His eyes were a beautiful emerald and his dark hair made his eyes jump out. Not wanting him to notice her stare, she grabbed the bottle from his hand. Their hands touched for only a moment, but enough to leave a tingle. Refilling her glass, she sipped the contents this time. The wolf demon’s eyes looked back into his emerald eyes. “So what was your business here in Adeluna?” She asked, wondering if he would answer. Some people didn’t like sharing.

Looking around the room, it looked so gloomy. Some were still cleaning, but not as much as before. But the air felt sad, no more anger filled everyone’s hearts. Everyone must have lost someone, or knew someone who lost someone. Even their city was damaged from the fight. A sigh left her lips, if only they got their sooner, or the guards were surprised. She felt for the people around her, she didn’t like losing anyone either. Maybe they should head somewhere else to drink? She wouldn’t feel comfortable if someone started to cry. Bringing the glass to her lips again, she drank the last of the liquid. The warmth that spread within her made her relax more.

He understood well the buzz of adrenaline after a fight and nodded his head slowly as he downed the rest of his drink.  The corner of his lips quirked up in a light smirk at her comment and he poured himself another half glass.  A moment of silence hung between them and in that time he was able to actually look at her.  Her nature was calm so far, but her eyes were clear, her gaze seemed much older than her face.  A youthful face could be deceptive, he knew that firsthand with his longevity.  Before he could think on it for too long she reached for the bottle. 
 
Their fingers brushed briefly and he felt a soft charge, enough so that his fingers loosened on the bottle’s neck so that she could pull it to herself.  He recognized that charge, it was two parts adrenaline and three parts hunger.  A very different form of hunger, and he looked into the swirling liquid of his glass to distract himself from it.  It had been some time since he’d known a woman’s touch, or a man’s for that matter and after a fight like that?  Well, the body wanted what it wanted.
 
He pondered her question and turned the glass between his fingertips, his eyes staying on the slightly smudged rim, “To be honest I was just passing through.”  His eyes lifted back up to hers as he continued, “I’ve barely slept in days and was hoping to get some rest.”  A light laugh escaped, laced in darkness, “That obviously didn’t happen.”  Of course he wouldn’t have gotten too much even without an air pirate attack.  Minasé was still picking his moment, and he was sure that the only reason he wasn’t more prominent right now was because of the amount of bloodshed from the night.
 
“What about yourself?”  He lifted the drink up to his lips and slowly drank it down, noticing instantly how much the burning had gone down.  It didn’t usually take long for his body to grow accustomed, and he knew it’d take a lot more than this before he’d start to feel any true intoxication: his body healed too quickly. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think the deities were moving us like pieces on a game board to make sure we were in the right place at the right time.”  It wasn’t often you ran into another fighter with the same stamina as yourself, much less one that worked in such a cohesive manner.

The tingle on her fingers where they fingers touched still lingered as she drank the hard liquor. Her eyes looked over the man before her. He was handsome and strong. They fought well together during the fight. They could both hold their own but at the same time fight side by side. A smile came to her lips as she looked at him and nodded to his words. “About the same. I travel a lot. Never like staying in one place for too long.” Katerina said as she took the last swig of her drink.

She paused as she she thought about his last comment. With a shrug she added, “I don’t pay attention to them very much.” After a moment of silence and the alcohol making its way through her system. Her eyes looked at the man before her. Filling her cup once more, she drank it down in one gulp. The silence that filled the air made her mind think of the man before her. He was strong and a great fighter. He enticed her.  As she looked down at the empty cup, she thought about how long it had been. So long since she had felt a man’s touch.

After a few moments, Katerina decided she wanted the man before her. Standing up from the stool, she leaned across the bar, and kissed him on the lips. Her teeth lightly glided over his bottom lip as she moved away from him. A smirk on her lips. “Want to go to somewhere more private?” She asked, very forward. This was how she used to be before she had her daughter and before the madness with her uncle. She got what she wanted.

Knowing he would follow, the wolf demon walked up the stairs, hoping he had a room or they would take one. Soon their bodies would be one for rest of the night, and by the morning the wolf demon would be gone. This evening in her past and the man.