Saving Soul

"Maybe not, but it would be a dishonor to me if I didn't try," Adair replied, promptly picking her up. "So, uh, where have you been staying?"

Anja immediately tried to make him drop her. "Let go! I'm staying here that's where! I camp out so put me down!" She growled.

"Hey, hey, easy!" Adair protested, trying to keep ahold of her. He ended up back over a rock and they both fell over.

"...This is not my day..." he muttered, stuck underneath Anja.

Anja rolled off of him and sat up. "I told you I didn't want your help!" She snapped. "What is it with heros and never listening?!"

"Um, part of the job?" Adair offered with a sheepish grin. People often didn't realize how much danger they were actually in, so Heroes were obliged to help a person out even if they didn't want the help. Only if they were ordered to did a Hero not interfere.

There was a growling in the bushes. Adair immediately lost the goofy persona and went on full alert, his expression now wary. Out of the forest came a green leopard-like demon with a snake for a tail. Adair could tell by the fierce hunger in its orange eyes that this wasn't a demon participating in the tournament. This was just a fiendish beast, and a threat.

"Don't move hero." Anja growled, slowly bringing her hands together. She chanted an incantation under her breath softly and her hands glowed, the left white, the right black. Her violet eyes lightened to a sky blue as she said two clear word. "Lupine Alfres."

A large mass, clearly canine, began materialising between them and the demon. Before it had fully solidified, it rushed the demon with a snarl. Its form was some what of a werewolf, bipedal and muscular, but was more toward the wolf species, its animal aspects far more defined than the human-like aspects.

(OOC: Isn't Lupine Alfres two words?)

The leopard creature hissed and scuttled back, ears flat. It growled lowly for a moment, and then rushed away. It did not want to risk such a fight for its meal.

Adair was relieved. The tournament allowed no man-made weapons or armor so he had neither with him. He did have training in hand-to-hand combat, but a serious fight would have most likely required fire powers. The house of cards still stood.

"Wow, that's impressive," he said. "So you're a summoner then?"

(ooc: yes. yes it is. sorry. I was distracted because my professor walked in to set up the projector while I was posting. but I fixed it)

"Didn't I mention that?" Anja replied, a little colder than she intended. "Alfres. Come." She ordered.

The dangerous creature ambled over to her, looking awkward on all fours as it walked, to lay down in front of her and roll so his soft stomach was exposed with a wine.

"I spoil you." Anja sighed, almost lovingly. "Fine, but just for a minute before I send you back." She leaned forward to rub the creature's stomach much like a dog. After a moment she stopped and drew a glowing rune over where the creature's heart would be.

The creature vanished just as it had come.

Anja sighed before turning back to Adair. "Alright hero. I'll let you take me somewhere else. But only somewhere safe. I don't want to go to far."

Adair thought about it, and did remember her saying something about being a summoner. He was feeling stupider by the minute. Now that he thought about it, why didn't she just unleash a summon on him earlier when he had surprised her? Or, for that matter, why didn't she just ride a summon back herself. Maybe it cost her too much energy to use it frivolously?

"Well, safest place is probably the caves. They're not too far from here," Adair explained. "...Is it okay to pick you up this time, or do you want to lean on me instead?"

"Just pick me up. I made it worse when you dropped me." Anja grumbled. "I wish I could just summon something to ride on, but I don't have anything that big yet. Stupid restrictions." She crossed her arms with a pout.

"Alright then," Adair replied, carefully picking her up. He started heading westward, making sure to watch out for mud and branches. He had already had two falls today. He didn't need any more.

"So how long have you been a summoner?" he asked as he walked along.

"Since I was eight... Ish." Anja replied. "How long have you been a hero?"

"Since I was born," Adair replied without thinking. "My family is nothing but Heroes. It's what we're bred for, really."

"Must be nice. Knowing about your lineage, I mean." Anja sighed. "I'm an orphan. Never knew my parents."

"Well I...yeah..." Adair trailed off, not sure what to say. He was proud of his bloodline, but they were-

The cave entrance was coming into sight, which relieved Adair. If he could just get her in there, then she could rest her ankle and he could go back to the tournament without having to worry about her interfering with it.

"I have a friend who's an orphan. He never knew his parents either," he added, wondering if said orphan had finally gotten over his shot phobia or was still hiding somewhere.

"There's alot of us out there." Anja sighed. "More than people are willing to admit." She sighed again, though the second one was more wistful. "Alright, go away hero. Go... Rescue a damsel, or whatever heros do."

Adair walked into the cave, and then came face to face with Voltaire.

The Hunter acted nervous, apparently still avoiding Ava and the shot that would follow. That didn't keep him from noticing the girl Adair was carrying though. He looked at her, and then Adair, and smirked.

"Cave is occupied," Voltaire said. "Go have your make-out session elsewhere."

"It's not like that!" Adair protested, face turning red.

Anja took Voltaire's comment as an insult. "Make out? With Him? Why Would I want to make out with a second, hell he isn't even a second rate hero, falling on his face like he did." She stated angrily. "I ought to kick your ass! Or at least summon something to do it for me! Hero, put me down so I can kick his ass!"

Voltaire burst out laughing. Adair didn't know if it was because of Anja's tantrum, his own miserable expression as his Hero status was insulted, or both. Probably both.

"You wanna try, girl?" the Hunter taunted, raising his head and blowing a stream of fire upward. "I'll roast you."

"You will not be roasting anyone, 'Taire," Adair growled.

Anja paused. "Wait, you know him?" She demanded

"Unfortunately," was Adair's honest reply, as he tried to figure out how to best explain why he had a fire-breathing friend. Blast it, why did Voltaire have to show up now?

"I'm unfortunate to know you too," Voltaire answered dryly. "So who's your girl?"

"None of your business," Adair replied coldly. "And she's not my girl. She's just someone I'm helping."

"Riiiight."

"Shut up and get your shot 'Taire," Adair said.

He noticed with some satisfaction that Voltaire paled slightly before he glared at him.

"No," he said flatly.

"Go."

"No!"

Adair sighed. Why did Voltaire have to be so impossible?

"I don't care if the two of you fight." Anja started sweetly before her tone turned dangerous. "But you WILL put me down now"

"Oh, right!" said a startled Adair, carefully put her down on the ground. He heard Voltaire snickering and glared at him. "Honestly 'Taire, how long are you going to stay here?"

"As long as I want," answered Voltaire. "How long are you going to stay here?"

Anja ignored the two and stretched her leg. She winced at the slight pain from her ankle. "Can I summon something to shut him up?" She asked. "The sooner the two of you leave, the sooner I get better, and the sooner I can look for whatever the hell a changeling tournament is."

Voltaire glared at Anja, suddenly wary.

"The hell you want with the-"

"Go ahead and summon something," Adair interrupted. "Preferably something with water attacks."

Now Voltaire was irate.

"Adair, what the hell are you-"