Elysium remained as strong as ever, Damira wasn't outright concerned even after seeing just how bad things could get out there. With her slight and dainty frame she knew she stood little chance of defending herself against any attacker, infected or otherwise, but she was swift on her paws and confident she could run home to those who would gladly protect her. The red sky was a stunning sight as she stood by the cliffside, the horizon looked foreboding almost, threats were only just starting to come to fruition. She had been watching and waiting the whole while and frankly, she felt a little irked she hadn't seen it coming. She had known something was amiss, everyone had felt the ground shake and yet...

Damira sighed, if the world was ending there was little she could personally do about it, she supposed.

A knight in black armor would need to find an answer by any means necessary.

Uncertainty among the continents had began with the trembles. A darkened night with no stars. The dawning day painted red and furious. As if the very ground beneath their paws had come alive. Soon prey animals alike were sick. Not just any old sick, but infected. Going crazy, acting odd, spewing worms from their mouths. It didn't take long for wolves to get it either. Eating tainted meat that had eggs festering and growing into worms inside their own bodies.

He had to find the source, the origin. Keep it away from the bamboo. Blood splatter his paws, his mask keeping his facial orifices safe from infection. Bamboo staff strapped across his shoulder nicked and bent, needing attention. There wasn't time. More needed to perish for the infection to go away. There was no cure. No remedy that would reverse the effects. A sacrifice was needed.

Just a moment though. One breath, one afternoon of rest. Tomorrow, he could keep up with the murders sacrifices. His large paws, aching and tired, carried him through the short grass and thorny thicket. A break in the trees pointed him toward a sheer cliff and a small area that appeared unattended. Could it be a place for a nap? The thought of sleep was too alluring.

Ducking beneath the pointed canopy, he scans the area, steel gaze landing on a small, feminine form that appeared rather koi-like. More family related to Hattori? His daughter had had pups, had she not? His head cants as he approaches slowly, an alerting chuff releasing from his maw toward her.

Halfway across the flat expanse of earth, a rustle behind him in the thicket catches his attention. Off to the side, closer to the girl, a wolf emerges from the shadows. Its shoulders are hunched, eyes crazed, lips drooling thick mucus. His body goes on alert, fur bristling, ears pinning to his head. Looking between infected and the girl, he calculates. Could he reach her in time before the sick one did? He wouldn't be given any more time.

"Run!" Akito yells, his own paws kicking off the dirt to try and intercept the wolf headed straight for her.

"speech"

Damira's ears twitched as she turned, brows furrowing as her eyes caught sight of the sickened wolf that approached. It moved far faster than it ought to, stumbling forward as though something was dragging it along on strings, the rhythm of one paw in front of the other was all off. Not how any four legged creature would naturally walk, as if it had forgotten how to.

She didn't need to be commanded to run, as that was what she'd been fully intending to do, but a bit of assistance from the stranger certainly wouldn't go amiss. Damira kicked off into a sprint, body swivelling as she turned on her paws, tail flicking up to counterbalance the motion. But even though she was fast, she didn't take into account just how...unnaturally it moved, she'd almost been certain it would try and cut her off in one direction, only for it to twitch into the other.

She'd spent so much of her life watching others, learning queues and just seeing what made them tick. But this? She couldn't get a read on this wolf, because he was no longer just that; it was something so entirely other she simply couldn't understand it. Damira doubted anyone could at this point.

Damira had no choice but to skid to a halt, her paws dragging into the grass as she struggled to slow herself. The wolf opened its maw, all wide and gaping, something squirmed at the back of it's throat.

The diseased wolf is entirely too fast for how it appears. Akito watches in real-time as it peels past him toward the girl. How did it get so close to her? Frustration builds in him as he pedals his paws faster. Closer and closer he gets to him, but he has to figure out what to do when he gets there. The wolf is clearly far too sick to get close to. How it stumbles and leaves its mouth gaping as if it can't breathe through its nose warns him of the sickness.

Could he push it from the ledge?

Just as the girl whirls on her paws, face to face with the wolf that stumbles before her, gaping maw slewing mucous and yuck, Akito also puts on the brakes. Moving swiftly, dirt churning beneath his paws, he reaches back to slide his bamboo staff from its sheath. Wielding it in his jaws, he doesn't quite put himself between the two wolves, positioning himself more beside her to keep room between him and the wolf as well.

Lashing out quickly, Akito pokes at the wolf's shoulder with his staff. Thrusting it hard so that the sick wolf stumbles back a step, but it persists. His teeth clamp down on his staff, a growl rising in his throat. His eyes flicker toward the cliff's edge. He would have to push it over if he wanted it dead without touching it. Moving his gaze to the girl, he tries to meet hers in hopes she sees his plan. Would she go along with it?

"speech"

Damira caught on quick. She back peddled a few steps, inching closer to the edge as she tossed a glance over her shoulder, counting each footfall in her head, estimating the distance left. And the infected mindlessly followed, still snapping and leaking as it leaned its weight against the bamboo shaft. It was certainly made of sturdy wood, stronger than Damira expected, it didn't even splinter or groan beneath the pressure; simply held steady and firm. Slowly but surely they guided the stranger back, just a couple of steps left, and she hastily ducked out of the way, scrambling from the cliff edge and well out of the infected's way.

Far below at the base of the cliffs, the waves crashed against the rocks. If by some miracle it survived the drop, it would drown soon enough.

Inwardly grateful that the girl wasn’t daft or something and seemed to pick up on his plan, Akito helped push and guide the infected toward the cliff. Carefully avoiding its snapping jaws, with clacking teeth muffled by mucous, they were able to push it from the cliff.

Coming to the edge of the cliff to look over the edge, Akito glances down as it descends to the rocks and water below. He doesn’t react, not even a flinch, as its body crashed against the water with a distant thud. Instead, he turns away to face the girl, his silver gaze roaming over her figure to ensure she wasn’t hurt.

“It is dangerous out here,” Akito warns, quiet tones stern as he meets her gaze with his own.

Dangerous indeed. Damira had realised leaving home wasn't without risk, but she hadn't thought it would be this bad, she didn't expect any of it would be so uncomfortably close to home. And it didn't even end there; if they were here then it felt safe to assume they were everywhere and that thought was...It made her pause, her eyes narrowing as she turned from the cliffside and scanned the fields beyond, lots of open space that made her feel strangely vulnerable. Like she ought to turn tail and run home to the safety of her family, now that she'd really seen first hand how bad things were starting to get.

"Then what are you doing out here?" Came her eventual, if not natural question. Not that she was making a dig at his ability to look after himself, because it was obvious to even her untrained eye that he was than capable of that and more. "I'm curious, but grateful, of course."

Her natural question earns a slight raise of the brow. Was it not clear what he was doing? Exhaling sharply, Akito takes a moment to glance around the field, out toward the far side, where the shadows grew deeper and lingered. An ear flicks in her direction when she mentions she's grateful. Weren't they always? One would be stupid to not be grateful to have their life saved.

"Eradicating the disease," he answered simply, foggy grey gaze turning back to the girl. It was clear to him that perhaps she wasn't as capable. Smart, sure. Adaptable, possible. But strong and adept at fighting enough to fend out danger? Akito had his doubts. "Do you need an escort home?" Akito asks, neutral expression unrevealing to the thoughts that swirled in his head.