I Told You To Run
Chione never really went far from home... well she had been pretty far but she had never gone to the east or to what was really considered the north. She knew Helios wouldn't be after her if he knew she was close by... or maybe this was her test... As she did anytime she went out, it was only for a long, thoughtful stroll. Charon would normally beg her to come to the Dancefloor of The Gods, she could feel his voice trying desperately to pull her there, but she always fought back. He had ruined everything for her. It had gotten dark, when dusk came from the hills she would ignore it and continue on. She felt that she could fend for herself if anything came out of the dark, it couldn't be any different than what she felt everyday from the little voice in her head. There might have been only a little light left when she came across the caverns, but she felt no desire to go inside. Instead she sat outside the entrance and looked inside for a few moments, eyes turning to the sky and at the hills in the distance. What now? was it time to turn back? She didn't have a desire to go back home either... if she were smart she would leave now, Helios wasn't behind her so she would have plenty of time to run out into the sunset to the east where he would never suspect to find her... Maybe it was the presence of others that kept her glued together, but she didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. There was no way to save herself, but she could take herself away from the ones she truly loved. She, or Charon as she believed, had destroyed everything she had always cared about. |
"Drago?" The man called softly, flakes of stone brushing beneath his paws as he shuffled through the cavern. His small friend had disappeared for Winter, but now it was Spring, and he had yet to return. And Ixionn was extremely concerned. He had never wandered this far away from home...although, Drago was a dear close friend. Maybe he was in trouble, in the grasp of some cruel, cold-blooded monster. Ixionn would tear their limbs apart and shove them down their throat, no doubt! The man breathed out quietly and continued on through the confusing maze, bloody eyes continuing to scan the floors of the cavern. "Drago, are you here?" He whispered again, voice bouncing off the walls and echoing until it spiraled out of the exit. The shuffling of his paws had also appeared to make noise, but Ixionn cared less. He just wanted to see his iguana again... Several minutes ticked by, and still no sign of his partner. Even though he's practically looked through every nook and cranny of this darned cavern. The masked boy exhaled a long, exhausted sigh, deciding to give up on the search for today. He was tired...and his sister was probably missing him. Ixionn headed toward the exit, his attention resting on the ground as he thought about how disappointing this whole thing was. But the unfamiliar aroma that wafted into his nostrils quickly pulled him away from those thoughts. He threw his head back up and stared ahead toward the entrance, where a shadowy figure sat, staring out the opposite direction. She was smaller than him, but she still appeared about his age, even from looking at her from behind. The man blinked slowly and cautiously approached her, bright eyes beaming toward her as he lowered his head and flattened his ears against his skull. "Hello there." He hummed, sending her a weak smile. He hoped he wouldn't frighten her...she already looked a little spooked as it was. The young boy chuckled softly and allowed his tail to wave around behind him, almost playfully, as he tried to show that he was no threat. "Ah, you appear to be down, miss. Is there something wrong?" It really wasn't any of his business...but he wanted to help! |
As she sat looking down at her paws and the dark grass below, suddenly a voice would pop from behind her and nearly make her jump out of her skin. The boy was pretty quiet and smooth, but Chione hadn't even realized there was another scent within the area. She was lost in thought and when the boy spoke it just scared her half to death. "My Gods!" She shouted after she caught her breath back. She switched a deadly look at him, though it wasn't threatening. She was normally very harsh when it came to... anything. He stated that she appeared to be down but it was just her normal state. Of course, she really was down; well even more than that. She rose her nose in the air and closed her eyes as if she weren't going to speak to him, but not a few seconds later she responded. "It's much too complicated for you to understand." Her eye flicked to the corner to look at him without moving her head, "Why would I share my problems with a complete stranger anyway." Of course she had done so before, only once with a blue man named Novaro. It was more than she had ever told anyone, she couldn't bear to tell either one of her parents. She asked the man what the price of a life was, he he responded by telling her it was to simply live it... What a stupid answer. Chione couldn't just live the way she was. Not with Charon. It was a dreadful life in her part, and she couldn't help but think it couldn't get any worse. But she was wrong after her mother left her on a hillside in tears. She had asked for it, or maybe that's what Natalya thought. Because to Chione, it was all Charon's doing. And she couldn't help it, even a bit. |
At first, she shouted in surprise, his ears quickly flying forward in shock. He moved himself back a few steps and bent his knees to look smaller than he really appeared, gaze resting gently onto the girl. Timid, much? She could have at least paid attention...after all, she could have had been in danger if he'd been some creep or perv. Come to think of it...she smelt awfully different. Like she was from a pack! Why wasn't she there, with her family? With her friends and pack mates? Could she have been exiled or chased off? The masked boy slowly fell back onto his rump while continuing to stare at her, frowning as she sent him the death glare. He didn't mean to scare her! "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," He muttered, ears slowly returning to their positions, flattened against his head. She tipped her head up and pointed her nose upward, shutting her eyes like some stubborn pup who didn't want to talk to their parent. He cocked his head to the side. "It's much too complicated for you to understand. Why should I share my problems with a complete stranger anyway?" She snapped at him, looking at him from her position. She had a point. Strangers were dangerous, Ixionn knew that well. They could nag you, take you away as a slave, tear you from your family, etc. He had no reason to be nosy to her. Her problems weren't his business! Ixionn finally stood up straight, long legs extending completely to that he stood tall and proud. His ears lifted from his head and his tail moved away from in between his legs. This was not a threatening gesture, of course. Just a relaxed state...because he was getting tired of acting helpless. "You're right, it's not any of my business." He agreed, tongue rolling over his lips as he stood up and walked up to her again, only to sit back down and rest his gaze back onto her. "But it bothers me to see such a pretty young lady not feeling well." He confirmed with a silly, though all the same gentle smile. He wasn't implying anything...he just took off from his father, who always used to remind him, "Girls love being complimented," when the subject came up. Ixionn had always been charming, anyhow. Surly the young girl would appreciate it! The man slowly turned his soft orange gaze to the scenery outside the cavern, a grin blossoming across his face as the moon almost instantly appeared alongside the many stars that littered the blue-purple sky. His tail waggled around a bit, face beaming, ears perked smoothly. "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it? It makes me happy...well, it puts me in more of an amazed state. What about you? How do you feel about it?" It really did bother him to see a nice-looking girl so sad like this. Something really stressful must be going on...maybe she needed a friend. Ixionn needed some more friends! Drago was missing, his siblings were all scattered across Alacritia, Arian wasn't really his friend any more...ah, and he's been going through such a rough time! Maybe the two of them could talk about it, eventually, if they became friends or acquaintances. |
He would apologize, causing Chione to relax her head to it's normal state. But she still looked ahead, not responding to his relaxed or even kind gestures after his own big fright. Chione didn't like others to be frightened by her, sometimes she could control herself. Okay, almost all the time was hard to control herself. But she didn't want to be the monster that was hidden inside her. He would state that it was true not to tell strangers about your problems, and then try to "charm" her by calling her a pretty, young lady. She would pull her ears back as more of an annoyance than to look mean. Whether it was intentional to get with her or just trying to cheer her up, it didn't matter. Charon was kicking at the back of her mind. "He's lying to you..." Her jaw tightened in response. Most girls would have loved to hear themselves called pretty, fortunately for them they didn't have an evil mastermind screaming into their head all the time. "I'm your only friend, I'm the only one that can truly care about you." Seeing as she was silent, the man would look at the moon and admire it's beauty as well. It made him happy, it amazed him. Must be nice... She looked at the moon as she realized he was speaking again, a brow raising when he asked her how she felt about the moon. Did he really want to know... too bad, he wasn't getting all the details. Might have frightened him off anyway. "Means another sleepless night for me." She spoke rather harshly, but with a quiet voice showing that she wasn't trying to be mad at the man. Chione's dreams kept her from sleeping almost at all. That was something she really couldn't control. "Another night to lay in my den and stare at the wall until the sun comes up." And another day I have to avoid my family. She was trouble in more ways than just Charon... Of course he was the source of all those problems anyway... |
Never once had Ixionn seriously thought about having a real relationship with anyone. He'd always be too busy, trying to deal with the deaths of his family members, figuring out what to do about a random intruder, assisting his helpless sister...there has always been too much on his mind. Of course, there were some times when he actually did think of some ladies as pretty. Like Arian. Before he found out she was part of his family, he thought she was pretty nice looking. Signy, too. He always adored her green eyes, and had always thought they were meant to be with each other. But that all was just silly pup things he would always bring up. The boy had never seriously thought about family, or relationship, any of that. It had all fled to the back of his mind, buried deep beneath the important stuff. This dame was pretty, too. He liked her eyes and the unique patterns that littered her body. But...she was so stubborn, damn it. She didn't even like his compliment. That face of disgust...it kind of hurt, like a thorn through his heart. All he was trying to do was make her smile. He watched her ears fly back, and he quickly frowned, eyes turning away from her. What was her problem? He knew others who would so dearly appreciate his company on a night like this. Maybe there was just some real tough shit going on back at home that he didn't know about. After all, when his mother and father died, he took out all his feelings on others too. He'd always drive strangers away, not caring for their kind gestures or anything. He just wanted to be alone. Ah, but he wouldn't give up on this young lady so quickly! She needed to smile before he went anywhere. Even if it took the whole night. Ixionn rolled his shoulders forward and shook his head, clearing his mind of the negative thoughts. Until she began speaking. "Another night to lay in my den and stare at the wall until the sun comes up." It truly made him feel horrible. What the hell was going on with her? Who didn't sleep? Ixionn slept all the time...and he never took it as something simple. It was a blessing! Sometimes he would have nightmares, but...they were only nightmares. Nothing real. The boy frowned again, eyes fogging up with concern for the eighty-millionth time. He turned to the girl and tapped at her paws with his long tail. "I don't know about you, but...in a way, I think we are pretty similar." He shrugged, turning away from her and thinking back on the time when his father died. When he was so stubborn to everyone. He was even stubborn before, after losing Raisa and leaving Ebony. Ixionn clenched his jaws and closed his eyes for a moment. "When I was younger, my mother died giving birth to me. My father raised me and my siblings in a pack called Ebony, with their queen...but soon, we were forced away. My father died shortly after." He knew strangers like Chione probably didn't care about his life stories. They didn't want to show sympathy any more than they wanted to show interest. But he wasn't looking for sympathy. He was just trying to help her, to make her understand that she wasn't alone. At least, in a way. Of course he didn't have an evil mastermind screaming in the back of his mind. But he's been through rough times, too. "Through those months, I felt isolated from everyone. I was young, confused, and stubborn as hell. But I just thought it was funny...because I didn't sleep much, either." Ixionn turned to her, offering her another gentle smile, with a rather uneasy look in his orange gaze. "I just want you to know that...it really isn't worth it. I mean, I don't know what it troubling you. And I'm not sure I could help you if I did." He huffed softly and lowered himself down into a lying position, lowering his chin between his paws and flattening his ears against his head. "But...I want to be friends. Or just acquaintances, maybe? It's up to you." So exhausted. He wondered, after this, maybe she'll give in. She doesn't have to smile...but maybe she could accept his friendship. Anything to spark a little happiness in her heart. |
She would not interrupt him, and her ears were still sadly pulled lazily to her skull, but she listened to every word. Even through her hard, unmoving and unmotivated shell, her own heart hurt for the fellow. Chione hadn't ever felt love, not even from her parents. And they loved her with all their hearts. But she never had time to appreciate those things since Charon was always tormenting her. She never had friends... eventually the nightmares were so bad that she ended up passing out halfway through the day, in her den of course, and only went out at night. But she could go forever without sleep, it would be all worth it to her... She never met anyone besides her pack members that were basically all family. And she only ever saw them at meetings. She moved out of her parents den, she never spoke, and she never saw anyone. But she was very surprised her father hadn't followed her out here, he was more concerned about her... disability since he found out. She couldn't imagine not having her mother or father, or even her siblings. They were all she ever had... She truly felt sorry for him, but her physical instinct wouldn't allow that to come out. She was caught in his words when he said he didn't know if he could help her, but there was so much more that should have triggered her. Her thoughts getting tangled as he laid down and asked if they could be friends, or whatever she wanted. And it took her a moment to speak, though not about his offer, about his help. "The only way I can be helped is to be dead." She whispered though loud enough for him to hear. "I think..." She wasn't at all asking him to kill her, just stating her solution. But she wasn't sure if that was a solution, Charon always told her to kill herself, to come join him, and it was always what stopped her. But she couldn't tell if he was tricking her to stay on this planet and be tortured by him, or if he was really taunting her to come spend an eternity with him. What if she lived through all this torture and it he was lying at the end? But what if she lived through it and he was there when she woke up... The day she stood at the top of the cliff and he chanted for her to jump, she became scared of dying. The impossibility of him not being there was too much... She looked down at the grass, still not looking at him but not being bothered by the tapping of his tail from earlier. It was strange that he had his entire life story on a silver platter, and she could only say one thing. Did that mean she accepted him as a friend? Probably not, but there was no answer. |
By the way she reacted to his words, and her facial expression, he thought she wasn't listening. He thought she wasn't even paying attention, just thinking about her own things as he went on about his own problems. And he could understand...he just wanted to help, after all. The same thing happened to him. Although, he really did listen to others sometimes. When their words really meant something to him. But even after saying her problems weren't his business, he was really itching to understand why she looked and acted so...depressed? Sad, low...not happy. She wasn't just stubborn, he could tell. "The only way I can be helped is to be dead." His ears flew back against his head, heart sinking and a painful feeling bubbling at the pit of his stomach. "I think..." He pulled his tail over his paws, chin sinking into his chest as he tried to collect his thoughts. When he had been younger, going through all those rough times...the thought of death had never come to him. Death was just...it wasn't needed! This lady was so young and she had so many things ahead of her, he knew it. Why did she want to die? Was some assassin chasing her? Ixionn slowly stood back up, eyes pale with concern. He sighed and shook his head. "Please don't go hurt or kill yourself." He pleaded, turning his eyes to her. "You're so young, that'd just be stupid." The boy said aloud. He didn't know what haunted her mind, so he wouldn't know. But even so, he meant every word. Things were just getting depressing now. Plus, she never answered his question, whether they could be friends or not. So...he just put it aside. For now they were just two souls who knew each other. It could grow from there. Ixionn turned away from her, eyes resting on the moon, then the green grass beneath his paws. He'd remember...it was finally spring. Maybe there was a lake or pond nearby? "We barely know each other, but...I want to get to know you more, even if you are pretty stubborn." He laughed softly, shrugging his shoulders and turning his gaze back to her. "A little ways from here there is a nice lake...it's located more toward the west. Wolfpaw Lake, I think it's called." He remembered going there once. He went fishing, but that lake was nice for swimming, too. "We can both go swimming there. Even if you don't like water, or don't know how to swim, you should definitely come. If you don't, I'll send my iguana to come annoy you." He said, almost seriously. She needed to have some fun! They didn't know each other very well at all, but even so, he wanted to have some fun with her. |
It's too late for that... She thought about his words of trying not to go off and hurt herself. She hurt everyday, and it wasn't like she could just close her eyes and make it go away. A silent assassin was after her... he could be partially right. She had never "gotten to know" anyone. But in her mind, she was sure no one wanted to know her. If anything, she didn't want to hurt the one's she was close to, because she had already done so much of that. Her ears remained pulled back for every word he spoke, her eyes closed now but she was still listening. "Yeah, I know where it is." Her voice was a bit softer than it had been. Her mother threw the Pantheon Festival, at least where everyone gathered, at Wolfpaw Lake. He spoke rather seriously about this "iguana," whatever that was. And though it made her a bit curious, she wasn't in fear about it coming after her. But she would actually agree with him... though not with as much excitement as he might have. "I guess so." She opened her eyes a slit, looking down at the grass as she still refrained from looking at him. Maybe they could be friends... but again, Chione didn't want to get close to others. But a hidden desire was inside her that wanted to have friends. "I told you, don't even think about it." Her lips would twitch a little as her eyes would shut tightly, becoming very annoyed with Charon. "No one else is worthy enough to be as close as I am to you..." She took a deep breath, loudly trying to calm herself before she frightened the man with her. But it should have been obvious that she was being interrupted by something... |
Ixionn watched her reaction, frowning as she didn't seem too pleased. Her facial expression just dropped like a stone. It made him feel nasty, like he had said something that had personally offended her. It would help so much just to know what was wrong! He could help her...hopefully? If she was being stalked, he could find that loser and chase him off. If she was being held by a pack, he could challenge whoever was responsible and take her back! She would be saved! Or maybe she wouldn't? Ixionn bit his lower lip and allowed a whine to slip from his maw, ears lazily flopping back toward his head. "Yeah, I know where it is." The boy glanced up and her and smiled again, nodding with satisfaction. As long as she knew where it was, everything would be fine. A little swimming wouldn't hurt! The masked yearling sat up with his tail waving happily behind him. But before he could tell her the time he wanted to meet up, he spotted her expression twist up into a face of discomfort. She squeezed her eyes shut...it looked like she was in pain? Was someone speaking, or hurting her? Ixionn scanned the area around them with his orange eyes wide. But nothing was there...it was just them. He slowly stepped forward and nuzzled her shoulder, sighing. "You don't look too good there." The boy muttered, looking up at her. "We can meet at the lake tomorrow morning. But...are you sure you are okay? You seriously look uncomfortable." |
Chione would flinch and jolt away from his touch, but her head would only move slightly in his direction. She wouldn't show him any expression that she would attack him or anything, but she was obviously uncomfortable with him moving to touch her. His words made her burn more than anything, but she tried her best to brush it off. She would stand as he continued speaking, the moon being hung high over their heads. He would tell her when they would meet, but tomorrow wouldn't work well. They were supposed to have a meeting. "I can meet you the day after tomorrow." Little did she know that she would be taken up and held captive by then... "I should really get going now though..." She looked out towards home, thinking that Helios would be pacing at the borders waiting for her return. She would avoid any questions about Charon... |