Turning, Annika stalked away from the demon. He unnerved her and she needed to get her wits back about her before she headed off into the darkness of the forest. "Damn it! How did he do that?" she asked herself. Furious for allowing him to get to her.

Prothvar watched the girl, Annika walk away from him. She was amazing and her willpower suprised him. "Mmm...she'll be back." he hissed softly under his breath, then he too turned away and headed back the way he had come.
After a few short steps, he launched himself into the air and flew up, landing on the balcony leading into his room.

Surreal sensed Zane's confusion as they moved onto the open street. Quickly she slipped off his back and knelt down next to him. "I'm going to go check down toward the shops. Don't try to fight me, I can take care of myself. Besides, not much can hurt me in town. I'll send up a fireball if I need help."
Before Zane could even try to stop her, Surreal took off down a street to the left.

Zane growled under his breath in annoyance, but didn't fight Surreal as she ran off down the street. Instead, he watched her until she rounded a corner then turned and headed slowly off in the opposite direction, hoping to catch Annika's scent again. He was ticked off that he had lost it so easily.

Annika sighed and turned back toward the apartment building where she had been staying. I can't do this. Not tonight. she thought as she climbed the stairs toward her room.

Medowin had been pacing for nearly twenty minutes she was sure before she stopped dead. It was as if the gate unlocked and she was finally free. She wandered into town, wondering what had happened as she looked at the nearly empty streets.

Life was hardly a game, but why did she think of it that way. Every move a desperate act, a way to play the game she'd been dealt. A bluff, all of it. The girl closed her eyes, shutting away the view of her ceiling for a moment.

She needed to get out of here. Not tonight, no, she'd burned too much moonlight. Besides, she'd make too much noise. And the forest itself would pose a challenge. She wasn't someone who enjoyed in the suffering or pain of others, and certainly, she preferred not to kill. When she turned to her darker side, she hated every minute of it.

Still. It couldn't hurt to arise and poke aroudn a bit, get used to walking at night. Quietly, she slipped out of bed, and down to her forge. Which would she take when she left on her journey? A mental list, one she hoped she wouldn't forget, was made. However, it was cold inside, and despite herself, Alex lit a small fire. Not big enough to make anything with. But just enough to see and have heat by. She rested on the edge of the stone barrier that contained the blaze. The whole left wall opened off to the street, but she didn't mind. She didn't need privacy.

As Zane silently made his way through the streets, a flickering light caught his attention and he turned toward it. Cautiously, he made his way over to it. It appeared that someone was in the forge. He was curious, so he silently slipped in, still in panther form.
Inside he saw a girl, she looked familiar and he supposed that he had seen her around town at least once before, but he just couldn't place her.

It took her a moment or so to register the shadow that had slinked in. When she noticed, she blinked her eyes carefully before sliding off the edge she'd been perched on. Carefully she moved closer, peering forth at it. By the time she realized it was a cat, a panther by the looks of it, she was laready within a few feet of it.

She wasn't one to reach for violence first. And so she didn't, instead, she simply held still.

"H-Hey...where'd you come from... Funny, I always thought animals didn't like fire... shows what I know..." And she'd been counting on flame to protect her. Stock still, she locked eyes with the creature. If it came toward her any she'd back up...

The sun warmed bark rested against his body, as the thin breeze toyed with his long brown locks, as the sleeping body slept, chest heaving up and down in complete relaxation. Shadows playing over his long frame, the wing blowing back and forth, sending leaves toppling down laying across his chest before another gust sent them on there way.

An eyelid lifted, twitching as Winter's bearings awakened. "All fine.." He whispered to himself, as he started to wrestle out of his nap. Flinging himself over, causing his hands to plant themselves firmly against the old graying bark to gain balance once more.

His eyes drifted, searching the grassy ground bellow, several stories down."Thank you tree." This whisper louder then the last, appreciating the wide berth of the branch, saving him from the hard fall that would have brought a nice lump on his head.

Slipping from the branch, hands shifting as they quickly grabbed onto branch to branch, sending him to the ground soon after.

His boots scrapped against the ground, sending low marks implanted in the grass, showing his trail as he didn't care to mask himself from the world, and also something intrigued him, his senses wrinkling as somebody was near.

There was a forge, coming to a stop at its highest hill, as he starred down at the slope, leading down into a small clear scream, the tickling sound of water relaxing him as the water twisted around the rocks, finding a path downstream.

There where two here, and he smiled gleefully, carefully leaping around small bits of foliage, hands rubbing against their leaves, several falling from the branches as he moved as a shadow towards the girl, curious of this little meeting.

Zane could smell the fear rolling off the girl in waves and in a small way it excited him. The animal instinct of the panther wanted to attack, but he held himself in check. He realized that he had two choices. He could either stay in his panter form, and pray that she didn't have anything to attack him with if he made the wrong move, or he could shift back into his human form, though that would leave him lying naked on the ground.

I really hate these choices. Zane thought for just a split second before letting the change wash over him. His muscles and bones rippled and shifted panfully under his skin and the dark fur receded. The only thing that remained the same were his gold-flecked emerald eyes.

She wouldn't have attacked, simply wasn't in her to do so. But there were plenty of weapons bout should it happen. However as a change took place, Alex immeidately relaxed.

"That makes a lot more sense..." she moved back to lean against the stone wall of the forge, her eyes aimed at the ceiling now. "Good evening... maybe morning now....I'm not sure... What brings you out tonight?"

Alex rarely ever left her forge. She didn't spend a lot of time socializing.

Understanding the possible akwardness of the situation, Zane pulled out some clothes from his pack and quickly dressed.
"Sorry 'bout that. Actually I was out looking for one of my friends, but I suspect now that she's either gone or she's changed her mind about leaving tonight. I seriously am hoping for the latter."
He stayed where he was, but now that he was clothed he hoped that this situation would improve.
"I'm Zane by the way. Zane Troy."

Once dressed, Alex borught her eyes down off hte ceiling. "Leaving? I was just starting the planning for mine. Trying to think which of my lovelies I should bring.I hope she did go back ot her room then..." Yes, she was talking about the weapons gleaming from their places on the wall. When he spoke, alex smiled, stretching a little as she came off the stone circle again to extend her hand.

"Alexandra Locke. But I do prefer Alex. People tend to believe me more when they think I'm a guy."

It was clear she was female however. But when people heard the name Alex Locke, they assumed hte smith was a male. made things easier to sell, and, kept her identity a bit of a secret.

"I vaguely recall seeing you around...I don't leave often though, so I might be remembering oddly."

As Annika climbed the stairs, she started to feel a little dizzy, but just shook it off. As she shoved open her door however, dark spots began to dance across her vision and before she could take many more steps, she blacked out.

[b][size=9]Winter had appeared, coming from his secretive hiding place in the woods, moving through the brush that seemed to spread for him to take his path down. The two had been only speaking for a moment, leaving them in open discussion, that he could possibly join into.

Letting his wings recede back into his brown colored clothing he quickly changed from a blank emotionless face, towards a more friendly smile, awkwarding moving forward towards the two.

"Hello.." He almost whispered, standing up to his full height, shifting body weight here and there, his feet splashing through the cool stream that ran between the bluffs. People, always he had admired them, and now changed it was a perfect chance to make 'friends', if allowed of course. Sadly over the several years it had come to perhaps not this time!

Zane nodded at Alex. Then nearly jumped, his nails lengthening into claws and his teeth into fangs as another appeared. The guy seemed nice enough though and he quickly calmed himself, his features returning to normal.

"Um. Hi."

After searching down one side of town, Surreal decided to head back toward the apartment where she and Zane split up. He wasn't there, but in the hopes that Annika had returned, she went back in and headed up the stairs. Something about the situation seemed wrong though and Surreal sensed something dark about this night.

She blinked as another person appeared, making Alex jump a little by this sudden appearance. Zane however seemed to be a lot jumpier than she. He turned to a temporary offensive, but it seemed to quiet down.

She gave the newcomer a smile. "Hello yourself. I'm Alex." If she should be scared, she wans't paying attention to it. Naive? Perhaps...

Winter turned, his head craning upwards before drifting downwards, only a moment to look up at the beautiful sky, simple.

"I'm Winter." He spoke up this time, introducing himself with a light bow, his body leaning down only several inches before returning to his height.

The claws and fangs could only lean to one thing, some sort of morphing man. It didn't make much of a difference, as if somehow a fight broke out he'd probably just run, and that didn't seem likely either.

Zane took a deep and calming breath then intorduced himself to the newcomer.
"Zane." He flashed a quick smile in an attempt to show that he really didn't intend to attack anyone then just waited, looking around.
Yep, full of ready wit. That's me. Just a freaking talker. he thought to himself.And gotta love the instant 'attack the strangers' attitude.

Winter nodded in a return gesture, adding the name and appearance and keeping it inside the back of his head, to avoid the embarrassment of forgetting it if they met again, which in a way he hopped.

"Pleased to meet you." He said rather to quickly.

Twisting his legs he revolved, turning towards the lady that stood near by, remembering to quickly recognize her, he didn't want to be mean at all, bad reputation, bad.

"Hello miss."

Alex smiled. "Hey... don't spend any extra effort on me." She gave a little bow in response though. "I'm just a blacksmith, not a royal lady of a court."

Her eyes caught on the shining metal of her weapons. Still, she didn't forget her guests. As long as there was no fight breaking out, they'd remain on the walls.

"I've got too many... I'd better get rid of htem before I go..." She mumbled half ot herself, half to the open air.

Winter began to think it was a bit too peaceful to be true. Usually there was someone pestering him. Or pestering someone else. Well she could be pestering the two in front of them, he hadn't procured the power to tap into others heads.

"You could be, pretty enough." Winter replied a little late, and not recognizing how this reply might be embarrassing for her. For a moment he had forgot the two that he had started conversation. Clumsy, his mind seemed to cause him to stray away from reality.

Zane sighed. He really should just go now. He had nothing else to say and needed to find out what happened with Annika.

"Well, it was nice to meet you both, but I should go."
Quickly, Zane snatched up his pack, turned and loped out into the darkened streets.