Ikori shrugged a bit, she was grinning at him. He could tell she was trying to make him feel better but he shook his head lightly. "No.." He bit is bottom lip gently. "I can just go around it...there are other cities...they mostly look the same anyway.." Ikori wanted to put as much distance between him and the things he was really running from as quickly as he could.

That little girl was only one of the things he wanted to put far behind him. "I should get moving again..." His tone, it almost sounded as if he didn't want to continue on alone. Already he was changing back to his dog form. He stood and shook himself from the tip of his nose to his tail tip. He didn't run off immediatly..no..he hesitated.

Ti nodded as he commented about the town, watching him a moment in thought. As he started to leave she held out a hand, stepping towards him. "Wait... Um.... Could you please do me a favor? Travel with me? It's kina dangerous for a girl right now..." She said quietly, biting her lip and running a hand through her bangs. She looked a little nervous, feeling kind of shy.

Ikori's ears twitched slightly, and he turned his head to look at her. When she stepped towards him, uncertainty flashed in his eyes for only a moment. She wanted to travel with him? It could be a trick...Ikori hesitated..for a long moment. Why would she trick him anyway? She seemed nice enough and if she wasn't he was sure he could outrun her. That tail wagged slowly, slightly, barely moving at all as he stepped towards her and butted his head against her hand gently.

Ti smiled slightly as he came close, stroking his head gently in thought. She gave him a smile, not sure where she would travel next but knowing she couldn't let Ikori travel alone. He just looked to sad, to needy. She didn't' know why she felt this was so, she simply knew that she couldn't walk away from that kind of need. So she smiled and scratched behind his ears, crouching in front of him. "Was there anywhere in particular you were headed?" She asked conversationally.

When she scratched behind his ears, he tilted his head towards her hand. Leaning into the touch some. Gods it felt great, being touched like that. His tail was wagging the way any happy dog's tail would. When Ti asked him about where to go, he shook his head a bit, then nuzzled her cheek lightly. No. The only place he had in mind to go, was the city just ahead. But that girl he was trying to avoid had gone there..so now..Ikori didn't really care where they went, as long as it put distance between him and that girl. He shook his head again.

Ti continued the scratching as he enjoyed it, humming to herself in thought. There had to be somewhere worth going... but honestly keeping herself on the move had been her only intention. She had no family, no memory, no reason to really stay in one place after Mama-may's death. It wasn't the best way to travel usually... but then again considering the fact there was a creature chasing down and killing magical beings maybe it was a good thing to be unpredictable...Finally she decided to randomly pick a direction, pointing north.

"Then lets go this way..." She said with a giggle, making a motion for him to follow as she started to walk. She crossed her arms behind her head, her long legs carrying her over the various undergrowth. Due to his fear of the girl she figured it was best to stay away from the roads near the city. She could rough through it and was sure he could too.

Ikori was a little disappointed when the scratching finally stopped. It had been so wonderful. That was alright. Perhaps she would pet him some more later. His tail still wagging as he watched her begin to walk off. Jaws slightly parted and his tongue hanging out the side a bit as he watched her move off. Ikori shook himself, from tail tip to the end of his nose before he gently trotted up to walk next to her. Whichever direction she picked was fine with him. Really.

Occasionally as they walked, like any dog, Ikori's nose would go low to the ground so he could sniff at the scents there. Mostly it was just wildlife scents. Still. It was a dog thing and he was a dog.

Felix cursed, swatting the branch that had swung back into his face away. He wasn’t suited to this whole trumping through the wilderness thing. Sure, Master Faliz had taught him enough to survive, but Felix was a scholar at heart.

He flung his pack down beside a rock, sitting down and massaging his sore feet. Master Faliz and he had been so close, Felix just knew it. They had been close to finding the cause, then that thing had came and taken him.

He shivered, refocusing on the moment. He had to find a town, find somewhere else to hide; someplace to start over maybe. Then again, he had no marketable skills; it’s not like anyone would be looking to hire someone with his “unsafe” knowledge of the darker magics.

Felix leaned back, taking in the feeling of this place. There was still some magic here, but for some reason, as with so many other places, it felt like it was fading. Then again, Felix could only feel part of the spectrum himself, so his vision could be a little warped.

What a mess he had found himself in.

Absently she observed Ikori, reaching down to stroke over his head whenever he walked close enough. She couldn't help but be a little more relaxed when he was in this innocent seeming dog form. She was not a very...experienced person and seeing the unexpected nudity had caught her off gaurd. Still, now that she could ponder it she felt it had been a familiar sight. Had she been more use to nudity in the life she could not remember?

She suppressed a sigh, pushing away the idea. It bothered her to think that. She frowned but paused suddenly as her unnatural hearing caught something. She stopped, holding out a hand to indicate to Ikori to stop. She morphed her ears to their most sensitive state, their cat like one, and twitched each towards the sounds.

Someone was moving through the brush and it put her on guard, causing her to reach into her coat and touch a peice of metal there so she could morph her hand into a weapon if necessary. She stepped towards the sounds, tilting her head to the side as she spoke softly. "Hello?" She called out towards Felix though she couldn't see him yet.

"Hello?" A voice cut through to Felix. He immediately froze, holding the branch out in front of him.

Should he answer back? It certainly didn't sound threatening, but how would anyone know he was here? Felix thought for a moment then shrugged; he certainly wasn't going to get anywhere by himself. Besides, it knew where he was and he didn't know where it was; if he ran it would only anger it.

Felix took a deep breath and responded. "Hello! Who are you?"

Ikori had let out a soft growl, his ears and nose had already picked out the sound and scent of a stranger. Though, he had dismissed the person has unimportant and not a threat, as long as they moved around and past without calling attention to themselves.

Ti stopped him with a hand and called out to the stranger. Ikori shook his head slightly, those eyes narrowed a bit, and he stepped forward. Putting himself in front of Ti. He wasn't a very big dog, but that didn't mean he would defend his friend if this stranger turned out to be hostile. Ikori wouldn't fight for himself, preferring to runaway instead. However, for his friends, on the odd chance he'd actually have a friend, he would fight to the death.

Ikori knew exactly where the male was. From the direction the wind had brought his scent, and mostly from the sounds. Still, the dog didn't look like the fiercest of beasts.

Ti sighed as she looked at Ikori but couldn't help but smile. It was kinda cute... unexpected and strange but cute. She patted him on the head, whispering that she could take care of herself before turning back to the new comer. He sounded fairly normal, even timid. This could be deceiving of course.. but for now she'd trust it. The monster hunting those of magic always seemed to be able to make itself unseen and unheard and his response seemed rather different then that....

"My name's Ti love, sorry if I startled you, I was just a little startled myself." She said with a soft laugh, her ears returning to human form so that whoever this was would think she was human if he came closer. She stayed where she was, pulling a hood back onto her head. She then glanced at Ikori, stroking his head to soothe him...

Felix turned around a couple times. The voice was friendly, but he couldn’t for the life of him find the direction it was coming from. It echoed off the trees and teased his ears. Every time he thought he knew the direction something would make him doubt his decision.

He hated to admit defeat, but in the end he couldn’t figure it out.

“I can’t find you,” he chuckled. “Maybe you should come to me? Sorry, but I seem to be in a terrible acoustic position.”

Felix winced; normal people probably didn’t talk like that. He sighed, it’s not like he would be able to blend in as a villager for long, anyway. Master Faliz had rarely let him go into the town; hence his very lost state right now.

Ikori let out a soft whine of protest when Ti patted him on the head the first time and spoke of being able to protect herself. What good were friends if they didn't protect each other? What good was a guard dog if he didn't guard? Though Ikori didn't think of himself as a guard dog.

He looked to Ti for a moment as she stroked his furry head. It was relaxing. He let out a soft whine and licked her hand. When the male called out that he couldn't find them, Ikori would have turned and left the person lost..maybe...or at least, he told himself that. He was a dog, a gentle one, his heart wouldn't really let him leave someone that may be lost in the woods.

Ikori gave Ti's hand another lick before darting off in the direction of the male. They weren't very far apart. Separated only by a few thick bushes and the fluffy mutt easily scrambled through them. The man's back was to him, and so Ikori let out a soft but loud 'bark'. Muzzle parted and he panted, tongue hanging out of one side of his mouth after his bark, as he watched the male. Knowing, or rather, assuming Ti would be coming out of the bushes right behind him.

"A . . . Dog?" Felix stuttered. "Huh, smart beast. Where's your master at?"
Big dog, Felix thought. What kind of breed must that be? He hadn't seen many dogs in the town, but they had looked nothing like this.

Ti half smiled at the soft whine, glancing at the dog. When he acted like this it almost felt as if seeing him in a human form had been simply a strange dream. She pushed away the thought, however, as she heard the man speak. She started to answer him when Ikori began to run. With a laugh she started after him at a leisurely pace. Being cautious seemed to be a good idea.

"Hello there. Sorry if we're disturbing you, I simply wanted to make sure you were alright...." She said as she came from behind the bushes, putting a hand on Ikori's head and patting gently as she gave Felix a curious once over. It wasn't that she didn't trust him... she simply liked to be careful. He seemed friendly enough, rather lost looking she thought absently.

Felix was just as surprised by the individual that followed the dog from the bushes. She didn't look at all as Felix would have expected; nothing like that rough-hewn lone traveler ideal.

"Does this dog belong to you?" Felix said. He paused right afterwards, unsure of exactly what he wanted to say. Should he ask the girl how to get to the nearest town? Then again, did he even want to go to the nearest town? He had no way of knowing how the people around here would react to him.

He needed to decide on a course of action, but before that he needed to decide how to deal with the traveler. Perhaps he would have been better holding his tongue.

"What are you doing out in these parts?" was the question he finally managed to settle on.

Ikori's eyes narrowed and he let out a rather threatening growl, first when the male asked where his 'master' was at. Again Ikori let that growl out, baring his sharp teeth a bit when the male asked if Ikori belonged to Ti. No. Ikori would never make that mistake again, though he had done it so many times in the past. He was free. Never would he be someone's pet again.

His eyes stayed narrow, a dog equivalent of a glare as he watched this man. That's all he did though, was watch. He couldn't exactly talk in this form, and he wasn't about to change in front of this stranger. He glanced at Ti, he did like it when she pet him, but he was no one's pet, he had decided that he and Ti were friends.

Ti noted the growls but said nothing, simply gazing at Felix a moment in thought. She laughed softly, a warm, full sound. She didn’t say anything at first but then glanced at Ikori, giving a soft pat of his head to comfort him. He had been abused in the past... that she knew. Still he acted like there was something in particular about ’ownership’ but she never wanted to own him anyway.

”No.. No Ikori’s too independent to be owned by anyone..” She said cheerfully, glancing up at Felix again. She flashed him a warm smile, adjusting her glasses in thought. He seemed cautious, that was good, but just what was he doing here?

”Just traveling, I enjoy the journey, what can I say? What about you Mr...?” She trailed off, letting him answer her. She put her hands on her hips then, tilting her head to the side and giving him a simple small smile. She seemed open, innocent... and maybe she was.

“Kaiden. My name is Felix Kaiden.”

Felix shot another look to the dog. It was seriously beginning to worry him. With all the aggressive posture and growling Felix just hoped it wasn’t rabid.

“So, are you from around here?” Felix asked. “I’m just trying to get to some form of civilization right now; I’m a little lost, in case you can’t tell.” Felix flashed a smile, hoping it looked sincere enough.

Ikori had only growled twice and that was only because the man assumed that Ikori was someone's pet. His nose twitched slightly and he kept his eyes on Felix watching the stranger warily. He pressed his head against Ti's hand gently, but his eyes never left the stranger. Ikori didn't move or make a sound, though if Felix made a sudden movement or moved in what Ikori took as a threatening manner towards Ti, the dog would attack.

”Well nice to meet you, Felix” She responded cheerfully, giving him a warm smile. She grinned, simply listening to him a moment. He seemed sincere and lost, though she still wasn’t so sure. He was eyeing Ikori in a way she didn’t like.. still she couldn’t blame a little fear. Ikori was doing his best to look fierce and protective... it was kinda cute if a little silly.

Feeling him press against her hand she stroked Ikori’s head and whispered softly to calm him. Things along the line of ‘it’s alright’ so hopefully he’d calm. How fiercely and how quickly he had become her protector. It made part of her kind of sad and a little worried. He’d get himself in trouble if he wasn’t careful.. she was not always safe to be around. There were things that tried to kill her, things to do with a past she could not remember at all.... She sighed and forced herself to focus on Felix again.

”Well I can take you to the main road though i’m not from around here. There’s a town not far down the road, I just didn’t feel like going to it.” She said it simply, shrugging and half laughing. She said nothing about ikori or why she didn’t’ want to go to it.

“Didn’t feel like? Are you a traveling . . .” Felix frowned. “Oh, never mind; it’s none of my business anyway. If you could get me out of here I would much appreciate it.”

Something about the travelers seemed a little . . . off. Felix couldn’t put his finger on it, but he felt like there was more going on here than he knew. None of it mattered, though. He would go to the village then . . . Actually he had no idea what he was going to do. He just wanted to keep studying and continuing the research of his master.

Then again, what better way was there to study than to travel? These travelers . . . No; he wasn’t going to broach the topic. Besides, there’s no way they’d be comfortable with what he did, and it’s not like he could hide it from them if they traveled together. Perhaps he could just tough it out and travel for himself. . . But he didn’t know anything about the geography or surviving in the wild.

He was staring off into nowhere. He just needed to focus on getting to a town; he could work everything out from there. “One thing at a time, Felix,” he muttered.

Ikori's ears twitched as Ti and Felix spoke to one another. He had calmed down for the most part, still he wouldn't hesitate to act if he felt Ti's life was in danger. The dog inhaled deeply and decided the man didn't smell particularly hostile. He eyed him warily again, then relaxed some more. He didn't quite trust this man, but he would give him a chance.

Ikori yawned and turned his head, looking in the direction of the main road when Ti mentioned leading the man there. Ikori didn't really want to chance walking on the main road. Not yet at least. Not when they were still close to that town. The fluffy mutt shook himself, the way dogs often do, from tail tip to nose tip and let out a soft bark. To get the man's attention, Felix had suddenly started staring off into space.

"sure" Ti nodded, motioning and starting to walk towards the path again. She'd stand on the edge instead of going on the road so Ikori could avoid being seen if he wanted. She just needed to be in sight of it so she could point it out to the traveler after all. Still her curiosity was hardly saited by what he said so she had to ask.

"Am I a traveling what?" She asked quietly, smirking a little beneath the shadow of her beat up old hat. She was watching Felix with a twinkle of mischief. Just what was he thinking? She could do any profession... but just what was his mind on?