She was so very right, his world wasn't for her and her's wasn't for him. It wasn't what she wanted, it was necessary that she return home and he continue doing what he did. Jack had nodded slightly and when she reached up and ran a hand over one of his ears. He purred softly, leaning into that hand, then that hand moved to his cheek. He leaned against that hand, and then she was kissing him. Her lips pressed against his and Jack blinked, clearly startled, but he got over that quick enough. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her, he was only just now actually starting to trust her. It was clear, she had trusted him very early on in this friendship. He wrapped both arms around her and laid back, pulling her on top of him. Why not dive head first into this recklessly? They would have to their separate ways, so why not indulge now? But love would only make that separation all the more painful when it did happen. His hands moved up to Theodora's shoulders and he tugged her down on top of him so his lips could find hers. He kissed her gently, his lips pressing softly against her own. Jack purred quietly.

A small startled sound left the young woman as Jack pulled her down with him. Theodora's heart beat frantically as a furious blush covered her cheeks. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. The dark haired man should have rejected her, instead of pulling her close to kiss her gently. It was what Theodora had learned to expect, and she'd actually been hoping for it this time. It would have made leaving so much easier. At the same time, she relished this as she returned Jack's kisses with a hint of desperation. One hand moved to bury itself in his soft hair, as the other rested gently against the cat man's chest. It was all bitter sweet for Theodora. The thought of her departure, no matter how far away it might have been, was already haunting her. Jack's purring comforted her, even if the realization wasn't a conscious one.

Jack's arms were around her, but his hold was loose in case she decided she didn't want to do this. His hands ran gently up and down along her spine. His glowing eyes half closed as he deepened the kiss, his tongue gently sliding into her mouth to explore it softly. Jack couldn't remember the last time he had held someone like this, it had been even longer than that since he'd held a woman like this. Jack's purring grew just a tiny bit louder, his hands roaming other places along Theodora's body now. Parting ways with this woman would be nearly unbearable after spending time like this with her, Jack would be alright though, he was used to his companions leaving him for one reason or another. The Nekojin couldn't help but wonder how hard it would be for Theodora though, surely he was only making things worse by doing something like this, the point, Jack realized, was that they should be very happy now because they would be very sad later when they parted.

Unconsciously pressing herself closer to Jack as his hands roamed, Theodora's eyes closed. She wasn't sure about this ... The young woman wanted this with Jack, she really did, but his wounds were at the back of her mind now. Perhaps it was just an excuse, but it was a valid one in her eyes. Removing her lips from his, Theodora pressed a kiss or two along his jawline then looked down at Jack apologetically. "You're hurt, we should wait." Her heart was beating fast, and she realized she was terrified. Theodora was still a maiden, in the medieval sense of the word, and she didn't want to rush things. No, she wanted her first to be special. As she ran a gentle hand over Jack's torso she knew that with him, it would be no matter the circumstances.

Jack hadn't actually expected her to stop, but she had. He licked his lips lightly when she pulled away, as if savoring her flavor upon them. Jack was complacent, nodding slightly to her words. "If that's what you want." He hugged her gently, placing a few kisses along her neck and nibbling gently for only a moment. He smiled at her. Still, Jack wasn't used to someone being so concerned over him or his injuries, it was nice and just a little annoying. Though he was sure he would miss it, as well as other things, once they had parted. He hugged her tightly for a moment longer, then loosened his arms. "You should probably get some sleep."

It wasn't really what she wanted, but Theodora was too scared to continue. Though Jack's gentle nibbling had her letting out a longing sigh, and her arms wrapped around him tightly. Making an annoyed sound at the mention of sleep, and the fact that the neko had loosened his hold on her, the young mumbled quietly to herself. Standing, she went to the pack she'd dropped nearby and pulled out a tightly packed sleeping bag along with a small pillow. Looking ponderously at the two items for a moment, Theodora unzipped the bag and lay it flat on the floor. Then she rummaged trough her things and found another blanket. Placing it over her as she settled down, Theodora latched her grey eyes onto Jack. "There's room for two." Shivering a little, she rolled her eyes at herself.

He watched her curiously as she moved to her pack and pulled things out of it. Blinking he watched her place the sleeping back on the ground and lay on it. Jack was used to sleeping on the hard ground, or in tree branches in this form and his other form. That was right, there were still many things Theodora didn't know about him. How would she react to some of those things? Jack pushed that thought away, it didn't matter because they wouldn't be able to stay together forever. He chuckled softly when she mentioned there was room for two. Jack had no intention of sleeping, he had planned on keeping watch, but he stood and moved over to where she had laid down, and gently lowered himself next to her. He put an arm around her and pulled her close against him. Jack still didn't plan on sleeping, someone had to watch and listen for signs of danger.

A sigh of relief left Theo as the dark haired man moved to her side. Her eyes closed as Jack pulled the brunette close. Relaxing into his grasp, she smiled softly to herself. Safe. She was safe with Jack there, despite the dangers lurking outside. It meant so much to Theodora, the simple fact that in his presence she felt safe enough to sleep. The young woman's mind began drifting quietly, and outside the sky began to darken. Wrapping an arm around Jack, Theodora nuzzled closer to him as she slipped quietly into her dreams.

There would be no sleep for Jack, he held Theodora closely, keeping her warm and safe. Ears twitching every now and then, as he just watched and listened. It was getting dark outside, but Jack could still see just fine. His eyes glowing a bit brighter as the cave began to darken with the loss of light from outside. Occasionally, Jack would even sniff at the air, see if any predatory scents came his way. Jack kept his guard up, he was determined to protect Theodora and determined to not get caught off guard by anything. If it had just been him, he probably wouldn't have been quite as alert as he was, but the life of someone else depended on him and that made all the difference.

Flashes of frightening images woke Theodora from her sleep abruptly, just as a sliver of dawn light filtered into the cave. For a few confused moments, the young woman glanced blearily around while clutching Jack tightly. Then everything came back in a rush, all the events of the day before. Leaning heavily against Jack as she sat up, Theodora then planted a lingering kiss upon his lips. Well that was one thing that hadn't changed at least. "Are we staying here today?" wondered Theodora aloud as she peered at the cat man. Her sleep had refreshed her so. It had been such a very needed rest for someone unused to the rigors of the wild.

He hadn't expected Theodora to wake so early, but she was and she had kissed him. Jack smiled a bit, nuzzling at her and purring softly. "Yeah. We will stay here today and sleep here again tonight." Jack didn't feel much like traipsing through the forest again, not yet. It had nothing to do with his wounds, they were almost completely healed now. It had more to do with, Jack needing actual rest. Still he was hesitant to sleep, he still didn't trust this clearing, or the forest that surrounded it. Though laying there and not moving was pretty decent rest for his body at least.

Laughing lightheartedly, the young woman placed her head on Jack's shoulder with a smile. "You're purring for me." IT had been mentioned earlier, but Theodora hadn't actually thought that would happen. Content with how they were for the moment, the brunette let her eyes wander trough the cave slowly. Even in this place there was no sense of menace. Actually it felt like the area was welcoming them. The thought would have been absurd if Theodora hadn't faced the large dark part of the forest with Jack.

"Am I?" Jack raised a brow, still purring softly as he hugged Theodora tightly for a few moments. "It's hard to make me purr, so you must be doing something right." He grinned at her, though the longer they laid there not doing anything, the heavier Jack's eyelids got. He thought that a bit odd, he could go days without sleeping, he had done it once before. Just laying there and not moving should be enough for his body to recuperate without actually sleeping. Of course Jack didn't want to jump to the conclusion that other forces were at work, the Nekojin yawned. "It's daylight, usually forests are safer in the day, but. After what we been through, I'm not sure this one follows that rule." A soft sigh. "I'm gonna sleep, I won't sleep long though. Wake me up if anything happens. Anything at all and don't wander off." His arms around her tightened briefly as if to emphasize not wandering off. Jack relaxed against Theodora, his eyes already slipping closed. For some reason he just couldn't keep them open. His purring had quieted some, it would stop once he was in a deep restful sleep. Which probably wouldn't take long.

Smiling softly, Theo kissed the neko quietly. "I'm not going anywhere," murmured the young woman. She began passing a hand trough Jack's hair, and glanced outside. If anything was coming their way, Theodora wanted to see it before it ambushed them. Her mind did wander though. So many crazy things had happened. In reality, the one thing Theodora had the hardest time believing wasn't the fact that she was in another world. Nope, not at all. What really struck her, was that she was lying down with a near stranger who had saved her life more then a few times already ... And he'd managed to capture a good part of her heart.

Kukiko Koyuki, or rather Koyuki as he preferred to be called, plunged bodily into the forest that gave off ominous feelings without a second thought. He had heard all kinds of rumors and tales about this place, though most of which he didn't believe at all. It was just a forest, maybe some demon had taken residence and was causing such an ominous feeling. He really didn't think the forest was cursed, or tainted by black magic. Though what did he have to fear? He could not die, well, he could, he just wouldn't stay dead. His eyes were whitish grey, but they weren't empty, once they had been a bright sky blue. His hair a platinum blonde color, only a few shades of way from being platinum silver. Once long ago it had been dark brown. The physical evidence of his curse. A curse that could have been a gift, if only it hadn't cost the life of his beloved. But that was hundreds of years ago, and Koyuki had nearly forgotten what her face had looked like, what her soft voice had sounded like. Quite simply he had gotten over the loss of her. But he was so tired of living, never changing, never dying. His problem, he knew, was that he had nothing to live for. So he came into this place, looking for some magic, or anything that could break his curse.

Clad in a dark burgundy dress, the sorceress lounged casually in her chair. Green eyes searched the pool of calm water before her for some sign of an intruder within her domain. Oh how she loved playing with them! Though, they never saw it that way. An elegant hand waved in the air, making a leather bound book float to the waiting appendage. Slipping it open and setting it down upon her knees, Bryce contemplated the tome quite seriously. What manner of creature would she conjure next? Two of her guests were in that other person's stronghold, that fairy glade where her magic could not roam.

Dark hair falling around her shoulders, the woman grinned when she noticed another person entering her enchanted forest. He looked intriguing enough to merit her personal attention. Waving a hand in an intricate motion, Bryce wove magic trough the air in order to summon her shadows. Setting them to work, she watched with glee as they plunged towards the pale haired man to envelop him. Hopefully he wouldn't struggle. She did so want some company at the moment in her palatial set of caverns.

Koyuki shivered, had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. He looked this way and that but saw nothing but trees and underbrush. If something were watching him they must have been doing it from far away, he brushed away that notion. Of course a place like this must have at least one magical artifact hidden deep within. He trudged onward, fearlessly. He stumbled over a tree root, righted himself and looked up just in time to the see the shadows moments before they engulfed him. He did struggle, but didn't really fight them. It seemed more like they were trying to take him somewhere than attack him. Perhaps deeper into the forest? That was where he wanted to go. He writhed and twisted around a bit in the shadows.

Standing, Bryce moved to the center of her caverns. A warm and welcoming fire lay there, and all around were pieces of furniture, boxes filled with a myriad of objects as well as shelves. The place was a mishmash of things, and yet it looked rich and sumptuous with tapestries hanging down along the walls and furs laying about. Bryce possessed a hoard of things that even a dragon might envy. She'd inherited her home, and the forest in a way from the last sorcerer to make their place there. It was a shame that she hadn't been able to learn more from the man, but he'd truly begun to annoy her with his advances.

As the shadow creatures returned in their writhing way, they deposited the man in front of their mistress delicately. Even they feared some things, and Bryce could command those magics most effectively. Soft slippers and her long dress trailed against the dirt floors with a swishing sound as she moved to face the man in order to examine him. "My my, you do look like an interesting fellow. It will be so much fun finding out about you, " Bryce wasn't worried about him trying to escape. Her creatures waited for such an attempt and she had a few spells in mind also, both to punish and recapture the blond male.

Koyuki wasn't sure where he was or how far into the forest the shadow things had brought him when he was deposited delicately in front of a woman. Though perhaps she was the source of the strangeness about this forest? He gave her a quick once over and ran a hand through his hair as he stood before her. "I am just a simple traveler, Lady." Something about her sent a shiver down his spine, but not of fear. He feared nothing, he did look this way and that for a few moments, as if he were contemplating escape. It would be better, to remain here a while and learn what he could. This person must surely know more about this forest than he did, and perhaps she had in her possession something that could be useful to him.

A rather worrying smile crossed Bryce's strong features at the man's words. Pacing around him, she wondered what to do with him first. Perhaps throw him into a life or death struggle with her most fearsome creature? No, that would end far too quickly, and she wanted him to last. Slow torture seemed best. Everyone had secrets, memories they never wanted to relive again. Now all she needed to do was trick him into touching a very special gem. It was set into a beautiful silver ring, and the amber piece seemed to have an inner light of it's own.

The moment this guest touched it, his most painful memories would be hers. The gem was such a useful piece, one that had taken many painstaking years to track down and steal from it's previous owner. It had been worth it though. It had it's own store of magical energy, and it wasn't even close to being exhausted yet. Extending one ringed hand, Bryce smiled. "Quite right, I am a Lady indeed. " Eying him carefully, she waited to see whether he would kiss her hand or not. It would say much about him. Once that was over with, she motioned for him to walk with her. "Have you heard the tales of this place, traveler?" So many had, and out of curiosity they entered her domain. Only to be trapped there, their energy becoming a source of power for the residing sorceress.

He followed her movements with his eyes except for when she had circled around behind him. He didn't turn, just waited for her to come back around within his line of sight. Koyuki shook his head slightly. When she offered her hand to him, he hesitated, then delicately placed his fingers just around the tips of hers and kissed the back of her hand ever so gently. It was the polite thing to do. Wasn't it? Koyuki released her hand and when she motioned, he followed her. "I have heard nothing substantial, Lady. Only rumors and ideas, every one more preposterous than the next." If she were to tap into his energy, it could be an unending source for her. A creature that could not die would surely have limitless amount of energy. Koyuki was a bit suspicious of this woman, but not afraid, so he would be polite and try to learn all he could of this place.

Pondering how to amuse herself with the man as they walked, Bryce smiled to herself. It was such a wondrous feeling, knowing that there were tales about her home. Hopefully it would bring more people to her. The more there were, the greater magics could be created. Bryce wanted to prove to everyone that she was the most powerful sorceress of them all! Once she had amassed enough energy, she would set out to become a queen. There were problems with that of course, but those weren't important at the moment.

After entering a long stone corridor lit by torches, Bryce turned left and entered in to a smaller space complete with bed, bookcase, a rather fine table as well as a chest. "Tell me those tales, entertain me, traveler. You will have room and board then, for as long as I wish ... If you please me." Turning to him, the woman smiled and inclined her head. Hopefully he would please her, Bryce wasn't in the mood for the mess that might ensue if he did anything else. The sounds of a crackling fire filled the air here also. The sorceress liked warmth and comfort, even in this backwater place away from civilization.

"I've only heard a few rumors, probably not really enough to be entertaining." Koyuki glanced this way and that as he followed the woman, taking in his surroundings calmly. When they entered what seemed to him a bedroom, he let his eyes roam over the room. The way she had spoken though, he was almost certain he was her prisoner though he had not been shackled or thrown in a cage. He licked his lips to moisten them.

"The first rumor I heard said that the forest was cursed when an evil demon was slain in it's center. The evil of that demon spread out and contaminated the entire forest. Turning the forest itself into a kind of collective demon of sorts." It was apparent in the way he spoke that he didn't believe such a thing as that. "The next tale said that a demon lives in the forest, lives there and devours the souls of all who enter." Koyuki didn't believe that one either, it could be seen in his eyes. "Another story, says that a sorcerer dwells in the forest and enchanted it to kill all who entered so no one could find his lair and his magical artifacts of immeasurable power." Koyuki hadn't believed that tale either, but it had piqued his interest. Magical artifacts.

He shook his head slightly. "I know only one other rumor, the others I have forgotten but there are so very many. This last one goes like this. A princess whose throne had been usurped escaped her castle and ran far away. She came to this forest and hid within, promising vengeance for her kingdom. She did not hide very well, and the guards of the man that had taken her throne found her and killed her. Her vengeful spirit is said to haunt the forest, unable to leave, and so clouded with a lust for revenge that she destroys all who enter." To him, that one sounded more like a fairy tale, he smiled a bit sheepishly at her.

Each story brought a measure of satisfaction to Bryce. People lapped up mysteries, it drew them, it frightened them ... The speculation over the unknown was such an amazing draw. With legends alive like this, people were certain to come and investigate. Plus, it was quite satisfying to be called a demon, a ghost or a sorcerer. The last was the truest, but no one knew the truth of the matter. Those who had were skeletons, or transformed into the creatures she commanded.

With a smile, the sorceress lifted her hands up in a sign of peace, though really from this position she could fly into a number of spells. "I hope you know many more tales , traveler. I am the sorceress of this place and this forest is my domain. As I'm sure you've figured out, I wish you to be my guest. Of course, you're only welcome here as long as you're good company." There, that summed up her wishes quite nicely. There was a hint of amused warning in her words as the green eyed woman spoke. Brown hair tinged with red, or red hair tinges with brown, flipped around as Bryce turned from her guest.

It was time to eat. One needed to keep up their energy for spell casting after all. "Come, our food awaits." Bryce cultivated her own garden, and her minions captured what meat she needed. Strange enough as it was, the sorceress had a cow and a goat in order to create cheese, or so she could have milk. They were of course somewhere within her series of caves, in places where they would not wander off.

Theodora's eyes were focused on the outside of the cave, when they should have also kept up watch upon what lay within. Something lurked in the darkness at her back, though in truth the creature meant no harm. It had been something else once, something human like. Now it was nothing more then a monstrous creature, a beast, with the remains of what it had once been lingering in it's mind.

Lumbering forward, the bear like thing moved towards the resting pair. Turning, Theodora let out a scream which frightened it, making it flatten itself fearfully against the cavern floor. Shaking Jack gently, Theodora decided she would feel guilty for waking him later on when monsters stopped popping up out of nowhere!

][hah I was just thinking it's about time to wake up Jack.][

She had seemed to enjoy the things he had told her, though he was already out of tales. Of course he could tell her of the things he had seen in his many years of life, though to him none of those things seemed very entertaining at all. Of course he didn't tell her yet that he really had no more stories of any kind that may interest her. "Lady, you are to kind though I fear you may tire of me soon enough, I'm not very entertaining." The amused warning didn't go over his head, but still he felt there was nothing to fear. A sorceress could be helpful, but Koyuki wasn't so sure this woman was interested in helping others. When she mentioned food, he blinked. Trying to remember when he had last eaten, a day or so ago. True he couldn't starve to death, but hunger pains were no fun either.


Jack would have continued to sleep, though an unfamiliar scent had found his nose, until Theodora screamed. Ears twitched and his eyes flew open before the woman could lay her hands on him to shake him. As quickly as possible Jack was on his feet in front of Theodora, glancing this way and that until his sharp eyes caught sight of the creature. He glanced at Theodora, making sure she was unhurt, before looking back to the creature. Jack sniffed the air, though one hand behind him reaching for a knife just in case. The scent coming from the creature was one of fear, and honestly Jack didn't sense any malice. "It's afraid." Jack smiled and straightened a bit from that fighting stance he had taken, letting his hand fall from the small of his back to hang by his side. He had a knife up the sleevelet on that arm, just in case. "I don't think it's like the ones that attacked us before." Jack kept his eyes on it anyway. Just in case.