Born From Fire //The scrappy unofficial one//

How curious.

The young woman paced from tree to tree. Heaviness of her legs wading through the pines. Her socks had grown damp from the drowning puddles she had passed long ago, yet with no other choice she marched on.

An exhale of her breath against the air blew a gentle wisp of condensation. Her chestnut eyes peered over the slope of fallen pine needles and moist leaves. Carefully, she emerged from behind the trunk of an old pine, taller than the horizon itself. She was growing closer by the second, without a drop of knowledge of the danger she was in.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure had his eyes locked onto her from a distance. Still. Silent. The ambiance of the woods filling the young woman's ears as she tread further and further.

The sudden whoosh of a bird flock fleeing from the treetops grabbed her attention with haste. Her eyes flicked up to the sky to see feathered wings retreating from the woodland. Without the blissful tunes of the birds, all fell silent. A chilling whirl of unease sunk its teeth into her skin deeply and engulfed her in suspicion. The young woman's breathing stopped for a moment, as she slowly, carefully, shifted her gaze from the treetops to the scene around her.

The figure tilted his head from the shadows, standing tall where the light doesn't dare reach. Twisting, turning, coiling around his legs lay an ever so gentle flame. A blaze ignited from the footing of this strange figure, crackling and burning a crimson glow.

"How curious."

The young woman whirled her head at the sound of the voice. A tone laced with a deep and buried mystery, the voice of velvet and gold, crafted with divinity and power.

Her hands raced to the handle of her knife, gripping for the leather handle and dragging the blade from its sheath. The figure scoffed at her action and emerged from the shadows. His face no longer hidden, posture clear to her eyes.

She stood her ground firmly, holding herself in place. Weapon wielded at her side, her eyes narrow and set on the man before her.

"Just as I remember." he spoke slowly. "Mankind and their savagery, so quick to draw their weapons and declare violence." His fingers reaching for the end of his sleeves, straightening the cuffs on his button down shirt.

The words festered around in her head, swirling into a storm as her grip clenching her weapon tightened. "Mankind-?", her voice shook gently as she questioned his remark. "What-- what are you then-?", despite her tremble and her alarm at the being standing before her, she opposed him with a flick of quick wit. To which a light chuckle escaped his lips. Low, sharp, and laced with riddles and secrets.

"You look lost." he began to pace, the ground below him burning a light sindge with his steps. She followed his track with her eyes and movements, not daring to take her eyes off him. A deep cherry red flicker swirled through his eyes as he scanned her up and down.

"I'm not lost. I know where I'm going." she bit back defensively, narrowing her eyes at him.

"And where's that?," his tone shifted. A roll in his voice seemed to show his confidence. His eyes glimmered once again, and his lips curled into a complacent smirk.

Silence was all that came from her.

"Away." she hissed.

"Hm, well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but away is not the way you're heading." He paced around and stopped behind her. She spun around to meet him face to face, only now being able to take in his features.

"Would you care to point me in the right direction then?", a snark escaped her and seemed to shoot at the being before her.

"Perhaps, if you tell me who you are and why exactly you're here."