[Alistair]

As his breathing regained to an acceptable pace, Alistair wiped the sweat from his forehead and groaned. He was possibly the worst bounty hunter in the history of bounty hunters, and in fact, he was embarrassed that he couldn't even capture two weakened Therians. But seriously - he was in need of some major therapy after he had had a great beast of a wolf snapping at his ankles. Even though he knew her intention was not to injure him, just to chase him off, he thought about it now and trembled ever so slightly. He had balked at the thought of the mauling he might get from the two, since the male seemed in better form. But as he reflected, the more he thought he could have restrained them both. If he had kneed the male in the stomach without any warning, he would have been winded and temporarily decapitated. But then there was that falcon-y thing and he really, really liked his eyes.

The 'varian realised he was just standing at the gates with a listless look in his eyes, and regaining his bearings, he turned on his heels and walked like a man with a purpose back to his sister's apartment. There would be a treat in store for him when he got there, a right earful he thought. But when he got there, she wasn't home, so he let himself in with his spare key and grabbed his travelling bag. After a long, relaxing shower, he stepped at and cleaned himself up, towel drying his hair and then combing it so it could dry into his usual, casual style. Alistair chose a more comfortable outfit, grabbing his jeans from his bag and pairing them with his usual smart shoes, a grey blazer and a white t-shirt. He could have been a man out on a date as far as anybody knew, trying to impress but keeping it cool. When he was ready, he wasn't sure what to do. He had no motivation to do anything. He thought about how to make himself stronger. He wanted to be able to hurt others, and not out of sadism, but just because he felt like a helpless little thing. There were certain routes one could take when one was a Peteulanus, and he thought about the ability to inflict mental pain on others. The type of pain that was in the mind, and rendered others helpless and unable to do anything. The type that would defend him so he wouldn't get hurt. He decided he would apply himself more soulfully to his studies.

He jumped up from where he'd been sitting, shouldered his bag, and left, locking up behind himself. His stomach grumbled, and Alistair realised how hungry he was. He diverted his course toward a nearby bistro, knowing there was no way he could go home to face his older siblings, or he would face humiliation and even more defeat. And while he knew Serana would no longer be angry at him, but upset and concerned. He ordered a bowl of soup with bread and a coffee, then rang her COM. As it rang to her voicemail, he sighed and left a message. “Hey Serana, please forgive me for my atrocious behaviour earlier. Things went badly, but I'm not hurt. Went back to yours for a shower and a change of clothes, just getting a bite to eat then heading back home to my normal, mediocre job. Call me when you get home, love you.” He hung up, and as his food was served, he spared the waitress no glance. He stared down at the soup and buttered bread, stirred his coffee and began slowly eating. He loved his sister, and he knew he should listen to her more, instead of being headstrong. And that's just what he would do. Trust her judgement. Probably.

But probably not.

[Remy]

Walking briskly to keep in pace with Dom's lengthy strides, Remy held onto the edge of his coat as to not become separated. To any passersby, the pair would have looked like a brother and his younger sister. Both were blonde and shared hazel eyes that seemed to analyze everything they passed; a skilled therian would have picked up both of their anyeli ancestry; and as a horse-drawn carriage drove too close to the sidewalk, Dom put a protective hand on Remy's shoulder to pull her closer to the buildings. They blended into the crowd as well as any pair of people walking on the streets, and which was useful as they tailed the outsider.

The dark-haired Nubian vampire had arrived at the docks late in the afternoon. None of Caspian's crew had been notified about this surprise arrival, and that would have been fine, except that the man happened to be one of the Nubian cabal's better-known hitmen. Unlike its sister portal-cities, Nubia did not have one main vampire group. Instead, they had four, although one was quickly falling apart, which made for very intresting times in Nubia. Nubia's situation reminded Remy of her own old days, except that didn't mean that she would be sympathetic to this assassin. For everyone's sake, she hoped that Leo Oldrich from Nubia was just on a shopping errand for his boss. As if.

Suddenly, Dom bolted forward and into the crowd. Still holding onto the hunter vampire's jacket, Remy lurched forward and tried to keep up. The attempt was brief, and she crashed into somebody's leg as she lost Dom. Ducking under someone's elbow, she pushed toward the side of the market only to see her tall companion disappear around the corner. “Damnit three times to Hel,” she stomped her foot. Leo was a charmer, and charmer vampires didn't usually become hitmen unless they were significantly skilled. Dom would be a sitting duck in Leo's firing range.

After pacing for minutes beside a wooden toy store, Remy heard a small chirp from her side pocket. Per the screen, Dom had lost the Nubian somewhere along Maple. With a sigh, Remy hurried to the area. Her partner would be around the area, no doubt phoning for support from one of Espur's Guards. The Guard and the Ruby Claw were not meant to work together, but that was easily remedied by a couple of impressionable guards.

Meanwhile, Remy slowed to a halt at the windows of a music store. Scanning around, she extended her mental net in search of the Nubian. Even in a large crowd, a mindreader would always recognize another mindreader—if he or she tried. Their minds just had something extra. Registering three faint signals in the vicinity, Remy felt alongside the music store's windows as she walked without really looking where she was going. The third person was too far to feel properly. The second one near the bistro felt stronger than the first, so Remy took the bet. Pausing at the bistro's large windows, Remy placed her palms against the glass as if she were ogling the desserts. She then spared a glance into the rest of the bistro. Could Leo be here?

[Alistair]

Although there was no point wasting time moping, the telepath sighed and stirred his coffee with a furrowed brow. He took a sip, grimaced, set the cup back down. Too weak for his taste buds. He was confident that he could develop stronger skills before somebody else could turn the Therians in, and he would take them both on, weakened or not. Alistair was rather proud to be a member of his sept. He had taken such a long time deciding which to join that it had earned him even more grief than if he had decided to become a Pet immediately, and for a long time, even his own sister had wondered if he would ever decide. But he had, and he felt like he was a natural - when he bothered studying, anyway. The terrible trio, Isobel, Isla and Gregory, had gotten a kick out of it, calling him things such as 'telepathic idiot' - the best they had come up with, since they were more brawn than brains. They had admitted, though, that it was a better choice than Serana's aurumus sept; the 'touchy-feely empath'. Yeah, they weren't renowned for their wit.

Hunger pushed the reflections to the back of Alistair's mind, and he eagerly started on the homemade vegetable soup. It was good, warm and filling stuff, just the thing to help him forget today's little... fiasco. The bread was good too, and the soup spread warmth throughout his body, keeping the hunger at bay and cheering him up. As he pushed the empty bowl aside and started on the coffee, he felt something odd. Instinctively, his head snapped up in curiosity.

Alistair could feel the minds of those around him, hear a blur of thoughts, and know where they were coming from, but there was one mind he came up against like a brick wall. No access. He looked around, his eyes drifting over the tiny child at the window, then to a passing Anyelos, then back to the little girl. She was without a doubt the most adorable child she had ever seen, with her little rainbow-coloured hair, and her little cute outfit, and her tiny palms against the window. Alistair was extremely paternal, something he had tried not to be aware of, and great with kids. He loved them, actually. The little girl looked so cute, he just couldn't help but stand, reach in his jeans and leave a twenty next to his empty soup.

He headed toward the door in the most casual manner he could muster, and walked past the little girl, then paused and crouched down, leaving a foot or two between them. Wouldn't want to alarm her. “Hey there,” his voice was soothing and gentle. His face displayed a large, soft smile. “Are you lost? Do you want me to help you find your mommy and daddy?” Alistair, bounty hunter extraordinaire, who would have thought he would be so distracted by children.

[Remy]

The bistro was packed with people, and with her mind expanded for the search, Remy accidentally picked up thoughts of donuts, coffee prices, and some couple's first date. Eyebrows furrowing as she skimmed over people's thoughts, she looked through the room for the mind she'd picked up—hopefully Leo's. But would she approach the hitman if it was really him? Probably. It was her duty. He wouldn't dare try anything in such a crowded place, would he? Tightening the walls around her mind, Remy blinked with wide eyes as a man at the tables suddenly looked straight at her.

Crap crap crap. Wrong person. At least this eliminated one out of the three. As the man's sight drifted to someone else, Remy kept her eyes centered on fluffy-looking cream puff, then turned as if she were no longer interested in the store. But too late, the man was already walking toward her and saying...stuff. Blinking with all the childlike innocence she could muster, Remy pressed her side closer to the window, as if she were uncomfortable talking to strangers.

Even though the man was well-meaning, she hated condescending tones. She would have made that clear to the pet 'vari, except she had a better idea. “Um...” she glanced around in search of Dom, but of course he was nowhere to be seen. She hoped the lunkhead wasn't getting himself into trouble. “I was walking with, um, my uncle. We were going that way,” she pointed toward the place where she felt the second telepath. If she was going to track down the hitman, it was best that she did so with somebody else at her side. Even if he was a complete stranger...

[Alistair]

Seeing the child was nervous, Alistair spread an easy smile over his lips and straightened up to his full height. She looked so tiny below him when he did this, he wasn't entirely sure his non-imposing demeanour was working when he must tower over her like some great giant armoured walrus. Knowing how he'd feel if confronted with a giant armoured walrus, Alistair relaxed and tried to look nice.

Now that he thought about it, there was a general, mental silence coming from the direction of the little girl, but the street was busy and it could have been anything. She didn't look too superhuman, so she might just be a little lost human girl, for all he knew. There were no traces of any other races, really, but she did look a little pale. Maybe she was sick or something.

Alistair listened, nodding and looking to where she pointed. “Oh, we can go look for him, he probably just lost you in the crowd.” He started in the direction of where the little darling had pointed, ensuring he took tiny steps to keep up with her tiny legs. “So, do you have a name? Mine's Alistair, like my grandad.” This was supposed to be what you did with little kids, right? Interest them? At least, he thought so, but he didn't have kids. Though Xanth knew he wanted them (if she existed, anyway). But he just loved kids, and he'd make a great dad, he was sure. He'd quit his job and stay at home and take them out all of the time and teach them. Though it would require a wife, first, and he hadn't even breached that path.

[Remy]

The man was tall—but everyone was tall by Remy's standards, and Dom was taller than this man. Still, she had to be wary, as his height towered hers by twofold. Sensing no ill intent from the strange 'vari who was nice to children, Remy nodded eagerly when he offered to help look for her 'uncle'. Like some poorly-trained child oblivious to the dangers of strangers, she followed Alistairs footsteps, and even shared her own name.

“Alistair's fancy. Mine is Remy. I don't think I'm named after anyone...” She'd picked the name for herself, once she was turned. As they proceeded and the streets became more crowded, she reached for the cuff of the man's suit, so she wouldn't be separated from this man like she had been from Dom. “Which grandad?” she asked, “Is your grandad nice? Where does he live?”

There didn't seem to be any interesting thoughts in the vicinity...then she realized that the same could be said about her, and the blue-eyed man was bound to notice. As she blinked, she loosened her mind slightly and tried to think of Leo's features. Tall and wiry, a hawkish nose, and short brown hair that was slicked back. The last time she saw him, which was no more than an hour ago, he had been wearing a green jacket with dark pants. Perhaps Alistair would pick up on some of it.

[Alistair]

The streets were busy, but Alistair's towering height enabled him to see quite far off, and people seemed to give him a little bit of berth. Maybe he looked like an assassin, he'd be the best dressed assassin around, just like he was the best dressed bounty hunter around. “Yeah, he's a famous Rutilus warrior who lives in Espur with my grandma. When I picked my sept, he was really cool that I didn't pick his sept.” Alistair slowed his pace, startled that she was grabbing onto his suit, but he supposed kids were like that. All clingy and such.

Amid all of the mental babble, something strongly stuck out, almost dominating the other thoughts, as if from a more enhanced mind. A picture, a profile of a man, as if someone was almost... wanting him to see it. He frowned, seeing the mental image still, and then glanced at the youngster walking next to him. “Are erm, are you... are you doing that?” It couldn't be. She was just so little, and besides, she kinda looked like a young Nymph or something, and then he was confused, because he thought baby Nymphs lived in the Fae. Well, he didn't know. But he assessed her again with growing suspicion, his eyes glancing over the crowds. “How... I...” Well, you could say he was dumbstruck.

[Remy]

“Why wouldn't he be cool about your sept?” It was an honest question since Remy has had very few dealings with the dracovari. At most, she could probably only name the four septs and their abilities. She's never had the opportunity—or need—to pick a 'varis mind for their politics and intricacies. However, she would be interested to learn more about the 'vari one day. They were nearly as immortal as her own kind, and the majority could summon dragons.

Hearing Alistair's question, Remy willed the image of Leo to fade before she looked upward with her own mask of confusion. “Doing what?” Curses, she was thinking too strongly. It had been a while since she had to navigate the territories of one's mind. Life as a bakery assistant was turning her into some kind of...of...novice! At least this hiccup didn't halt their search. After they strode for two more blocks, Remy tilted her torso toward the right to see beyond the group of Elysians in front of them. She thought she'd felt the second perso---

“There he is!” she exclaimed, and started pulling at Alistair's suit jacket. Wearing the same brown jacket as she'd last seen him, Leo was talking to a short gentleman at the corner of an intersection not far away. Like some Nubians, Leo's hands moved as he spoke, whereas the stockier man merely nodded. Leo's muscular friend appeared slightly familiar to Remy, but she couldn't be sure where. Either way, the sight of the other guy (and the sword at his side) was of concern to Remy. For once, her control slipped, and she probably didn't mask her worry in time from Alistair.

[Alistair]

Alistair frowned, looking straight ahead as he walked at his slowest pace, taking turns where Remy did. He slowly organised his thoughts, told himself he was a huge idiot for even thinking a little sweet girl could be a telepath, and smiled an easy smile. Yeah, his world was one where there weren't little girls who were better telepaths than he was. “Oh well, just because my grandad's a Rutilus; he's a warrior. And I'm a telepath. There's loads of family politics I don't get involved in.” It was true. While he had been picked on for being a telepath by his adoring older siblings, he simply revelled in the thought that one day, he could fight back without having to get himself injured, by using his mind. That would be a good day.

And maybe he had been a little bit silly. The face he saw could have been the thoughts of any passer-by at all, who had recently seen that man, and may have been subconsciously thinking about it. Or anything, really. His thoughts were interrupted when Remy's high little voice declared her uncle was ahead. Alistair frowned again when he recognised the man from the mind he had subconsciously read, and he paused. A strange look crossed his face when he saw the worry on her face; it was an adult kind of expression, the expression he sometimes had when he was worried that he couldn't pay rent. Children didn't usually have that sort of expression.

He hesitated, then moved to hover his arm over her so she didn't get lost, and made his way toward her uncle. “Let's get you back to your uncle, then.” The 'Varian's eyes hovered over the other man with the sword, but he didn't see anything amiss, perhaps he was another relative. And besides, they were too far away for him to be able to read anything, and he had the most horrendous headache. As they approached, he slowed, stopping a few feet away. “Hello there, sorry to interrupt, I uh, found your niece. She got lost...” He trailed off. His instincts seemed to feel suspicious, since Remy and her uncle looked nothing alike...

[Remy]

Allowing the 'vari to guide her towards Leo, Remy stayed close to Alistair because she was not entirely sure how the other vampire would react. She barely knew Alistair, but he seemed like somebody with a protective instinct, though he already seemed to have some doubts about her. She expected that Leo would play along and talk with her—the Nubian was old enough to understand the etiquette of a vampire visiting another cabal's territory...especially when he was neck-deep in Espur. Pausing mid-speech, Leo turned to look at Alistair and then Remy, his lips pursed with annoyance from the interruption. “Sir, I believe you are mi--”

Gaze focusing on Leo, Remy tapped his mind politely, as one might tap another's shoulder in greeting. Her voice was but a mere whisper behind her shields: “Can we talk?”

Cogs spinning, Leo glanced between Remy and her companion, as if sizing them up. The shorter man bristled seconds later, betraying the mental link between himself and Leo. With a roar, the shorter man charged at Remy and Alistair. With a yelp as the man crashed into her shoulder, Remy spun before she fell and her palms smacked against the cobblestones. Looking up, she realized that the stockier man was just trying to run away, and that Leo was edging toward the opposite direction. Half-standing, she staggered again when Leo's mind barreled into hers and Alistair's. If he had focused entirely on her with her, she surely would have been stunned. By the time she stood again, Leo had already sprinted down the other side of the street. Abandoning all pretense with Alistair, Remy scampered after Leo with all the speed that her short legs could carry. She tried digging into his mind to stop him from running, but of course his mind was too slippery. “Wait, waaaaaait!!”

Damnit, she knew the Nubian was up to no good! Where the Hel was Dom? She'd be dead if this came to a physical fight!

((Not sure what Alistair would do, but if he follows, feel free to GM and add some life to Leo too. ))

[Alistair]

Gaze trailing between Remy and her uncle, Alistair was confused and a little bit worried. The annoyed look on the mans face caused the 'Varian to narrow his eyes in suspicion, and fix his stare back on the youngster. He took a tiny, discreet step back, and then it all happened so fast. One minute there was a bit of a stare-off between the three, the next Remy was sprawled on the cobblestones. The next, he felt something mentally attacking him, and he was left vulnerable as he gasped and realised it was a distraction. He was so confused, he didn't know what to do, and he just stood there dumbly for a moment.

In the next instant, he was sprinting after Remy and her 'uncle', his long strides taking him through the crowd as he wove clumsily. People stared with interest, he saw a town guard eyeing them up with severe suspicion, and Alistair perhaps broke a few toes that day. He was used to this, he regularly went for runs - wouldn't want that apple tart he'd had last week to slam his left ventricle shut -, but the cobbles and his shoes were uncomfortable. Blisters were practically springing up on his heels. Without much of a problem, he caught up to Remy, and swung her up with one arm and placed her on his back so he was giving her a piggyback ride. He believed he was owed an explanation.

“What's... going on? Why is he... running from you? Can you explain please... Remy?” He was a little breathless at this point but he continued on despite the extra weight, taking off as he saw her 'uncle' looking over his shoulder and taking sharp turns. Alistair didn't like this. But she was so small, and there was obviously more to this than he had at first perceived. Hopefully, they would corner him if he took a wrong turn, but that seemed unlikely, since the other man seemed faster than Alistair. But still, he gave chase, breaking toes and bumping into startled citizens.

OOC: contact me for an edit if that gmod wasn't cool, Joy.

[Remy]

The distance between herself and Leo was widening quickly, yet Remy kept running. She couldn't give up! Narrowly crashing into the edge of a flower cart, she weaved through a group of people and ignored their affronted complaints. Not long after, she skidded to a near-halt as she came across a long line of people waiting at a foodstand. Poking at the large leg of a very tall and wide gentleman, Remy piped, “Excuse me!” But of course he couldn't hear her; he was talking to his friend. She almost began to squeeze herself through the line when a strong arm looped around her torso. Oh no oh no oh no!

Startled, she squirmed to focus on her assailant before realizing that it was just Alistair. Looping her arms over his shoulders, she grasped at his tie first before realizing that it probably wasn't a good hold. She settled with the second option, which was to clasp one hand around her other wrist. As she leaned her chin against Alistair's left shoulder, she shook her head in response to his question. He really wouldn't want to know...but he was helping her so much so she owed him some sort of explanation. If she didn't, he might stop helping her! So after a long pause, she explained, “Uncle's been causing trouble in Nubia.” She wouldn't share the Ruby Claw's business to outsiders, no matter how nice they were. “Papa sent me to talk to him, but it seems Leo doesn't want to talk at all.” It was a shaky explanation, she had to admit. Why would Leo listen to a kid, or why would her 'papa' send her out alone? Sooner or later, Alistair would realize what she was—she just hoped it would happen later, and when she wasn't on his back. He'd probably panic, and she didn't want to be thrown off.

The roads were beginning to look more familiar to Remy. Whereas the cobblestones from previous streets were rocky and haphazardly placed, the streets they crossed were becoming well-paved in comparison. These were streets for tourists, and as they passed a bakery at the corner of a block, Remy frowned with worry. “I think he's running to the portals!”


((Totally fine! ))

[Alistair]

Although he wasn't fully buying the story, Alistair pursed his lips, furrowed his brow, and focused on not colliding with anybody. His legs began to ache, and his back too, but they were gaining on 'Uncle Leo' at a rapid pace, especially as people managed to move aside. He pressed on, hoisting Remy further up onto his back and hoping he wouldn't unbalance on the cobbles and go sprawling and break his neck or something. But even as Alistair sprinted as fast as he could, the fleeing man showed no signs of slowing or a willingness to discuss the issue diplomatically with his niece, and only occasional glances over his shoulder showed he even knew they were there. He frowned harder, brow creasing further, and then even further, if possible, as Remy's high pitched voice sounded in his ear.

She was right. And proven even more right when Leo disappeared into the portal. Alistair grimaced - portal travel made him a little bit queasy - and spurred himself on, pulse thudding in his ears, legs aching with cramp. A second later, they were also in the portal, and Alistair groaned quietly under his breath and fought the oncoming headache. “Where... where are we? Where did he go?” he asked quietly, unintentionally squeezing Remy's legs tightly against his side in nervousness. He wasn't sure where they were, or if they had even followed Leo, or what was going on. Part of him wasn't sure he wanted to know.

[Remy]

If Leo was heading for the portals, had he already succeeded in what he was sent here to do? Or was he merely retreating just to return again? Images of Leo's stocky accomplice flitted through Remy's mind, and once again she wondered where she might have seen the stranger. With a huff, Remy clung onto Alistair's collar tightly for fear of falling. There were a couple times when she was afraid that Alistair would trip or run into the path of a taroch-drawn wagon. True to her expectations as they neared the portal site, she saw the lanky figure of the Nubian hitman disappear into the portal. She then realized that Alistair was charging blindly in pursuit. “No, wait!” Remy didn't travel a lot. She hated leaving Espur, and would not do it even for Leo.

Her request was too late. The empty space was foggy and chilly, which made Remy hug Alistair with unease. For a confused instant, the two of them floated without direction within the portal nexus. But then, as was its nature, the portal deposited Remy and Alistair in the portal closest to their object of pursuit. When they emerged, they were instantly bombarded by a shower of rain. Shrieking with surprise, Remy lost her grip on Alistair and landed onto the soggy forest ground. Mud stained her jacket and skirt, and as she scrambled to get up, she felt a hand grasp the back of her jacket. A crippling telepathic blast travelled through the vicinity, stunning her as she was hoisted into the air and pulled further from the 'vari.

“Listen, runt,” the voice was emotionless and vicious as a hand tightened around her throat. Choking, Remy barely heard the next thing as she mentally batted at the other vampire's steely mind. “Since you've ruined my agenda, you'll carry the message. Tell Landon that he's picked the wrong side.”

((Alistair's poor suit! Sorry. ;[ ))

[Alistair]

As rain poured down, Alistair barely noticed it hit his suit. He trembled slightly, unsure of what was going on, and looked to see Remy on the floor. He reached out to pick her back up when an agonising mental blast hit his mind, and he stiffened and clenched his jaw. The blast made his headache worse, and he was obviously a lesser telepath to Remy - it was easy to deduce with only the three minds present - that it affected him more. He rubbed his forehead and groaned, looking up with blurred vision to survey the scene. His jaw gaped and the pain seemed insignificant when he saw what 'Uncle Leo' was doing to Remy, even if she wasn't a little girl, or whatever she was, it made Alistair feel angry.

He felt the anger surge through him and, knowing no combat skills, instead charged his full, one hundred and eighty pound frame toward the man they had pursued. “You let go of her, you brute!” he snarled as he barrelled into the man, body tensed and braced. The collision sent Alistair hurtling toward the wet floor, and he raised an arm to protect his face, but hit something, he wasn't sure what, and felt it tear a bloody gash down his forearm. He was dizzied as he tried to get up to see if he was in danger, fighting instincts filling his mind. He wasn't sure what to do, now that the other man's mind was undistracted he could do Xanth knows what to Alistair, and it was just so confusing, and maybe he would just sit here for a minute while things stopped spinning...

[Remy]

Things had happened so quickly that Remy was still trying to keep up and think as the hand tightened across her throat. Patting feebly at Leo's hand, her cough was more of a wheeze, and she stared with panic into the other vampire's unyielding eyes. Her vision was getting blurry. She couldn't breathe and she couldn't tell Landon anything if she was dead!

Dimly, Remy heard a deep-throated yell before something large barreled into Leo's back. The collision sent Remy flailing like a ragdoll as Leo shoved her aside to fend off his bulkier assailant. All three of them crashed to the ground, and as Leo's side crunched into a rock, Remy slid nearly two meters across the ground before her back crashed against a large tree root. Splashing in the mud, Remy curled up as she hacked and breathed for her dear life, and her body shook with each cough. Everything looked so foggy and she couldn't remember how to stand.

Unfortunately, the Nubian vampire had already regained his footing. A trail of blood flowed from the fresh cut on his forehead, and he wiped it with a grunt. The red looked almost appetizing to Remy in her dazed stupor, except there was no way Leo was going to share any of it. Maybe Alistair, whose arm was covered in crimson, would—she broke out of that thought with a gasp. Steel had slipped out of Leo's jacket and was now in the vampire's hand. The vampire stalked toward the 'vari, and Alistair wasn't getting up. She channeled all her strength into one thought that her windpipes couldn't vocalize. “Watch out!”

[Alistair]

Alistair groaned as the world span and his head furiously exploded into pain. He tried to mentally hold his vision in place, but vertigo struck as he struggled to his knees in the mud and the rain, and he swayed dangerously. He had done himself no favours in attacking so carelessly and furiously, especially when he appeared to be in the middle of some sort of feud, of which he knew nothing about. But it was done, he thought as he fought through the nausea and light-headedness, and he would have to deal with the consequences of the experience.

As Remy projected the words into his head, he snapped back into action, clambering to his feet, slipping in the rain. Alarm bells rang when he saw the weapon, but it was either fight or die now, and he had no weapon. He cautiously circled his assaulter, having no intention of being impaled on the steel, each careful and daring the other to make a move. It felt like it would go on forever, until one sharp movement from the other man turned Alistair into a cornered animal. He lashed out with all of his might, drawing his knee back for an unskilled kick which had behind it the strength of a runner. In one swift, angry movement, the 'Varian's foot was flying toward 'Uncle' Leo's stomach, hoping to wind him, or injure him, anything. His eyes shut as he dared not wait to see what happened.

[Remy]

She nearly closed her eyes just so she wouldn't see Alistair meet his untimely doom, but she had to be braver than that! After Alistair, she was bound to be next on Leo's list. Fear spurred Remy into motion, and she feebly pushed her hands deeper into the mud as she tried to get up. Her hands and whole body were shaking. She was either frightened beyond her wits, or the rain was really cold. It was probably both. Throat aching, she tried to yell at the dagger-wielder to distract him, but she couldn't make a sound. So instead, she tried to shape a mental battering ram just for Leo. He'd built quite an impressive fortress. There wasn't time to search for cracks, so she'd have to try brunt force. It was so difficult to focus though...Her neck hurt so much.

Mercifully, Alistair staggered up and side-stepped to create some distance from Leo. It looked as if Alistair had some training, for the 'vari managed to land a kick as Leo came too close. Hunching over with a grunt, Remy's fake uncle grabbed for Alistair's leg out to spin the taller man out of balance. If the taller 'vari fell at this close range, he'd be open to a knife in the back. Be careful be careful, she wished to herself (not the 'vari—she didn't dare risk distracting him).

[Alistair]

As his kick did not land home, he narrowly avoided spinning out of the other man's grasp, and staggered sideways in a way which could have sent him faceplanting were it not for him landing on both feet unsteadily. He attempted to regain his balance, and span around to assess whether the other man was going to try something funny. His heart thudded ferociously, the pain from the wound in his arm no more than a faint throbbing as adrenaline pulsed through his system. The knife had the majority of his attention, his eyes darting between Leo's face and the weapon in his hand.

In one sharp movement, the other man had advanced again, and this time Alistair's leg flew up toward the hand holding the steel in an attempt to bring them down to equal footing. He did not wait to see what happened, but sprang, this time his clenched fist swinging toward Leo's face. He danced back a few metres, tripping clumsily over his own foot again. As he hit the ground, Alistair heard a snapping, and jumped back up again to see that he had just fell on a branch. Phew. Dazed, he looked around again, heartbeat fluttering with a tinge of fear.

ooc; hope the little gmod was okay!