The Votanna.

It clicked as Kain's knees hit the harsh earth beneath him. Spots crossed his vision. A harsh, drawing ache tugged at where her lips brushed his hand. It took all he had to pull enough of himself together to try and jerk away.

He couldn't.

The light grip she had on his hand seemed akin to a steel vice, unbreakable with the little strength he could summon. Bits and pieces of the situation began flickering to realization beneath the pain.

She'd mentioned the Votanna, before attacking.

Kyril hired the Votanna to kill me.

Before Kain's mind could fully grasp the implications, there was a swift movement at his side, a weight missing from his hip.

"Let him go."

Melitta's voice rang through the crowd with a cold tone that would've drawn attention, even without Kain on his knees, and her leveling his sword at the demon's throat. Alithia stared for a moment, then started laughing.

"Do you even know how to use that, little girl?"

There was a heartbeat of silence, Melitta's expression impossible to read. Then, she adjusted her grip, and lunged. The demon dropped Kain's hand, ducking back to avoid the blow. Even then, as Alithia straightened and flicked her wrist, dropping a blade into her palm from a hidden sheath, blood dripped down her chin. If she hadn't possessed the speed of a demon, the shallow slice would've been a life-endangering wound.

Melitta had struck without hesitation, aiming to kill.

The crowd around them scattered. There were no shouts of surprise as there might've been in another village. The people of Nokos were familiar with blood, and knew better than to draw attention in their direction. In the silent seconds that Melitta and Alithia studied each other, and Kain struggled to bring himself to his feet, the packed exit emptied of everyone but the guards, who proceeded to shut the gates behind the last group, Kain catching a glimpse of large wings before view of the open fields beyond the city limits were locked away.

His mind stalled. Darkness creeping over the edges of his vision, even as his heart was consumed by dark, aching pain.

Either Iliana had been pulled away from the silent street, or she'd disappeared beyond the gate. Whichever way, it took all he had to blink away the shadows in his vision; even if he managed to get to his feet, there was no chance he'd be able to chase after her in this state.

Kain wasn't sure he'd ever hated anyone as strongly as he did Kyril in that moment.

Alithia flitted forward with near invisible speed. Melitta spun away, narrowly avoiding the other woman, even as she brought the blade up in a swift slash. Blood seeped into the soil beneath Alithia, crimson coating her arm. Several exchanges followed, neither woman backing down. Kain's heart thrummed in his throat, fear seizing his words.

Melitta was strong--but the demon was fast.

And then, it happened.

Alithia's dagger caught Melitta's wrist, Kain's blade slipping from her grasp with a pained cry. He struggled to raise to his feet, vision dimming, and time slipping by as his lips refused to cooperate. Before he could take a step, Alithia had Melitta spun around in her arms, a thin blade settled at the mermaid's throat.

"Now, how about we calm down," the demon murmured. "I'm only here for the boy--"

She cut off with a guttural shriek, blade leaving a shallow nick on Melitta's throat as she jerked away. Blood drenched the side of her shirt, as well as Melitta's arm, now sporting the familiar silvery, sharp arm fin. Kain could've killed her, he was so relieved, and simultaneously worried. The crimson trailing down her neck was thin, barely notable... but it existed.

She'd traded a wound for victory, but it'd been reckless.

Alithia coughed, blood glistening on her lips. The sound started Kain into action, and he stumbled forward, only pausing as Melitta put up a hand, obviously telling him to halt. She then pressed the same fingers to her throat, as if also, only then realizing how close to death her impulsive action had put her.

"Can we agree to halt here?" she asked, turning her attention to Alithia. The demon had stumbled back several steps, hand to her crimson drenched side.

At first, the only response came in the form of a glare, and a noise that could only be described as a hiss. But then, Alithia's eyes flicked between them, taking in the dual threat--or, moreso threat and a half--that faced her, and perhaps realizing the odds that her wound would make further attack end in her death.

She scowled, focusing her gaze on Kain. "The Votanna do not give up a contract once signed. Consider this a warning of your death." Her attention flicked to Melitta. "And, I believe we'll throw you in for free."

With that, the demon began to back away towards the alleys. Melitta frowned, taking a step towards her. "I should probably just end it."

"No, we won, let's just leave it here."

"That's ignorant," she pointed out. "You heard her. The Votanna do not stop a contract just because they were fought off. She'll be back. She's a demon--she won't die from this."

Kain grimaced. Melitta was right, but still... "It'd make us as bad as them, if we killed someone as highly wounded as her."

Melitta sighed, turning to face him. As he returned her gaze, taking in the disapproval in her stare, he caught the faintest hint of movement in the corner of his vision. No doubt Alithia was using their distraction as an opportunity to escape.

"That is what the bad ones say to make the good ones falter, Kain. It is realistic to kill your enemies. Honor is wonderful, but it does not stop a knife in the dark."

She wasn't wrong. But...

"I'd rather die, a fool with honor, than live as a man who would kill without code."

Melitta glanced back, noting Alithia's departure. The blood trail she'd left disappeared after a dozen feet. "I suppose it matters little, at this point, which of us is right. I doubt we would find her now."

"It's unlikely," he agreed.

Silence simmered between them, and Kain turned his uncomfortable gaze to the city gates. After closing them, and dropping the bar, the guards had disappeared. In a normal city, abandoning one's post would be grounds for getting jailed, but he imagined that here, it was merely considered self-preservation.

"Can you feel Callias?" he asked.

Melitta hummed softly. Then, she too turned to look at the gates. "He is out there. I cannot tell how far, though... he is moving quickly. Running, maybe. Or in a carriage."

Kain nodded his understanding. "We sho--"

"Sorry, sorry! I hope we didn't miss anything?"

He spun away from the gates at the sound of Dalphie's voice. She and Rhode were approaching from behind them, an apologetic smile on the siren's face. It wasn't until that moment that he remembered their running off at the beginning of it all. Part of him was tempted to question them on it--and to explain how much they'd truly missed--but the rest of him was reluctant to waste anymore time.

"It's fine. Is there another way out of the city?"

It took four guards to open the gate during the day. They could try it, now, but he wasn't sure that was the best method to chase after the others. By the time they managed to pry the bar off and shove the gates open, the odds were that the guards would return--and then they'd have to explain themselves. And, that was assuming there wasn't a similar bar on the opposing side of the gate. After all, a lot of the trouble Nokos faced was internal. Odds were, they were just as interested in keeping people inside the walls as they were in keeping others outside.

Rhode and Melitta glanced at Dalphie, who furrowed her brow in thought.

"Something near the ports, maybe?" She shrugged. "I'm not certain. I've only come here with reason, and haven't bothered myself with the escapes, really."

"The gate, then."

¸.•*¨*•.¸♪¸.•*¨*•.¸♥¸.•*¨*•.¸

Ice coated her heart, chilling her from the inside out as they passed through the gates, and into the open fields of Eolian farmers. The faint sounds of a scuffle echoed behind them, and the city gates swung shut with a clunk of a bar falling into place. Curiosity stirred within her, but died as the harpy scoffed about bloodthirst and how no doubt the city gangs had started something. There were more important things for her to be thinking on than the politics of a criminal-ridden town.

Such as the grating voices bubbling to life around her. Abiel chattering to Semele, as Lykos and Eumelia talked in hushed tones, the mercenary's hand still on the hilt of his blade.

Her mind wouldn't release the sight of Inna walking away. They were all so cheerful, so... easy-going, while something inside her had just shattered for good. Something important. Even as she let the pieces rest, acquainting herself with the cold... lack of impulse to collect them and repair herself, she knew it was wrong. Not caring was wrong.

But, she was done with it, regardless.

Iliana wanted to run.

Fuck it.

Ahead of them, the rest of the crew waited. Perhaps a dozen feet down the dusty path. To the left, she could make out the beginnings of a hay field. To the right...

Corn.

Her breath caught in her throat, before she carefully forced herself to breathe, not wanting to draw attention to her realization.

The stalks were a good, eleven, twelve feet tall, and planted with little room between them. If she ran to them, dragging Callias with her, and they made it before someone could stop them... there was a chance of safety.

Gods how she wanted that.

Without thinking the action fully through, Iliana drew closer to Callias, and seized his hand, intending on squeezing it for attention. The merman's entire body seemed to go tense, and he jerked away before she could follow through. She faltered in her steps, eyeing him with surprise. It was perhaps only because of her wonder at what could've caused such a reaction that she caught the emotion that touched his face in that single second--guilt, and irritation--before it was sealed away.

"Sorry."

He shook his head, tucking his hands into his pockets. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not good with touch. Was there something you needed?"

Semele clicked her tongue. "I guess that proves that. My apologies for thinking you might have something between you. If the gal can't even hold yer hand without you flipping your shits, I can't imagine how sex would go."

"Gods fucking--" Iliana sputtered. "Sex? We're not having sex!"

Her glare seemed to have little effect beyond sending Semele into another fit of laughter. Callias, meanwhile had turned his head away from her, to the left, but she could've sworn there were hints of red in his cheek, creeping up towards his ears. Was he embarrassed?

Before she could decide whether or not her assumption was right, he'd caught the sleeve of her shirt and gave a small tug, before dropping his hand, tucking it into his pocket. His gaze met hers, then flicked to the corn field. Whatever the initial reason beyond him turning away was, he'd obviously caught onto her thoughts.

It was worth a shot, wasn't it? Running. It wasn't as if they'd kill her. In fact, everything that had happened thus far leaned towards the opposite. They needed her for something--alive. Which is why they'd healed her after the attack. So... even if she were to be caught...

They had to try.

She didn't dare reach for Callias's hand again. His reaction had said enough about his feelings on her touch. So, instead, she darted off the path and towards the field without a word. Her only hope was that she'd interpreted his look correctly, and that he'd be prepared to follow her. She couldn't look back to check on him, it'd slow her down, and if she wanted this plan to succeed, she had to be fast.

There was a rustle of feathers, and the snap of broken stalks behind her as she reached the corn border. "Fuck!"

Several footfalls followed. Were any of them Callias?

She hoped so.

He'd helped her too much for her to feel comfortable leaving him behind.

It only took a few seconds of running for Iliana to realize she had no clue how to navigate a cornfield. There was a certain... overwhelming quality to the way the thick stalks towered above her head. She could only guess that by running straight forward, she wouldn't accidentally turn herself back around towards the path she'd come from.

Shouting came from behind her. Calls of the crew to one another, and of Lykos to Semele. Her heart roared in her ears, every bit of her remembering the last time this happened--when she'd escaped into the streets of Nokos before the Unseen Hand. She wouldn't make a mistake this time. She wouldn't stop for anyone. She'd--

Be sent crashing into the dirt as sharp, talon-like nails dug into the soft skin of her arms, and a painful weight settled against her back. She gasped, trying, and failing, to draw a full breath past the pressure of Semele's body, as the strong beat of the harpy's wings sent dust and broken stalks flying through the air about them.

"That was a fun game of cat-and-mouse... but let's return to the others. Shall we?"