Thread: Of Sand and Stone

Anja stood patiently next to a stall, leaning against a hard, plaster wall her eyes watching the crowd with a bit of an uncanny intensity. She was in the heart of the magnificent city of Everwatch. She truly marveled at the construction of such a city and how well if flourished in a desert waste land. Ever since she had come to this city she had felt the ache of thirst upon her constantly, but she loved the heat, it made her feel sleepy most of the time though. Anja was about to move from her spot and move to another within the market when she spotted what she had been waiting for. A plump gentleman waddled through the throngs of people in fairly simple clothing, but the weight of his pockets told another story. She suppressed a grin as she pushed off the wall and headed towards her mark. She followed behind him for a few paces before pushing forward to get past him. Anja got up besides him, a faceless body at this point, then she acted as if she was pushed into him, pressing against his body and slipping a hand where it shouldn't. The man cried out in alarm and she looked up at him with a fearful expression on her face. I-I'm so sorry sir. She stuttered out, her large, onyx eyes watering slightly making them glisten and her flowing black hair looked a bit messed up by the sudden jostle. Her plump, pink lips pouted, her black cat ears twitched and the man seemed to lose himself in her exotic face. It's....fine. He said, entranced for a moment, giving her a chance to dash. She grinned, said a quick thanks then dashed in the opposite direction, her pockets much fatter then they had been a moment before. She was almost out of ear shot when she heard the man cry out in panic, realizing his money purse had been swiped. Adrenaline kicked in as she turned back around, ready to run as fast as her swift feet would carry her, but she was met with a hard wall of flesh. She blinked and looked up into the face of a member of the Knights of the Sun. Her face fell and the shouts of the man grew closer. Her! She stole my money! SEIZE HER! The guard looked down at her then reached to grab her. She squeaked, but she was quick on her feet. She ducked under his hands then darted sideways. The man shouted again, but her ears were pounding. She started to race through the crowd, the knight surely in hot pursuit. She made a beeline for the docks since they usually had good places to hide. Anja, breath coming in quick bursts and heart pounding, made it to the docks, two knights having joined the first, and she was only seconds ahead. She ran to the beginning of the pier, but instead of running all the way down and becoming trapped she jumped down on the side and grabbed the beam that was underneath before she hit the ground. Her nails dug into the wood and she swung her feet up to have extra support. Her pursuers were close behind, but had lost sight of her. They split up and she waited with bated breath until she was sure they were gone. Anja took a deep breath and let herself drop down to the shore. Her tail curled around her leg as she stood still and then she grinned and started to laugh. She reached into her pocket and looked into the money purse. She was greeted with gold coins and her grin widened. Perfect. She pocketed it again set forward, determined to blend back in with the crowd. That's when she saw him. The northerner. She blinked at the man who was laying on the shore, seemingly dead. She walked forward, a bit tentatively. He was hardly wearing anything except for a loincloth and some boots, but the rest of him, well the rest of him was better off not clothed. He was very pale, not what she was used to in this area, and he had swirling tattoos on his forearms and neck. She got right up next to him and wondered if he was alive. Anja brought her foot forward and nudged him with it. When he didn't stir she knelt down and shook him again. She took a deep breath then pressed her head against his chest. She could hear the familiar thumping of a heart. Anja looked at the mysterious man's face and wondered why he had washed up onto the shore. She stared at him intently, taking his various features. She wondered, for a moment, if she should just save herself the trouble and walk off, but she couldn't leave a man to his death. She shook him again and said in her soft voice. Hello? Wake up. If he didn't wake up soon then she'd have to find away to carry him. Maybe she could borrow someone's stead or something. She was really hoping it wouldn't come to that though.