A wolf's return

Heavy pants and a thumping heart was soon in Jaspen Valley. Nammia skidded to a halt to catch her breath in these old familiar lands. She took in deep breaths and only realised that she had been chasing Zigan for days without taking a break, without even a single meal. Her body was hating on her right now and she had to stop before she keeled over.

Nammia has been through it all with Zigan, after they left she had been there for him, supported him but she had to watch his mind deteriorate at the hands of Abaddon. There was nothing she could do, she fought him, a lot, trying to knock some sense in to him. They both had the scars to prove it, but nothing she did, nothing was helping him. He was filled with hate and a need for revenge which he didn't truly understand. But, no matter the fights and the words exchanged, she could not and would not abandon him. She had always been loyal to Zigan, and she wasn't going to stop being, even with his current mind.

The last she had saw of him was when they had a huge fight, both were injured and he ran. She knew he wasn't coming back, and she knew exactly where he was going to go. So she found herself in the place she had left, the place where she was once alpha female. So much had probably changed since then, she didn't know if she was even welcome anymore, but, she would not let anyone kill Zigan or him kill anyone else if she could help it.

Her four paws shook beneath her and she walked to a nearby tree, plopping herself down. ''Ten minutes... ten minutes and that's it.'' She told herself, eyes getting heavy, fighting sleep.

One thing Zigan has always been was a tracker, a damn good one at that and nothing had changed even when everything had. He knew she would follow him and that she would find him it was after all pretty obvious where he would go so it was only a matter of time.
He was aware as soon as Nammia got within range for his senses to pick her up, her scent thick with anxiety and a emotion he was all to familiar with, anger.
He allowed some time for her to get into the lands before he headed back into them himself, he had hauled himself up in some unclaimed territory for the time being since his run in with Cayden and Co.

He was in no rush, from what he could tell the female had stopped somewhere and she would be easy to find.
It took him twenty minutes at a relaxed pace until he spotted the female, she was exhausted and sleeping, once upon a time he would have looked at her with the compassion of a good friend but such feelings had become lost to him along the way.

He lay his bulk down against the earth, resting his jaw line against his front legs as he watched her blue ringed emerald eyes waiting patiently for Nammia to wake up so he could run her off away from the Kostas lands and her death. He wanted the blood of many but he did not need Nammia being collateral damage playing upon his otherwise occupied mind.

Nammia had almost slipped into a sleep, but just as quickly as her heavy lids shut, they opened again, ears twitching and head lifting up to see the one she had come here to find. He was waiting for her attention, maybe he wanted a fight again. She growled a little before standing up, ignoring her wavering body in it's malnutrition and faced him strong and proud. If it was indeed a fight he was after, she would give it to him. She would fight him over and over again like she had been doing, she would not give up until her friend was saved, even if he hated her.

She shook her head but kept her eyes steady and firm on his own, ''I won't give up Zigan. This hate that consumes you, it is not real.'' She could repeat what she had told him in the past, tell him of the demon's twisting of his mind, but he was far lost in his hatred to hear her words. ''Fight me if that is what you want. But I will remain.'' Her words were firm, authoritive. She could give as good as she got. She wanted to show him his true memories, but every time she had tried, Abaddon had intervened.

He had fallen foul to madness having sunk into its grasps but he was still not stupid, as Nammia opened her eyes to level him with a glare he had seen so many times before he huffed air from his cheeks in a rather annoyed fashion. She was one stubborn woman he just could not seem to get rid of her no matter how hard he pushed. She seemed to hate him more often then not these days, it had been along time since they had looked upon one another with anything less then stubborn annoyance.
"Shut up" he sighed. She looked exhausted and frailer then he had seen her in some time, even though they physically and emotionally fought with one another and more then once he had inflicted physical harm against her he did not actually wish any harm to come to her. Where Nammia was concerned Abaddon could not poison his mind, he remembered her to be the one standing beside him when the others should have been.

He had better things to waste his energy on then fighting with her. He would not hesitate were she in his way in an immediate battle but for now he was unoccupied and having to recoup himself from injuries sustained from his welcome home party, he did not need another battle so soon, he needed to heal to be in peak condition for the next time he came across a member of the Kostas pack, especially an alpha.
"Lets have a break.. that sounds good. Go back to sleep, we can beat each other up when you wake" he had no time for her trying to fill his head with her versions of the truth, trying to make him see things her way. She had not been dragged through hell then back out to hollow rejection by those she so desperately loved, she had not have that love mutated into hatred stronger then the will to live and he did not expect her to understand. "Sit back down"

Zigan seemed to change his tune, his eyes had indicated fight mode, now he was what... showing her sympathy as she was clearly tired? Some of him was still in there, the kind, caring gentleman she had once known, he was there being suffocated within Abaddon's grasp. She, in a way, was Abaddon's weakness where Zigan was concerned. Zigan cared for her, even if he didn't realise it himself.

She nodded to him and sat back down, leaning her back against the tree. She didn't want to sleep, not because of letting her guard down, she trusted Zigan, even now, but because she could not watch over him if she did. ''So, what is your plan Zigan? Now you are here?'' She asked, ''What will you do when this is all finished with?'' He probably wasn't able to even think that far ahead. Her immediate thoughts were not that he would disappear completely, be swallowed up by Abaddon, but that he would conquer this, if he could not fight for himself then she would. She would never stop trying to save him.

''Do you remember when....'' She began, but soon trailed off, he wouldn't listen to anything she said in regards to his memories. She sighed and stretched back her neck, ''I don't know about you, but I am pretty hungry.''

She was defiant as ever, everything from the way her eyes met his in challenge to the way her head was held with her jaw pointed said as much but thankfully she was in just as much of a slump as him, she did not want to push him and he did not have the want to push her. He needed to recover enough for bruising to subside, cuts to heal and his vision to clear. He was glad she had come when he was in wolf form his fur hiding the majority of his injuries.
She branched out again trying to bring up happier times with him but she quickly relented she was obviously as tired as she looked though he knew better then to think she would allow herself to rest properly now she had found him. He sighed, it would be awkward to get rid of her.
"There is no plan Nammia. I am living in the moment"

He stretched against the terrain his clawed toes splaying as his paws reached, she mentioned hunger, he nodded it had been a while since he had eaten, it was obvious that she was in the same boat. Going to get something for the two of them was not a bad idea, he had to keep his strength up after all.
"What do you want to eat?" he replied lazily not sure he could hunt with his current visual deficiency.

Zigan spoke of not having a plan, she thought as much, he was so consumed with this blood lust, that he couldn't see past it. ''I wish I could too...'' She said quietly, but said no more on the matter currently.

Her stomach grumbled at the speak of hunger, ''Noodles.'' She blurted out her craving, ''I don't have the energy to hunt. There was a place in the city that Nammia and Zigan used to go to get food, they did the best noodles around. ''Fancy visiting our old haunt?'' Sometimes, she just wanted Zigan to be normal, for their friendship to be normal again, and at times it was, like now.

She shifted forms without waiting for his answer, pulled the attached satchel and clothed herself, before standing with her hands on her hips and her stomach still grumbling. ''Might as well take advantage of this place while I am here.'' She began walking off, her step a little more lighter and care free than it was before. The thought of food had perked her up a bit. ''You coming?''

"Well so much for that" he muttered to himself, hiding in the form of his wolf was not an option now she planned on dragging him off for food. She would pester him until he agreed so instead of starting something else off he nodded and rose to four feet. He would keep that way until he caught up with her before completing his shift, they were growing more easy with each passing day he had been spending more time in his natural wolf form then he ever had.
Stretching out he tried not to draw her attention towards him more then it all ready would be, she was not going to be happy with the remains of battle that marked his skin.
Bad bruising covered each sides of his face, his right eye swollen the orb blood shot, his lip split down to the flesh of his chin and that was just the injuries she would be able to see.

"Noodles, it has been a long time" she was trying to get him to loosen up and now he was back in the Kostas area and all that much closer to completing his goal he was willing to, It had seemed like forever he had been obsessing, now he was able to act upon the things in his life that had been driving him insane. it gave him a certain feeling of freedom even though it was freedom created by his own mind, he was being fooled to believe he had a choice in the matter, that Abaddon was helping him.
"Take away or in?"

''It has been too long.'' Nammia's mouth was almost watering at the thought of the noodles she so loved. She smiled to herself as she continued to walk, hearing Zigan shift and then catch up to her. ''Hmm, take away I reckon. I want to see what has changed around the city, if anything.'' She turned to him, ''probably noth...'' She paused as she saw the state of him, rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder with force, ''Jesus Zigan. You need to protect yourself better.'' She shook her head and continued on walking.

''Who did you run in with? Seriously, all you ever go on about is revenge and what not, but you get this busted up in a fight?'' She huffed, even if he was dangerous, she wanted him to be able to defend himself at least. ''How do you expect to ever succeed in your goals if you are weak?'' She knew she would hit a nerve with him, that was her more dominant side speaking. ''The Zigan I used to know was more skilled than you are now.''

He grimaced as Nammia slammed a fist into his shoulder, she was mad at him yet again but he couldn't help the smile that followed his pained expression. "Nammia do shut up" he rolled his eyes, when not in active hunt of the pack or fighting her he would some times find himself able to just be himself, little bits of the man he once was slipped through, certain expressions or gestures.
"I did not lose the battle, or I would be dead" he shrugged, she took his injuries to mean weakness where as he did not see it as such. It had been one hell of a fight and he still held his life at the end of it. She tried to insult him, to get another rise out of him but for now it did not work, Abaddon had left him alone for near three days his head was as clear as it got which sadly was no where near enough to break out of his hatred.
"Careful, you almost sound as though you want me to accomplish my goals there. Coach" he didn't know her game but it sounded like she wanted him to win, he knew otherwise though, she would turn against him in the end and he would probably have to kill her but for now he would not think such things.
"I think I will have what ever the special is. How about you?" subject changing had always annoyed him but where the conversation was leading he knew they could do with one. "I hope it is something meaty"

Nammia shook her head, to lose didn't mean to die. She wandered who walked away first, him, or his opponent? Not that it mattered anyway. She eyed his various wounds, guessing there was probably a lot more hidden under clothing. His injuries might have been the reason he wasn't in the mood to fight her. She held her gaze upon him for a time before looking forward as she continued to walk.

Nammia laughed, ''No, not accomplish them. But I at least don't want you to die trying to.'' She didn't really know how all of this was going to pan out, would someone have to die? She hoped not, unless of course it was the one who has twisted his mind so.

Zigan changed the subject, and she was thankful for it in a way. She could go on and on at him, but it would be like talking to a very thick brick wall. ''Hmmm.'' She glanced up, thinking about the old menu, ''I won't know until I see what they have to offer.'' She smiled.

They walked the distance to the city, Nammia enjoyed the silence that was between them as they did. It reminded her a little of the old days, Zigan being somewhat the silent type. She glanced around as they walked through the city. ''Not much has changed then.'' She pointed out. Everything was the same as it always was.

They reached the noodle shop and Nammia went straight in, the lights made her sensitive eyes squint a little, but the smell has her stomach rumbling all over again. ''You know you are paying, right?''

As it stood Zigan was not to concerned about dying, he had been there before and knew it was not pleasant but he found that now he was back it was just as uncomfortable he didn't want to get into it with Nammia again so he didn't comment he ached from head to toe and he didn't need another fight to add to his discomfort.

Swinging his arms lightly at his sides he kept pace with Nammia as they walked, for once being in her company was relaxing and all most how it used to be. Neither of them spoke and both seemed comfortable with that. It gave him time to simply be and not have to over think things, he was grateful for it.

In town he tensed slightly as all of them would in a human realm, he had never had a problem fitting in before so he never really let it concern him.
They made it to the noodle place and he laughed in answer to Nammia. "Course, you're always broke"
He waited his arms folding behind his back while she took some time to look over her menu, he all ready knew what he would have, the 'meat feast'
"Ain't got all day love, while we are still young yea?"

Nammia laughed, ''I have spent however long chasing after you and making sure you don't dig your own grave... of course I am broke.'' She raised a brow as she turned to face him a little. Tagging along with Zigan, unwantedly, didn't exactly leave her much time for work, but she got by.

Nammia sighed as she was hurried along, she placed a finger on the menu and skimmed it down the plastic covered page. ''Hmm..'' She took a little longer than needed just to wind Zigan up a little before making her order. The noodle soup she used to have here, to go.

After she ordered, she stepped back, bowing and swaying her arm to Zigan with a sideways smile on her face. She stood behind him, pulled her hair up and placed a band around it to secure it in place. They would separate soon no doubt, she would try and keep an eye on Zigan but she couldn't be with him all the time, for her own sanity too. She had to find the others, try and warn them if they would listen, explain what has happened as she knew it.

She took ages and he pressed his lips together forcing his impatience away and himself not to comment as he knew that she was wasting his time specifically to mess with him, she had annoying yet some times amusing habits like that, he had been given ample opportunity to learn of them as she had stalked him solidly for weeks if not months, it was rare for more then a day to pass without her 'bumping' into him unless he had put a lot of effort into giving her the slip.

A single thin brow rose as she ducked a bow to him, his foot rising to kick her gently in the backside as she moved. He grabbed his own food handing over payment for the two meals before heading to the door grabbing more then enough chop sticks on the way out which he promptly filled his pockets with.
"It's no wonder you're a skinny runt, eating shit like noodle soup when you have a whole menu to choose from" he chided with a smirk as he moved to walk slightly ahead of her, he would follow a small path which veered to the left.
The old part of town was quieter and quaint with cobbled walk ways and old hanging street lamps, a mossy disused fountain placed in it's center which had long ago seen use it's bed dry and bare. It was a lonely looking figure in the empty street, sad almost but Zigan had always found comfort there in moments of silence and reflection. Other then a long dead friend Zigan had never taken anyone there.
Kicking off his shoes he climbed the side to sit down, placing his feet to the bed as though waters still flowed there, his eyes closed a moment as if he had forgotten he was not alone but it was only a moment.
Opening his foot he tucked in, waiting to see if Nammia had comment on his choice of location.