Comfortable Company

Cage walks beside Alyra, black eyes studying the trees lining the road. They travel down the stone pathway leading from the gate of Yellen to the forest in the south. After tending to Cage's mess of hair, Alyra suggested that they go for a walk. He agreed, unaware that she meant all the way out here. They have long passed the fork with the dirt road that leads to the Collector Village.

Cage does not mind the detour. The song of insects and strange birds perched in trees is a welcome contrast to the buzz of Yellen. It's not as if he loathes being in the city, but Cage can only handle the maze of marble and stone, and chattering voices for so long. However, there was a lack of those voices today, at least until the two passed a particular street.

Cage had caught glimpses of the destruction left by his 'spar' the night before, but the light of day allowed him to take in the full breadth of the chaos. Homes and shops were reduced to piles of rubble, and those that once resided in them were bloodied corpses on the street, carried out by City Guards.

While he was not the direct cause of these injuries and deaths, Cage could not help but think of the mothers, brothers, and daughters left behind as he stared at the crowd in the street. At that moment, he made a note in his mind. While he will not have himself killed for a stranger, he will also not stand by and watch them die if he can do something about it.

"I know you had something to do with that," Alyra says suddenly, her eyes level with Cage's as she looks at him.

Cage glances at her, "Really? I said I didn't," he responds. His black hair only falls to his shoulders now. He thought of cutting it shorter, but with the chill of the wind becoming colder by the day, he decided against it. It's quite a bit softer, and the frizz is gone due to Alyra working her magic.

Alyra shakes her head, "I'm not saying that I blame you for it. I'm sure something forced you to take action," she says, holding those black eyes with her own, "But don't try to lie to me. You're terrible at it."

"I'm aware," Cage relents. Alyra smiles at him, and despite his attempt not to, he can't help but return his own. Her silver eyes sparkle in the sunlight, and her red skin even seems a shade brighter than usual. Cage still finds it hard to believe that she is not already married, and even more so that she is attracted to him. His eyes linger on Alyra, "Yoru told me that you're only attracted to foreigners. Why is that? If you don't mind me asking," he says slowly.

"I don't mind," Alyra says, smile shrinking as she looks forward at the wide stone path ahead, "Do you know the side effects of ingesting Rage stones?"

"No," Cage responds.

"There are many recorded. Some men experience them more intensely than others, and some, like Kyro, deal with barely any effects at all," Alyra speaks quietly, her words just loud enough for Cage to hear over the song of nature, "One of these effects is the reason why Rage Stones are called what they are. Some Rajin men experience intense bouts of unadulterated rage and release it upon those around them. I've experienced this before with my father, and other men that I was unfortunate enough to associate myself with. I get to say that I survived, but many women do not. Even now, there are plenty experiencing this hell as we speak."

Cage pauses, gazing at Alyra. Suddenly, he feels as if he is walking on a thin sheet of ice, and one wrong step could lead to disaster, "Do you think that maybe those men are already violent, and the Rage Stones boost that trait? All Rajin men are soldiers, after all," he says.

"It's possible," Alyra responds, eyes drifting to a pair of bright-colored birds perched on a low branch, "I once believed that I would find a man that can control his urges, and before that, I thought I could change the men that cannot. But I know now that those ideas were merely false hopes. I'm sure there are good men, somewhere in the city, but I don't have the strength to find them."

Cage nods, humming. A soft, cool wind blows across the green field and tall forest that surrounds them, relieving the pair from the burning rays of that blue-white star. Cage glances at the woman beside him. Her long black hair and white dress flap lightly with the wind, yet she seems not to mind the chill, "And that led you to me?" Cage asks.

Alyra glances at him, smiling lightly, "Somehow," she responds, "I had given up on finding someone for a long time... then you walked into my office."

Cage returns his own smile, chuckling, "You were a little forward that day," he says.

Alyra blushes, her cheeks becoming a deeper shade of red, "I'm sorry. I was a bit... starved," she says quietly.

"I can see that now," Cage chuckles again.

The two laugh lightly for a moment before silence takes over. Alyra steals glances at Cage every once and a while, a question clearly boiling in her mind, "What about you? Have any experience with relationships?" she asks.

Cage hums, looking up at the river of colors faintly visible behind white, puffy clouds, "I'm not sure," he responds, "I don't, uh... I don't remember a lot from my previous life. If I did have someone, then I guess it didn't last long."

"None of my experiences have lasted long either," Alyra says, "A lot of them were frustrated that I wasn't easy to get to. They tried, but I've never let a man... 'have me'," She seems embarrased by her own words.

Cage looks at her with raised brows, "So you haven't..."

Alyra shakes her head, "My mother didn't teach me as much as my father, but she basically begged me to keep myself pure. Until I find the right person, that is."

Cage nods slowly, a nervous chuckle slipping from his lips, "That makes me feel a bit better about my, uh... Inexperience," he says.

"As it should," Alyra smiles, holding his gaze as the birds and insects lower their volume, "I want to thank you for not taking advantage of me that night. I always get a little wild when I drink, and that's why I usually never drink around men. I contradict myself at times, as you can see."

"You shouldn't thank me for that," Cage responds with soft words, "Any... well, most men would have done the same."

"Even good men fall to temptation," Alyra says.

Cage nods, "True," he responds. Kyro is an example of this. Many may believe otherwise, but Cage knows Kyro is a great man, the definition of a father, despite his inability to become one. Yet even he has fallen into the grips of the demon called addiction.

However, Cage believes that one day, Kyro will rise above that demon.

Cage and Alyra walk for a while, turning back to the city before reaching the forest. It has been a while since he has felt so calm, so in the moment. He is always thinking, worrying about the future. There is so much to keep track of now, and Cage is sometimes overwhelmed by it all. He knows that he could just fall into that unthinking, empty state. But by doing that, Cage is only running from his problems.

With Alyra here, he can take his mind off things without worry. It's as if there is an invisible bubble around the two, repelling the turmoil of the world. The feeling is strange, but not unwelcome.

Suddenly, Cage halts, the hairs on the back of his neck standing. He spins, putting an arm in front of Alyra as she also turns.

"Cage? Is everything okay?" Alyra asks, staring with furrowed brows at the back of Cage's head.

Cage is silent as he continues to dart his eyes in every direction. For a split second, Cage had felt a presence behind him, one that set off every primal instinct inside him. He saw something, a figure peeking out from behind a tree, but it disappeared before he could get a good look at it.

After a moment, Cage stands straight, the quick dose of adrenaline that had hit him now dissipating. He takes a deep breath, turning to Alyra, "I'm sorry. I thought I saw something," he says.

Alyra nods slowly with a wrinkled forehead, looking down at Cage's hand, "Where were you hiding a sword?" she asks.

Cage looks down, noticing the straight blade with a non-descript hilt in his hand. He must have summoned it on instinct, "It's a long story," Cage responds as he looks Alyra in the eyes, "I'll explain it to you eventually."

"Okay..." Alyra says, her confusion lingering as they return to walking.

Cage glances at the woman, meeting her eyes with a smile. She's probably wondering if the man she walks with is insane, Cage thinks. However, he couldn't help it. Cage knows he felt something, saw something. He knows it. The only thing he doesn't know is if it was real.

Cage shakes the thought from his head. Maybe this will be the one and only time, he thinks.

Time passes as they walk side-by-side, the wall of Yellen coming into view about a mile ahead. Cage looks at Alyra. She seems to have calmed some. Perhaps she will be able to answer the question that's been on his mind for a while, "Alyra?" Cage calls.

Alyra hums, returning his gaze, "Yes?"

"Would you ever leave Raj?" Cage asks.

Alyra cocks her head back in confusion, "What?" she asks.

Cage pauses, eyes lingering on the woman. He looks at the path ahead, "I'll be leaving soon. I have something I need to do, someone I need to find," he says slowly, "After I remove the trackers from Kyro and Ingen, they'll be going with me. Yoru too."

"Oh," Alyra responds, shoulders sagging as she looks down at the stone path below, "Okay."

"Do you want to go with us?"

Alyra's brows raise as she meets Cage's black eyes, "I, um..." she trails off, holding his gaze, "...I don't know. I've only ever known Raj and its people."

"I know," Cage responds, "Just think about it. I'm sure you know how dangerous it is out there, and we'll be throwing ourselves into that. But if you do decide to travel with us, just know that you have Kyro, Ingen, and me to protect you."

Alyra nods, but doesn't respond. She looks down again, clearly thinking deeply about Cage's words. Good, he thinks, she should take all the time she can to think about her decision.

Cage doesn't want to lose this feeling, this comfort. And he doesn't know if he'll ever find it in anyone else. However, no matter what Cage thinks, it is Alyra's decision to make. And whether she agrees or not, he has a brother to find.

Cage walks in silence alongside Alyra. The gate is close now, a few minutes of walking away. He wonders if Kyro and Ingen are in the meeting now. Yoru told him that the meeting would be held in the Epoch's tower in the back of the city. Cage had hoped to see them while walking through the city, but they must have made their trip long before he left Yoru's house.

Cage furrows his brows as he hears iron grate against stone. The gate is opening, much too early to be for him and Alyra. He looks at the gap between the massive Iron doors, and sees Detor walk out, the guard that greeted him the first time he entered Yellen. Though the next second, Cage's eyes widen in surprise as he see who walks out behind the guard.

Kyro and Ingen.