"Quit struggling or I'll throw you! Ya damn noble brat!"
Aveline stopped moving, allowing herself to be carried away, though not because she wanted to. Behind them, she could hear a large 'something' chasing them down. Deciding to take a chance, she lifted her hand and attempted to channel her magic.
"Don't even try! We ain't anywhere where that can help!"
Aveline felt her magic seem to jam itself in the process of casting. She clicked her tongue.
'So we are in the damn forest. Stupid magic warding trees!'
Taking a chance, Aveline lifted her head. Through the trees, she could see the outline of a massive bear. It was covered in scars long enough to sit Aveline along them.
"H-hey! How long has that thing been chasing you!?"
She could feel her carrier's hood brushing against her dress as they shook their head.
"Twenty, thirty! Dunno, don't care!"
Aveline had a small smirk on her face as she began to curl up. When she saw a decent area, she shoved her carrier away. The two of them tumbled for a few feet before wind rushed by, along with the strong smell of unwashed bear.
"Okay! That worked!"
Aveline felt triumphant, but she could hear a raging voice draw close.
"What in the Hell was that?! Were you TRYING to kill us?!"
Aveline calmly got to her feet, brushing off some dirt and grass. When she finally stopped caring, she looked up. A mask, collar and hood were the most obvious aspects of her carrier. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back as she spoke.
"Says one of the many Church pests that attacked my family. I could have just sent you flying backwards, straight into the Demon Bear, but no. I chose to let you live since you carried me for so long."
Aveline had a dark glare as she stepped towards them. Within the hood, a pair of amber eyes seemed to wince heavily with each word. Their hood even fell down a little, as if something inside dropped.
"And now, I have to figure out how in the world I'm going to return home! My family must be thinking that I died down here- wait... that large bastard. Where is he?"
Pointing to their collar, they did a knife motion across their throat.
"He broke most of his bones when the two of you landed. His Fire Aura didn't help much, while your Water Aura was incredible. You healed quickly, which was shocking. B-but, anyways, he ordered me to save him. I made it down by scaling the wall, so I wasn't very hurt..."
Aveline nodded, her glare fading. She sighed as her arms slumped.
"The bear ate him, I assume? Those bears travel in a single line for up to an hour, especially if they think food is in front of them. My friend and I researched them, among other beasts."
Aveline began to look towards the sky, her frustration growing. She stamped her foot.
"These stupid trees!"
Before Aveline could do anything, she saw a pair of feet disappear into the trees above her. Just as quickly, they came back down.
"So... what was I looking for up there?"
Aveline sighed, her palm against her face.
"Can I at least get your name, or see your face? Right now, I'm just confused."
They seemed to get awkward, but turned around. Pulling down their hood, Aveline seemed to be stunned into silence. Large, damaged fox ear began to twitch. They fell flat as their voice came towards Aveline.
"I know what I did was bad, something shameful and horrid. I have no other excuse, except that I am a slave."
Their russet hair was parted, showing a small spike on the back of their collar.
"Can you... become my new master? This collar, I was told that it'll kill me if I don't have a master for too long."
Aveline looked closely.
"How does it work? I mean, I can be your master for now. At least until I find out if I should free you, or get rid of you."
The fox ears twitched, but raised up higher.
"It- that's fine! Just touch the tip of the spike with your finger. It should use a bit of blo-"
They froze up for a moment as Aveline didn't hesitate to touch the spike. It pierced her finger just a little, drawing only a drop of blood before lighting up.
"This... seems to do something more than cause a master, slave contract."
Dropping to their knees, they began to pant heavily. After a while, they whipped around and tore off their mask.
"What is... what is wrong with your magic?!"
Her face came into the light, it was narrow and foxlike, yet she still held onto her youthful visage. Her ears twitched as her eyes sparkled.
"The collar boosts the slave by a fraction of their master's magic power! It was... a shocking feeling!"
Aveline shook her head.
"Later. We should go find something we can eat. Is their... any chance you have a really good sense of smell?"
Aveline grabbed her stomach slightly as it made a low rumble.
"I'll go and grab something. Your Water Aura won't be too useful for finding food. Before I go, I'm Lyla."
As she began to turn, Aveline reached out and grabbed her arm. Surrounding her hand was a bright red aura.
"Do not assume I'm so simple."
Her amber eyes flashed brightly as she saw the Fire Aura. Her own sparked up, coating her body. It was darker, almost as if it weren't complete.
"Oh! Okay, okay! Let's go hunting together!"
Doing a complete one-eighty, she seemed completely excited and ready for what was to come.