Kyli Adira watched, just watched, as they died, because he knew there was nothing he could do, considering he was bound and gagged. And even if he could have done anything, his first instinct would have been to run and find some kind of hiding place.

He knew most of them. Rolik Diner, one of the strongest men known to exist, no longer had his head attached to his shoulders, so painfully cut off by the hooded figure. Dagia Metri, the darkest mages of this world, was missing every spell she sent towards whoever was attacking, and when the jet-black blur got close enough, it surely didn't miss. Even Trunk Wavelight, the fastest elf you would ever see, was outrun.
All of Kyli's captors, the ones who had put in those horrid ropes in the first place, that armies couldn't destroy, was being taken down by one person.

Kyli found his knees to be weak.

The figure stopped and just huffed out of breath, and Kyli was close enough to see that whoever it was still had a swing in its sword, a readied arm. This hooded blur was far from tired, and honestly looked like they were disappointed there weren't any more.
Their head turned in Kyli's direction, and then started towards him. The weapon they are holding, the small dagger that still had blood dripping from it, still wasn't sheathed.

Kyli's heart sped up as it stopped, inches from him, and then slashed the dagger upward...and cut the gag off.

As Kyli felt the relief of being able to move his own mouth again, the figure used the gag to wipe off the ugly crimson, but still didn't sheathe the blade. "What's your name, friend?" The killer asked.

The accented, soft, and clear voice was foreign to him, which brought him some relief; almost everyone Kyli knew was his enemy.
For that reason, he decided that he can't risk the knowledge that this hooded person might know who he was. He lied. "Cartrek Bowler. You?"

"Rune, Rune Deliek."

He froze. "Wait. Rune? As in...?"

Rune took the hood off, revealing the face of a strange mixture of a cat and a person.

Kyli shook his head, unbelieving. A kjaiit. A cat just saved my life.

"As in the wanted bandit, yes, that would be me." Rune replied, watching Kyli with those bright green eyes, taking in every single thing he did.

"You're a khajiit? Why would a cat help me?"

Rune smiled, faintly amused, but a cold fire burned in his eyes. "Ah, so you judge against my kind, then, friend?"

There's that 'friend' thing again. Kyli thought. I should have known he was a cat the moment he said it; only a cat could call a random stranger a friend, but I honestly doubt they ever mean it.

Kyli shook his head quickly, fearing the khajiit's glance. "No, no, I just...if your kind had to name on person who hates them, half of them would say mine. They despise me, and with good reason. Most would rather stab me than help me."
Kyle paused, feeling the cold pit of fear coming back in his stomach, still not so sure if Rune intended on helping him. Rune noticed. (What doesn't he notice?)

His smile widened. "Don't look so pale. If I had planned on killing you, you wouldn't have lived long enough to worry about it."
Kyle noted that at least that was true. "Then...why did you help me?"
"I didn't, not exactly. I would have been here anyways, even if you weren't. I hear that your, ah, friends over there," He gestured towards the pile of bleeding bodies, "had a good sum of gold, and I intend to make it mine. But on the way in here, I noticed you." He grinned. "And I couldn't very well leave you, now could I? But getting in without being noticed would be harder, with those bandits of them having a prisoner so close to their treasure. It's actually rather smart, because even if someone got past the bandits, they would have to go through you to get to their gold, and I'm rather sure that just about anyone who sees a black figure approaching them, while they're bound and gagged, would panic, and in attempts to get away, they would make too much noise, alerting the bandits. Of course, I would have silenced them, immediately, but still, noise can be a warning, but so can silence." Rune shrugged. "So, then I decided that I hadn't had very much fun in a while, anyway."

Kyli shook his head. One decision, one person, was all it took for him to do...that. He found himself unable to speak, mostly for fear he would say the wrong thing.

Then Kyli noticed a look of impassive decision in his eyes, and then, Rune said, quietly but coldly, "Tell me, are you foolish enough to go to the guards about me?"

Kyli froze, realizing what he meant. He knew where the bandit was. He knew what he really looked like. He knew what race he actually is. What's to prevent me, Kyli thought, from running off and telling the guards where he is, and collect a good-sized bounty?

The only thing that can stop me is him.

So what's to stop him from killing me, right here and now?

Nothing came to his mind. And Rune doesn't seem able to think of anything, either, because there wasn't a reason why he shouldn't.

Kyli rested his hand on the handle of a sheathed blade that had been in his captor's chest, but Kyli knew he couldn't best the thief and killer, and knew he couldn't let it get that far. "There's another way."

Rune raised a brow. "Yes, and that's to keep a close eye on you."

"So I'll come with you."

"I would think that you'd hate the idea of being a prisoner again." Rune chuckled.

"Not as a prisoner, a..." Kyli hesitated before saying, "follower." I don't know how the cats say 'friend' so easily.

Rune paused. "If you know remotely anything about me, you know that won't be a safe trip, and that it will be more than a trip."

"Well...my life really isn't going uphill anytime soon. I don't care."

Rune shook his head. "Alright, fine, but first, what's your real name?"

"Uh, I already said, it's Cartrek."

"I know a lie when I see one. What's your name?"

He realized that he couldn't lie to this feline. He took a deep breath and said, "Kyli Ishor."

Rune's eyes widened, and then he nodded. "I should have known. You have many enemies, even if they only know you by name, not by by face." He glanced at Kyli for a second. "Do yourself a favor, though, and don't lie to me again."

Kyli swallowed. "Wasn't planning to."

"Alright, then. Come on, the sun only stays down for so long, and there's something about the dark I need to show you."