Ryoga stared at the girl. His fists were raised to his chest, yet his shoulders slacked.
She appeared tall, the way she stood with her head upright. In truth, she hardly reached his shoulder. Her features were distinct, yet soft. Earth-colored hair skimmed down to her sides and moved with a gentle wind that surrounded her movements.
Before he allowed himself to take in her lips, rounded towards him, Ryoga turned his gaze. When the girl flipped her lithe, cutely shaped body into his sight again, he shut his eyes.
The girl tilted her head.
Ryoga's mind darted with questions.
Who is this girl? Can she lead me out of here? And what's up with her, anyways? It's like…like air is floating off her.
He turned to her again.
She paced before him now, her movements breezy. It might have resembled a hunter circling prey, but her floaty steps made it look like a dance.
If Ryoga was too warm from all the hunger and walking, he no longer felt it. The sight of another human face, plus the sudden winds gave him energy. His eyes brightened to his sights. His body felt looser, more liquid.
Ryoga jumped back to attention. The girl had stopped pacing.
"You said you're human," Ryoga said. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and then dropped his arms. "You sure about that?"
Her eyes twinkled.
"I'll take that as flattery." She said. She smiled that small, skillful grin. "Glad to know you're interested."
Ryoga froze for a beat and then his cheeks filtered with color.
"No, no." he said. He waved his hand. "I could care less what you are. It's only nice to know the species of what I come up against. You're just… strange."
Then something shattered.
Her shoulders stiffened. The teasing smile she wore thinned into vapor. Her lips formed a scowl that belonged to a doll. Then as quickly as this passed, her face was clear.
"Damn. Damn." She muttered. She hit a hand to her forehead and started back and forth again.
Ryoga scratched his head, and then frowned.
"Uh- I didn't mean-" he said.
"Not a problem." She said, and faced him.
"That was a test, if anything. I'm supposed to keep all my feelings in check at all times, you know. I mess up more than I win. The act from before might explain why you didn't think me human. Perhaps I overdid it."
She giggled and kicked up dust with her feet.
"Guess that all lasted for a good five minutes. Though you could be nicer, you know."
Ryoga stood there, and then slowly nodded.
"I'll be going then. Good luck with your…pursuits."
Ryoga secured his bag to his shoulders and grabbed hold of his umbrella.
"That was weird," Ryoga mumbled. "Oh, well. I have enough to think about."
With a new burst of energy, he dragged on his way. His thoughts roamed back on course.
'There has to be some way I can soothe my heart. If only I could just see Akane.'
Before his thoughts went far, he suddenly fell back.
The girl was right in his path.
He stopped steps away from smashing into her.
"Hey, would you stop doing that?" Ryoga shouted.
He backed away, his cheeks reddening.
The girl laughed.
"Whoops."
"For someone who isn't supposed to show true emotions..." Ryoga started.
Then there was a growl.
Both looked around for the source. The growl erupted again, along with a strange gargling.
The girl's eyes flashed to Ryoga. Ryoga's eyes flashed to his stomach.
"Someone's hungry." She said.
"Not really," Ryoga grunted.
He shouldered past her, but the girl skipped forward to keep up.
"I could help out, you know." She said.
"I'm not hungry. I have to go."
His stomach grumbled again, this time bringing a hunger pang. He bent at his waist and clutched his stomach.
The girl smiled. He was beginning to resent that smile.
"You hungry yet?" she asked.
A series of emotions passed Ryoga's face, and then he sighed.
"A little," he mumbled. "Well then? You have something to eat?"
"I don't." She admitted. "But I have ways of getting things."
Then she dropped to the ground. She crossed her legs and pressed her hands onto her knees.
Ryoga folded his arms and looked her over. His stomach gargled in the silence.
He raised an eyebrow at her clothes. She wore a cinnamon colored top that flowed past the thighs. Her pants cut off at the ankles. Her dusty moccasins looked glued to her feet.
"Hard traveler."Ryoga murmured.
The girl's eyes stayed shut and her eyebrows twitched.
'She looks confused," he thought. 'Or constipated.'
Then a wind broke between them. The girl was at her feet before Ryoga saw her stand.
"Follow me." She instructed.
Then she leapt onto the edge of a jagged cliff.
Ryoga obliged with a jump onto the same platform she stood.
Once he got there, she leapt nonstop to each cliff ledge. Her lead brought them higher and deeper into the mass of cliffs.
After a minute of this, Ryoga dropped behind.
"Wa-wait!" He called. "Where are you?
The girl looked down to see Ryoga below her. He wandered in a circle and looked frantically about.
Her eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter.
"Up here! You're right on my tail! How'd you get lost?"
Ryoga glared at her.
"I'm not that quick, okay?" he grumbled. He took a firm leap onto the ledge she stood.
The land was hard. Too hard. In seconds the rock beneath them crumbled. They cried out as they flew downwards.
In a split second, Ryoga took hold of the girl's arm and leapt onto a new ledge.
He was used to danger. He'd fallen from many cliffs and ledges due to his lack of direction.
They froze once they reached the new ledge.
She smirked at him.
"I'm faster on my own feet, you know." She said.
"Yeah, yeah." Ryoga mumbled.
He didn't consider the incredible speed she demonstrated only minutes earlier; he ran on instinct to save himself. And okay, her.
She leapt ahead of him onto the next rock. Just when her feet smacked onto the earth, the rocks groaned beneath her. She wobbled forward as the cliff face trembled.
"Wa-woah!" she cried.
"What are you doing? Jump off!" Ryoga shouted.
"I-I'm thinking about it!" she said. "I-I'm just deciding where!"
Then the ground burst into pebbles.
Ryoga rocketed forward just in time to lift the girl into his arms. He bounced from rock ledge to ledge as each one crumbled beneath his feet. The girl screamed the whole way. If their lives weren't in danger, he would have dropped her long ago.
"Won't die, won't die, won't die." She chanted, her eyes pressed shut.
He stopped when they reached a level pathway.
The girl was quiet. She had a hand at her heart as she took in air.
"Weak rocks," she mouthed.
Their eyes meet at the same instant. Ryoga became too aware that he pressed her against his chest.
A mix of coolness and warmth all at once filled Ryoga. It felt strange, new, and scary. He stiffened.
The girl wasted no time. She detangled from his grip and bounced onto her feet.
Ryoga's arms slumped to his sides. His breath passed shallow from his throat.
He threw off his bag and dropped his umbrella to the dirt. His body folded in stretching pain. Ryoga thought he heard the girl ask him something, but his brain was far, far away.
'There you have it, Ryoga.' He said inwardly. 'You're dead now.'
Just as he gave a weak grunt, the girl pointed a finger his direction.
"Did you hear me?" she said.
Her image blurred before his eyes.
"What? What did you ask?"
"Your name." she said.
He looked up at the female. Her purple eyes were firm on his face. Her hair was aglow in the sunset. The sight confused his vision.
"Hibiki, Ryoga." He uttered.
Then he let out a cough and fell to his knees. Hard coughs broke his chest.
The girl lingered above him. She brought her face to his level and she stared at him silently. She let him spill out his breath.
When his coughs grew silent, she spoke.
"Carraway. Violet, to you."
His eyes shifted into darkness. Ryoga gave in to the dust.