ι'м ησт qυιтє нυмαη, вυт ι'м ησт qυιтє α мα¢нιηє {Rue}

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Burn grimaced at the silence that followed. He turned on the radio and pop music blared through the speakers, causing him to swear and hurriedly turn the volume down. "Damn teenagers," he muttered.

[assassinrue]

Valerie grinned at him. She fiddled with the knobs bringing up another station. "I don't know how you feel about classic rock and alternative, but that's what this is. Hell of a lot less poppy and ridiculous."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Burn grunted. "If you ask me, music is going downhill. Classic rock is find, though."

[assassinrue]

"Well considering you're probably like a thousand years old, I would suppose all of this is completely nutters to you." Well then. Apparently she was relaxed enough to be way more bold than tyical.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Burn nodded seriously. "Music used to be so elegant. Now it's just a mess or pounding beats and weird sound effects."

[assassinrue]

Valerie laughed. "Yes I suppose it is." Time seemed to pass faster this way too.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

When they were just a few miles outside the town, Burn pulled the car to the side of the road and got out. From his suitcase in the back seat, he grabbed a few potion vials and a belt of knives.

[assassinrue]

Valerie hesitantly got out of the car and stood with her arms crossed waiting for direction.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Burn whispered a few words to form a sound bubble around them. Anyone outside the small radius wouldn't be able to hear them. "Stay close," he told her. "Do you know how to handle a weapon?"

[assassinrue]

"Nope. But I kind of am one, you know, if I change, I'm more familiar with my other form."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Burn nodded approvingly. "Good. We could run into some trouble, so be ready." He started down the street, his boots making footprints in the light layer of snow on the ground.

[assassinrue]

Valerie was on hyper-alert, Her senses keyed in, she was aware of everything. "Someone's coming." She hissed and turned, growling and bearing her long, sharp teeth.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Burn grabbed her arm and pulled her into the dark forest. Their feet sunk into deeper snow, but Burn didn't seem to notice. His silver eyes peered through the night, trying to see what Valerie had sensed.

[assassinrue]

Valerie's growl turned Ito a deep rumble in her chest. In this form she could smell them, like rancid steak and death. Mean, oh so mean. Valerie was glad, perhaps for the first time, that she was a shapeshifter, four legs made running in the snow much easier than it would've been as a human.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"We need to keep moving," Burn said. "They won't hear us inside the bubble, but illusions aren't my strong suit. We'll have to stay in the shadows so they don't spot us."

[assassinrue]

Valerie whimpered in response and stayed close to him as they rushed away.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

They passed a couple of scouts along the way, but luckily they didn't see them. When the town came into view, Burn slowed down. "I'll have to perform another spell to pinpoint his exact location, now that we're closer," he told her. "Do you have the coin?"

[assassinrue]

Valerie turned back. "Yeah." She reached into her pocket and grasped it.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Can I have it?" Burn said.

[assassinrue]

Reluctantly, Valerie handed over the coin, watching Burn carefully.