It was lined up perfectly.

The crouch behind the fallen tree had Leoline's legs aching with stillness. Paralyzed with patience, he had waited there since the sun began to crest the horizon, certain that his quarry would return. Having seen the ten-point buck on his last outing through the forest during a simple parameter search with Lethe, he decided right then that he would return to the spot with a bow and arrow. His stiff endurance had garnered dividends as the creature crested a nearby hill, and made its return.

He wasn't an archer, which was evident by the way he kept the bow severely angled and used only one eye to target the prey along the length of the arrow shaft. He was a soldier -had been since the day he could lift a sword - and sniping unsuspecting game from a distance wasn't exactly a tactic he was fond of, though understood the value of what he considered an necessary evil.

That's why he decided to hunt the buck; to expand his ideas on the
usefulness of such devices. Well, that and the fact that the space of above his mantle was barren and the majestic head of the deer would be a fitting trophy to christen his new home.

The wind had died off to nothing more than a whimsical breeze and breathing was a thing of the past. His hand clenched the grip of the bow to steady the thing as fingers, far too large and long to make effective use of the bowstring, began to ease up in prelude of a loosed arrow.
The resounding burst of power to the side of him drew he and the buck's attention, the latter shooting off in a matter of seconds thereafter. Leoline, on the other hand, swung around, weapon and all, to find a new target. The explosion had occurred just on the other side of some tall, jagged looking foliage that made adequate cover for him to move along unseen in search of a better look.

"Brilliant, Tia. Just brilliant."

The voice stilled his step, leaving him in position to peer through the foliage at the smoldering female form. The demeanor of her prone recline and pouty facial expression gave indication of her youth, though he was certain that, if she was the orchestrator of such a cataclysmic explosion, she wielded a significant amount of power.

His regard for her was broken by the rumbling growl that came from the area just in front of where she sat. It was deep and guttural, as though the very essence of it had to tear from the diaphragm and rattle through a snarling maw. He found that the beast he imaged as the owner of such a terrible gnarl wasn't far off as the infernal looking canine creature that emerged from the trees nearby, its black eyes honed in on the girl. A second form appeared off to the right side of her, and then a third joined its companions from the left. She was surrounded.

From where he stood behind the cover of the shrubbery he could see the fear that filled her dove grey eyes along with the callow continuance that overtook her youthful features. To him, she appeared teetering upon the edge of panic.

An arrow was loosed.

The canine yelped as the arrow struck it square in the breast just below where he was aiming; the snapping maw. It staggered a step, gaining the attention of its pack-mates, though moments later found returned strength in its legs and stood sturdy, the shaft that protruded from its body seemingly forgotten.

Leoline leapt from behind the foliage and landed beside her, sword gripped firmly in both hands. He did not turn to look at her, though it was obvious that when he spoke, it was directed her way. "If you were thinking of running, now would be the time."

Instinct consumed consciousness.

"Down!"

The intrinsic principal of a soldier was to follow his gut, and for whatever reason, in that moment, he did. He pivoted away from the new comer and dove to the ground, lashing out with one arm to take the prone girl to the forest floor with him. As the roar of fire filled the air and the heat from the attack bathed his back, he remained crouched above her, thick arms bracing him near as azure eyes stared into dove grey, stout with stoic, calculated maneuvers.

Once the flame died away, Leoline pushed away and swiveled around, remaining in a low crouch with his sword angled before him in a half-guard, gaze scanning over the newcomer. He wasn't fond of the Elf-folk, having never found them trustworthy or earnest enough for soldier life, though at that point he would take any help he could get. The crimson attire and dreaded look in the eyes of this elf was something far different in comparison to the lighthearted forest-dwellers that he was accustom to seeing, and the fire that she spewed in the midst of the forest proved to be a contradictory state of mind to their normal upbringing. Both curious and daunting, it was a subject that would have to wait to be explored for another time.

His gaze then shifted back to the creatures who threatened them, who snarled and hissed at the elf, completely unaffected by the touch of the fire. There was no way he could produce the same sort of effect, devoid of magic altogether, though refused to devalue the keen blade of his most trust ally. The sword he wielded had seen him through countless endeavors, and never would his faith in its mortal touch dwindle.
The one thing that the elf's fire had done, however, was draw the attention of all three dog-headed beasts. They all stared at her with a mad famine, lines of thick, milky froth pouring from starved maws, and when they rushed her, he lunged forward to meet them half way.

The first one was met with a sidelong swing that knocked it completely off its feet, a thick, bloody line gashed across its sternum. The momentum of his charge brought him into the path of a second, and with no time to level an attack, he instead dropped his shoulder and planted it in the Denube's face, staggering the creature on the heels of a yelp.

Realizing that he had completely missed the third one, he spun on the balls of his feet , targeting the creature between the shoulder blades with the lethal tip of his blade. The attack never got off as the creature who he had blasted with his shoulder recovered its bearings far quicker than anticipated and leapt onto Leoline's back, claws scoring lines down his arms as its snapping maw sought the nape and sides of his neck.

He would internally scold himself later for such a mindless mistake.

Muscles began to seize, the rake of the claws along his arms infusing some sort of paralytic poison into his blood. Leoline could feel the blight moving away from the lacerations with a burning trail deeper throughout his limbs.

With a snarl he fought past it, internal defiance hindering the quick inception of the toxin. He thrashed from side to side, not giving the massive canine that rode his back a clear chance to nab his neck. He could hear the vicious snap of razor-sharp teeth claiming space just inches from his ears, and could feel the hot breath of savagery all around him.

As he twisted and spun to keep the creature off kilter he spied one of the other Denubae - the large gash sported upon its chest gifted by Leoline's sword- circling in predatory wait. The intention was clear: Wait until its mate had Leoline on the ground and join in, or wait until Leoline got the upper hand and ambush him once caught up in delivering the deathblow. Either way, the tactic was sound.

Leoline, well versed in the stratgey of war, knew that the best chance of countering such a tactic was deception. He extended his arms quickly and took his blade in a reverse grip so that the deadly tip was leveled back at him. The taut sinew of masculine arms felt like steel due to the poison, with the only thing keeping them from becoming as solid as stone being his internal fortitude and latent stubbornness. Hands clenched and plunged the sword toward his chest in unison with a rather crafty sidestep. The unsuspecting Denubae behind him took the blade directly in the sternum, the length of it plunging so deep that its tip burst free from the back. Leoline felt the bite of the blade take its sample, and in one fluid movement he stepped away from the Denubae, tearing the sword free of the creature's torso, and pivoted back with the weapon held high in preparation of dispatching the foe.

The guttural canine howl filled the air as the injured beast staggered back, dropping to a knee as its paw pressed against the hole in its chest.
Fortunately for it, the peripheral target had Leoline's attention.
Just as Leoline stepped forward to deliver the finishing blow, the lurking Denubae who had been circling and was now just off to the side of him, pounced into the air with claws extended, ready to rend the (what he thought to be) unsuspecting human to shreds.

Leoline, having baited such an uncontrolled advance successfully, dipped his shoulder and brought the blade around, pivoting under and beyond the reach of the Denubea's claws as the swords keen edge tore another gash into its body, this one deeper and across the stomach.

A gurgled howl spewed forth along with a gout of blood as it hit the ground unceremoniously, frantically clawing at the earth to regain its footing. This would never happen though, as Leoline spun back to stand over the downed beast, a heavy downward chop cleaving the creatures head from its body at the neck.

Startled, Leoline stepped back as the headless carcass sprung to its feet and took a few chaotic swings before blindly rushing off in a random direction, smashing and colliding with trees and stumps in mindless rage. Apparently the Denubae were more stout than he had originally given them credit for.

What felt like a straight sledge pounded him between the shoulder-blades, dropping him instantly to the forest floor. The world spun in a fuzzy myriad of colors and shapes, panoramic clarity takings it sweet time to return to focus. He could make out a massive leg nearby, bent backwards at the knee in dog-like fashion, and could hear the bay of sadistic pleasure above him in anticipation of the kill.

This wouldn't have bothered him nearly as much as it did had he not dropped his sword on his way to the ground.

The flames did nothing. She had been prepared for them to be immune to magic, but not to flame. The fire she called forth was real and the conflagration was already slamming through the forest in a WHOOSH! of explosive heat.

Yet, the dogheaded foes were unfazed. They rushed her and as far as distractions went she could call this one successful. The warrior rose from his protective position to meet their charge and successfully sidetracked two of them but as he turned to take on the third he was hit from behind. It continued at her with sickening speed and slobbering delight. She had nothing other than magic upon her and took but a second to make her decision.

She ran.

A fleet foot carried her far. She led the beast away from his companions and her own. Once some distance was granted, a nimble leap planted her first step upon a knotted bulge in the side of a great oak. With dexterous ease she ran straight up the tree and into its leafy bower. Dancing through the canopy to carry herself back to the clearing that held her injured companion. Hopefully she had confused the Denubae with her aerial approach.

She was in time to witness the glorious display of a masculine back flexing as he delivered an overhanded chop to take the head of the beast before him. The shocking flight of the carcass stole her composure and she was unable to voice any warning when the second creature spun its tail forward with lethal intensity, lashing the bulbous spiked end across the back of Tia's savior.

He dropped.

And there, glittering at his side...his sword.

In a flash of crimson she darted forward and launched herself into a diving roll. Those soft, elegant fingers finding purchase upon the hilt of a warrior's blade; and, using the momentum of her flight, she pushed up when her feet found the foamy underbrush of the forested floor and brought that glittering kiss of death across the neck of the beast.

Its head hit the ground with an audible thunk, the body weaving and rocking in jittering motion before collapsing upon the ground.

Icily she turned to regard the still prone Tia, "Did you plan on doing anything other than scream?"

The disdain was cut short as pain exploded from the piercing blow of a lashing tail. The third Denubae had not remained lost in the forest for long. She had not the fortitude of the warrior and as the paralytic agent made fast work through her smaller body, L'loris could only offer a miserable groan as she crumpled.

I wanted to watch. In fact, had the Dove not expended her energy to the point of exhaustion I probably would have had the pleasure of watching her destruction.

But as the Denubae ignored her pitiful attempts to fend it off and settled above the fallen L'loris I weighed my options carefully. I needed that elf. She could decipher the Athalos Ledger for the Lord Daraul. She was my boon to this Institute: my current crowning triumph. I reminded myself of the creature I had already caught. There would be ample opportunity to observe its feeding habits.

I stepped from the foliage and released a small bolt of magical energy into the creature's exposed back even as I explained, "With it distracted, Young Wizardess, take its head."

This one was youthful; smaller than his fallen comrades and more eager for the easy magical energy I offered. It turned on two legs and considered me as I drew the fiery flash of technicolor energy across my fingertips to dance outward before it. "Yes, m'pretty." I gently cooed.

Eyes opened, breaking through the absolute darkness of unconsciousness to peer up at an unrecognizable ceiling.

He wanted to take a deep breath - a sharp, startled one - but he didn't as he realized there was weight on his chest, a foreign weight. His supine sprawl covered what he guessed was a mattress, its cushiony offering very different than the unforgiving hardness of stone or ground, and was accompanied by the supple strands of expensive sheets. Without moving his head, using only the peripheral of his gaze, he could see an adjacent wall both beside and above his head, the bed the he presumed was beneath him was nestled flush into one corner of the room.

Attention then aligned on the weight laid upon his chest, again not turning his head, moving only the line of his vision with a shift of his eyes. He could make out a face beneath the cluster of adumbral tresses set in the passive mien common to the depths of slumber. Young, pretty in fact, he recognized her as the girl from the woods who was attacked by the dog creatures. Leoline remained calm and nearly motionless. He noted with a bit of curiosity that his chest was bare, lacking any sort of clothing, and it wasn't hard to discern with an unnoticeable shift of his leg that he lacked such adornments elsewhere...everywhere, in fact.

Not exactly the sort of position he cared to be in.

He felt her breathing change, and with a small slide she snaked her slender arm along the span of his torso, quivering through a small yawn, beneath the covers she lifted her leg, bending it to rest upon his thighs.

Eyes narrowed.

"You need to explain what is going on." He said flatly, a harshness infecting his tone.

There was a pause and he felt her stiffen beneath him momentarily. "You're awake!?"

She tried to move but he tightened his hold around her, pinning her to his chest with strength that she could not match, drawing a yelp from her in the process. He kept her there, imprisoned between his arm and chest, and then spoke again.

"You need to explain. Now."