‘Oiy! Where ye fucker go?” Roan’s white eyes slid down, his keen sight took in the sight of the five men below and their puzzlement for a moment. They hadn’t noticed the bloody cross of hand and paw prints that scaled up the smooth stone, the fingers nitched into places and easily aided his high jump. Still studying the thugs below, he made a slight disgusted snort. His belongs, thankfully, had been brought up with him yet now he didn’t care. Anything not attached to his waist had easily slipped off or was discarded while Roan moved across the flat roof toward the city center. Wisps of his shredded shirt fell from his fur, discarded and forgotten alongside his things. His ears and head rotated, jerking in one direction then another without a moment to rest. Horse...people, and more filled them with such ferocity it hurt. He whimpered a bit. His tongue licked his snout, suddenly filled by the scent of shit, horses, and more before a key scent caught his attention. It smelled like something...familiar. A single word flickered across his mind that both animal and man understood well enough: home. Leaving his things behind, Roan’s muscles tensed and made a burst of speed across the roof tops toward the scent’s origins. --- The door shut quickly behind her - almost too quickly. The ambassador was a boring man to speak to, always choosing his words exactly to turn every phrase to his favor, but doing so in a way that both frustrated Alessia and almost made her want to go to sleep. He was not particularly happy with her handling of the Inquisitors - flaunting her diplomatic power as she did for the sake of a random commoner who seemed to possess some kind of relic. She had not been looking forward to the diplomatic briefing as it was, but this just made it terrible. Too many of her fellow Kalesians seemed to forget that [i]every[/i] individual had a place in the empire, and that every one of those was equally as important as the others. She made her way quickly to the courtyard, Lydia hot on her tail. She would be able to relax and regain her composure away from the diplomat. Today was to be an enjoyable day after all, and she needed to look her best. Roan’s muscles rippled with energy as his nose filtered through the odors wafting within his senses. The city scents were struggling to overwhelm each other, the musky odors of humans and beast alike mingled with food, stale air, and more seemed to swell within his mind where he struggled to sift through it all. Most of it foreign and unfamiliar, making him cringe at the realization he didn’t like that conception much. His ears twitched about seeking sounds while his body caused some birds to take flight, their feathers scattered, making him halt suddenly. Every part of him went still as a statue. His eyes darted about and coordinated eerily well for farther sights or sounds. Nothing. He snorted again, his nose slightly pained by the many aromas then took a moment to center on one: Home. Again the word drew something within him. A deep, warm feeling that started to drive the beast forward. His paws slapped the roof tops while he scaled them easily, his body crunched and jumped across the gaps until he had reached the Embassy. He was on the roof when movement caught his vision. Roan jerked his head toward the courtyard to see two figures below his perch, their lithe figures seemed to aggressively seek the refuge of the courtyard because one slowed then stopped. He inhaled, lowering his nose into their direction. It wasn’t hard for his nose to pick up the gentle and distinct female aroma of the pair after several moments. A slight pleased growl erupted from his throat. The sound vibrated and filled his muzzle, softening it even. Slowly, his paws stirred. His blunt claws tapped the rooftop while he stalked toward the lowest section where he could begin his descendant downwards. His mind tittered on primal need and human reasoning. Alessia’s shoulders rose and fell as she breathed deeply of the foreign air. The smells of this city were very different to where she had come from, and it helped her focus on the good things. She was half way across the known world! The things she would see today at the festival! Diplomacy and politics could wait, today she would enjoy herself, and rest easy knowing she had saved an innocent from a great deal of unpleasantness at the hands of the Idris inquisitors. With that, she took one last look out the gates and turned around. She still had to see to the young woman she had saved before she could depart for the festival. Roan’s muscles coiled and jerked out to bring him ever closer. His agility and grace combined with his strength made the climb down easier for him than it would’ve been for any human. Within minutes he was leveled with Alessia’s smaller figure, sided by her companion, as she turned to retreat within the insides of the building. Roan’s instinct knew if she did then she was lost to him. His lips peeled back, the white fangs revealed in a snarl at the thought. His forearm gripped the roof’s edge where the rest of him hung low, in a fashion he had seen monkair’s do, as his hind legs tensed with energy. Just when his prey was within range, Roan’s figure shot off the roof right at Alessia. At the last moment, Lydia glanced around and caught sight of the leaping wolf-man. She threw herself into the air to get between her charge and the monster - to no avail. Caught unprepared, she was knocked aside by the superior bulk of the beast, hitting the ground hard enough to leave her winded. Alessia barely had time to turn and face the sound before she found herself knocked down, her face a rictus of terror. A terrible beast of fur and fangs loomed over her, and she would have screamed if she had not had the air knocked out of her in the fall. Was this the end? To be brutally killed by a ravening beast appearing from nowhere? Everything was a blur. It seemed so surreal and passed by so fast that Roan’s human mind barely registered it, almost completely lost in the watery subconscious of the wolf’s instinct since he ascended the rooftops. Now only the subtle throbbing on his shoulder stood out after his impacting against Lydia who was easily casted aside. His fingers spread instinctively and braced, ready to absorb most the sting when his hand like paws hit the stone ground and pinning the dark haired woman onto the ground. Her body, thin and petite, trapped under his thicker limbs while his black nose lowered to her cheek. The wet, bumped surface tenderly touched the skin and inhaled the scent. It was a slow action. Savoring it almost while his white eyes shifted to spot her companion’s thinner figure had crashed to the floor and settled there, winded from the fall. His head whipped back to take Alessia’s image in again. Not much had changed, his lips pulled back to give a wolfish smirk, from the slight tan on her pale skin to the dark hair just below her shoulders. He could even feel her body was the same slender figure yet there seemed some muscle adding to her curves. His heart thumped heavier and faster, his ear perks while his jaws lowered to her collarbone. His nose made delicate sniffs, following the curve upwards then once more hovered over her cheek. Slowly his jaw opened revealing several gleaming and sharp fangs to her sight, a dark colored tongue reached out. Slllurrrppp! A wet trail glided from the cheek bottom up to Alessia’s eyebrow, followed by another. His tail started to whip back and forth in a dog like wagging. His eyes closed and continued to lick, ignoring any attempt to push him off or Lydia’s rise. Pinned as she was, Alessia could only look on in fear as the monstrous muzzle of the beast moved close to her face, snuffling loudly and looking over her body… Why? She realised with some degree of shock and a lot of relief that, despite being at the things mercy, she was still very much alive. When the beast opened its mouth, revealing a vicious row of teeth, a second pang of fear shot through her and she squirmed to escape - only to find that instead of closing teeth around her neck, a thick wet tongue was suddenly slurping across her face, much like far smaller dogs back home did when they were happy. She was extremely confused, and could only lay there and wait it out. Lydia, however, was faster to recover. Springing to her feet and pulling the concealed dagger from the folds of her skirts, she hesitated only to shout for the guards before rushing forward and aiming the short blade at the beasts back, striking with all her might in a two handed stabbing motion. Roan had just pulled back to smile another wolfish grin when movement caught his attention. His head snapped to the side just when Lydia’s blade sank below the fur and into the meat of his back. Heat followed by pain flared through his being causing Roan to yelp. Warmth leaked from his wound and caused his arm to lash out, likely knocking the woman away from him. He pulled off of Alessia quickly. His eyes narrowed and teeth exposed in a harsh snarl. His skin underneath hadn’t been able to heal as the blade was still in embedded in out of his arm’s reach. Roan whimpered with each movement yet returned to snap his jaws at Lydia, his fur bristled upright. Slowly he started to move around Alessia only to hear the sounds of more approaching, their steps first then shortly their bodies came in brandishing spears and swords at the woman’s earlier cry. Alessia was still confused when she heard the sickening sound of a blade piercing flesh. Lydia had recovered quickly, and, true to form, was going out of her way to protect her charge. Had she still not been confused and afraid, she would have swelled with pride at the loyalty displayed by her servant and bodyguard. Alarm filled her when she saw Lydia easily swatted aside by the wolf-man, though it was quickly replaced by relief when her servant rolled and came up on her feet, a little unsteady, but evidently still ready to charge to her mistress’ defence. Fortunately, she did not have to, as the guards of the Embassy quickly arrived, their burnished mail and polished helms shining in the morning sunlight. Despite the beast moving away from her a little, she remained prone though still looking around. The swiftness of it all had left her dazed and stunned. Blood seep farther into the fur, matting it slightly where the blade was deeply lounged. Roan’s nostrils overpowered by the scent and his eyes widen in anger as well fear, teeth still bared at the one who hurt him even after the others had arrived. Pain rippled through his muscles causing him to winch at the movement back. Too many. He felt the need to flee claw at his instinct, trying to get him to run, while his shaggy head twisted to Alessia. A gut wrenching feeling seemed to bury itself inside. Slowly the men started to advance forcing themselves between Roan and Alessia. Their weapons out and pointed into his direction, Roan’s clawed hand jerked out to swiped only to meet steel when the spear lashed out to counter. Distracted by the first, one of them darted in and nailed him in the side. He howled in pain. His cry shrill and suffering, fresh blood pitter pattering upon the stone. The spear snagged on the belt causing it to tear free, crumbling near his hind paws, before his body twisted about. His handlike paws raised onto the wall closest to the outside of the Embassy and his only path to escape. His ears pinned back to snap at an edging spear lingering too close. With what energy was left within his body, Roan’s legs curled then snapped upward. His muscles burned during the pulsing energy while the breeze of his freefall brushed his fur against his thick form. Moments later his foot paws slammed into ground and finally vanished down the nearest alleyway, gone from sight. Leaving only a small trail of bloodied prints betraying his escape route. As soon as the beast fled, Lydia rushed to Alessia’s side “Are you alright my lady?” She said urgently. Alessia began to push herself to her feet, taking the hand quickly offered by her servant. “I…” She began. The whole thing had shaken her quite severely. “I’ll be alright…. Just… Just give me a moment.” Alessia took a deep breath, forcing herself not to shake from the tumultuous emotions swirling within. She had so many questions - who, or what, was that? Why had it simply licked her instead of taking the chance to kill a Kalesian dignitary? Were the Idrisites involved? Of course she could get no answers right now. Though still inwardly shaken, Alessia put on her best noble airs, to at least appear like she had recovered. She looked around the courtyard, noting the bloody trail away - she could get the men to follow it, but did not believe it worth the risk right now. She also noted a small pouch lying on the ground not far from her. She stepped over to it and bent to pick it up, noting the poor state of her clothing as she did so - the beasts blood had splattered on her skirt a little, and she was covered in dust. She examined the bag in her hand for only a moment - it somehow seemed familiar, but she could not quite place it. Perhaps after she had had a quick bath and changed into clean clothes she would be calm enough to remember - and attend to her countless other duties for the day. With that, she immediately proceeded back inside the embassy, there was a lot to do and little time to do it in.