Scoffing mid-way through the deputy's response, he found himself amused more than anything. It went without saying, but of course the warrior wouldn't act upon such impulses with a whole clan relying on him. He wouldn't run off with a man he barely knew, yet claimed to hold feelings for. Preposterous. Thus making the lie all the more believable, at the same time not.
"You've fallen to lows I never thought I'd witness."
The flamesman shook his head and chuckled, stepping away from the shadow-esper entirely. He watched as the cuffs slowly started to dissipate, returning to the smog they appeared from. Kazumi brought a hand up to her neck and held it against her cut, moving without delay. He'd given her a scare, that was for certain. Considering he was bluffing about his own stamina, he was glad it'd end without further incident... hopefully. As Etoah stated, he didn't sense another soul around the three.
"Next time you chase me, Deputy, come by your lonesome for a heart-to-heart. Better prepare your speech as one does before battle!"
His cue for them to split safely-- while they still could.
The insults thrown at Etoah bounced right off him as he shyly laughed. "I'll keep that in mind." He backed away slowly before turning, taking Kazumi's arm, and leading her in the opposite direction quickly.
With a flat, emotionless face, he walked as calmly as he could- but as soon as they'd reached a distance out of earshot, the man immediately rushed on the girl and scooped her up into the tightest hug. He held her as close as he could, leaning back so her feet left the ground and her spine cracked.
"Oh god..." He said in a rasping voice, pressing his face against the back of her neck. "I thought I was going to lose you, Kazumi..." Setting her down gently, he gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head, resting his mouth there for a moment as if breathing in the fact that she was safe.
Kazumi, too, was quick to hurry off with him. She couldn't help but glance back at the figure faded into the distance, and what she saw was interesting. He held no sword, but instead crossed his arms and stared away with a perplexed look-- the first she'd ever seen from his usually very intense gaze.
As soon as Kazumi was scooped up, she circled her arms around him and squeezed, returning his hug.
"I can't believe you pulled that shit off."
She laughed, shocked yet also in near-total disbelief. As he planted a kiss on her forehead, she reached up and ruffled his hair, poking fun at her savior.
"Hey now, ya can't be doing that, what if someone gets the wrong idea that you're straight or something?"
Although she made light of it, she knew she was responsible for their loss. It was easy to see in her forced smile, regardless of the joke.
"Fuckin' hell... Uh, thank you. I was so sure that was the end of my career."
"You know I've got you, no matter what." The deputy said, stepping back.
Etoah looked away and rubbed his stinging eyes. "He fell for it..." He said quietly, a small laugh emerging from under his sooty hands.
"He fucking believed me, Kazumi!' The deputy threw his head back and laughed hard. Putting his hands on his hips and leaning over, he wheezed until he started tearing up.
"That's, -wheeze- the sort of -wheeze- ideas I get at seventy-two hours without sleep!" Etoah was practically on his knees laughing at this point, wiping his eyes and slapping his knee.
"Ooooh god, that's good." He said, reeling himself in though still chuckling hard. "Good to know I've got options out there, yeah?" With that he was laughing again, but this time he took Kazumi's hand and started leading her back to Tempestclan, making sure they wouldn't be separated again. "Now let's get the hell out of here."
The hesitation to laugh melted away as he began to wheeze, causing Kazumi to contagiously join in with him.
"You fuckin' gotta play on that next time."
She chuckled, rubbing the cheeks of her face as they burned. She wasn't quite on her knees dying like Etoah was, but she had held her stomach, close to losing her shit.
"Wink and all. He's 100% interested; he bought it."
After wiping a tear from her eyes, she grasped tightly back onto his hand and matched his speed heading for Tempestclan.
"Ain't no way I'm not tellin' this story at the campfire."
"Please, no!" Etoah laughed, not actually caring if she did. "Don't let them know I'm on the market!"
Looking over his shoulder, he eyed the faraway place they'd been held at knife point. It was a step towards finding their camp, even if it had gone badly. He smiled.
Flamesman stood waiting until the pair were far out of view to relax, his breath heavy as he exhausted the rest of his energy. Hardly an ember was able to guide him on his journey back to camp, however he continuously glanced back, worried of an extra follower on his tail.
The forest was thick with drifting smog and smoke, its residue settling atop grass as the clouds traveled further than the immediate site of the flames. Every so often his foot would catch and sink, however he had no real issue upon his return, regardless of the lack of nightlife. The forest was silenced as remnants of Maelstromclan floated about.
Shaking the trees slightly as to warn of his entrance into the camp, he called out for his boys.
"Men? Are we all accounted for?"
The campfire itself illuminated how much ash had landed on Cain, covering him in soot. Only his hair remained untouched, his strands containing the heat of his flames themselves. His clothes were specifically designed to withstand the intense temperature, but nothing could prevent the damage done as ash melted onto the fabric under enormous pressure.
Akihito stirred from where he'd been sleeping on his straw bed. He felt stiff and battered as he woke, squinting in the darkness towards Cain.
"Dominic is here." The demon murmured sleepily, waving his hand out in a random direction that may or may not have been correct. "But Knox has not returned."
He sat up and opened his eyes wider, looking Cain up and down. "You're alright?"
Dominic gave a thumbs up when his name being called, confirming his return. He dropped it a mere second after, however, drowsy as he repositioned his makeshift shirt-pillow.
Although it took a moment for Cain to register Akihito's concern, he chuckled to himself once he noticed where the demon stared.
"This is nothing, my friend."
Sliding off his haori beside the firepit, he started to unbutton his jacket before proceeding pull of his shirt.
"I hadn't realized how long it would take... but Knox's late arrival is concerning."
He sighed, subsequently inhaling a deep breath over the fire. His lungs filled with smoke as his hair ignited, replacing the light from the flames. The fire itself simmered down, absorbed from the source it had originated from and granting him energy.
"Apologies for an early lights out. I ran into trouble with some stragglers, but they've been dealt with."
Sitting himself down, he once again sighed, then closed his eyes to rest.
Having slept most of the day, Aki was well rested. He shifted his feet over the side of his bed and watched as Cain undressed. His eyes lingered on the man's skin for a few seconds longer than the average glance, before he looked away. "They didn't give you too much trouble, I hope. And no one followed you?" Akihito asked, eyeing the dark smokey woods as he stood up. After walking over to his friend, he sat down next to him. "Rest now, I'll keep watch for tonight."
His skin was far from perfect, scarred with the scars of burns and blades of every size alike. Nothing looked fresh, however, as most had years to settle their way against his skin.
As Akihito sat down with him, he glanced over and patted the demon's shoulder.
"Appreciated."
His eyes drifted to the smoldering firewood, an image appearing to him through the last of the smoke. The reminder of a dead man's words.
After a moment of silence, Cain cleared his throat, his gaze returning to his friend. He spoke quietly, whispering as to avoid waking the rest of his men.
"Akihito. After today, the slate is wiped clean. In the past, we have struggled, for now we thrive. The future is what we make it, no?"
Cain smirked, removing his hand from the demon's shoulder. He hadn't meant to speak in riddles, but nonetheless he went on with it. "The unobtainable." He leaned back, propping himself up with an arm. "You crawled out from Hell yet again; nothing is impossible."
The lowlight threw dancing shadows on Aki's face as he watched Cain. He smiled, dipping his head humbly before looking at him directly in his eyes. "Libarto. Say it plain. What is your goal with this clean slate? Where will you be leading your family?"
"My family?" Cain scoffed, dragging out his immediate need for an answer. "Our family. Always looking for a bit of stimulation." He joked, quoting the man's own words from the night prior. Ceasing his joking, however, Cain return the man's gaze and lowered his voice. "Wherever we can find home in the world which abandoned our ideals. The boys are a force you've only glimpsed at; wasted when destined to outwit and outlive.
The northeast villages will catch wind of what has happened soon enough. In the midst of the scramble for territory, new players shall rise. Confusion, at worst, bringing opportunity. I only hope Knox returns to join us."
