[M] Gelid Seraph [Ashen & Argon Jaden]

[Ashen]

Shi really thought he was going to win this. He was keeping up easily, but Iggy wasn't going as fast as he knew he could. When he noticed Shi threatening to pass him, Iggy picked up the pace, swiftly flying through the air. He knew the location of every branch and was therefore unparalleled in speed. Shi was fast, and Iggy had to give him that, but no one on foot could be faster than swinging through the branches. Iggy certainly had this one in the bag.

The town was getting closer and closer. Iggy was nearly there, and Shi was behind. He was getting cocky, and called down to Shi. "How's it like carrying all those?" he asked. No sooner than he had finished his sentence had he felt his sword strike only air instead of wood. Panicked, his brown eyes widened and looked forward. He had missed his branch. So confident in his victory, he hadn't been paying attention to the location of the branches. Iggy scrambled for a different branch, but he came up short. In the next moment he was falling to his death between the trees.

Meters down, Iggy landed square on his back on a protruding branch. He winced in pain, but was finally able to straighten himself. His back was screaming, but at least he hadn't fallen all the way. His friend was already to town, his swords were on the ground beneath him, and it looked like he was going to be made to carry the bags. Iggy sighed. Someday, he would learn to watch where he was going.

He hopped down from the branch and gathered his swords, then jogged after Shi. Every step ached, but he needed to catch up. Despite his efforts to hide his pain, it was still clear in those eyes. He got to Shi breathing shallowly. "Yeah yeah," he said with a dismissive wave. "Did you see that? I got into a fight with a squirrel. He was going after you, but I stopped him, and endured a brutal battle before he pushed me to my death. Luckily a branch broke my fall. I saved your life."

Iggy was able to joke about it. It was better than simply admitting he'd been too careless. He continued in an awkward walk, trying not to hurt his back. "I'll be fine. The squirrel has been silenced. Look, we made it to town." Everyone was staring at the pair of them, but Iggy was used to that. He stood straight, winced, and continued on. "Look! Do you think we'll need fish! That vendor has some great-looking bass, doesn't he?" He was trying to distract Shi, to not have to carry their bags. Classic Iggy.

[Argon Jaden]

The look of triumph didn't last very long on his face as it was quickly replace by a bleak, almost amusing mix of worry and exasperation. Squirrel. Right. Those things throw hard nuts. "My hero." He muttered bleakly, with enough sarcasm to drench an elephant despite the lifeless tone. His eyes scanned for his friend's injuries, before his brows knitted in worry.

"Buy some bait from him, then you're going to let me check you back." He said, in the tone that said he obviously wasn't amused. "No buts." He never liked getting the people he cared about hurt, but with Iggy, the idiot was always getting himself, or Shion, or some poor soul actually, hurt. He hefted both bags on his shoulders, ignoring the strain they were putting on his body. He needed to build up his stamina anyway.

His blue eyes shifted across the marketplace, quietly scanning for a stall that sold the herbs he was looking for. "We don't need the fish. I can fish, you know." It was more of a whining complaint than a statement as he grabbed the other boy's arm, mercilessly dragging him towards the small stall. With practiced ease, he looked over the greens, trying to look for the right one before fishing for some money and handing them over to the weird lady who kept batting her eyes at them. Shion snorted and took the bundle of leaves. "I think you have something in your eyes miss."

The woman panicked slightly, giving him enough time to drag his friend off to the corner, by the woods. Once there, he stopped and set the bags down. "We're barely starting. Be more careful." He said softly, finding a few rolls, some medicinal paste and a small knife that was used to cut plants. "Shirt off." He said stubbornly, not letting up until he has seen and fixed his friend's no-doubt-bruised back.

"You're waddling." He added, a touch of worry in his eyes. "... and your waddling makes an awful duck." The comment was supposed to be an insult, though it was probably hard to take him seriously as he began dressing the numbing herbs with such a concentrated look. "Shirt off. Lie on your stomach." To be honest, he wanted to scold his friend but knew that it wouldn't do much good. Still, it was all fun and games, though he definitely should be more careful next time.

[Ashen]

Shi seemed annoyed at him, but Iggy couldn't say he blamed him. They had left mere minutes ago and already Iggy's dumb ideas had gotten him hurt. He'd be fine, eventually, but this injury would delay them, and he wouldn't be able to deny that. So with a sigh, Iggy followed Shi without protest, all the way to a herb stall and an unfriendly lady.

Shi was taking a while looking for the right herbs. He was always so careful, so calculated, that Iggy was almost jealous. As Shi was busy fussing over herbs, Iggy snuck away, straight to the fish vendor. After looking over the fish for only a moment, he slipped one into his pocket, some bait into his shirt, and walked away with all the confidence of a man who hadn't just stolen several coins worth of goods.

Back at the herb seller, Iggy saw that Shi was just getting ready to pay. He waited patiently, pretending to be fascinated with the other colorful plants. When Shi finished paying, they started off a little ways, and Shi told Iggy to take off his shirt. Iggy knew his friend only wanted to help, and that he was trying to examine his back, but the immature man couldn't help but chuckle. "Take me out to dinner first," he teased, but he did as he said anyway and slipped out of his shirt. His torso was toned, though undernourished, with far too many cuts and bruises from far too many juvenile adventures. On his back was the starting of a large bruise, surrounded by small cuts where the branch had snagged him. Blood was smudged in places, but none looked as bad as the forming bruise circling his back.

Iggy did as he was told, and winced as Shi touched the medicinal cream to his back. "Easy," he muttered, even if his friend was being very gentle. "I'll be fine, really. You don't need to go wasting money on me because I'm an idiot who can't even swing through his own trees." He half rolled over and saw a couple of town girls staring at him and giggling. Iggy sighed. "Hurry up, will you?" he muttered. "We have places to be, after all. And I doubt people want to see the hero of town in such a state as this."

[Argon Jaden]

"I'll cook you dinner later." He compromised, worry etching over his features. "If you behave." Shion added. The paste didn't smell too good and he definitely didn't want to touch them, but he knew that if he left it untouched, the dark haired boy knew that Iggy would have a hard time later. He sighed softly, feeling his fingers grow numb. The paste seemed to be working.

Tying the mess of herbs and paste down with a bandage, he stood up and sighed, handing Iggy his shirt back. He didn't really want to respond to that. "You should just be more careful. Please." He said under his breath, glancing at the girls staring at them. He never understood them, even back then. Deciding that he was done playing medic, Shion repacked his things back and waited for the other to dress. When he was done, the dark haired youth gestured with his shoulder.

"Need information..." He muttered after, glancing at the people walking around them. Of course he should just ask, but who to ask? That and he wasn't very comfortable talking to people. Shion sighed softly, running his hands through his hair and managing to undo the brain, which he quickly fixed as soon as the pin fell off. What now? How was he supposed to do this. He glanced at Iggy, silently wondering if the other would talk to the passerbys that drifted along, some giving the quiet boy curious looks.

[Ashen]

Like always, Shi did not understand Iggy's sense of humor. The older boy rolled his eyes and let go of his shirt so that it fell over his now pasty and sticky back. Iggy flexed, uncomfortably, before turning back to Shi. "Right then," he said. "Let's get going now, if you won't be feeling anyone else up, yeah?"

They went back into the heart of town, and finished gathering what they needed. Afterwards, Iggy noticed, perhaps finally, that Shi was asking him of something. Shi didn't like socializing, and that much Iggy knew. But what did Shi want Iggy to ask for him? He paused for a minute, trying to ask him without voicing his question, but he couldn't. So Iggy, being Iggy, just shrugged it off and continued on. After a few minutes, he realized they would need direction. Suddenly he remembered that he needed some kind of lead. "I'm going to ask around town," he said. Iggy gave Shi a thumbs up, finally understanding what his friend had been asking. "I'll meet you here in a bit."

Iggy was really good at charisma, and so he went through town getting all the information he could. He didn't directly ask anyone; he had ways of working around it. When Iggy did return to Shi, he had a map in one hand, an apple in the other, and a wide smile on his face. "So, we're going to be heading north," he told Shi, offering him the bitten apple. "Those assholes were last seen heading that way, but it was months ago. Regardless, I figure we could find out more about the people up there. I think they would be here, look." He shoved the apple into his friend's hand and pointed to the map. "Look, around here. If we go up here, I'm thinking we could try to find more information, but if we don't it's fine, because we could probably get a boat to... here. I have a gut feeling they're over on the next continent, but don't ask why. Gut feelings, Shi. You gotta trust them."

[Argon Jaden]

He definitely didn't want to feel anyone up, and scrunched his nose at the comment, but didn't take it too hard. So instead, he sat down, on the floor, at the corner of that weird fountain with what looked like a woman with water flowing out of her vase while the two, tiny cherubs sitting over her shoulder spewed water from their mouths. It was an elegant, but strangely gross piece of rock, so Shion took no notice of it.

Instead, he kept his eyes wandering from person to person, watching them walk, talk, interact. He could pick up three different dialects, five different accents and two languages he had never heard before. The dark haired youth sighed, unbraiding his hair and fixing it up once more in attempt to pass the time. The longer he sits, the more anxious he gets. Where is he?

His feet and burns were starting to itch slightly, but Shion was patient, like any well-trained hunter. So he sat still, observing people as they stared at him with curious eyes. Finally, when Iggy came back, he let out a breath of relief. Taking the apple, he ignored the bite, taking three large bites himself before handing it back, exchanging it for the map, which he studied with careful, gunmetal blue eyes, raising a delicate brow. "Here? But that's..."

Up North was a hunting ground, where it was dangerous day-in day-out. He should know. He had been there before. Foxes, bears, wolves, large lizards, poisonous serpents... he remembered the tale of an old corrupted tree spirit eating travelers and hunters who kill the dangerous beasts that reside there. "That's a good place to start." He murmured, scanning the map further. Just a few miles from it, was a body of water separating this continent from the next. Roughly two days on boat. He didn't mind.

"There's a town by the water up north. We can restock there... and buy a boat." They didn't have enough money at the moment, but work wasn't hard to find. He stepped back slightly and exhaled before nodding. "Alright. Up north it is." He said, tugging at his friend's arm before the older could wander. Glancing around, it was no surprise to see the markets and stalls turn into small, quaint houses made of wood and brick as the sun took its place in the sky. It was noon... probably. Shion couldn't check. He was too busy inwardly gawking at the sight of the living area. It was a little weird to see children smaller and younger than two wandering about and enjoying the sun. Then again, he did tend to stay away from crowds, so it was no surprise.

Tugging at Iggy, he paused for a moment, before subtly pointing at one of the shadows of the houses. "Look! Did you see?" He said, voice bleak but his eyes betraying his excitement. "What was that?" It was probably an animal, though he didn't see it clearly, but the thought that it could be hunted excited him all the same.

[Ashen]

His friend seemed perturbed for a moment as Iggy had pointed out a northern city. It took him a minute, but Iggy finally remembered why: that city was a dangerous one, filled with all sorts of beasts and unforgiving cold. He looked to Shi's eyes, which seemed to be thinking to the past, to bitter memories. Iggy didn't know. He shrugged his shoulders and felt at his blades, thinking of the thrill of it all. Fighting off horrifying monsters and finding ways to stay alive together... It was a bonding experience like no other. And beyond that, it would help them train for when they finally met with those fire-bending assholes again.

Iggy took back the apple and let Shi look over the map. He took big bites of it and tossed the core when he was finished. "Buy a boat," he repeated softly, then winked at Shi. "Oh, buy a boat, okay." He knew that wasn't what his friend had intended, but he also knew they didn't have the money to pay for their own vessel. Iggy started for what he assumed to be the quickest way to their new destination, but Shi grabbed him and started pulling him the other way. Shrugging, Iggy followed Shi, smirking at his friend's solid expression. "Lighten up a bit, Shishi," he said, poking at his best friend's arm. "We're adventuring, just like we used to do when we were kids. It's exciting! It's your birthday! Be happy!" He charged ahead again, and motioned for Shi to follow him.

The lands outside the town were less familiar. Houses became more spaced out and more trees and bushes popped up along the dimming road. Iggy was talking nonsense about their adventure, and what they would do when they got to the ports, how he would heroically rescue a man who would then offer his boat as payment, when Shi suddenly stopped him. Iggy paused, looking to the area his friend had pointed out. "Eh?" he mumbled, trying to figure out what had stopped them. He looked to Shi, who seemed overly excited. Iggy guessed he had probably seen an animal. He crouched down and looked into the alley, trying to see into the dark with little success. Iggy sighed, stood tall, and started walking.

He emerged from the alley only a moment later. "I think you'd like this," he said, motioning for his friend to follow. He went back into the alley, and clicked his tongue, again crouching. A few seconds later, a small black animal cautiously approached Iggy. "That's a good boy," he cooed. The animal looked to Shi, then back to Iggy and barked. Iggy chuckled. "Can we keep him?" he asked Shi, taking the small dog into his arms and lifting him to Shi. "Look, he's lost. We can't leave him, now can we?" The dog shied from Shi, but his tail was wagging. He gently licked at Iggy's arm. "He likes me!" he laughed. "Here, Shi, you hold him. I think he wants to join us."

[Argon Jaden]

He had pursed his lips at this nickname, but ignored it nonetheless. Instead, he stared as Iggy went to the dark of the alley. His fingers inched towards his hunting knife, pausing when the older male emerged with a bundle of fur in front of him. Almost immediately, he softened at the sight of the pup. Blue eyes scanned the furball and he fought himself from cooing, instead, accepting the bundle of fluff into his arms. The tongue lapping at his face was a welcomed gesture though. He inspected the animal.

"It's a runt." It definitely was. Black fur, body too small for its age. "Male, around two months old, malamute-mix... probably." He said, reciting his observations out loud. He had been taught to gauge the age of animals, as well as their health when hunting, so it was no surprise that Shion managed to do so with this one. He lifted the animal again, taking note of its coloring. It was very dirty, probably was on the streets for two weeks. Three tops. He hummed. No wonder it was small. Its fur was fluffy enough to hide how thin the bundle of fur was. A wet tongue licked his cheek and he juggled it on one arm, using the other to rummage through his things, while trying not to shudder as the animal pressed its wet nose against his ears and neck, tail wagging happily.

"It's eyes are blue... so it's probably a mixbreed or it's still pretty young." He said, smiling slightly at the puppy. "And it's fur is black for now, but it'll probably turn into light brown or the same shade of your hair as it gets older... I'm hoping it keeps the eyes though." Indeed, the eyes were pretty and he often liked dogs with blue eyes. After all, he did want a hunting dog back when he was a child, but preferred dogs with blue eyes like this one.

A long, thin, leather cord was produced, with a pendant of sorts tied around the middle. Setting the dog down, he began to work on fastening the makeshift collar around its neck, blue eyes narrowed in concentration. When he was done, he picked up the bundle of fur once more and pushed it towards Iggy's face.

"Name him." He stated bluntly. "Or I'll call him Igshi." The last part wasn't a joke. He had never been good at naming things, whether it be pets, people or animals, though there are times when the names actually sounded good. At least the dog wasn't shying away from him now, given the way it twisted and turned in attempt to lick Shion's face, before getting distracted by his friend.

A small smile graced his features before disappearing as soon as it had appeared. Pressing the pup closer to Iggy's face, he let out a whine that sounded just like a dog's that the pup glanced at him. "Daddy. Give me a name." He said in his cutest voice, though Shion's face was completely passive, the puppy barking in consent. Shifting back to his old voice, Shion cleared his throat. "Name him or we can't keep him." A lie. He already gave it a collar.

[Ashen]

Iggy had no idea what Shi was talking about. All this about its breed and age and color. The hunter knew what he was doing, and though Iggy knew he had been trained in such affairs, it still amazed him. "It's... a dog," Iggy said, giving his own contribution to the classification of this little animal. It was the only thing he could offer, and yet, it fell on deaf ears. Shi was too busy musing over him to pay him much mind, but Iggy wasn't bothered. It was amusing to him, seeing his friend like this, and so he just stood back and watched.

Until Shi demanded he name the dog. He had no idea where Shi had produced a collar, and so quickly, but he wasn't about to ask. "Igshi?" Iggy responded, half-chuckling. "I think that's kinda cute. Igshi. Hardly a name for such a noble little hero, though. Let's see..." Iggy started to think, mentally trying on different names and tossing each. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Shi spoke through the dog, in a voice that was uncharacteristically high and juvenile. Iggy laughed again and waved him off. "I'm trying, I'm trying." He knew Shi's threat was moot. It was obvious he wanted this dog far more than Iggy ever would. He had collared it and everything; the animal was as good as theirs, now. Still, Iggy tried to think up a name. "How about... Sir Lancelot Cupid Wright of the Great Gelid Seraph... the Third." Where Shi's names lacked creativity, Iggy's held far too much of it. He looked down at the dog, who seemed unamused. "Or Igshi for short," he said, patting him on the head.

It was clear to see his friend absolutely adored this animal. "You know, Shi, I don't think I've ever seen you like this before. I mean, I've seen you go all gaga over animals, sure, but never like this. " He poked at him. "It's like you're a child again. He's just a dog, you know." But it wasn't just a dog, and Iggy knew that. He just enjoyed making fun of the younger man. "Pretty soon you're going to love that dog more than me. And then what? Will I be the third wheel on the journey that I choreographed? Wouldn't the be a pity." But again, Shi didn't seem to be paying attention. Iggy waved a hand in front of him. "It's a dog, not a trophy, calm down. We should give him a bath, I think. A haircut would probably do him some good too. We'll wash him in that town we're headed to. It works out perfectly." He stared over the dog again, who seemed to have warmed up to Shi fast. "Wonder if he's housebroken," he thought aloud. "Is it called that when the owners don't have a house, either?"

Iggy knew that, if they didn't start now, they never would. So, he grabbed his friend by the arm, and he started tugging him along. "Put the dog down," he said. "Make a leash. We have to go. You wouldn't want it to get dark and we'll still be in the same spot, aye? Come on." Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying this. Seeing his friend like this was strange. The kid was acting cute, a shade of cute Iggy wasn't quite used to. It brought a smile to his face. The ever stolid boy was capable of emotion after all. Still chuckling, Iggy raced ahead. "I bet you regret not letting me pack extra food now, huh Shi?"

[Argon Jaden]

Allowing the dog to give Iggy a slobbery lick to the face, he smiled a little. "That's a horrible name. Let's settle for Igshi, right Igshi?" He said, voice turning softer, and if you strained your ears just right, began cooing at the animal. He always wanted a hunting dog, so this was lovely. Turning back to face his best friend, he raised a brow at the accusation, face slipping into a passive mask before he snickered subtly.

"Dog is man's best friend, so you really have to worry about the competition." He said with a playful sneer in his voice. He was just joking though. Setting the animal down, he reached into his bag and pulled out a strip of dried meat, tossing it at the new addition to their group before pulling out another strip of leather, managing to make a makeshift leash. The pup immediately tried to run, but the leash kept him in place. Igshi whined and Shion cleared his throat.

As much as he'd like to start with the basics, he guessed this one needed more outdoor training than indoor. "... He's not housebroken yet and we don't have a house yet." He commented off-handedly, before clearing his throat again and began walking. The firm grip and the eye contact he kept with the pup had its eyes trained on him. "Heel." The command was given and while the pup had no understanding whatsoever, it still trailed between them, tail wagging. Every time, the pup would glance away, Shion clicked his tongue and repeated the command, communicating with his eyes.

"Also, don't insult my baby like that." He told Iggy after a while. "He's not just a dog. You know how much I've always wanted a dog." He muttered, trying not to whine internally at how his excuse sounded. Recalling how he acted, it was a little embarrassing to say the least, for him to be seen by people cuddling a dirty runt. He lightly jostled the maroon haired man beside him, shifting the pup so he was walking on his other side. It was compliant, not surprisingly so, given that it was tossed around because it's a runt. He'd need to groom and train this one into a fighter, not that he minded. As a kid he wanted to have a dog he could call his own, and train it himself, but of course, things happen.