Jesner, The Land of Variety

"All right then Mr. Impatient." Amz said running her fingers one more time over his chest before she turned and continued walking. "Although it's your fault for distracting me. Apparently I get distracted easily." She said with a small smile.

"Sorry oh Mistress of killing people I did not mean to offend you." Kian said holding up his hands as if he were surrendering to her. "They were originally from the Order of the Red Phoenix. It was originally an organization to govern the Desert province. However the order wanted peace and the bandits just wanted power. So they escaped and started raining terror on anyone they come across."

Nickolai chuckles and follows along after her. "I don't mind you getting distracted. But you might get a little cranky with me if we're late,"

Helena chuckles, "Well apparently they weren't doing so well at ruling anyway. I've met the King of the Desert Province and he's one guy you wouldn't want to mess with," she says, shivering with a strange sort of fear.

"Me get cranky? I have no idea what you're talking about." Amz said shaking her head slightly. "And I don't mind getting distracted either. Although we should probably wait for night fall to be distracting." She said gently licking the side of his neck. She gently nibbled the side of his neck. "Mmm who knew you would be so fun to hang out with?"

"Yeah they were over thrown because they couldn't even keep the peace between themselves let alone a whole province." Kian said shaking his head. "I know a girl from the Desert Province and she is also a person you wouldn't want to mess with. I think it might just be a trait shared in that province."

Nickolai grins, "So we are going to get distracted tonight, Querida?" he asks, his eyes sparkling.

Helena frowns deeply, "Which girl?" she asks fiercely yet quietly. She looked like a cute, angry little angel.

"If you want to." Amz said continuing to gently nibble on his neck. She couldn't believe how bold she was around this man, cat demon, whichever he preferred. Then again she couldn't remember every really liking a male. How strange that she would like this one.

Kian let out a laugh when he noticed her anger. It would seem that she also thought he was a skirt chaser. "Don't worry she is just a friend. Her name is May we met her and her best friend Sitka when they were traveling through Jesner. She didn't like me very much though surprising as that is." He said smiling at her.

Nickolai growls and picks up Amz, "I think we should hurry up and get moving. Would you like to walk or," he says, pausing and nuzzling her neck, purring. "Would you like me to carry you again,"

Helena growls, "I don't care if it's surprising or not," she says, trying not to say what she dearly wanted to say to him. She wanted to put a claim on Kian and keep all the other girls away from him. But she was afraid to.

Amz let out a sound of surprise when she found herself in his arms once more. "If you're in a hurry then I am fine with you carrying me. Then again it doesn't matter how fast we go for we have to wait for nightfall. Hopefully we can find an inn along the way. It would be better that way." She said. She then gently kissed him along the jaw.

"Ooh it would seem that someone is a little upset about me being with other women." Kian said a smile forming on his face. He leaned closer and gently kissed up her neck to her cheek. "Don't worry I'm not about to go after any girl that's not you. After all why do I need anyone else when I can have you?" He murmured against her soft skin. "You're mine, Helena and I will be yours if you want me to be."

Nickolai walks forward, his strides ridiculously long. He stares down at Amz and growls happily. "I know a few inns along the way. Depends how far you want to get today,"

Helena jumps up and wraps her arms around Kian's neck, "Yes, I want you to be mine. No matter how stupid and silly that sounds,"

"I think you all ready know that." Amz said gently running her fingers through his hair. She wiggled slightly in his arms. "The question is when are we going to get there?" She asked gently biting his jaw.

Kian smiled at her. "It doesn't sound silly at all. I'm glad that you like me enough to want me to be yours." He said gently kissing her on the lips.

Nickolai freezes and looks around, "Where the hell did Azrael go?" he asks, looking like it was a very bad thing he was gone.

Helena kisses him back and then shakes her head, breathing deeply. "Gotta calm down, gotta calm down." she chants to herself.

Amz looked up to find that he was indeed gone. How had she missed the disappearance of the giant flirty werewolf? "I have no idea. I can try to find him for you though." She said. A thoughtful look crossed her face as she listened to the winds.

"Is something wrong?" Kian asked looking at Helena with a worried look. Something didn't seem right it was as if danger was in the air.

Helena frowns at him, "Of course nothing is wr-"

Suddenly she freezes and looks at Nickolai, looking at his tattoos. Her eyes widen and she pulls out her sword. She growls at Nickolai who looks back at her with wide eyes.

"Oh ****," Nickolai says, before looking down at Amz with a sorrowful look, "I'm sorry Amz, my Querida."

He puts her down and backs away toward the woods, raising his hand up to his hand.

Amz blinked in surprise. What was going on? It looked like Nickolai was leaving her. What did Helena have against his tattoos. She stood there unable to move. She didn't want him to leave and yet she couldn't seem to make herself get in Helena's way. Was she scared of the assassin or what? "Nickolai please don't go." She managed to choke out.

"What's going on?" Kian asked placing his hands on Helena's arms to keep her from launching herself at Nickolai. He didn't understand what the problem was but Amz looked so heart broken to see Nickolai go. He knew that she would let him go if Helena had a problem so that he wouldn't have to let her go. She was far too worried about his own feelings instead of her own. How would she feel once he was gone and she was alone again? He didn't want anyone to hurt Amz even though he didn't want to hurt Helena either.

Nickolai looks at Amz's expression and falls to his knees, "Oh Amz. Oh Amz. Please don't do this to me, Querida," he says, looking like he's in tons of pain, "Come here, little Querida" he says, opening his arms to her.

Helena growls and tries to leap at Nickolai but forgets that Kian is holding her and can't go further forward. "You better damn well explain to her about that tattoos. Especially if they are what I think they are!"

Amz practically threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. "Don't leave me, Nickolai. Please don't leave me I don't want to be alone. Please just tell me what they mean. I won't judge you I promise." She said sticking her lower lip out in an almost sort of pout.

"Calm down, Helen." Kian said his grip tightening on her arms. "Please don't hurt him. If you hurt him you hurt Amz and that just hurts me too. I don't want anyone to be in pain." He said softly looking her in the eyes.

Nickolai sighs and gently strokes her cheek with his thumb, "Oh sweet Amz. I am so sorry," he says, "Promise me that you won't hate me Amz."

Helena growls and shakes her head furiously. "That marking is evil Kian."

"I don't think I could ever hate you. Don't be sorry just tell me what happened." Amz said looking up at him with wide eyes. She placed a gently kiss to his thumb. "Please just tell me I will not hate you. We all need someone who will forgive us."

"So? I would stand by you if you had an evil marking." Kian said his frown deepening. He couldn't believe how melodramatic she was. So what if he had an evil marking? Shouldn't you like someone no matter what?

"Part of it's a cursed mark," Nickolai says, "It's a vampire's curse mark. And it's one you can only get by joining a clan of vampires and serving them. The other part is a mark from becoming leader of a clan of shape-shifters. And then the mark in the middle of my back that is over both and connects them is the mark of a traitor to both." Nickolai says, looking sad. "That's not all either."

"So basically you are a traitor?" Amz asked her face expressionless. She looked over his shoulder so she could see all of his markings. She gently ran her fingers over his marks and kissed his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. Although I find it hard to believe that you would betray anyone. But that would explain why Azrael called you a traitor but perhaps that was for a different reason. Would you like to tell me about that as well?" She said softly her mouth still against his shoulder.

"He was my co-ruler I guess. But one day the vampire overran our clan. They would have killed us all but I offered myself up as one of their slaves to save the clan. The clan believes I am now cursed and anyone who interacts with me will therefore be cursed and... when the vampires call for me... I'll be forced to kill them. Because the marking allows them to control me," Nickolai says.

"Now that's a shame." Amz said with a sigh. She gently laid her head against his shoulder. "I suppose that I will have to let you go now. I really will miss you but if you have to go then I will let you go." She said trying to give him a small smile. Her mouth didn't seem to want to smile which wasn't too surprising for she really wanted to cry. But if she were to cry she would let him know just how much she didn't want him to go. She didn't want him to hurt any more than he had to.

Nickolai gently strokes her cheeks, "I don't want to leave Amz. I truly don't. But I don't know what to do. If I knew some way out of I would stay but I don't want to hurt you,"

Helena frowns at Nickolai and Amz. "I've never seen anyone with that mark be kind to another person. Usually they're cruel. I mean I didn't think Nickolai could be cruel but I never knew he had that marking..."

"Perhaps I can be helpful. If you will just travel with us for a little longer I think we can find someone to help." Amz said gently kissing his neck. She looked up at him her eyes pleading. "Please stay with me for a little longer."

"Well people do tend to surprise you. Different marks have different effects on different people. You should learn to expect the unexpected." Kian said with a small nod. It was strange to think he could be so wise even though he seemed lazy and unmotivated.

Nickolai nods slowly and looks at Amz, "You don't hate me?" he asks, looking confused, "I thought you would hate me for this..."

He holds his arms open for her. "Querida?"

"Now why would I hate you? I told you that I would not judge you." Amz said. Then she practically threw herself at him tackling him to the ground. "I know I might seem like a hateful person but I'm not really. Besides I really like you." She said raining kisses over every bare inch she could find. His neck, face, and chest. "Oh and what does that word mean? The one you keep calling me?"

"Querida? It means beloved one," Nickolai murmurs, holding her close. "Your my Querida. I hope you don't mind that."

Helena shakes her head, "I guess she's forgiven her and... I don't want to hurt you by hurting her by hurting him."