When he suggested that they moved on, she wasnâ€™t sure how to feel. A part of her wanted to stay within the protection of this shrine, but then she was sure that this place wouldnâ€™t keep them safe for long. There was this feeling resounding deep within her that told her it was alright to continue on. She felt as she should trust this feeling, without further indecision. She let out a small breath and rose from the spot that she had been sitting in. She allowed a faint quirk of the lips, his words had amused her whether he knew it or not. The slight joke that was probably not intended made her feel a little more at ease. She had begun to worry that the companionship that she had been thinking of forming was one sided, but this small hint towards a joke made her feel comfortable. Something that was hard to come by.<br/><br/>â€œI agree with you,â€ she said gently at the last of his words, feeling as if it were necessary to reassure him. Perhaps she was just saying things to say them. She hadnâ€™t been able to speak with anyone for all her life, now felt like a damn good time to start, whether the other would listen or not. She followed his departure from the shrine, feeling a bit more confident with their escape. For some reason, this experience thrilled her. It was certainly different than the Hunt, which she had to go through every year. This aroused her in the sense that she was escaping from that life. She would reach freedom and not once look back. She had been trying to tell herself that this was actually happening and it was not a dream. Adrenaline pumped through her veins with excitement, yet she kept herself calm and poise. It would be very unflattering for a lady to act so unbecoming. So she kept her inner emotions within her being.<br/><br/>Although being back in the open caused her to be even more aware of their surroundings which seemed induced paranoia on her behalf and that was not good. She was just waiting for something to come out and capture them. It was something that she had been imagining since they left the village. Who knew how many ties her father had? He could have millions just waiting for his message of aide. This didnâ€™t help the abundance of energy within her. She was ready to run at any moment, the tips of her fingers were twitching like she was ready to use some sort of weapon to protect her, which she didnâ€™t have one on her person. Her eyes kept dancing around the tree line and the shadowed alleyways of the village that they were passing through, simply searching for anything. She was probably going overboard, though who knew what could happen in a situation like this.<br/><br/>There was a rattle from the house to the left of them; involuntarily she jumped as a rat knocked over a bucket. She placed a hand on her chest as if she had almost had a heart attack, which was close to the truth. Her chest was aching from the fright that she had given herself; she let out a faint sigh before a small chuckle left her. How pathetic had she looked? She had jumped at the sound of a rat knocking something over, how sad. Surely Azrai would not think her as easily scared, because she wasnâ€™t. It took a lot to instill fear within her, seeing that she had faced many horrific situations before. Of course, when they had first met, she had been afraid. He was an unknown person that just came waltzing into the village, killed one of the men, and then offered her freedom. Who would have not been scared at that point? Especially when he offered something that she could have never imagined being an option in her life. Then the thought of being free in an unknown world was terrifying, walking away from familiarity was a risk. It was risk that she was willing to take that also put her life on the line.<br/><br/>She supposed that being afraid of small things, like rats, was meaningless. However, she was extremely paranoid at this point so her jumpiness could her explained. Calming down she continued on, moving to the direction where it seemed that more noises were coming from. It was certainly louder than the village that they were in now. The path seemed to grow wider, as if it were to fit something larger than a wagon. This seemed to peak her interest in the road. She watched the ground as they walked, there were wagon markings as well as animal prints, but there was something else. Her bare feet could feel these strange ridges in the dirt, she frowned a bit. The journey down this path was rather peaceful, as the warding prayer had wrapped them in protection, but for how long? She assumed that it would leave once they were too far, in a place that did not accept prayers in the society any more. What a pity.<br/><br/>The moonlight guided them along and as peaceful as this walk was, she still was on guard. Her senses branching out to feel for anything, something but alas she felt nothing. It seemed that her father had decided to quell his wrath for now and keep planning something devious for her and her new companion. This only made worry settle in the pits of her belly, she didnâ€™t want Azrai to be harmed in the process, but it seemed like she couldnâ€™t do anything about it. He had decided to put himself in harmâ€™s way when he came to rescue her. She was truly grateful for people like him in the world. She wondered why he chose this occupation. Was it for the satisfaction of killing or the relief to recover a victim? She wanted to ask him such a question though she feared it would be rude, too bold.<br/><br/>She remained silent.<br/><br/>How long had they been travelling at such a brisk pace? It surely had to be more than an hour, right? Her legs were aching from not only the running she had done prior but from the long trek to their next destination. She would not voice a complaint however because she knew how badly Azrai wished to be far away from the village. As they rounded the bend, something caught her eye. She slowed down, staring with wide eyes through the opening in the trees. The moon reflected a brilliant shine with lights zooming by the a few feet ahead. Oh Kami-sama what was that? She crept closer getting no more than a few inches away from the road, before jumping back as another one of those shiningâ€¦things went by. She stared off after the red lights of the creature, those eyes glowing so bright. When she stepped out to look to where it went, her feet landed on something warm. Glancing down, she tilted her head at the smooth black surface. Crouching down, her hand ran over it, her face in awe at how it felt nothing like the paths she was used to. She knocked her knuckles over it, letting out a surprised noise.<br/><br/>â€œAzrai, may I be permitted to ask you a question,â€ she said in a voice that seemed out of breath. She turned to look at him, standing up in a blink of an eye. â€œWhat was that creature with the shiny body and glowing eyes? It went by us so fast, I have never seen anything like it,â€ she exclaimed. â€œAlso, what is it that I am standing upon? This dirt is as black as the night sky, is it harmful to people?â€ She kept looking around, curiosity gleaming in those ruby hues of hers. She caught sight of glowing light in the distance, which must have been a city. â€œIs something afire over there? The sky is lit up, yet I have yet to smell smokeâ€¦Should we make sure the villagers are well?â€<br/><br/>She turned to look back at the male. There was so much that he would have to teach her in order to make her able to fit in with the modern world. There had been no electricity in her village, just fire. She had no idea what cars were, only wagons. Her mind buzzed with all sorts of ideas as to what that shiny creature was and if there really was a fire. Perhaps learning about the New World was not as dreadful as she thought of it to be. Instead, she was sure that she would gain great knowledge from it, but she still worried that she would be out of place. She glanced over at Azrai, awaiting an answer. Just one answer. She would be satisfied with one answer until they reached a place that he was comfortable with. â€œIf you wish it, you can explain it to me as we continue on, yes?â€