Who said you needed wings to fly? Celris' [Sell-ris] lithe form accelerated as she reached the crest of the last hill. She leaped, sailing into the air, her momentum carrying her forward. She reached out her arms, embraced the wind, and hit the ground running. Her quadrupedal form was unmatched in speed, and she pushed herself faster, her muscles burning from the constant running. She'd been at it since sunrise, though only now did she go all out, panting heavily.<br/>This was her last assignment for the week, and she wanted to enjoy the two days time she sheared off of the journey by taking a new-found shortcut. It was as simple as cutting through a forest and crossing a river, though that area had been avoided for a while. Something about it being haunted. She didn't care. She was Feral, and no one matched her kind in strength...except perhaps the almost mythical HighBreed. Celris couldn't wait to see one, too bad they tended to kill, no, slaughter, the children of Aclan, as well as Crane.<br/>Still...she'd been fed up with Feral, and she'd seen a lot of Alune in this line of work, it might be exciting to see the monstrous, demonic HighBreed. Surely she wanted to try her claws at sparring with one.<br/>She laughed.<br/>When she reached the city, she slowed and stood up on two feet. Her figure, obscured by the cloak, was obviously Feral. Her odd, bowed walk, earned from years of running on all fours rather than two feet, the bulges on her head, marking her ears, and her all too visible tail, wagging slowly.<br/>The guards grudgingly let her in. Just as the Alune had allowed her to run messages between their cities. She was the best at her business, after all. They couldn't afford to deny her service, with the growing tensions with the Feral she was one of the few safe messengers. Now all she had to fear was the casual insult and, very rarely, attack from an Alune foolish enough to think her small size made her weak.<br/>Their only conditions were that she cloak herself to avoid upsetting the civilians and ,for the love of Crane, don't talk to anyone or lollygag too long in their 'civilization'.<br/>Celris tracked the merchant's location. He wasn't at his address so she followed his scent to a nearby tavern. As she strode into the building, dirty and exhausted from the long journey, some patrons went silent. The amiable atmosphere drained away, just as the color drained from the merchant's face when he saw her.<br/>"You aren't due for two days, is Maria alright? Do you have her letter?"<br/>What a stupid question, nevertheless, Celris produced an envelope and handed it to him. She snorted at this Alune, so desperate to hear from his loved ones, he promptly forgot she existed. It hasn't been the first time that the Alune had forgotten her existence, mainly, forgotten to pay her. She was patient, though deeply insulted by it, there was nothing she could do. To blow off steam she'd go pick a fight with some ruffians later.<br/>As he tore the envelope open, Celris collapsed on a chair, far away from other Alune, and took the time to catch her breath. She felt the eyes burning in her back, she wasn't welcome near the Alune, but they were gonna have to deal. She was tired and she needed a drink. Or four.<br/>Celris motioned again to one of the servers, and was ignored. Oh well. Make that a small pack of ruffians.<br/>She couldn't quite smell it...couldn't seem to pick out any individual, but she felt...something. Something that didn't belong. Other than herself, of course.