Welcome to Gaia! ::

A tired yawn came from the Alkidike woman as she walked through the sands. She thought her body would have acclimated to the temperature by now but so far the heat was still physically draining on her. At least, the heat of Oba was. Squinting she looked off at the horizon then gave a sigh. Dem had been wandering around the place for a while trying to bring back a familiar for her daughters.

V'demhe turned her head to look just behind her. A brown and silver Janarim followed her, walking like a good boy on his lead line. She was working on training him so that he would be suitable to be around children. If he didn't improve then there was no way she could take him near her daughters. The beast looked at her then gave a snort that sent hot air into her face. Dem gave the animal a stern look but shook her head at him. Finally she looked forward again.

When she did she happened to see someone staggering toward her at a rather fast pace. She had enough time to stop walking and that was about it. V'demhe opened her mouth to say something to the man but he ran right into her and then dropped to the ground. Speechless the tall woman could only stare down at him.

Her familiar nudged her in the back with his snout and she turned her head to look at him. Dem sighed and then went to look back at the body on the ground, that was until she heard someone shout in the distance. Don't let the man escape? She blinked then looked down at the man again. Well alright then.

Even though the man was already injured she put a foot on him. Not with a lot of weight, mind, but definitely with the intention. If he tried to move she would step on him. Or, his leg. And it would likely break. Lifting her gaze back to the figure that was fast approaching she lifted a single brow. "Should I ask?" V'demhe was a bit curious as to what the man had done to deserve this one's ire.

When the shifter caught up and stared to explain things there was a side of her that reared up. Narrowing her eyes she glared down at the man she had her foot on. "Selling children..." Her daughters were half Matorian. If this man had gotten close to them. Had taken them.. She wouldn't have let him slip away. However, she wasn't inherently violent by nature. V'demhe was a lovable person. At least she thought she was. Becoming a mother had changed so much about her.

When the woman basically told her that the man's fate was left up to her Dem had so many ideas for a fitting end. However, she made no other move. Instead she stared down at the man, her foot never moving. "Tell me... If you were to come across a Matorian hybrid child... would you sell them too?" Not that it mattered. Selling children in general was despicable.

So the man actually tried to reason with her on his actions? V'demhe didn't know the whole story but selling children couldn't be explained away. For the time being she ignored the shifter woman and instead leaned in closer, putting weight on the leg she had her foot on. "I'm sorry, did you just say that so long as it wasn't an Oban hybrid it might fetch a fair price?" There was a mother's rage showing it's true colors in her expression.

Before the man could speak she shook her head. "Aisha must truly dislike you. She put you in my path and let me learn your sins." Should she kill the man? Let Ascale do it? Or give him back to the hands of his original pursuer? "You see, my daughters... they are Matorian hyrbids. I wouldn't take it so well if someone like you tried to sell them off to the highest bidder. Understand?" Feeling a bit vengeful for all the mothers that lost their child to this man she put her full weight onto his leg and heard the satisfying sound of his bone snapping. He wouldn't be able to run anywhere now.

She bristled. Honest work? And on top of that he had threatened her with chains? V'demhe spared a glance to the shifter woman. "Do you still get paid if you can only turn in a mangled body or head?" As she spoke she held her hand out for her Janarim to approach.

Ascale had been watching the whole thing quietly until that point. He could see and read the mood of his owner. While he might not be fully trained he understood this. She was displeased. So his mood reflected that as he growled and showed his teeth.

Dem gave her attention back to the man. "Even if you had a King like the one before there would be nothing that could stop me from ending your.. honest work." Especially if her own children were in danger from it.

The head was what the woman would be left with then. Because Dem couldn't, for some reason, calm the instinct to kill the threat to her children. Even as distant as it was in this moment. Still, when the man spoke and tried to threaten her again she gave a smirk and leaned down so that she was squatting next to him, no longer holding him down. "You may be right. They would look good at the end of a leash... One that holds your cohorts captive. I will make it my mission to track you all down and turn you into the pets of those you sold."

Taking one of her own blades out she eyed it's edge as if checking it for sharpness. V'demhe knew it was sharp. She never let it dull. One never knew when you wanted to cut clean through something. However, she did wish it was a bit dull now so she could inflict pain. Instead she brought it close to him and made small cuts in his flesh. Not too deep but deep enough to cause him to bleed a good bit.

"Ascale... Dinner." With that she moved away from the man and gave a look to the shifter woman. It was one that dared her to try and stop what Dem was doing. Or rather, letting her Janarim do.

Ascale seemed to become restless when the sent of blood hit the air. Then he was given the word from his owner and that was it. His jaws snapped and he broke into the man's skin. With a jerk of his head he ripped through muscle and bone. There would be little if anything left of this man when he was done.

She continued to watch the woman until she needed to look at the carnage. Dem had agreed to leave the woman the head of the man and she would make sure her beast didn't take that. So when she was sure the man was dead she lifted her blade high before slamming it to the ground. It cleaved through the neck and separated the head from the body. With that finished she wiped her blade on her shorts to make sure it was clean before she put it away again. It would require better care but that was something she would focus on later.

Snapping her gaze back to the woman before her felt a muscle tick in her jaw. V'demhe had never truly shown someone her violent side. Defending herself was different. "They were not your words so you need not apologize." Her words were tight as she seemed to be struggling to control her anger. "You. Do you know where his friends are?" She wanted to make sure him and his type were taken care of.