It seemed to be, the middle of nowhere. No real roads nearby, nor any buildings signifying civilization. A steady rain was beginning to fade off, went to a dreary mist, then finally ceased. Renegade stumbled .. no walked ... no ... she did stumble: along this rainy evening. She was falling ill again, she could feel it. First of all, she couldn't breath; not to mention the fact that she now felt like she was on fire. Burning fever, wracking cough resumed. She fell to one knee, coughed violently, spit a mouthful of blood. A bad sign indeed ...

"Damnit ... what hells wrong with me? Erg, can't think straight anymore."

She muttered bitterly, between fits. It hadn't been this bad for a while. Renegade fell forward again, hands outstretched, upon the ground. Her knees bent under her. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get oxygen to her already fading consciousness. She succeeded in that ... barely. Coughed again, blood was redder, darker. Certainly a bad omen.

"Fuck! Can't take it ..."

She cursed, seeing how much blood she'd lost. Her voice rough, raspy from the force acted within her throat. Renegade had never been this bad off before. And then, for a moment, things subsided; so Renegade got to her feet. It had just stopped raining a few moments ago, coincidentally enough. Renegade made it to a puddle of water, and tried to kneel. But she fell forward again, plunging a hand in the water. Washed the blood from her face, rinsed her mouth, spit again. Her lungs heaved, trying to take in whatever breath they could. Renegade shook, now feeling chilled. She didn't know what else to do anymore. And she was in dire need of sleep.

"What in the hell has afflicted me so? Where'd I catch this ... whatever it is?"

Though she didn't want to fall asleep here, out in the open; the physical part of her didn't seem to care. Renegade lapsed into an unconscious state, next to a pool of her own blood. A bit stretched out along the grass, face to the earth so that she wouldn't drown in her own blood as she slept.

She was dead to the world now, which was probably for the best. Couldn't feel the pain in her sleep. Though she mumbled incoherently from time to time and her fingertips twitched spasmodically every so often. There's no telling what might happen to her now, who might see her lying there. But Renegade couldn't change the event no matter how she wanted to.

It seemed that this drearly afternoon in the middle of nowhere was a hotspot for aimless, stumbling wanderers. Indeed, Varien was that second wanderer after Regenade, also stumbling on still unfamiliar legs, wandering aimlessly without place or purpose. The disorientated dragon-turned-human was currently trying to get as far away from the city as possible, after being so overwhelmed by the crowds and strange sights that he was on the point of lashing out at someone out of pure fear.

It was not too long before Varien had managed to calm himself and begin to properly take in his surroundings. At one point he stopped walking, managing to stand straight and alert, rather like a meerkat. His slightly-tufted ears, still with a dragon's keen sense of hearing, picked up a faint sound of laboured breathing. He whirled round to face the direction the sound was coming from, and his acute vision immediately caught sight of a thin figure, a good distance away, lying on the ground in a pool of red.

Varien started walked again at a quickened pace, and as he drew closer the strong scent of blood filled his nostrils. As soon as he had reached Regenade, he fell unsteadily into a kneeling position beside her, heedless to the blood that was already soaking into his strange clothing. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her over as curious animal would, bringing his face close to hers and sniffing at her, searching her face for signs of conciousness...

Get up ... Now. Stop wasting time.
Voices ran through Renegade's mind. Hers, those of people she'd met in the past. And some voice that belonged to no one she could remember. But it still commanded her.
No ... I'm tired of this ... Let me jus sleep.
Renegade found she could reply to the voice chiding her, argued with it even.
Damn it Ren! ... You want to die here?
... Zeir ... Please?
Another voice, a recognizable one at that. Renegade's arm twitched for a moment, as if she were trying to move.
You too? ... OK fine then ... if only to get some quiet.

Renegade slowly pushed herself up somewhat.
"Hnn ... Who are you?"
Upon noticing Varien's face so close to her own.
"Could you maybe ... back off a bit?"
Finally, she stood slowly. Though a bit unsteadily. Renegade's breathing was still a bit shallow, her eyes seemed glassy. Just as well, since her vision was blurred anyway.

She shook her head, trying to clear it. Though the action only made her feel worse. Renegade knew how bad off she was, but no one knew what she was sick with. But instead of living her life away from everyone else in a state of quarantine or any such way. She dealt with whatever was wrong wit her. But times like this certainly didn't help matters. Though she still avoided discussing it whenever possible. But sometimes people asked questions ...

Varien obediently, though slowly, backed off as Regenade suddenly regained conciousness and spoke. His bright eyes never left her as got to her feet, though he briefly gazed down at the puddle of blood he was kneeling in, before looking up at her again and following her example by standing up.
As much as he looked, Varien could not find the sourse of Regenade's bleeding, and he seemed more curious than conserned. Finally, he made the obvious statement,
"...You are dying."

Any other time, Renegade would have laughed at that. But right now she didn't feel like doing so. Instead she simply shook her head again.

"Slowly, yes. But..."

Renegade coughed, once. She turned her head to the side, and spit. Slighly pink ... getting better, at least there wasn't so much blood. Renegade straightened her posture,

"Everyone dies eventually, so I don't really worry about how or when."

Renegade was speaking truthfully.

Varien tilted his head slightly, considering Regenade's words. It was a good point, but...
"But are you dying naturally?" Varien's question carried an almost retorical tone, and a spark of wit glimmered in his otherwise distant and unfocused eyes...

Renegade gave a shrug, not knowing how else to reply to that.

"I honestly don't know."

Renegade readily admitted it. The truth was she never knew how she'd gotten such an affliction. And on occasion she did wonder if she was sickened by other means. But Renegade didn't believed in curses, magic, and whatnot. At least ... she didn't think she did.

"But I just deal with whatever it is, as best I can."

"As do I." Varien murmured in reply, nodding understandingly. He could certainly sympathize with having to make the best out of a very bad situation.
With his sharp face still blank and unreadable, Varien changed the subject and asked, "Are you travelling somewhere? Or are you a wanderer like me?"

Renegade was glad for the change in subject.

"Just a random travel. Making my way to the next city and whatnot."

Renegade always did like to travel, though her reason for leaving home in the first place wasn't entirely a joyous occassion.

"Name's Renegade. And you're?

"I am Varien." he answered quietly, "And my travelling is purposeless also. I have yet to find my place in the world..." The dragon-turned-man broke his gaze with Reganade to look out at the horizon. "...but I do not like the city..."

"Place in the world ... I haven't found it either. If there really is such a thing ..."

Renegade followed Varien's gaze, not having anything better to do.

"Ell, the city's alright. Just too crowded most of the time."

She gave shrug, not knowing much else to say.

"Eh. But what can you do about it?"

"Go back and face it, I suppose. It is what I should be doing..." Varien looked down at the ground, a trace of a smile crossing his lips, before looking up at Regenade and saying,
"I should live with what I am, instead of running from it. Just as you live with your ailment. I see that now. What's done is done..."

"Go back and face it ...."

There were other things Ren should face. But her little "ailment" was just something that was a problem for her as of late. Honestly, Ren is running from a few things herself. Certain people, her past. But things of that nature, she discusses even less often than she'd discuss her illness, curse, whatever it was.

"With what you are?"

Ren was not quite sure what this Varien meant by that.

Varien had no knowledge of the barrier of secrecy between Initiates and Uninitiates, and so might have freely told Ren that he used to be a dragon, were it not for the fact that he didn't much like to talk about it anyway. So he simply said,
"Yes. I am not who I used to be. And this place is strange to me."

Initiates and Uninitiates, magic, dragons, and whatnot. Ren didn't know much about those sort of things. Didn't really believe in them, really.

"Hmm ... I can't even remember who I used to be.

Childhood, growing up, her family and friends; Ren couldn't remember them anymore. That far into the past, it was a bit hazy to her. Though she hadn't really thought about such things in years.

Ren felt, acted, thought, older than she really was (22 years). She's most likely one of those who'll die young, unnaturally no doubt. But she didn't much care about tihngs of that nature. Didn't even care to think about such matters.

"But ... I think I know what you mean. Things happen, people change. I suppose thats just life, for ya."

"Yes..." Varien nodded. Then smiled. An expression that was slowly but surely becoming more natural to him.
As a dragon, Varien had never thought humans to not be particularly intelligent creatures. But now that he himself was human, the human way of thinking was becoming more and more logical.
"You are very wise." he said to Ren suddenly, as if voicing his thoughts without realising it, in a tone of sudden realisation.

"Wise? ... Well, no one's ever called me that..."

Ren was gazing ahead, just studying the city skyline that was somewhere ahead. But her gaze soon shifted downwards when Varien spoke to her. Giving a soft laugh; and a smirk, Ren shook her head.

"But ... I'm not wise enough. To keep myself out of trouble, at least."

Varien tilted his head thoughtfully, glancing up at the sky as he contemplated.
"Trouble finds people, no matter how wise they are."
He then looked at Ren and said, "Maybe I shall return to the city now."