Trees. Branches. Outdoors. It was the perfect place for Sayuri to keep in shape, to move and roam. Sunlight was streaming down through the canopy, flickering and dancing as wind made leaves rustle. The sun wouldn't set for hours yet, and the weather was sunny and beautiful... the perfect time to wander, to walk, and to run.

The woods of the island were expansive, swallowing up much of the island itself... and there were always new places to explore. Of course, exploring was for suckers, monsterbait bombshells wandering around as if they were going to fall into the many watery pools, clearings, or just wandering into the nest of some foul monster.

Sayuri was more aware, more careful. Daylight was safest... less monsters, much harder to get lost. Wandering into suspicious or dangerous areas (at least without being stealthy), or getting lost in the woods... they were probably the easiest ways to get into trouble or worse. There were secrets in the woods, one could bet, but finding them was a dangerous thing.

For a casual run like now... known routes, moving fairly quietly, having a sharp awareness of what was around her, and knowing a few routes to escape by... all good things. Tense, ready, everything moving quickly. She was a part of the forest; silent, swift, aware and deadly.

But safe methods couldn't protect against everything. Sayuri had been in the woods for a good hour, just working her muscles, keeping herself in shape. She felt it first... eyes on her, another presence in the quiet woods of Shokushu. Then she heard it. And then there was the faint sounds of rustling... of moving. A branch swayed. Something heavy... like a person. Sayuri couldn't see anything, the canopy too thick, but she knew something was behind her, up in the tree... stalking her? Yes... definitely, it was stalking her... a hunter, thinking of her as prey...

Sayuri remembered this feeling. She remembered it very, very well. Her feet kept moving on the ground. Whatever was following her was keeping to the trees, which meant it had more complicated footing than she did. So she ran. Her bare feet, calloused harder than any running shoe could provide, slapped the ground with the burst of speed. She'd been conserving energy in case of this for the whole morning. Now she was burning through the reserves she'd been saving.

She'd been eating better, at least, so those reserves were deeper. She took a small test of the air. No hint of whatever was chasing her. Wouldn't be. It was downwind, for starters, and she was moving so fast over the dirt and roots that all she could smell was the forest. It smelled, ironically, like freedom.

The school was at her back. The wind was in her face. Her cloak was light, down to just a small handful of pointed things to be used in case of emergency. They didn't attack during the daylight, and so few were interested in such difficult prey. The quarry was ahead. More weapons in the quarry. Only two miles. Pheidippides did 26. Pheidippides was a punk.

The cloak fluttered in the wind with a harder snap as the mad woman sprinted, coursing a path for the hound at her heels. The fabric over her breasts clung tight, now held in place by fresh clips and swapped out from the old ace bandage for good muslin. Laughter escaped her lips at the challenge, at the chance to hunt the hunter, rape the raper, crush the oppressor, and be free in her unquenchable disobedience once more.

Aahh... she was running. He purses his lips, moving to pursue... but finding it difficult.

Was that on purpose, or chance? Interesting. Either way, he had to drop down to ground, landing off-center so not to be seen. Not directly behind her, he began to pursue in parallel... he could hear her moving through the trees, and avoided direct line of sight... she could hear him running to keep up, branches snapped, leaves fluttering, and bushes crashing as something smashed right through them.

Then the sounds began to fade a bit, the smashing vanishing. Whoever it was didn't mind being heard... but was quickly adjusting to pursue more carefully, keeping up with her. They were quick and light on their feet, but there was simply too many leaves, branches, and other things for someone as big as her... or it... to run in silence.

Wind blew past, branches comng dangerously close to her face. The sound of the pursuit was steady, keeping up with her. It's position was more awkward though, she could turn and throw it off, make it hard for the thing to keep up. Maybe that was why it wasn't gaining...

Or maybe it was just following. Her laughter echoed back to it. Lord knows what it thought, what it made of that. It did not laugh back, did not sound a call to the hunt or anything else. It ran in silence, ever-pursuing...

Either way, she had a couple of miles to get to her destination. If she can get to her quarry... two miles was a long way, but her spirits were high and her speed quick. Two miles was 'only' two miles to someone as fit as her. Soon... very soon, she would get there.


As two miles faded into one, the sounds of pursuit had faded almost entirely. It was actually worrisome... she couldn't hear it against her own running anymore. It was only the rare rustle that told her she was still in danger, still being pursued. They were insistent, following her doggedly, but quieter and quieter... and they weren't trying to catch up. They were more interested in following her than catching her...