"........I am." Chris responded.

"I can't help but feel someone is watching us." he told her.

When Ashley looked out the window, she thought she saw something in the woods... something move out of the way.

It was fast and subtle... and odds are she would have missed it if she hadn't been a hunter.

But something was out there.

"A fight?" Chris asked, suddenly on edge.

"Wh-what do you mean?" he asked her.

"Oh no..." he said further, looking around frantically.

"Oh no, were we followed?" he asked her further.

"Please don't let them be drows." he then pleaded.

"H-head on?" Chris stammered with a gulp.

He then sighed, and stood up from his chair.

"Well... whatever." he muttered.

"Guess we gotta do what's forced upon us." he said defeatedly.

"We going outside or staying in here?" he asked her.

"............" Chris was silent, before shaking his head.

"I guess I always thought Vanessa would protect me." he said.

"But I suppose I should stop being scared. Death will be in my future, anyway." he reasoned.

"And I don't fight with my hands." he told her. "I've always been too physically weak to." he admitted.

"So weapons are always my preference."

Chris caught the sais and managed to get ahold of them properly, before looking at Ashley as she headed outside.

"Hey!" he called out.

"Wait for me!" he said, as he quickly followed her.

Once they were both outside, he looked around, scanning the surrounding area, but saw nothing.

"Ok, I KNOW we're being watched now." he said. "This feeling is stronger than ever." he muttered, before Ashley heard a subtle rustling off to her left.

After a moment of silence, a pair of drows stepped out from the forest cover.

"Merely scouting the situation." one said.

"But this is what it would ultimately come to, anyway." he shrugged.

"Though... truth be told, we'll offer you a deal." he then said further.

"We'll be satisfied if we can destroy ONE of you." he told them.

"So if one of you gives up the other... they can go free." he smirked.

The drows looked at Chris when Ashley said what she did.

"...well?" they asked.

Chris just shook his head.

"Just because you'll leave me alone, doesn't mean others won't come for me." he said. "I know what your kind is like. Obey the letter of the law, and snag people with the fine details later." he went on.

"That, and I actually feel safer with her." he then added, gesturing to Ashley.

"I'll stick with those that I feel are genuine with me." he finished.

"Your funeral, then." was all the drow responded with, as crimson mana started to flow around them.

"Wooooah!" Chris exclaimed, as he rose into the air with Ashley.

"HEY!" one of the drows yelled.

"GET BACK HERE!" they screamed, though their voice was little more than a whisper at that point.

"Huh." Chris muttered.

"This is... this is kinda cool." he said.

"It's... it's a hell of a view." he added, looking around.

Chris just sighed.

"I might know of one or two places." he said.

"There's one in the woods by the Remmington manor." he told her.

"It used to be one of Vanessa's secret labs, but it was ruined when there was an Acid Slug infestation." he went on.

"It's useless as a lab, but it's still sound enough as a hidden bunker kinda place."

"That works." Chris responded.

"Just... maybe we should be careful about who sees me." he said.

"...I'm well known to be associated with Vanessa." he muttered. "And... they don't like me there." he reasoned.

"Especially the Fyranes." he said.

"Odds are they'd kill me or worse."