Escape of the Elements

BEAUTY
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<div style="float:right; margin-left:5pt;"><img src="http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x167/goldendercon/Jericho.jpg" style="height:375px;width:254px;" /></div>This was it. This was really it. Him and Resonance would be taken back to their masters. The very thought of whatever punishment would await him back at the estate was enough to break what little confidence "Beauty" had been able to gain over the last few hours. It was simply inconceivable, the pain and terror the thought of going back to the Estate to return to the life that he had been forced into caused him. He shook and tears came to his eyes unbidden, not even registering the Resonance on top of him, the man trying to assure him that he meant no harm and the warnings of the lady with the horse.

The freedom that he thought he had finally attained, at least to him, was falling to pieces even as he was building it. Racked with sobs and chest heaving from them, "Beauty" was in no position to think clearly. Unknown to anyone who wasn't paying attention, the water in the stream was beginning to ebb and flow in "Beauty's" direction in tandem with the ragged breaths that shook his lithe frame. Had Resonance not spoken, the stream would've been sloshing around quite violently, but the golden-haired young man's voice seemed to shake "Beauty" out of the terrifying trance he had entered.

"Beauty" had closed his eyes the moment he began to sob. Resonance's voice was what snapped him out of the trance. "I will protect you..." Though the words sounded like they were forced and hard to get out, there was a certain urgency, an unmistakable sincerity in them that filled "Beauty" with warmth. What struck him, though, was how close it had sounded to him. It also seemed that there was a body on top of his. It made him panic a little, sending his mind reeling, thinking it was the Master, until soft fingers gently brushed against his cheek. It made him realize he was in the forest, nowhere near the Master. The gentleness in the touch of the fingers could also have only belonged to one person, Resonance.

It took him a moment before what had actually happened registered with him. He had dragged Resonance down to the forest floor with him. Well, not entirely on the forest floor since he was the one splayed on it, whimpering like a deranged fool. It took him another heartbeat before his mind was able to grasp everything and put it together. Resonance, the beautiful blonde boy with the most wonderful green eyes he had ever seen and had been developing a crush on for the past half an hour or so, had been pulled down with him when he grabbed his arm and had landed on top of him.

Azure eyes fluttered open and their pupils dilated when they immediately saw Resonance's boyish face and eyes that were squeezed closed in concentration. "Beauty's" lips parted in shock and they let out a warm breath that wafted over Resonance's own lips. Their noses were practically touching! "Beauty" could feel the blood rushing to his face, which, at this point, probably looked like a glowing ember. He was still involuntarily whimpering, but much softer now, and they had a different, more urgent edge to them.

He felt Resonance's warmth down his torso. This realization sent more blood to "Beauty's" face, and everyone in the vicinity was about to find out just how much blood a person can have in his face before it explodes. And then there was the tingling sensation right where his crotch was. When it registered, "Beauty" had to bite back a wanton moan from escaping his lips. Their closeness was simply too much for him to handle properly.

"But the sounds..they govern me. Please, calm down..." Those words had been spoken many moments ago, but only now did they register in "Beauty's" disorientated mind. The urgency of the plea sliced into "Beauty's" heart and stilled his whimpering. What had he done? He closed his mouth and held in the whimpers that wanted to escape. While part of him was still deathly afraid of the two strangers, it was drowned out by his proximity with Resonance. Had they been bare... well, "Beauty" didn't quite want to go down that line of thinking, what with his manhood so close to the other boy's knee.

With a grimace, "Beauty" forced the words out of his mouth while reaching up to brush a few stray strands of Resonance's hair to the side. "T-t-thank you..."

"Beauty" heard the girl speak. He did not know if anyone could've missed it. Her voice was sweet and melodic, yet it was tainted a tiny bit with what he could only describe as fear and determination. He grasped Resonance's arm, her message ringing clear. They had to run. "R-Resonance... W-we have to go..."
 
The whimpering reverted to the point that it no longer affected him, though the gentle gesture from Beauty of brushing aside his hair had Resonance's heart skipping a beat or two. Even after he'd climbed back to his feet and helped the other boy up, the soft caress of those fingertips lingered on his skin. He had never before received such kind physical contact and it was, to say the least, addicting.

But they would first have to secure their escape before there would be time to explore these foreign emotions, because though he did not trust the woman, he believed that at least himself and Beauty were being sought after.

He moved closer to "Coye" as she'd identified herself as, this time allowing Beauty to maintain the hold on his arm. Something about that woman's voice... It captured his full attention and he stepped closer until they were finally face to face. At this distance, he could easily pick out the scratches and bruises on the exposed parts of her skin. She certainly looked as though she'd taken a beating.

But it was the humming that finally convinced Resonance that she was speaking the truth. It was the very same hum that encircled Beauty and it certainly couldn't be straight coincidence that the three of them had ended up at the same little stream in the woods.

No... There were four of them there... "I believe you... But don't expect me to blindly trust you," he warned the woman, backing away a few steps before turning to finally address the fourth person.

Another young man, looking just as battered as Beauty and Coye. Though this one's 'wounds' looked more like a collection from over the years. Resonance's gaze flicked from burned arms to the boy's kind, if a little worried, expression and he moved closer.

Humming.

It was as if slaves were being constantly targeted by lightning. It was the only way he could describe it - that loud buzzing right before the bolt would strike. But no... Now that he thought back to his escape, he'd passed by several slaves in the keep and none of them had produced such a unique sound.

"You can come too," he said softly, already turning away again. With a hand clasping Beauty's, Resonance started walking. He didn't know where he was headed, only that it was away from the apparent search party and that the chosen direction just felt right.
 
Joseph blushed and averted his eyes as the saw the two men tumble and land together on the ground. He looked to the woman, Coye. As he heard the boys getting back up off of the floor, he glanced back over. His gaze followed the more nicely-dressed metal head, though his gaze did slip to the blue-eyed beauty who was with him. He blushed and snapped his eyes back to the other as he studied him.

"You can come, too," he'd said.

"Thank you," he murmured. "My name is Joseph," he said as they began walking. He walked behind them, but he seemed to be headed in the same direction that Joseph had been headed when he was walking through the river. He was relieved to find they'd be walking on land, at least for a while. His feet hurt from stepping on rocks on the bottom of the river. Dirt didn't hurt nearly as badly.
 
When Eden woke, the sun was still high in the sky. That man was close by and talking to something. Grimacing, Eden stood and found her canteen. She took a long drink to try and make her head stop throbbing incessantly. The blood loss was finally catching up to her, and it was coming with a vengeance. She looked over to Allen as she found a small pouch of dried beef. "H-How long was I out of it?" she asked as she sat with a heavy grunt.
 
Coye was faced with a predicament. It wasn't exactly in her genetic makeup to leave defenseless people to fend for themselves; the land of Vidaea, where was from was filled with caring, selfless (yet silent) people. They were even normally the ones called to keep the peace between other kingdoms during wartime. The thought of that kept on mulling around in her brain as the two boys in front of her began to walk ahead. Silence only a mile away was broken by the soldiers gaining pace. If she would have stood there, wracking her brain over the decision it would only waste more time.

Then again, there was the fact that ALL of them were slaves.

Their clothing, the wounds…if they didn't rectify that, then walking into the village a mile or so ahead would be moot; it was a fact that sooner or later they would have to face the facts. This entire debacle was not going to be easy; there will be fighting and she would have to protect them. As she soon joined the walking boys, she noticed the third and quickly waved him along with them. If they were going to get through it all, they would have to work together.

"Just a re-cap, I'm Coye. The fact that you can't read makes the slave-thing a bit obvious, but I can help with that later, if you'd like me to." She walked beside Joseph and clicked her tongue; Ether was interrupted from his snacking on grass and slowly trotted behind them. Blowing her pesky bangs from her eyes, she glanced down at the platinum bracelets she had been wearing; with the king's obvious crest, even they had to go. Removing and discarding them in a tuft of grass, she spoke again- already feeling her cheeks grow warm.

"However, we look like obvious escapees. We can't exactly stroll into town looking like this. Everything that you can remove, that has to do with him, does it. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better off we will be. I will assure we have a place to stay and food, but we leave in the morning. Have to get as far from him as possible." Gray-blue eyes sincerelymade contact with the boy at her side; her blush grew as she walked on.

"I will protect all of you- I promise." The girl didn't even know them, but her words rang true- she would die protecting each and every one of them, if she had to.<o:p></o:p>
 
Joseph looked up at the woman as she spoke. "Can you really teach us to read," he asked. It sounded hard. Though, if noble children could do it, he supposed himself as a grown man could do it as well. He caught a glance at the crest on her bracelets. She must be - or must have been one of the King's warriors. He hoped she was truly escaping and not lying. Oh, how one can hope.

"I do not have a change of clothes... My back is full of scars. Fresh and old. I have nothing to hide what the whip has done," he told her. He looked down at his hands and forearms. He'd need long gloves, or the combination of gloves and long sleeves, to hide his burn scars. He looked up at the sun as there was a rather large gap in the trees. The sun gave him energy, made him feel healed. He got an idea, but he didn't dare try it until they were safe for sure. He'd have to sit in the sun long enough to test it. But he knew the King and his men would be looking for them.
 
"Hmm...." He looked up at the darkening skies. "I'd say about an hour or two. I dunno, my sense of time sucks." -Smooth move- "Shut it." He accidently grumbled to the innner sarcasim jab. Hopefully, she didn't hear that part. With a sigh, he stood up with a small wince. As he looked around the area, he noticed that the winds were picking up. But that's not what put him over the edge, a lantern's shadow off to his far and about a few feet away left did.

With as much stealth as possible for an injured-but-healing person, he stood against the nearest tree where the shadow was slowly approaching.
 
BEAUTY
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<div style="float:left; margin-right:7pt;"><img src="http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x167/goldendercon/Jericho.jpg" style="height:375px;width:254px;" /></div>"Beauty" thought he'd die the moment that Resonance's fingers intertwined with his own. It was the first tender flesh on flesh contact he had ever had and it felt wonderful. Resonance's hands were soft and having his fingers in between the green-eyed boy's felt just right. The gesture sent a tingle up his arm, and a good one at that. There was a warmth between them that he could put no words to, and he felt his heart flutter in his chest. He also felt like his face was ablaze, so he shyly looked down to hide it

"Beauty" stumbled a bit, taken by surprise as Resonance took off into a brisk walk. Even if he was being dragged around, he felt no qualms with it. If anything, being dragged around was made better because Ress was doing it to him. He blushed even more and averted his gaze, clutching Resonance's hand tighter. Feeling the other boy so close by was sending bolts of electricity through his person. If there had once been a drove of butterflies fluttering in his stomach, now there was a flock of eagles in its place. Their nearness was so good he felt lightheaded and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

He reckoned that if anyone had a good look at his face, they would probably think him craven. There was a small smile on his lips, his cheeks flushed with color and his eyes sparkling dreamily. Then again, maybe they would think him either in love or awestruck. Holding Resonance's hands somehow reassured him that he was now free, no longer in service to his ruthless master. The thought of the Master made him cringe, but Resonance's warmth kept him firmly anchored in the real world, unable to be carried away by the torrent of memories better forgotten.

Though he was not yet as comfortable with the two others, Resonance was there to help him deal with it. After all, Resonance had promised to protect him, and he thought Ress was the kind of person that would stick to his word. They hadn't really given "Beauty" any reason to be afraid, but he just couldn't help it. Memories of the Master kept creeping back whenever he pondered fully trusting them. A little fear blossomed in his heart, but there was also a determination that wandered in there when he thought about going back. He would not go back without a fight, and he would try his best to make sure Resonance will be safe too.

He walked closer to Ress, put his head right beside the green-eyed boy's and whispered "I-I'll keep you safe too..." with less of a quiver in his voice than before and he clutched Resonance's hand tighter. "I-I don't want you to be hurt..." he added, blushing even more. Yes, he thought, his face would burst into flames any moment now.

The other boy introduced himself as Joseph, and the woman reintroduced herself as Coye. "Beauty" winced, not knowing what to do. He didn't have a name to use to introduce. Would he just do as he did when he first met Resonance and say 'they call me Beauty,' or would he just stay silent? He did not know, and it made him ill-at-ease. As much as he did not want to cause discomfort to Resonance, he held the other boy's hand tighter and clutched the same arm with his other hand.

The woman said sensible things, and though he did not recognize the emblem on her bracelets, he knew she was trying to leave behind that part of her life. She promised to protect them and he did not know what to make of it but because Resonance had said that he believed her, "Beauty" would do so too. The other boy said that he was scarred. Curious, "Beauty" cocked his head and took a good long glance at him. He wasn't lying. If anything, he looked much worse than "Beauty."

It was then that a moment of realization hit him. The woman's clothes and jewelry could be thrown away and Resonance's headgear could be removed someday so that they could leave behind that terrible life that probably haunted each one of them. Joseph's wounds would heal, but he would carry his scars for a lifetime and "Beauty" would never be able to wash away the Master's groping hands, his ravaging kisses and the seed that was spilled inside him and on his body. They would never be able to leave behind that life entirely.

For a moment, "Beauty" felt a pang of sympathy and he looked up at Joseph, catching sight of a pair of soulful brown eyes looking at him. He blushed lightly and looked away. Feeling slightly afraid of whips and burns all of a sudden, "Beauty" edged even closer to Resonance.
 
Eden was sitting against the tree quietly when Allen jumped up. At first, she just thought he was stretching or going to walk around. When she heard a noise in the underbrush, Eden stood and immediately drew her blade. She was ready to attack whatever was dumb enough to come their direction.
 
Allen didn't have a physical weapon he could use, so he went with his element. As some electricity flowed to his fingertips, someone spoke. "Where did the freak that threw electricity around like he owned it go? With his wound, he should be out cold right now and I'd be finishing the jo-" Was as far as he got as Allen destroied the lantern with an electric pulse. " 'Finish the job?' Please." As he steped into the idiot's line of sight, a blue aura was surrounding his feet. A blue tarrot card decended into Allen's vision as he curshed it with his hand.

What resulted was far beyond what normal people would call 'human'. A being, about a few inches tallen than Allen, seemingily floated above him dressed in midnight blue traditional samuari clothing with a katana in its left hand and wearing fingerless bloves and a white fedora w/ a blue band. The idiot decided to unsheath a long sword from it's sheath and went to attack Allen. Only to have a massive thunderbolt rain down from the sky and completely vaporize the arm that had the sword in it.
 
Honestly, he didn't mind Beauty's closeness. It was comforting for a boy whom had spent most of his life alone because no one had dared to get close to him. He'd grown accustomed to this solitary atmosphere, though he'd never quite been able to completely squash the need for companionship. There was always a little ache in his heart, a yearning for someone's gentle aura, and Beauty was currently satisfying that hunger by clinging to his arm. The close proximity of their bodies put a bit of a smile on Resonance's lips.

While the group trekked through the woods, Resonance allowed his attention to wander back to the serene song of nature. He felt calm right now. Aware of the timid boy's closeness, but happy about it, and the atmosphere was keeping his mind peaceful, which was a good thing of course, but he wondered how long it would last. The mechanism clinging to his head was impossible to control. It was like a drum full of flammable fluid with a lit wick that he just couldn't see. He had no way of knowing when this headgear would trigger and malfuction again, of when the wick would burn up and ignite the fluid and engulf everything in flames.

Attention drawn back to the group when Coye spoke, Resonance stared blankly ahead for a moment before replying. "I do a different kind of reading..." he muttered. It wasn't a yes or a no. It was more of a smartass remark for feeling belittled by her. So what if he couldn't read and she could? There were a lot of poor people who couldn't read and write. It wasn't just slaves.

His gaze moved from the woman to the other new comer. "Scars are easier to hide than this thing," he commented quietly, rapping his knuckles lightly against the headgear. "It has to come off as soon as possible. It's too unique and easily spotted. And..." He sighed, his gaze flicking to Beauty's face a moment before returning to the path ahead. "And it's malfunctioning. The longer I wear it, the more danger you're all in."

He didn't want to think about the things he was capable of when he lost his mind and he'd already murdered so many innocent people... If things got bad, he would have to separate from the others, especially Beauty.

Beauty was the last person he wanted to hurt.

But moving on to a happier thought, the other two didn't seem as shady as he'd originally assumed. The boy was rather open about his servitude as a slave, and Coye seemed intent on helping them. It could have still been a trick, though if she were only posing as a slave, wouldn't she have abandoned those bracelets long before meeting up with them? "Wait..." he muttered, stopping abruptly only to turn around and stride back to fish the bracelets from the grass. "We can trade these," he said, holding them up for everyone to see. "The king's crest is what makes them valuable. With these alone, we can bribe someone to lend us proper clothes." And maybe a tool to cut through the chinstrap of his headgear. "But we need to find someone living on the outskirts of a town." The less amount of people who saw them in their current state, the better.

As they continued to walk, Resonance took back Beauty's hand, though his attention moved to Coye. He had to admit that he was curious about her; of why she was wearing such high quality clothing and jewelry and her reason for running. In fact, he was curious about all three of them. He realized then that he'd only introduced himself to Beauty, so he licked his dry lips and forced himself to speak once more. "My master called me Resonance, for my control over sound...and its control over me," he muttered. "I don't mind the name... I guess."
 
Coye smiled the moment Ress grabbed thebracelets she had discarded; he did have a point, she just wanted tosee if he was really an escapee. Just with that little action alone,he had proven himself to her; he was not a danger, she and the otherswould be fine. She chuckled softly; it was strange to actually have areason to laugh, without faking it. Slowly, she might even gainfriends, whether she liked it or not.


"Good point, Ress- we do need to makesure that...thing comes off. Can't really do much to hide it, unlessyou won't mind wearing a really large hood. Or a veil..."


They all were curious; given the factthat their circumstances didn't seem far from hers, she did not blamethem. It would take a lot to prove her sincere intentions, which shedid not mind at all. Delicate, sandal-clad feet moving on, she didn'tseem to make a noise at all, other than speaking. The sound wasassimilated by her ability, just in case she needed to attack. Oneknew nothing, of the capabilities of the soldiers sent after them.She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and simply beganexplaining.


It could pass the time and ease theirnervousness; anything to help.


"I...was his musician. All of theperformances held in the theater are either created or performed, byme. I left my family, at an early age. He heard my music and agreedto keep the treaty with my kingdom, if I go with him." Memories ofback then flashed in her mind as they kept on moving; she hadoriginally lost her sadness over them, a long time ago. All thatremained was the headstrong, revenge-fueled and yet caring girl thatstood with them.

Her Grey-blue eyes shifted from the treessurrounding them to the boys and soon, a cocky smirk danced acrossher lips. "I have been waiting years to finally be free and I'lldie, before I ever end up back there. Ever. He can search all hewants, but there is no way he'll find us..." Her determined lookturned even more so, the moment she caught a glimpse of a sign ahead.It identified lodging and wares; they just might be in luck. "Wewill find clothing for everyone and a nice, warm meal. Cozy beds,maybe and a bath."
 
Eden watched the display without much of a response, and she mounted her steed monotonously. With a sigh, she looked at Allen and frowned. "We should both leave here. Would you like to come along or no?" she asked as she adjusted herself in the saddle. "I need an answer quickly."
 
"No need to tell me twice." He nodded and went to Eden and her horse. Only to stop and run back to his previous opponent who was still bleeding out. He picked up the long sword and took the sheath off of the corpse. While quickly getting back to Eden, he sheathed the blade and strapped it to his back. "I needed a physical weapon." Truth be told, something of the more 'eastern' variety was more akin to Allen's liking. But he couldn't complain now of all times.

He climbed on the saddle and said to Eden, "So, where do we head off to now?"
 


She immediately became tense, muscles taunt. Gone was the compassion that Hoi gave this man. If he was on the hunt for escapees, then she had completely given herself away. Cursing herself the woman took several steps back, head lowered. The effect created shadows underneath her eyes, rupturing whatever beauty the man saw in her. She was fierce, skittish.

"You're hunting me?"

Her voice dripped of venom and anger. She had helped this man after all and the words about his handler being indisposed did nothing to abate her growing apprehension. Hoi had seen nothing a slave do their master's bidding even when they weren't around. They called it being loyal, Hoi called it brainwashing. Brown eyes glanced at a hefty branch, no doubt to use it as a weapon. If she had to, she would hurt again. No she wouldn't hurt like she did before, that was too frightening even for her.

His next words gave her pause. They held nothing but innocent curiosity, nothing harsh or violent. Her body relaxed ever so slightly, but she kept glancing at the branch.

"I... I used to. I was the healer, and the mid wife. I helped give birth to babies and healed the sick and tortured."

Injured, she should have said injured, but no that wasn't the right word. Injured were those who had accidents or fell within combat. Who she saw were victims of those that the king abused with his power. Those were the souls that Hoi had to heal.

"And if you take me back there, I swear to you I will fight you tooth and nail. I am not going back."
 
Joseph blushed a bit at "Beauty's" gaze. He felt a stronger pull towards the shy boy, as his master would call someone of his age. He felt a little sad as the boy pulled himself closer to the metal head. Speaking of the metal head, his voice was quiet and Joseph had to strain a little to hear him. The noises of the surrounding green seemed to absorb sound, and his bare feet crunching on the leaves and sticks only added to the noise. He was thankful that his feet were used to being bare, else he would have a hard time in this wilderness. As it was, he did step on a few rocks that stung, but it was farely simple to ignore it and press on.


The escaped baker's slave watched Ress as he picked up the bracelets that the escapped musician had tossed to the grasses. He studied them curiously. He made sure to memorize the king's crest. If anyone else would be wearing it, he would be sure to run or try to protect his new friends. His gaze turned curious as Ress admitted sound's control over him. He was glad he was a quiet person and hoped he would not annoy him.


His gaze moved again to the musician as she explained her former duties. He had never heard music before, not really. His master would sometimes whistle if he was in a good mood, on those rare days. But that was a horrid, high-pitched sound. He hoped all music wasn't like that.


He searched for what Coye had seen and caught sight of it. He felt a little relief at the building, but mostly worry that the owners of the building might turn them into the king and their previous owners. He looked up to the sun, now revealing itself more through the wider openings in the tree canopies. The light warmed him and gave him courage, and he stepped forward with more certainty. The thought of food also drove him, something other than stale bread that usually consisted of his diet at the bakery.
 
BEAUTY
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<div style="float:right; margin-left:5pt;"><img src="http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x167/goldendercon/Jericho.jpg" style="height:375px;width:254px;" /></div>The warmth of Resonance's closeness filled "Beauty" and made him all sorts of giddy on the inside. Despite that, though, the fear and distrust that his many years of serving under the Master clung to him like an overly affectionate dog, only without the affectionate part. At the moment though, all those dark thoughts and memories were pushed to the side. He still feared and was still finding it difficult to trust the two other strangers, but he couldn't be blamed for that. A small smile tugged at the corners of "Beauty's" lips, just because Resonance was close and that even though he was still finding it hard to completely trust the two others, things were looking up at the moment.

Seeing Resonance smile was one of the most beautiful things "Beauty" saw on that day. Even the silvery stream glinting in the morning light, the verdant canopy and underbrush of the forest, the serene clearing and the adorable forest critters that dared stray nearby paled in comparison to that small ghost of a smile that graced Resonance's lips. At that moment, "Beauty" could hear his heart beating hard in his chest, and the fire coursing through his veins. His stomach was doing somersaults and his heart was thumping like that of a race horse. He wanted to press his lips into Resonance's very badly.

"Beauty" knew he should do no such thing, so he stopped himself and instead scooted even closer to Resonance. Ress was the first person to have shown him genuine kindness and with a dedication that seemed to be infallible too. "Beauty" swore, at that moment, that should worse come to worst, he would defend Resonance, with his life if need be. Yes, it was only right to him, after all, for all he knew, Resonance had given him a new chance at life. He thought it would only be fair to be able to return the favor, should the situation arise.

So deep was "Beauty" in these thoughts that he found himself quite irreverently jarred out of them by Resonance leaving his side to retrieve the bracelets. He was so lost that he found himself awkwardly shuffling his feet and staring uncomfortably at Coye, then at Joseph, then at the ground, then at Joseph again, blushing a lot the whole time. Joseph was attractive as well, he noted, but in a more rugged way compared to Resonance. On impulse, he smiled a little bit at Joseph and then returned to staring at his feet, clutching Resonance's arm when he returned.

No one had asked about his name yet, and "Beauty" was relieved with that. He simply did not know what to say.

Catching sight of the lodging, the last thing "Beauty" felt was comfort and hope. Seeing it struck cold dread into his heart. What if it was one of the Master's friends. Would they be returned to their masters? He certainly hoped not. He didn't want to go back there. He buried his face in the crook of Resonance's neck, afraid and trembling.
 
He listened quietly while Coye spoke, even though he had a million and one questions. But these were questions he felt he didn't have the right to ask, like what would happen to her kingdom now that she'd escaped, had broken the "deal"? Bad things, probably. But there was only so much a whole kingdom could ask one young woman to do for them, there was only so much suffering she should have to do for them before the rest of them are considered cowards.

Of course Resonance was a little shocked by his own thoughts. When had he ever had such noble beliefs? It was as if he'd suddenly become a different person; a person who fought bravely, heroically.

That had never been him...had it?

He still couldn't remember a time before his forced servitude to the king...

Coye's voice shook him from his deep thinking and he glanced at her for a moment, gaze travelling over the details of her beautiful face from striking stare to taunting lips. It was then that he felt a tug deep inside his chest, a tug best compared to the pull of two magnets. He was drawn to this woman for some reason he just could not fathom. It was a little different than the way he was drawn to Beauty. With Beauty, he felt the need to protect what little innocence the young man had left, to protect him from any more abuse. And he would be lying if he claimed there wasn't an attraction between the two of them, because he could easily read Beauty's thoughts from the look in his eyes and the blush on his face, not to mention how he himself would find the strangest of urges and thoughts popping into his mind when the timid boy would draw near. The tug from Coye was different, like he had no choice in the matter. It was almost instinct and automatic.

It definitely had to do with their powers.

He had yet to figure out just what her powers were, or Josephs or even Beauty's for that matter, but he had a feeling if they didn't explain he would still find out soon enough.

Again Coye spoke and this time Resonance followed her gesture with his gaze until he spotted a sign that he so obviously couldn't read. There were pictures on the sign as well, which made it a bit easier to guess just what it was all about, even if Coye hadn't subtly explained it.

"We have to be careful who sees us," he voiced, sounding exactly how he felt: tired and incredibly thirsty. His stomach had been growling for the past few hours. "An inn won't be a good choice. We should try to bribe someone into letting us rest at their house, someone we know would have a grudge against the king."

But the tough question to answer was just who that criteria would best suit. A lowly farmer? No doubt the king's taxes are ridiculous and he probably confiscates far too much of a farmer's crops. They would also be on the edge of the town where there were far less eyes and far more directions in which to run if the situation called for it.

Yes, a farmer might be best.

He'd said his piece. It was up to them to agree or disagree, but whatever they chose, he would only go along with it if Beauty really wanted to. And speaking of the man, Resonance's hand automatically lifted to caress Beauty's nape, fingertips making soothing circles against bare skin while he tried his best to remain calm about the fact that he could feel the young man's breath pawing at the crook of his neck. Easier said than done. Resonance shivered a little, cheeks flushing, fingers threading their way up into Beauty's hair. "It will be fine," he murmured.
 
Coye could feel his eyes on her. As she pointed ahead and informed their little group, her senses reeled, yet quickly steeled herself and tried to ignore it. He was looking at her; emerald eyes making the little hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and dance. Gulping, she felt a strange tugging in her chest; much like the high of smoking tobacco, head spinning, she continued to pay attention as everyone talked. They were worried and there was every right to be. When Ress spoke, it drew her eyes to him; a sideways glance, for just about two seconds- but it felt like an eternity.


Just then, she dropped the heavy chalk for the board around her neck. It landed with an audible thud on her bare foot; cheeks red, she quickly knelt to retrieve it and it seemed in a moment, snapped back into action.


"Farmers...I agree. They are the ones in society who have a reason to be angry with the King. Which means I...need to start speaking less. Been breaking rules left and right, since I left my village- we are never to speak to outsiders. Only you three, including Ether here, know that I even have a voice." Rubbing the chalk like a worry stone, she sniffed at the air; only a few miles away- also judging by sound, there had been a farm.


"There will be much we can talk about, once we find shelter and food." She said, placing a hand onher hip. In the back of her mind, she knew later on she would have to go into the village; now that she was out of the King's grasp, she wouldn't mind buying some tobacco. And Chocolate.
 
<img src="http://9.echonetwork.net/Crap/Oh_Internet/pilot01.png" align="left" height="162" width="114" />Zephyr scowled, wishing he could move a little easier. Damn, he just had to piss off the chick helping him. Shaking his head a little to clear some of the grogginess that still remained, he considered his words.

"I was supposed to be hunting you, and any others that escaped," he explained, his tone biting. Just because he should be nice didn't mean he would be. It's not his fault he was dragged out of his cell on a leash through the woods. "I killed my tamer, so... why would I still do what he had me out here doing?"

Closing his eyes, briefly he told himself, he groaned and laid back. His shoulder really hurt, and he wasn't quite sure what this girl was planning for him.

"As for the... the tortured you've had to heal..." he continued, his voice less biting and more solemn. "I never cared for what they wanted me to do. Your powers heal, correct the physical damage... Mine creates that damage. There is no getting around that."
 
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