"People's past can do strange things to people." Elie responded, she knew that very well. She was still worried about doing something wrong to these people, especially while someone needed help. "I'm going with Fang." She told them. She walked out of the room, glancing at Duran just before she left. Elie went out of the inn and spotted Fang. "Fang." She shouted out to him. "Wait up!" She went over to him.
Fang turned to look at Elie as he came to a halt while he waited for her to catch up, when she did he raised an eyebrow. "Needed some fresh air too?" he smiled then began to walk, when he noticed she wasn't moving he grabbed her hand and pulled her beside, once he felt that was enough he let go. "If you're thinking you caused me any trouble by having to carry you and pay for a room you didn't. I enjoyed carrying you in my arms it was the first time I was actually relied on and trusted so it made me happy," he mumbled.
Elie blushed a little. "Good, I was hoping I wasn't too much trouble." She smiled. "I can tell you I'm not the best at trusting people, that's part of my problem. The people I originally trusted just turned on me." She walked beside him, the first time feeling like she could actually talk to someone, and about what had happened to her in the past.
"Seems like a lot of people turn on others now a days," he replied as his left hand went up to his chest and clenched into a fist, he looked at the ground for a moment but let his hand fall back to his side then returned his gaze to the road. "Everyone has their own problems, but one day I'll prove myself to you and become someone you can trust," His eyes softened while he smiled at her, I will also protect you from those who wish to hurt you, I swear. He added secretly in his mind.
(Sorry for such a long post, wish I could cut something but I couldn't help it xD. If you want a shorter version for catching up, look at the bottom of the post for the spoiler tags)
*grumble*
The guard calmly leads me to the busiest part of the town, singing joyfully in the presence of the poor and the money flowing freely through the hands of the lucky. The chains near my feet bounce up and down to the rhythm of our foot work. A strong box surrounds my hands, preventing me from doing any type of useful magic.
"Come on, you must at least give me hint towards where i'm going. I barely know where we are right now, dammit!"
The guard's singing was out of pitch, occasionally releasing notes that made his voice crack.
"You're terrible at singing, you know? I bet even a crow sings better than you..."
The guard turns around, cocking his head up and down before speaking.
"Everybody has a certain type of song that fits em. Something that keeps em alive."
The guard stares straight at me, eyes devoid of any care or sympathy for me.
"Your little 'song' will fall flat before you know it. Whimpering, screaming, hugging the floor before he finally smothers your ugly sounds. My lord is tired of seeing your kind among his town!"
The guard looks towards the black shape.
"Look over there, thief. That's where your last song will be."
I looked at the object at first, looking from bottom to top. At the bottom, steps on either side led up to a small platform. A small arch could be seen over an empty space...
A gallow.
"No...no no no no no. I didn't do ANYTHING! I didn't do any-!"
The guard smiles gleefully, catching on to my shaking voice.
"It's a good way to set an example for others who are about to do the same, don't you think?"
An audience gathers around the step, waiting in anticipating for the strangling of a thief's song. I stomped my foot and stepped inches closer to the guard's face and his awful breath.
"NOW, look here!" I said in a commanding voice. My anger rose higher and higher the more I spoke.
"I only asked to arrive at this town, not be chained up and spit at by strangers! I did not not even want your filthy gold!. All I want is somewhere. to. rest. That. Is. IT!" Of course, that was a lie. But that was the best attempt I could do to save my life.
The guard seemingly unaffected, pushed me even closer.
"Too late now, thief. I bet you won't stay as high and proud once you get a rope around your neck!"
"Uh...GAH! Somebody, release me! I did nothing wrong in this town!"
"Bad luck, fellow!"
I was dragged away against my will, shaking and trembling over my fate in the near hour.
Thief gets into trouble with the guard, gets carried away to the gallows and is now trying to get help from somebody.
Elie could tell something was bothering Fang. "I kind of have a feeling, that I can already trust you. The way you helped me, no ones done that before." She said. She could suddenly hear a commotion, something to do with a thief. She could recognize the voice, it was the one from the shadows back at Flora. She looked into the distance, seeing a guard trying to take the thief to the gallows. She wasn't sure who was in the right or wrong but Elie felt she needed to do something. She grabbed Fangs hand suddenly. "Come on!" She said and started to run, pulling him with her. Once she got closer to the commotion she let go of his hand. She pulled out her sword and pointed it at the guards back. "Let the thief go. To me it doesn't sound like you should be taking him away."
Evan settled into a chair and his private thoughts. Sylphia, on the other hand, soon grew bored just waiting with Alastair. She turned around to face the she-wolf instead. "Duran, right?" she asked, kneeling down near the wolf. "How long have you been with them? And how long have they been together?"
Fang was about to reply but when suddenly being pulled by Elie toward a group of guards taking someone to the gallows, when she pointed her sword at one of the guard's back he knew they would be staying in the woods tonight. When one the guards turned to draw his sword on Elie, in one fluid moment Fang had Black Blade's point right between the guard's chest, "Try it and I'll run you through," he snarled. The guards quickly eyed the two, then their weapons, upon seeing Oblivion and Black Blade they knew it wouldn't end well for them, "Hand over the thief and we can end this with out any needless blood shed."
---Meanwhile at the inn---
Duran took a few moments to carefully examine Sylphia while she debated to answer her questions, coming to see they meant no harm she decided to. I've been with Fang since he was eight and we just met up with Elie today. Them being together, well they're not. I have my doubts they'll even get together.
Elie was surprised went Fang went to protect her from the guards attack. "You'd be wise to listen." She said to them. Suddenly another guard decided to attack Elie. She twisted around to him, swinging her sword to his neck. The guard stopped in his tracks. She then raised up her leg and used her knee to kick the guy in the stomach. He fell don to the ground, curled up, grabbing his gut.
Suddenly, Black Blade erupted into black flames and Fang turned toward the rest of the guards. "The next one to make a move toward her is going incinerated to the point even your ashes won't remain," he growled then motioned for the guards to back away which they slowly did, you didn't want to piss off Fang when he was in his 'Demon King' mode.
Elie faced the other guards, they seemed to be listening to them now. "Good. Next time think twice about sending someone to the gallows just because of their look." She shouted at the guards. She put her sword back into her sheath. "Run away, now!"
Sylphia was stunned. It was a few long moments before she could pull her thoughts together enough to reply. "You're not an ordinary wolf, are you," she replied, matching Duran's telepathy. That much was blatantly obvious, but she needed to say it before she could really wrap her brain around it. "Okay, you're a telepath. What do you mean they're not together? Anyone looking at them can see they're definitely a couple. I got goosebumps when he picked her up to carry her here. Just meeting her today and he's already carrying her like a princess... I'm jealous."
Duran chuckled, As you guessed, yes, I am no ordinary wolf. They're not a couple, he hasn't really interacted with another human for twelve years so he doesn't know if carrying her like that had any deep meaning. He's so innocent he doesn't even know the definition of the word couple or the feeling of love. Never know, you could have a chance with him. She looked straight into Slyphia's eyes and suddenly turned serious, I can tell by your expression there's something you wish to discuss with Fang, correct?
---Back to Elie and Fang---
Fang watched as the thief quickly disappeared likely to be back, the fire on Black Blade disappeared and he slid the sword back into its sheathe. "People these days," he sighed then slowly started to walk, "Would you like to continue our walk before we head back to the inn?" he asked.
"I..."
An instinct to run filled me, I disappeared temporarily until I collapsed into a crowd of people. It dispersed, leaving me on the concrete floor exposed.
"...Ouch. That hurted me more than I thought..."
These chains and boxes. Of course!...
"Uh, willing to lend a little helping hand?" I said as I shook the darn things holding me down.
Elie faced Fang. "Do you mind if we walk a little more?" She said to him. Other than what just happened between guards she felt relaxed. She didn't usually feel this way with others, it was something new to her.
"Sure," he smiled then slowed himself down to walk beside her, he noticed the keys which could have been the ones that were to the thief's cuffs. Fang slowed down then tossed the keys in the direction the thief went then caught up to Elie, "I'm happy I bumped into you."
Elie gasp a small bit, surprised at what he just said to her. She turned to him, looking at his eyes. "I have never had anyone say that to me before." She said to him. She continued to walk, not really having any destination. People who knew who she was didn't really think it was good to know her, not after what they believed she had done when she was younger. It was the whole core of her problems.
Fang followed behind ,smiling, to himself until he noticed a small red flower and veered from the path a bit to pick it. He gave it a quick sniff before he caught up to Elie and held it up between them while he looked the other way, "Its not much but it looked nice, and I though maybe you'd like it."
Elie looked at the flower, in her eyes it was beautiful and even more about that fact that he was giving it to her. "Th-thank you." She replied and took it from his hand, touching his figures briefly as she did. She raised it up to her face so she could smell it herself then pulled it down, still looking at it. "It's very sweet of you." She looked back up to him and smiled. "You're the first person whose ever been so nice to me. I'm sorry if I don't seem approachable much, I just don't know how to handle people anymore very well. I don't know how to handle my anger."
"Its fine, I bet Duran has already told you about spending twelve years of isolation away from other humans. Its not that your unapproachable its just I'm learning how to interact with you," he looked into her eyes and smiled. "And about handling your anger, if you do remember about a matter if minutes ago I just threatened to incinerate a group if guards," he joked.
