They scampered down alleyways, dodging any lit windows and scattering the furious cats that dwelled there. His grip was like steel, but he didn't bother looking back at the girl. He was too preoccupied with escaping the Virgion Capitol, as she should have been.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJnwDKkk2i
Instead, her heart fluttered against her chest like the venomous kiss of a betterfly. It was probably because of the sneaking around in the night’s shadows with someone who should have been her sworn enemy. It could also have been because their very lives were hanging in these very shadows and they could either escape successfully or die trying. Something about life-or-death situations really gets your heart racing.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTDX5VcWa3
Skidding to a stop a few houses before the city gates, he firmly pressed their linked hands against the wall. Finally turning to check on the animan girl, his expression was clear and ready unlike her panting sweating skin. "Are ya ready to re familiarize yourself with the taste of freedom?" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5muOyJjnD
She nodded furiously, tightening her hold to match his eager one.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KB7RNl0mk
He turned to their intertwined hands, his expression baffled as if he hadn't realized he had taken her hand in the first place. Loosening his grip, she rejected that by tightening her grip even more. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡia3CXAyL3h
"Please, it comforts me. I couldn't keep up with you anyway, and we'd be separated in a heartbeat." She confessed shyly, her ego crushed by her lack of stamina. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WxjMbp4Yk
At first, he was silent, taken aback by her confession before giving her that pitying puppy smile. "Ya needn't make up excuses, love. If ya want to hold my hand all ya have to do is—" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUg7qXz43w
The girl cut him off with a good wallop to his ever growing head, and a lump swelled at the spot. She tightened her fist as she threw him a threatening glare, the shy blush on her cheeks replaced with that of fury. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevC1O6wymJ
Biting his bottom lip and rubbing the growing lump, he nodded painfully, his face expression admitting that he deserved it. Then he flashed his cheesy grin at her as if his lump was forgotten. "Then would ya like me to carry ya?" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGGaCxmzoO
She raised her fist higher with a harsh snarl, promising his existing lump a twin in a few short seconds. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDYamDQHbv
"Alright alright I was just takin’ the piss out of ya!" He raised his arms up in defense, a nervous laugh spilling through his lips. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqopJUuLxI
"Well don't! Just get us out of here!" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEzODHrVa0
"Alright, alright!" He looked out at the gate again, his eyes turning cold and calculating. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZcZWt7MyX
Four guards spoke to one another at the gates, their purple armor gleaming dully in the firelight. Despite fully knowing about the danger that loomed around its country's corners, Virgion sure kept a light eye on its Capitol. Does her Lordship not believe her country could fall into any disarray, or that trouble couldn't someday come barging in? Maybe Virgion’s Lordship was just as self absorbed as Lecion's King. His Majesty would let his people starve so long as he had his banquet by sundown. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebHp8akjkQ
She shook the memory from her head, silently scolding herself for thinking about it at all. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ9sggnaXx
"I think we could escape through the moat. Do ya see the tunnel under the wall, where the inner river meets with the outer one?" He pointed out the base of the city wall where only a sliver of the head of an arch could be seen.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSJLkIUIgB
Her spine weakened at the sight of it. The dugout seemed pretty shallow, but the wall was made thick so nothing could topple it. Not even the massive earthquake from weeks ago could scratch its impressive stature. That meant the river tunnel would be narrow but long like a tube, automatically triggering a growing claustrophobia.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4yisOpVES
"What do ya think?" The boy seemed to be without a single ounce of fear in the world as he shook her from her internal despair. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcSs9pc8Q9
She shrunk away from him. "I...I'm not that strong of a swimmer." 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto8uq9NgQn
"A snake not that strong of a swimmer?" A chuckle accompanied this statement. "Hard to believe." 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG37Nkp0zj
Her body stiffened in a sudden heat of rage. "Not all snakes swim." 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusvqsFtMQ1
"Well obviously." His eye roll almost earned him another wallop to the head. "But can ya make it?" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQpSYAkruL
With a displeasured pout, she tore her gaze from the Scorupion soldier. No matter how strongly she willed it, she knew they couldn't fight of the guards on their own, and the commotion would probably attract more people to the scene. She sighed, crestfallen. "I guess I have to..." 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZBI5DVuiD
"That's the stuff, love! Let's make a run for it once the guards turn away." 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RhJvhkB3g
She gave a stiff nod, watching on baited breath as the guards placidly paced the city gates in their direction.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L0ptiMDf7
The boy gave her hand another tight squeeze, anticipating their coming dash to the moat. "And don't go running into the water, or else the splashin’ will attract them."631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEcaGGySLj
She nodded again, her brow crinkling. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZP0nBJbOp
"Wait a second," he straightened himself with a jolt. "If we go into the water, shouldn't we take off our clothes?" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxhNX9aACj
The girl twisted her gawking face to meet his, her cheeks plummeting into a sea of red. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwBmTfdktj
He scoffed down his own blush, like a fish out of water. "I mean, they'd be all wet, right? Then we'd have ta run off in weighty clothing which would slow us down!" 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgztAv2G0bF
The animan girl tried in vain to shake the blush from her cheeks. "I am not removing my clothing!!" she proclaimed as she pulled the boy priest's cardigan tighter over her chest. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5J4h0zBY0
He raised a brow, his cheeks still with a singeing glow. "Ok then. Have it your way." Then, without another word, he lugged the armor over his shoulders, followed by his skintight shirt which he tucked into his coin bag. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fkpy3or4E
"Wh-what are you doing?!" the girl shoveled away from him as he leaned back against his armor. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQtFLW0KZ0
"What does it look like? I'm removin’ me clothing." He struggled slightly with the leather belt that held up his trousers.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LqJQHSu7m
She gulped as her attention focused on the hands that tussled with the buckle of the belt. Her burning cheeks were warning her not to, but she couldn't pry her eyes away, she was too curious.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YRzIEz2ee
Did soldiers even wear jollies beneath their trousers? If so, how do they hide jolly lines? It's impossible to hide all those jollies in skintight trousers, so do soldiers run around...without them? 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HkS21m6oF
"Don't stare!!" He suddenly jerked his body away from view as she quickly swiveled her gaze in the opposite direction, coughing out the blush innocently. "Bloody hell, ya really are a child aren't ya? Didn't your parents ever teach ya that it was rude to stare?" He asked gruffly, shuffling his trousers off now that her gaze had been averted. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY9bzc7c05
She tensed, the topic like an arrow right through her chest, and she heaved forward to let out a sigh as heavy as vomit, the story of her parents at her trembling lips, she was suddenly beat to it. 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwNtjYVkcN
"Oh right, you're animan. Ya have no parents, do ya? No good ones, I hear at least. Can't be helped then, I suppose." 631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljAcxQT8Q4
A tingle crawled up her spine, letting out another heavy breath, but this one leaving her feeling lighter than she had ever felt before.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBzZ9felbh
His sour tone had vanished. He neither demanded an apology nor degraded her for her impoverished upbringing, already aware of the misfortune thrust upon her kind. She couldn't understand it. He's so kind and understanding, how could he ever be born Scorupion?
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