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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVV4Gi1oGOJ
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaHtBaKYRs
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?" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb2nXpz1LJ
She nodded furiously, tightening her hold to match his eager one.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV5Qfr4kfg
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnznsYQZPSb
"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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fXPuWONWl
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—" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1Ll1NreJA
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiwVkaHND4
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?" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYG5satapr
She raised her fist higher with a harsh snarl, promising his existing lump a twin in a few short seconds. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTn0PGk5t0y
"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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgW2NHqFbkB
"Well don't! Just get us out of here!" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjW5KYnfPqb
"Alright, alright!" He looked out at the gate again, his eyes turning cold and calculating. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGBQxIihr4
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFPYeRyrmu
She shook the memory from her head, silently scolding herself for thinking about it at all. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNUNuFtSvw
"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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiKCDFyE9X
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcWZmTg6Rd
"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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoPrWCuI4g
She shrunk away from him. "I...I'm not that strong of a swimmer." 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErHNxu23Y9
"A snake not that strong of a swimmer?" A chuckle accompanied this statement. "Hard to believe." 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32Hx155PIK
Her body stiffened in a sudden heat of rage. "Not all snakes swim." 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicE76r5wuA
"Well obviously." His eye roll almost earned him another wallop to the head. "But can ya make it?" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNGO4FyTrK
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..." 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJE2SFDcpl4
"That's the stuff, love! Let's make a run for it once the guards turn away." 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOS29OFXHk
She gave a stiff nod, watching on baited breath as the guards placidly paced the city gates in their direction.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7wgMpd5St
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."629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOkoi5JOmm
She nodded again, her brow crinkling. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhn0zeRbZ51
"Wait a second," he straightened himself with a jolt. "If we go into the water, shouldn't we take off our clothes?" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3EMvk7xgF
The girl twisted her gawking face to meet his, her cheeks plummeting into a sea of red. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RF0rmSOhK
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!" 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSWvvdlx1P
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRxvP1jexG
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXVkA1pxyx
"Wh-what are you doing?!" the girl shoveled away from him as he leaned back against his armor. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZ0KnTmNGU
"What does it look like? I'm removin’ me clothing." He struggled slightly with the leather belt that held up his trousers.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4rUJBD1Kc
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzVqvlcGwF
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? 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTYZxVoD42
"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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTYnKmynCo
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXsZURP7kb
"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." 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQPbj7vSwq
A tingle crawled up her spine, letting out another heavy breath, but this one leaving her feeling lighter than she had ever felt before.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycsAPIVx39
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?
ns 15.158.61.20da2
