Now, Lysander was really glad that they had cloaks because if they didn't the rain would have been their deaths. The wanderer placed the hood of his cloak around his head, just as the rain started. He made sure to take a hold of Erin's hand, and lead him ever forward.
"Ly, I am cold," these words were accompanied by a cough. Lysander knew that the boy was softer than he was, but they couldn't stop. They needed to cross the frontier's borders today. Once pass the green light, they could find a cave.
"Do you know what they do with children they catch outside the towns?" Lysander asked. It was something Anna told him more than once. Yet, he wondered, if Erin was ready to be told. The half-demon turned his head around, to see the small blonde boy shaking his head. "They make them work in the mines."
"No, they can't," Erin exclaimed, but Lysander just nodded grimly.
"Yes, they do. If you don't believe me, we can visit a mining town. There, you will see, that even the children have pickaxes," Lysander didn't want to scare Erin. Yet, this was a story he has heard many a time.
Besides, he has been in a mining town, before. The picture it portrayed, was never pretty. Black smoke rising from the many factories, people covered in soot wandering around, during the small pockets of time, they were allowed outside the mines.
"People in mining towns are slaves, Rin," Lysander said, and then tugged his companion ever forward. "You won't last there. Not even a day."
"I am not useless," Lysander blinked at the outburst.
"I didn't say you were. It is just that, you won't last. Don't get angry at me, now," Lysander gave Erin's hand a light squeeze. The truth was, that the blonde boy was his only companion. The only person, who knew what Lysander was, and didn't shun him. If Lysander lost Erin, he didn't know what he'd do.
"Ly, can we live in the frontier, then?" Erin asked. "Away from evil towns, which make children work."
"Everyone works in the frontier," Lysander said, and that seemed to dampen Erin's enthusiasm about that magical place.
"I bet that we can make a house in there," Erin said, his voice raspy. Lysander spared him a glance. Out here, at the mercy of the elements, his little friend might really be tested. Lysander pulled Erin closer to himself so that the boy won't stumble and fall on the uneven road.
It was almost as if that breakfast they shared, was like days away. Lysander felt the hunger gnarl at him. It was a familiar feeling. A companion truer than most. For, it seldom left the raven-haired boy.
"Just keep walking, dream later," Lysander didn't want for Erin to stop dreaming. At least one of them had to be allowed to dream. To have this spark, that most people called life. If Erin became just another victim of life, Lysander didn't know what he'd do.
"Hey, Ly, do you know how to fight?" Erin asked. Lysander nodded.
"I know my way with a dagger," a sailor had taught him, once. Just the basics, in exchange for Lysander helping him with the unloading of the ship.
Most people will think the sailor swindled him, but not Lysander. For, his dagger had filled his belly more than once. Had protected him, more than once.
"Can you teach me, Ly?" Erin asked. Lysander sighed.
"Why do you need to know how to fight? I can protect you," Lysander felt, as Erin moved even closer to him.
"Because I want to protect you, Ly. Back during the attack, I couldn't protect anyone. I just bared the door to my room, when mama told me to run up," Lysander saw the tell-tale signs of tears form in Erin's eyes. "I just don't want to do that ever again."
"If you promise not to cry, then I will teach you. The problem is, I only have one dagger, and one pocket knife," Lysander said. Erin looked around, and then picked up a branch.
"I can use this," he said, as Lysander surveyed the branch. It looked thick, and was mostly straight.
"You can use this as a staff, not a dagger. They are different, Rin," Lysander said, but Erin had a determined look in his eyes.
"I bet I can figure it out," Erin said, and then began to use the branch as a walking stick. They continued in silence, never once letting go of each other. When they saw the half-collapsed gate, which led to the frontier, Lysander took out his dagger.
"Now, some people like to camp this," the wanderer said, and then finally let go of Erin's hand. "Stay behind me."
As if summoned, a clanking noise was to be heard from the other side of the gates. Lysander charged inside, ready to get rid of the thing that made the noise. Only to see a giant centipede.
He made a couple of steps away from it, and then began to look at its eyes. He knew, from other such encounters, that the cuirass of this insect was tough. There was no way, for him to break it with his dagger.
Lysander heard a war cry behind him, and whipped around, only to see Erin charging at the insect.
"No, Rin, fall back!" Lysander watched, in slow motion, as Erin ran pass him, and bonked the insect on the head with his branch. The centipede reared on its back legs, and then slammed itself over Erin. The boy fell down, with a yelp.
Knowing that he didn't have much time to waste, Lysander climbed over the centipede's limbs, as the insect was preparing to smash its bulk on Erin again, and managed to get a hold of the animal's head. With a single trust, Lysander managed to stab at one of the eyes, and then twist the dagger inside.
With a roar, the centipede fell down, over Erin. Lysander quickly got off the animal's body, and began to push it away from Erin. All the while, he begged whoever was listening, for Erin to be fine.
When the bulk was off the blonde, Erin was smiling gently, and biting his lower lip.
"You little princeling," Lysander said, his voice full of relief, once he saw that Erin wasn't having trouble breathing. "This beast probably made you into a blue mosaic!"
"But I distracted it good, didn't I?" Erin asked, as he pressed his hand on his stomach. "Ly, it hurts."
"Let me see," Lysander said. As he took off Erin's clothes, he saw that there was a big bruise over the blonde's ribs. Yet, when he applied pressure on the ribs, Erin didn't so much as cry out. Which calmed Lysander somewhat.
"You will live," Lysander said, as he let his mana begin to heal Erin. "Don't do stupid things like that again, ok?"
"It wasn't stupid to try and protect you," Erin said. Lysander blinked at him, and then resumed his healing session.
Now, Lysander was really glad that they had cloaks because if they didn't the rain would have been their deaths. The wanderer placed the hood of his cloak around his head, just as the rain started. He made sure to take a hold of Erin's hand, and lead him ever forward.
"Ly, I am cold," these words were accompanied by a cough. Lysander knew that the boy was softer than he was, but they couldn't stop. They needed to cross the frontier's borders today. Once pass the green light, they could find a cave.
"Do you know what they do with children they catch outside the towns?" Lysander asked. It was something Anna told him more than once. Yet, he wondered, if Erin was ready to be told. The half-demon turned his head around, to see the small blonde boy shaking his head. "They make them work in the mines."
"No, they can't," Erin exclaimed, but Lysander just nodded grimly.
"Yes, they do. If you don't believe me, we can visit a mining town. There, you will see, that even the children have pickaxes," Lysander didn't want to scare Erin. Yet, this was a story he has heard many a time.
Besides, he has been in a mining town, before. The picture it portrayed, was never pretty. Black smoke rising from the many factories, people covered in soot wandering around, during the small pockets of time, they were allowed outside the mines.
"People in mining towns are slaves, Rin," Lysander said, and then tugged his companion ever forward. "You won't last there. Not even a day."
"I am not useless," Lysander blinked at the outburst.
"I didn't say you were. It is just that, you won't last. Don't get angry at me, now," Lysander gave Erin's hand a light squeeze. The truth was, that the blonde boy was his only companion. The only person, who knew what Lysander was, and didn't shun him. If Lysander lost Erin, he didn't know what he'd do.
"Ly, can we live in the frontier, then?" Erin asked. "Away from evil towns, which make children work."
"Everyone works in the frontier," Lysander said, and that seemed to dampen Erin's enthusiasm about that magical place.
"I bet that we can make a house in there," Erin said, his voice raspy. Lysander spared him a glance. Out here, at the mercy of the elements, his little friend might really be tested. Lysander pulled Erin closer to himself so that the boy won't stumble and fall on the uneven road.
It was almost as if that breakfast they shared, was like days away. Lysander felt the hunger gnarl at him. It was a familiar feeling. A companion truer than most. For, it seldom left the raven-haired boy.
"Just keep walking, dream later," Lysander didn't want for Erin to stop dreaming. At least one of them had to be allowed to dream. To have this spark, that most people called life. If Erin became just another victim of life, Lysander didn't know what he'd do.
"Hey, Ly, do you know how to fight?" Erin asked. Lysander nodded.
"I know my way with a dagger," a sailor had taught him, once. Just the basics, in exchange for Lysander helping him with the unloading of the ship.
Most people will think the sailor swindled him, but not Lysander. For, his dagger had filled his belly more than once. Had protected him, more than once.
"Can you teach me, Ly?" Erin asked. Lysander sighed.
"Why do you need to know how to fight? I can protect you," Lysander felt, as Erin moved even closer to him.
"Because I want to protect you, Ly. Back during the attack, I couldn't protect anyone. I just bared the door to my room, when mama told me to run up," Lysander saw the tell-tale signs of tears form in Erin's eyes. "I just don't want to do that ever again."
"If you promise not to cry, then I will teach you. The problem is, I only have one dagger, and one pocket knife," Lysander said. Erin looked around, and then picked up a branch.
"I can use this," he said, as Lysander surveyed the branch. It looked thick, and was mostly straight.
"You can use this as a staff, not a dagger. They are different, Rin," Lysander said, but Erin had a determined look in his eyes.
"I bet I can figure it out," Erin said, and then began to use the branch as a walking stick. They continued in silence, never once letting go of each other. When they saw the half-collapsed gate, which led to the frontier, Lysander took out his dagger.
"Now, some people like to camp this," the wanderer said, and then finally let go of Erin's hand. "Stay behind me."
As if summoned, a clanking noise was to be heard from the other side of the gates. Lysander charged inside, ready to get rid of the thing that made the noise. Only to see a giant centipede.
He made a couple of steps away from it, and then began to look at its eyes. He knew, from other such encounters, that the cuirass of this insect was tough. There was no way, for him to break it with his dagger.
Lysander heard a war cry behind him, and whipped around, only to see Erin charging at the insect.
"No, Rin, fall back!" Lysander watched, in slow motion, as Erin ran pass him, and bonked the insect on the head with his branch. The centipede reared on its back legs, and then slammed itself over Erin. The boy fell down, with a yelp.
Knowing that he didn't have much time to waste, Lysander climbed over the centipede's limbs, as the insect was preparing to smash its bulk on Erin again, and managed to get a hold of the animal's head. With a single trust, Lysander managed to stab at one of the eyes, and then twist the dagger inside.
With a roar, the centipede fell down, over Erin. Lysander quickly got off the animal's body, and began to push it away from Erin. All the while, he begged whoever was listening, for Erin to be fine.
When the bulk was off the blonde, Erin was smiling gently, and biting his lower lip.
"You little princeling," Lysander said, his voice full of relief, once he saw that Erin wasn't having trouble breathing. "This beast probably made you into a blue mosaic!"
"But I distracted it good, didn't I?" Erin asked, as he pressed his hand on his stomach. "Ly, it hurts."
"Let me see," Lysander said. As he took off Erin's clothes, he saw that there was a big bruise over the blonde's ribs. Yet, when he applied pressure on the ribs, Erin didn't so much as cry out. Which calmed Lysander somewhat.
"You will live," Lysander said, as he let his mana begin to heal Erin. "Don't do stupid things like that again, ok?"
"It wasn't stupid to try and protect you," Erin said. Lysander blinked at him, and then resumed his healing session.
