Alura landed hard on top of Marenzo, panting and forced herself to stand. "Tell me now what the hell's going on and why you did that!" she snapped.508Please respect copyright.PENANA42cuIx8BY2
508Please respect copyright.PENANA6ErX4MMaaJ
Marenzo tried to catch his breath, sweat slipping down from his brow as shattered metal rested in the dirt around his middle finger. "...Rings..."508Please respect copyright.PENANAHcFVBhK0B2
508Please respect copyright.PENANAJHWhinVckc
"What about them?"508Please respect copyright.PENANAgDrfa9UcXZ
508Please respect copyright.PENANA4KzeKydKi7
Marenzo gulped and grunted as he started forcing himself to sit up. "...I tried...to explain..." he groaned and paused after lifting his upper body off the cold dirt. "...I use them..." his barely open eyes shifted his blurry gaze to one of his hands. "...I use them to...show off and..." he took a breath before exhaling, "...to look stronger...than I really am..." he tiredly explained before groaning while shifting his body around to get to his knees. "It...let's me be...what my brother...and mother already-gah!" he tried to push up to stand but his right leg gave out, causing him to return to the dirt.508Please respect copyright.PENANAvx92Gp2Yj8
508Please respect copyright.PENANAQ3rCmaQUS6
"Would you stop being an idiot?!" Alura snapped as she moved and caught up to help him stay up.508Please respect copyright.PENANAbEcsj13WoY
508Please respect copyright.PENANAhesMcEL04q
"...I wanted to be as good as them. So...I used an easy way to do it...and I rely on it." He sadly admitted while avoiding meeting her eyes.508Please respect copyright.PENANAf9QrYvi1qj
508Please respect copyright.PENANAxW80Pb9kPD
Alura was silent, her gaze narrowed on him as thunder rumbled above. "...Are you even able to use magic without them?" she finally asked.508Please respect copyright.PENANAlALAosLkPi
508Please respect copyright.PENANAVDqAsWTKpG
Marenzo nodded with a sigh. "Yes, I can but only...only teleporting short distances and mind reading frontal thoughts."508Please respect copyright.PENANAjy0ppOFPW5
508Please respect copyright.PENANAByqB3dL14X
"Why didn't you say so when we met?"508Please respect copyright.PENANAY3lF8andIN
508Please respect copyright.PENANA1oKzQYqM12
"Would you had trusted a guy who saved you and said..." he moved to try standing again but this time he shifted so his weight would be supported by Alura. "That he could only help you because of him having enchanted rings?" Alura opened her mouth to reply but closed it as she gave that more thought. "That's what I thought and why I didn't tell you."508Please respect copyright.PENANAgxIQPblkHO
508Please respect copyright.PENANAy5PIAlAmJc
Alura shook her head. "Anyways, we should find shelter for the night before we find someway of getting out of here." She looked back to see the city lights and forward down the road to see not much. Best the darkened path than the lit one. She thought and began to slowly head away from the city with Marenzo being almost all dead weight.508Please respect copyright.PENANAYO1FySzFDr
508Please respect copyright.PENANAqi4AJZgFLF
They didn't get far down the road before an engine slowed down as a single wheeled vehicle looking cycle came up beside them. "Hey, you two okay?" the woman asked.508Please respect copyright.PENANAnysEyDrSYt
508Please respect copyright.PENANAGfvJpwbNY9
"We're fine, leave us be." Alura sternly stated without looking at their inquirer.508Please respect copyright.PENANAIE7EFn7Q19
508Please respect copyright.PENANAQULB7P0pnk
"But you two look like you been through hell and back. Sure you don't need a lift?"508Please respect copyright.PENANA7npNzZ2nSX
508Please respect copyright.PENANAjm1gE2PnEZ
"...I don't even know where we're going so we can't ask you to take us anywhere...unless you can take us off this land."508Please respect copyright.PENANAe0jElDeQvr
508Please respect copyright.PENANAtUAXaDaztU
The woman thought before removing her helmet. "Well I can't do that but I can offer you a place to rest in my studio." She sniffed the air as her cycle stayed steady in its slow rolling motion. "And judging by your smells, you won't last long out here once night falls without shelter."508Please respect copyright.PENANAfADLEnYwPC
508Please respect copyright.PENANALZLqibtcRA
Marenzo looked to the woman, noticing scales dotting around her facial features and her slit eyes. "We might want to take her offer. Better than being mauled by wild demons."508Please respect copyright.PENANAitQ653yi3V
508Please respect copyright.PENANA4BeYrykheE
"If anyone has been to school they already know that wild demons aren't uncommon here. We're kinda known for our demons outnumbering humans." She laughed lightly with a toothy grin. "How about it?"508Please respect copyright.PENANA8r3U6XVc28
508Please respect copyright.PENANAYMA0UnVlgG
Alura stopped and looked at the cycle. "I don't see a spot for us to sit."508Please respect copyright.PENANAf3bXghPD6e
508Please respect copyright.PENANAFCpXos62xf
"If your friend can change shape or both your shapes then you can ride in my basket." She pointed back to a tall basket with a few grocery bags inside it.508Please respect copyright.PENANADIukTov5Fb
508Please respect copyright.PENANAgHHLWN9hvP
Alura was silent as she considered this before looking to Marenzo. "How you feel up to that?"508Please respect copyright.PENANA35YxSFLXeX
508Please respect copyright.PENANA7kH2ezNpX3
Marenzo took a deep breath and sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulled out another ring. "...I'm going to need a very good nap after all this." He muttered and held it closed securely in his hand. His eyes closed and the ring began to glow. Shortly after so did he and Alura. The woman stared with an impressed look as there stood, once the light faded, a little girl holding an orange and silver kitten.508Please respect copyright.PENANAA1uDghXwvA
508Please respect copyright.PENANAKZaoWPJ7TV
Alura looked down and gave a small noise of startlement at seeing her age had been reduced. "...you're...fine. Grab...my bag and...get in there..." Marenzo horsely whispered with his eyes just barely staying open as his body was limp in her arms. "The spell will...only last maybe...an hour."508Please respect copyright.PENANAbqIjUmgzyH
508Please respect copyright.PENANAiJ26JzsQkD
"Okay, sorry about this." Alura said in her eight year old voice. She picked up the bag, making sure no rings fell out and got into the basket. "Ready!" she confirmed and the woman nodded. She took the controls and they sped off.508Please respect copyright.PENANA7slENeTnsz
508Please respect copyright.PENANAhifLum3V8i
They would arrive in a quiet town and be lead up a couple sets of stairs. The door was opened and they were allowed into an apartment that looked to had been a former dance studio. "Welcome to my abode." She greeted warmly as they entered and she set the groceries down on the table. "I've put a lot in to fix it up."508Please respect copyright.PENANAnOgv793r4Z
508Please respect copyright.PENANAhS5BCimodC
"It looks good and so neat." Alura complimented as she stepped around the room to take it in.508Please respect copyright.PENANARiYWngRrPl
508Please respect copyright.PENANA4WoFRpTROr
"Thanks!" she began to put away the food as Alura wandered towards some back rooms. "If you want any food, I'll fix you something."508Please respect copyright.PENANA240eKuEANG
508Please respect copyright.PENANApTIOMmKri9
"Maybe later after a nap!" Alura called back from the bedroom she found.508Please respect copyright.PENANAzbAsCrTkii
508Please respect copyright.PENANAolxU8sgxBX
Out in the main room, the door opened and a middle aged man entered, stretching and yawned. "Welcome home." She greeted in her cheerful tone. "How was work?"508Please respect copyright.PENANAFcmYA3OZBl
508Please respect copyright.PENANARIX1bnmTfD
"Tiering and if you would get an actual job you'd know."508Please respect copyright.PENANA1PA0T5p2Pb
508Please respect copyright.PENANA5Oeoa24jHb
"I'm an artist and I spread beauty for money." She stated while striking an elegant pose.508Please respect copyright.PENANAREr8Di4E7V
508Please respect copyright.PENANAmUcNIVkLXZ
He stared at her with a straight eye look. "You paint homes and buildings for commission."508Please respect copyright.PENANAt2FbJQm9CR
508Please respect copyright.PENANApc15yW1rS7
She sighed while folding her arms. "Still spreading beauty." She grumbled.508Please respect copyright.PENANA6EQqUsK40Q
508Please respect copyright.PENANAe6OwMIMz36
"Uh huh," he answered flatly while making his way to the sofa to remove his shoes.508Please respect copyright.PENANAoNBOM8jrlV
508Please respect copyright.PENANAIs8hmrKotL
"Oh, by the way, we have company."508Please respect copyright.PENANAw4OxOJ8c6d
508Please respect copyright.PENANA1MdaOsIte7
"We do?" she nodded as he stood to go look. Soon he returned and made his way over to her. "Cloran...can you explain to me why there are two disheveled people in my bed? Did you give money to the slave market?"508Please respect copyright.PENANAgWA8F0Xmd9
508Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZtDomTHT7
Cloran rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I know how much you hate that market."508Please respect copyright.PENANAtLJfhQBESg
508Please respect copyright.PENANALy05QKeWJA
"That's good news." He sighed relieved.508Please respect copyright.PENANADtVDNLKjZM
508Please respect copyright.PENANAf7AqylGMwK
"I found them on the side of the road outside the capital."508Please respect copyright.PENANAz6JRehc0O9
508Please respect copyright.PENANA76vM4BTYH8
He pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes. "Never mind, I take back my relief. Please tell me you were dropped as a little one."508Please respect copyright.PENANA9BgsXdX5CC
508Please respect copyright.PENANAq7zQUthIpe
"Pfft, of course not Gryble. Tsun wouldn't had been that careless, although I do remember falling off chairs as a child."508Please respect copyright.PENANApwGKSULg7O
508Please respect copyright.PENANAF0i60jrjkR
Gryble took a deep breath, lowering his hand and opening his eyes. "Aren't you worried they will kill us in our sleep?"508Please respect copyright.PENANAw6JxuBEgkZ
508Please respect copyright.PENANAlnYrea87S8
Cloran shook her head. "No and you need to learn to be more trusting of others."508Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9Alm1tYbK
508Please respect copyright.PENANAVqkg7EijCj
"And you need to learn to be more cautious." Gryble stated before rubbing the back of his neck. "They can stay but if they try to kill us, I'll kill them."508Please respect copyright.PENANA60nIvseG8G
508Please respect copyright.PENANAachr6coQxV
"Sounds fair enough. So, what do you want for dinner?"508Please respect copyright.PENANAztLWUNp8qL
508Please respect copyright.PENANAxTJM4NwLzo
"Just my usual sis, you know that." He walked over and relaxed on the sofa, turning the news on with the volume low as she got to making dinner, his eyes starting to droop shut into a light doze.508Please respect copyright.PENANAboRMYmsVe6