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.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIo66ADOHd
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.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscYV7sTXMN
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?" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcE1DLmdsT
She nodded furiously, tightening her hold to match his eager one.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLl4NAVxGr
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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLC02XBtEJ
"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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6dBwGPgai
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—" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfQw61mGQv
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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FL2YH13SQ
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?" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKYL8DBN0c
She raised her fist higher with a harsh snarl, promising his existing lump a twin in a few short seconds. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDBn0xTWYW
"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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fwvWozi1B
"Well don't! Just get us out of here!" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AmeGQxmlZ
"Alright, alright!" He looked out at the gate again, his eyes turning cold and calculating. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhXsavr4Ad
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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjon7C3J02
She shook the memory from her head, silently scolding herself for thinking about it at all. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0LlaLmr3O
"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.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1WzbdObG9
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.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIQC7sQWCq
"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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzeEmpwPSj
She shrunk away from him. "I...I'm not that strong of a swimmer." 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZm0zBeYNkX
"A snake not that strong of a swimmer?" A chuckle accompanied this statement. "Hard to believe." 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUsZ8xSU22
Her body stiffened in a sudden heat of rage. "Not all snakes swim." 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteCO9GkEJT
"Well obviously." His eye roll almost earned him another wallop to the head. "But can ya make it?" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9FIcQYQzn
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..." 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrzmaN68yC
"That's the stuff, love! Let's make a run for it once the guards turn away." 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYo8w54dYJ
She gave a stiff nod, watching on baited breath as the guards placidly paced the city gates in their direction.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIFKw9k0Rs
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."696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWAv7LIUeO
She nodded again, her brow crinkling. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrxb9ZHxYJ
"Wait a second," he straightened himself with a jolt. "If we go into the water, shouldn't we take off our clothes?" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltPnhVApon
The girl twisted her gawking face to meet his, her cheeks plummeting into a sea of red. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKwyDM8NoO
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!" 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQZjNS0FKE
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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsN5qX78PPg
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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDn7d2u3fX
"Wh-what are you doing?!" the girl shoveled away from him as he leaned back against his armor. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJTOY6XkfJ
"What does it look like? I'm removin’ me clothing." He struggled slightly with the leather belt that held up his trousers.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIp0gpNRRui
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.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rweU0nv1v
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? 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxwGP4XUbp
"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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqxmW17Nos
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. 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Gw7mvAver
"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." 696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojW9yrYo3g
A tingle crawled up her spine, letting out another heavy breath, but this one leaving her feeling lighter than she had ever felt before.696Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfHaJM9eAE
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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