The Travellers Run Away

Chapter 1

The quiet alleyway was suddenly disturbed by the sound of boots clacking loudly on the dusty pavement and the shouts of "Stop him, don't let him get away".

The person running in question was a small boy with thick blond hair and blue eyes that reminded one of the sea. As he ran his once neat uniform fluttered in rags around him. He was panicking and kept half tripping on his own feet it was too late by the time he realised his mistake.

The alleyway he'd chosen was a dead end closed off my a metal grille. He skidded to a halt, grabbed the fence , and rattled it desperately in hope it would give way. But it was a doomed attempt. He eventually turned round to face his pursuers, who stood smug expressions all over their faces with the new power they now had over him.

The boy was the first to speak he stuttered, "Who are you, what are you going to do to me?"

The gang broke out into choked laughs and the man who appeared to be the ring leader stated, "Who are we? We're just honest slave traders, what are we going to do to you? Simple sell y…"

The boy looked up with frightened eyes when the man stopped, his expression changed confusion as he groaned and collapsed. He had a large red and white chakram sticking out of his back, this exploded into a burst of flames and disappeared the rest of the men turned and fled terrified, but he stay put and squeezed his eyes shut hoping that what ever killed the slave hunter wasn't after him too.

Then he heard a deep warm voice begin to speak, "Nasty bunch aren't they, always trying to kidnap kids like you."

At the sound of this kind tone the boy opened his eyes, and looked up into the face off a grinning man. He looked like he was in his mid twenties, and has a mass of red hair that looked like fire, his bright green eyes shone in the light of the setting sun.

He resumed speech, " Any way, you look like a runaway to me go back to where you come from kid next time you wont be so lucky"

The mysterious man was about to turn away when he noticed the boy fidgeting like he wanted to say something, "Hey what wrong kid, spit it out" The boy said nothing.

The man sighed " Ok we'll start with names", he held out his hand, "the names Axel memorize it, and you are?"

The boy held out his small shaking hand and took Axels strong worn hand and mumbled "Roxas, uhh, I'll get your name memorized Mr Axel, sir"

Axel laughed at the young boy's earnest and managed to stutter, in between breaths, the words "And where do you come from Roxas"

"Sir Xemnas' Orpanage for the Unwanted"

Axel's laughter immediately cut off, he knew the boy's ragged uniform looked familiar and then he saw it. The long black hooded coat, the black trousers, the leather boots which where now scuffed up and caked in mud.

He grunted, "Roxas, I think you'd better come with me"

Before Roxas had time to answer this mysterious fiery haired man took him by the hand and led him through the streets, as if he was a small child.

Roxas looked around the hotel room with darting eyes and a beating heart. There were bags slung in one corner of the room and a man about Axels age sat slumped over a desk covered with maps and papers, snoring. His hair was gelled into a mullet and it looked like this had been done a few days ago as it was messy and slightly greasy.

Axel walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder, "Come on Dem' wake up, we have a guest"

"Dem" groaned and stirred, he suddenly jumped out his seat and shouted, "I'm sorry Axe' I dozed off cos' I mean map work's kinda boring if you just let me go and explore the town maybe I could concentrate more, and…"

"DEMYX!" Axel roared from the room next door, "I'll over look it this time but right now we have a guest so do us all a favour and greet him!"

Demyx swung around and saw Roxas looking bemused in the corner. He ginned and strode over to him.

"Heh, as you can see I'm Demyx, I'm the guy that spends his time sleeping when he's meant to be plotting our travelling course, and I'm the guy Axel shouts at a lot"

He grinned as he turned around to look at Axel who stood looking unimpressed in the doorway. Axel threw the bundle of clothes he was holding over to Roxas

"Here put these on their mine so they most likely will be too big but they'll be more comfterable than that half destroyed uniform"

Roxas turned to the wall and began to peel off his old clothes panicking about what the two companions would think when they saw his back. The last item he removed was the jacket. Demyx coked down a gasp, but Axel just looked stern and nodded. Roxas' back was covered with belt marks and deliberate knife cuts. He put on the shirt Axel gave him and turned to face them.

After a few seconds Demyx said in a way that was almost child like, "So, who's going to tell him?"

Axel walked over to him looked down with solemn eyes and said "Roxas when I was about your age I ran away from the same hell hole, I brought you here because you remind me of me when I was younger, scared. It's obvious now how similar we are. Xemnas always beat the strongest and smartest the most"

Then he embraced him and Roxas saw that these bitter memories had reduced him to tears, so he hugged him back.