Chapter 4

Melodic Tone

It wasn't long that Arin sense trouble was heading their way as he exited the cage and by Ross's signal, they were soon to be ambushed by more Lawsuits. With a heavy whistle with his two fingers, Ross came off of his post and joined the others on the ground. Suzy and Barry had tied up the guards as Arin motioned them to jump on the cart.

Taking the reel, Barry sat up front. Ross, Suzy, and Arin stood above the conceal cage. There Egoraptor stood up proud. "I am Egoraptor!" He called himself. "The extraordinaire! I'm sorry to say, this is all you'll remember us by so...toodles." As if on cue, Barry whipped the horses in front in shape as they went trotting ahead of the path. The guards especially the leader of them was absolutely peeved.

The team was laughing to their escape as the three hung on to the moving cage, Ross thought it was good idea to ask Arin; what was the hotness level that the bard showed off as. Arin felt like puking to that respond when he remembered how 'manly' the bard was really was. "Uh," He replied as he tried to explain. "Check it yourself?"

His archer agreed as he shrugs his shoulder to his respond as he drops down the swinging door, something shot at him unexpectedly. "Aw shit, they're here!" He cried as he noticed an arrow struck out beside his head into the cover.

Arin and Suzy looked back to see several men on horseback chasing behind them. "Barry!" Arin cried out as Barry understood and that was they needed to go faster.

Hop on with speed, the guards were not far behind with crossbows which they used to shoot towards them. Ross had himself inside the cage, keeping the door open. As he readily his bow and arrow, hoping he would not harm the horses they rode.

"Shoot, Ross!" He heard his boss cry out but Ross wouldn't do it, he just didn't want to kill the animals by accident.

"I can't, I can't do it. Arin!" Ross replied.

"We'll die if you don't Ross!" Arin replied as he sensed the cavalry was just getting started as they started to play catch up. By the cage, Arin and Suzy made sure that they didn't aboard the cart as Barry was too occupied steering the horses that pulled the prison cart. Ross barely does anything except reacted as he kicked one of the guards off of his face.

"We're overrun!" Suzy replied as at least twenty horsemen were after them.

The chase was far from over but with the rate, they were going. Their enemies were consuming their positions. It was time for the bard to shine as he came from behind Ross and with a starting hum, his voice went higher in a melodic tone.

At first, a bright light blinded Barry a bit in front of him as it dims down it foam white and blue horses with horns upon their heads. Like shaped mist, these unicorns ran towards them. The voice continued as the bard kept in tune, the guards who rode on their own were taken down from the majestic beasts that faded through them. Helping his team, Arin was amazed that such magic existed and the bard was much more than a few pints.

Taking down the remaining chasers, the misty horses disappeared in the air as the bard fainted forward where Ross held his lanky frame and kept him close to his chest.

Suzy cheered as she looked back to conclude that the guards had been dismounted and no else were after them.

They traveled far and taken a weird route back to their camp so the Lawsuits would have trouble tracking them down. Ross and Barry settled the bard to the ground as the four; looked down to the sleeping man and observe him with an odd look.

"He's a man. Dude." Ross said as he looked at Barry.

"You got that right, I'm actually kind of disappointed."

Their boss was not pleased as the two were just standing around and being just chatty. "Get back to your patrols just because we abandon the cart doesn't mean they can't track us down." He explained as Ross and Barry agreed.

The two went off as they were told while Suzy and Arin stood around waiting for the bard to wake up. They noticed a sense of vital signs as the bard twitched. The first thing, he saw was Arin with a silent 'ew', Suzy then pushed Arin's aside so she can see better of Daniel's face and as the bard watched and saw the beauty that Suzy could not contain inside. He replied with this. "That's better." He mumbled as he went back to rest his eyes.

"Hey!" Arin cried as he pulled onto the bard's collar. "Wake up!" The bard in it for a surprise as he was forced to sit up. "You, don't you dare hit on my girl, you sick pig."

"Arin!" Suzy cried as Arin raised an eyebrow which reminded Suzy that Arin could be a very well be a grump but also the jealous type as Suzy decided to excuse herself. "Just don't kill him." She told Arin as he agreed in a short term.

The two were left alone as Arin continued to hold the bard by his collar. "So, uh. Is this where we introduce ourselves? Or something?" The bard dare to ask as Arin stared him down.

"All you need to know is that I'm Egoraptor and I'm sent to rescue you by the orders of Ninja Brian."

The bard widens his eyes. "Ninja Brian! He's okay?! That is great man." As the bard was quite easy going than Arin had thought. "My name is Daniel Avidan but you can call me Danny." As the bard waved his hand at him in a friendly appeal this annoyed Arin as he purposely dropped the bard. Danny sat with his legs open and his hands right between his legs like a child as he looked up to Arin with wide eyes.

Egoraptor didn't know how to react nor respond as Danny got up to his feet and dust himself off. "So do you like stories?" Danny spoke up to the blonde streak as Arin narrowed his eyes at him.

"Maybe, anyway, I'm going to make things clear to you. One, my friends is out of bounds, two, my girlfriend is definitely out of bounds and three, don't even bother being buddy-buddy with us. We're ruthless thieves so we are not nice, we show no mercy and definitely do not sing." As Arin felt like he established something between them both.

"Uh...I guess that makes sense.. my powers can be overwhelming and it might attract the people that are after me."

Egoraptor then thought of something odd and it pointed it out for Danny. "Why couldn't you use your powers before? Like, use those magical horses to help you escape."

His objective was little stun but didn't surprise Danny very much. "Even if I tried to escape, the beasts cannot unchain me. They can stop people but definitely, cannot help me get the chain off of my ankle.."

"Ah, I see. So you're useless when you're chained up." As Arin started to stroke his chin and his short facial hairs.

"Yeah, that's right. Anyway, I know you were ordered by Ninja Brian to save me but where are we going?"

As the older man was scratching the back of his head and the question baffled Arin a little. "The Ninja temple, where else?"

The eyes widen. "Oh, I see." He replied as he seemed to be ok with that answer but it made Arin suspicious.

"Ah, ok." He said as he turns his head for a second to think what they should do next. "Anyway, I guess we'll just get going..." The moment hit him straight as Arin turn back to where the bard stood but when he looked the bard had disappeared! "Danny?!" He shouted out inhabit as he scans around his surroundings. Danny had disappeared and if nobody had jumped him already that means the bard had... "Ran away?!"

On his bare feet that were getting sore and nastily bruised when he ran on the rubble ground and against pebbles. Danny didn't have time to complain as he was trying to escape. He had his reasons for not joining the thieves back to the Ninja Temple and that was to get far away from here but to where he was heading was straight into danger. He tripped over arisen root and tumbled down a hill with a splat. Danny groaned as he lifted himself to see a pack of wolves licking their drooling mouths.

"Oh boy," Danny replied as he got up to his feet and placed his hands out. "Down boys..." He tried to reason as he back up to the hill. Cornered, Arin and Suzy who was above was watching the whole thing. Suzy drop and attacked the wolves with a wooden stick so she would not further harm them to death with Arin, he had his staff to whack several of them on their heads. "You're saving me?" Danny answered as Arin shouted out at him.

"Just shut up and don't go anywhere!" Arin replied as Danny refused to listen. Again, Danny started up his turn to run as he tried to climb back up to the hill, Arin saw what was happening and was utterly pissed that the bard was trying to leave again. "Not so fast!" As Arin jumped at him, wrapping his arms around Danny's waist and with his weight, weighed him down so much that Danny could barely move.

"Let go!" He screamed as the bard struggled in the Egoraptor' arms and so Suzy was easily outnumbered by the wolves that leap in for the opportunity. They snapped their mouths and one of them caught hold of her cloak and dragged her down.

"uh, help!?" Suzy cried which placed Arin in the spot. Whether to save his girlfriend or to keep his prize money in the lock. Arin chose his girl and toss Danny aside and went to help as he knocks heads and whip up some slashes onto the wolves' legs.

The dogs whined as Arin had overcome them as he saved Suzy. Danny didn't bother to move as the wolves have left except for Arin and Suzy who stared at him. His rescuer was not pleased as Arin went to grab Danny by the collar again. "How dare you leave us! Because of that, you almost got my girl killed!"

Danny shuddered as he was afraid to anger the grump. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for anything like this to happen!" He replied as Arin look back his naive and stupid face.

"Next time you better not run from us! Or else I'll drag by your feet all the way back to the temple!" Arin explained as Danny nodded. The bard was let go and Arin looked at Suzy; checking if she was alright. She nodded and pull out the ropes from her satchel. "For now, I don't trust you," Arin stated as he went to tie Danny's hands together in front. "Now follow me or else be dragged through shit."

"Yes, sire." Danny said as he meekly followed the trail back with Arin and Suzy.