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The Fourth Day Begins

Skye awoke to the smell of the embers of the fire. He stretched his limbs as far as they would go, kicking Klaus in the head and waking him, too. It was nearly dawn. The world was dim and quiet but for the grasshoppers chirping in the reeds around them.

He silently got to his feet and took up the stick to stoke the bonfire. He prodded the coals among the bed of grey ashes, stirring them to smoke. The pine twigs he loaded on quickly became crumpled cinders, sending sparks twirling upwards as they burned.

He saw Rod across from him in the low light, sleeping with his mouth hanging limply open. He was hugging one of his bags with his knees curled around it. The space at his feet looked empty without Baron. Allen was quietly snoring with his face in the dirt and was the closest to the fire. He had always been a freeze baby. Klaus was on his back with his hands neatly folded on his stomach. He was suspiciously still. Probably awake yet from when Skye hit him, and he was still struggling to fall back asleep. And listening. Always.

Skye made his move. He took the band from around his wrist and tied back his hair. A few loose strands fell forward that couldn't be caught in the tiny tuft of a ponytail. He swept them back over his forehead and faced the wind. The early summer air was fragrant with flowers, hot dirt, and fresh leaves. It was a lovely morning.

Like the banishing of a shadow, he disappeared without a trace. Klaus opened one eye a slit. Drowsily, he propped himself up on his elbows and swiveled his head to look around. But Skye was long gone.

Adventuring out on his own, Skye liked to think he was scouting, being helpful. When in truth, it was an entirely selfish task. Curious as a cat, he buoying branches overhead, ran his hands through the twiggy brambles at his waist level. He loved to have the time to himself to be a little aimless, to go at his own pace. There was something about a forest that was so relaxing and cozy to him. He always felt safe in the woods. No one asking questions, no shifty looks, no wanted posters. Just him and… He gracefully hopped over a creek and laid low. Something – or someone – was up and about, too.

He paused, frozen, like a deer in the meadow. Skye waited with bated breath as everything went quiet around him. Very carefully, he slinked his way to the grass and patiently kept his guard.

His interest piqued as a rustle caught his attention. A figure moved through the wood. They had been listening for Skye as well. The thief curiously raised his brows as he watched the silhouette hop over a log and make their way through the trees. Interesting indeed. Skye was going to pretend he hadn't seen that.

Skye made his way through the thin, younger trees at the edge of the forest. He could smell the sea. Though he didn't need to what with its height, he ducked under a large, fallen tree. It struck him as bizarre, since it bowed in an arch, and he couldn't quite make out where it began and ended in the dark brush. But his distracting thoughts melted with the sound of the crashing wake, and he was left on the outskirts of the wood, a wide open area ahead of him.

The beach was a short walk away from grassy fields, rising and falling with the hills of the landscape. They seemed uncannily deserted despite uniform dirt paths winding their way across the land like seams in a quilt. He whistled to himself and kept his hands in his pockets, ever the picture of a casual passerby – despite the utter lack of such a persona out in the middle of nowhere on his own. He liked to think he was sly.

The sun was but a red line on the horizon when he finally reached the rocky cliffs beside the water. His whistling paused for a moment as he tested his weight on the stone before he scaled it, climbing higher and higher with the salty, ocean breeze picking up with the altitude. Skye reached the top and brought his head up over the ledge for a peek.

Violet eyes widening, he took in the view with increasing excitement. A harbor town! And a truly breathtaking one at that. Seemed pretty up to date despite being in the middle of fuck nothing. How on earth did these people get themselves set up on this abandoned shore? Because people there definitely were. Despite the early hour, he could clearly see them sweeping their porches and hanging out their laundry. Houses spotted the neatly cobbled streets – what looked to be all two of them. The village was tiny. It had the luxuries of lamp posts and fences, but it wouldn't be home to more than half a dozen families, if that. From his position high on the cliff, he rather felt like he was watching ants bustling around their hill. He brought himself up further to get a better look, confident that he was at a good angle out of sight since no one was screaming and pointing at him yet.

Skye's lilting, unsteady tune ended in a wolf whistle as his eyes landed on the pier. It was habit. Having heard it, the man who had been bending over some fishing net shot up and looked around him in confusion. Skye was quite safely hidden from his view, grinning and holding in his laughter at almost being foolishly caught snooping. The fisherman ran a hand through his short hair, giving the immediate area around him an awkward once over before he went back to untangling the net.

The thief watched as another man joined him down on the wharf. They began hauling their nets and baskets to their little dinghy. A lone lighthouse glowed pathetically yellow, like a dusty cough of what it should have been to light up the dawn. The silhouette of a church was high on a hill overlooking the vale, and there was the outline of the clock tower he had spied from the mountain road just over his shoulder. Skye realized he was more or less on top of the fisherman's shop from his vantage point on the cliff. His arms were getting tired balancing him on the precipice, and he decided he'd had enough of a looksee anyways. He quickly scaled back down to the ground, eager to tell the gang of his find. Besides, he just so happened to notice some unattended breakfast…

"I'm sure of it."

"Rod," Klaus said, his voice clearly telling of his tested patience.

Rod pointed down at it accusingly. "I know it! It's gotta be Baron's! He was here!"

"And? He's not here now, so… just leave it the hell alone," Klaus tutted like a disgusted mother.

"Come on, Rod, leave the dog shit alone and have some breakfast," Allen said, patting the empty spot in the grass next to him.

"But if he's definitely here… why isn't he coming when I call him?" Rod pouted, but he did as he was told. He stalked over and plopped down in a heap, slumping his shoulders. He finally had a clue to his missing dog, but no one seemed to care. He messily rubbed his sniffle nose on his sleeve.

Allen noticed the tears brimming his eyes, and he ruffled the orange mop atop his friend's head. "He'll come around. Eat something. I'll help you look for him later."

Rod forced a smile that became more genuine. He nodded his head in agreement. "Mmhm… thanks, Allen."

"Yeah, alright," Allen interjected, noticing Klaus watching him with a snide smirk. He wanted to say he wasn't that heartless – Rod was his best friend since they were kids. Allen looked after him. But he also wouldn't admit he cared about anyone other than himself on a good day, so he would sooner tell Klaus and his knowing grin to stuff it.

Klaus was frowning again as he picked at the bare bones of the rabbit they had pretty thoroughly cleaned up the night before. He twisted the spit over the fire, hoping he'd get some flavor out of them. He pulled the collar of his coat closer around his neck, still feeling chilly since the sun hadn't quite gained its heat yet. He looked over his shoulder again.

"I can't tell what he's worried about more – the necklace or his boyfriend," Allen remarked, getting even for Klaus' stupid grinning earlier.

"Skye!" Rod guessed, clopping his boots together.

"Count me out. Don't even go that road with me, life partners; you're the last ones to be telling anyone to be less homoerotic," Klaus stated flatly, not an ounce of remorse for his harshness nor a hint of a lie on his tongue as he continued with a stolid expression, stoking the fire. "Besides, the person who falls in love with a guy like Skye's gotta be a fucking idiot."

"Well… I'll give him that," Allen quietly forfeited his pride this round. Rod tried to lean his head on his shoulder, but Klaus' accusation had Allen ticked, so he defensively elbowed his friend in the solar plexus. Rod choked.

"Just… if he's gotten himself lost – or loses that necklace he keeps parading around with – I'm going to make him eat roots. We risked our lives stealing that thing, and he keeps winging it around and strutting like a peacock," Klaus shivered again, digging the heels of his boots into the dirt. "We're not safe! I swear, I won't sleep well until those jewels are off our hands for good. I loathe them."

Rod had regained his composure, and his stomach growled. He rubbed it pityingly. "Hrm… I'd eat a root. Oi, maybe Skye went hunting!"

Just as Klaus was about to scoff – Skye? Useful practicality? HA - Skye himself appeared over the dip in the hill to their campsite. Slung over his back was a string of fresh salmon. He dropped them at Klaus' feet. "Morning, ladies! Breakfast is served."

Allen and Rod didn't bother with greetings or even a comeback – they each grabbed a fish and skillfully began gutting and scaling them to get them over the fire. Rather than be grateful, Klaus took up the last two fish on the string, holding them up for Skye to explain. "What the hell, wild man? Did you catch these with your bare hands?"

"You could say that," Skye grinned. His hair was loose once again, the band back around his wrist. He rubbed the back of his stiff neck, rolling his shoulder as he squatted down and looked into the fire. "If we play our cards right, there can be more where that came from, too."

"Where'd you go?" Allen asked, getting the stick and tossing the rabbit's remains. He strung his fish, and Rod held up his own to put up alongside it, pushing it into Allen's forearm to get his attention. Allen helped him out by skewering his fish and put both over the flames. At the prospect of food, Allen was much more agreeable.

Skye picked a wad of grass up in his fist. It tore from the dirt with a satisfying rip of the soil. "I went to town."

"It wasn't abandoned?!" Rod asked, baffled at the thought. "But… we're off the map! That means it's an undiscovered territory! People outside of the kingdom, outside of our knowledge! Can you imagine?!"

"It's not entirely unheard of. People can live without kings and queens, you know," Allen chided with a chip in his shoulder.

"Not some peasant village, I'll give 'em that. They had lamp posts and everything," Skye provided.

"But what kinds of things do they know? If they're all of the way out here, it's possible they're totally isolated. What have they missed from the developed world? What do they know that we may not? What kind of culture is it? Don't you think that's fascinating?" Rod goaded in excitement. It was a rare opportunity to hear him so enthused about something that wasn't his next meal.

"Maybe they're cannibals," Allen darkly suggested, cocking an eyebrow at Klaus. Klaus pretended the idea didn't horrify him, but under the surface, his paranoia was bubbling with worst case scenarios.

Rod shivered, hugging his arms. He was also susceptible to panic. "Eugh, or some kind of cult? What if they eat dogs?! What if they've got Baron!?"

Klaus shook his head to get them back on track. "Look, they're not a cannibal cult – Skye said it himself; they're civilized—"

"Laundry on the line and everything," Skye nodded with a humorous hum at their deliberations.

"Town means people. People means horses, carriages, boats. We get any one of those, and we can be back on track for the rendezvous!" Klaus counted the options on his fingers, his face brightening considerably at the prospects.

Skye rolled his eyes in genuine exasperation, dropping the grass into the fire. "Will you forget the old plan? Why do you always have to have an itinerary? Be a little spontaneous – take what life gives you. Eat a fish."

"Hey!" Klaus narrowly dodged the salmon flung to him. He moodily took the knife from Allen and started cutting it up, grumbling as he did so and still stubbornly clinging to the idea of Plan A. He couldn't help it; he liked the security of a set goal. Skye was hard to work with that way; always bouncing around, never going to the same place twice, forgetting his ideas mere minutes after sharing them for the next newest thing. What with their hectic lifestyle, Klaus couldn't help but look for a routine anywhere he could get it. "I just… We need to keep focused."

"So what's the plan then? Just scope it out?" Allen poked the fish with his finger, hoping the filet would cook faster. Sashimi was sounding better by the minute.

"Exactly," Skye kicked back, propping one foot over the other. "We're four perfectly normal travellers just passing through. We lost our horses in the woods, and we're looking to get back on our feet. Simple as that."

"I don't like the idea of a town in these parts. What kind of people live all of the way out here? It's dangerous being out of the Queen's territory, so we can't be too lax," Klaus rightly cautioned with the reminder, absent-mindedly stroking the stubble on his jaw.

"And it's perfectly safe in the Queen's territory? Did you forget our luggage?" Skye took the necklace from his pocket and dangled it on his finger. It glittered in the sunrise washing over them. He twirled it once around before losing it in his sleeves, showing his hands were free of it. Rod devotedly gave him the satisfaction of a round of applause for his sleight of hand. "From how I see it, we just struck gold. We couldn't be luckier if we tried."

"Alright, alright – but I'll do the talking," Klaus gave him a suspicious side-eye. He finally got the spit to himself as Allen and Rod juggled their searing hot fish. "You always lay it on too thick; they'll smell us out a mile away."

"What! But I…! I'll have you know I'm a people person. I'm trustworthy," Skye looked legitimately hurt at the insinuation that he was a bad actor, and Allen snorted back a laugh. Rod wisely kept out of it and merely smiled at his meal.

"Yeah, about as smooth as a fox in a chicken coop. Come off it – you'll ham it up and make us twice as suspicious. Keep to the background on this one," Klaus ordered. He used his mom voice, so it was the end of the discussion.

Skye sourly took up another handful of grass and immaturely scattered it over Klaus' crisping fish on the fire. "Fine. As you wish."

"You're such a child," Klaus admonished, picking the blades off of his food with an annoyed frown of his own.

Skye got up and waved a hand over his shoulder to dismiss him. "It was garnish."

Allen turned to Rod, not bothering to keep his voice down. "Heh, and he was laughing at us. Ow!"

Innocently minding his own business like he hadn't just rudely punched him in the shoulder, nearly knocking the glasses from Allen's nose, Klaus made up his mind that they'd wait until it was closer to noon to visit the town. He wanted to make sure they looked as innocent as possible. For a band of thieves.

Under Klaus' instruction, with Skye's begrudging cooperation, the guys prepared to present themselves after the days they spent wilderness worn. They tucked in their shirts, parted their hair (Rod tried), and got their packs together. With a little rehearsing, they knew what their backstory was for stumbling across this foreign place, but they weren't too concerned with the details. Their mission was to get in and get out - at Klaus' insistence. They couldn't be memorable, much less cause a scene. It could be deadly, what with them being the most wanted men in the kingdom. So they'd take their sight-seeing elsewhere. And they were all perfectly fine with that plan.

They followed Skye's route he used to get out of the woods that morning, following one after the other in a line to get through the briars. Every now and again, Rod would whistle for Baron, but he was only met with the sounds of the birds in the underbrush. No bulldog in sight.

"It's just up that path," Skye said, beckoning with his chin at the road winding around the cliff. He was short with them to show he was still mad at being cowed into a corner, but it was a blessing in disguise – everyone else was pretty much glad to hear less from him, which was something he was totally oblivious to.

Klaus took a deep breath. He had never quite got the hang of it over the years. Acting the part. He was a notoriously bad liar, but since he was the most earnest of the group, he did a better job of getting people to trust him than he thought. He calmed himself with the idea that all of his preparation would be worthless, and they'd be mercifully unnoticed. "Low-key. No big entrance. Remain invisible."

"That'd work better if you'd shut the hell up," Allen muttered low, all but giving him an obvious jab for subtlety with his elbow.

"It's okay, Klaus! They'll love you!" Rod chuckled and slapped him on the back for encouragement.

Klaus rolled his shoulder away from him, his voice raising a little too loud. "I don't want anyone to love me! I want to be ignored!"

They had just rounded the bend. Their feet were on the smooth, slick stone before the pier where the fishermen had been loading their boat that morning. A suspiciously empty apparatus where fish would hang was just beside them. Klaus was busy fighting off Rod who was trying to poke his face into smiling, Allen had Rod by the collar to keep him from lunging, and Skye stood quietly by for a change, picking his teeth with his nail. Nobody had apologized to him yet, so he was getting even grumpier at being ignored. But all four slowly realized they were being watched and roved their eyes over to see a startled fisherman frozen to the spot. Skye recognized him as the nice ass from that morning.

"Er…" Klaus shoved Rod off of him, and they fell quickly into line. He straightened his shirt, wondering if they spoke the Queen's English around these parts. He gave a polite, little wave. "Hello!"

The boy dropped the fishing pole in his hand with a clatter, his mouth hanging agape at the sight of them. The atmosphere became drastically more awkward, but no one had the opportunity to remedy it. Out from the nearest shop came an old man in a clean, dressy shirt and thick soled boots to unwittingly interrupt their encounter. "What ya doin' there, boy? You're gonna catch flies if… ya…"

The man dropped his pipe when he spotted the gang. He, too, was staring at them with jaw slackened, eyes wide – like the guys were all horrific monsters. Or celebrities. Both of which tended to garner similar reactions from mobs of people.

Allen sharply elbowed him in the back to prompt him, and Klaus cleared his throat and took a step forward. Well, at least there wouldn't be an issue with a language barrier. "Uh, if we may ask as to the whereabouts of an inn, we'd be very grate—"

He was interrupted midsentence when the old man gave the boy a shove, shaking him out of his stupor. "It's them! They've finally come! Quick, boy, get the mayor!"

"Uh…!" Klaus immediately looked to Skye, his own eyes wide. Each guilty thief waited with bated breath – did these people know who they were? It seemed implausible, but from their reactions… likely? What were their options now?

Skye's fingers were inching towards one of the pistols tucked behind his back, trying to make up his mind and gauge the threat. The boy did as he was told and ran back towards the fishery, losing his balance in his haste and kicking air. He threw himself against the door and pounded on it, calling for his uncle, before he took off down the road like a crier towards town with the news.

Klaus turned to Skye, visibly saddened. Skye simply gave him an almost imperceptible nod. The fingers around his pistol tightened. Allen caught their exchange and was pulling the hidden knife from his sleeve. Rod fidgeted, antsy without arrows for his bow.

Just as they were about to act, the old man shocked them all when he threw himself to the ground at their feet. In surrender? He was… bowing. Groveling, really. The boys exchanged looks of shared bafflement. This was an unexpectedly strange turn of events.

Prostrate with his arms held forward, the old man humbly bowed his head a few more times before crawling forward on his knees. Klaus jumped back, severely creeped out, but he ran into Rod behind him and had nowhere to go as the old sailor grabbed the cuff of his waistcoat, looking up at him in adoration. "You've come…! As the legends foretold! I never thought I'd get to see you in my lifetime; bless you! Bless you!"

"L-let's take a step back for a moment - please!" Klaus blurted, brushing him off and dodging as the man tried to kiss his shoes.

"The hell is in the water around here?" Allen whispered. Rod spritely shrugged to him in reply, quite at a loss but also finding the humor in it. He struggled to hold in his giggles as the old man treated them, known criminals, as if they were gods.

"Pascal! What's the racket out here? Toby lost his key again?" Yet another man kicked the door open to the nearby shop, a basket loaded with fish on a dolly being pulled behind him. As he exited the place backwards, it took him a moment to get his load around and set out by the door to tempt passersby with the fresh tuna before he could see the commotion. He finally looked over his shoulder and glared. He spotted his friend on the ground with four silhouettes of strangers above him. "Hey!"

Even though the newcomer appeared violent, it was a welcome grace to garner a normal reaction to seeing them. The man came in swinging the paddle of a broken oar. Skye and Allen were more than ready to pounce, but the old sailor, now with the name Pascal, lunged to block him. "Ozzie! Ozzie, stop! Can't you see?! It's the four! They've come at last!"

Ozzie stopped short, a look of disbelief on his features. He was wrinkled and tanned from spending a life under the sun off the ocean with a look of perpetual doubt on his face. His frown quivered skeptically, and he shook his head. "…them?"

"Just as the prophecy said! The four heroes!" Pascal swept his arm out to them, showcasing his proof. Ozzie, too, took on a look of awe and backed away.

"F-forgive me!" Ozzie's grip slackened, the oar clattering to the ground, and he looked genuinely fearful.

Allen rolled his eyes, grumbling. He waved his knife around in exasperation. "Great, now another loon!"

Skye smoothly stomped on his foot, hard, causing the red head to nearly lose balance and curse aloud. Though Skye never said a word, his actions alone reminded them of the most important rule: go with the flow. He wove around Klaus to address them. "Yes, we're… here at last! Take us to your leader!"

Rod sputtered into laughter and got stifled by his mates. Ozzie looked quite lost and still doubtful, but he followed Pascal's lead and dipped his head to bow in respect to them.

"There! See? It's the heroes!" New voices over the hill were filtering down to them. Soon, one person right after the other had spotted them and was pointing their way. They ran, holding their hats and lifting their skirts, to greet those on the pier. Men, women, and children of the tiny village were gathering around them in a veritable hoard, all 'oohing' and 'aahing' and making a fuss. The boys tried to keep their distance, but all reverence went out the window as the community invaded their personal space, poking and prodding them.

"They sure are a colorful bunch, aren't they?" One man stroked his chin, eyeing Rod's bright hair while another brought him into a stifling bear hug. Rod laughed happily for their warm welcome.

A woman lifted up Klaus' arm, shamelessly feeling his bicep as he turned beet red. "Wow! Strong, too! Just like the stories say!"

"This must be one of the girly ones!" A little girl tugged on Allen's arm with all of her weight, jerking him forward.

"I'm plenty strong!" Allen snapped in retort. Sure, he wasn't as… toned as Klaus or Skye, but he could hold his own. He didn't take kindly to her insult of his slighter frame and shook her loose, only to have a little boy leap onto his back. "Will you get off of me?!"

"Aw, I didn't know you were good with kids!" Rod teased, chuckling as the girl grabbed a lock of Allen's hair and painfully pulled. A strong man clapped Rod hard on the back in welcome, making the boy nearly choke on his own spit.

"I could get used to this," Skye mused, the only one to bask in the glow of such attention. He ran his finger along the soft jawline of a blonde who giggled in reaction to his touch. She looked to her petite friend at her side, both come to see these prophesized heroes and finding them just as handsome as they had dared to dream.

"Are you ever fazed?" Klaus griped, holding his coat fast with his arms wrapped about his person as the village women continued to inspect him from all manner of embarrassing angles.

"Make way for the mayor!" A voice called. No one parted, but their shoulders shifted somewhat as someone quite small made their way between.

"What's all this?" The crowd quieted for an unseen figure, calling out above the noise and chatter of the brouhaha. A stout man of authority entered their tight ring. Those who brought him along and could give him an explanation were left on the outskirts of the crowd. The little man glared up at them, taking Klaus to be their leader since he was closest and tallest. "Who are you lot? Where did you come from?"

Put on the spot, Klaus was desperately trying to recall his lines, but he was suffering from terrible stage fright. Skye took the forefront and gallantly shook the mayor's hand, his hammy smirk of a con artist quite evident on his face. "We're from the other side of the mountain."

His face was skeptical and rigid for a few unnerving seconds. Then, startling them all and giving Klaus quite the physical jump scare, the mayor erupted into booming laughter. He happily applauded until all of the people around him were clapping along with him to create a roar of praise. More to his people than to the thieves, he held up his arms and announced: "The heroes have arrived! Our town is saved!"

"F-father!" A muffled voice of reason was immediately tuned out before it could be heard. Elbowing his way to the front, a scrawny kid huffed and swept back his tousled hair once he escaped the crowd. "You're jumping to conclusions! No one said anything about heroes - they could literally be anyone! Travellers, merchants… pirates – thieves!"

Klaus almost wanted to vouch for him that he'd hit the nail on the head with the latter. Luckily, the mayor completely ignored his son as if he was one of the many cheering in his favor around him. He took Skye by the arm, leading him away as the people cleared a path. Klaus, fearing being left behind with the village mother hens, grabbed at the back of Skye's shirt like a lifeline. Allen gratefully wrangled himself free of the children bullying him and did the same by grabbing onto Klaus' coattails, and Rod brought up the rear, giving one of the kids a pat on the head and ruffling his hair in passing.

"You will stay in the finest rooms we have! There shall be celebrations in your honor! Tonight – we feast!" The mayor said the latter in his announcer voice, garnering more raucous cheer from his village. The people howled in approval. He spun back around and shook Skye's hand with both of his own. "My name's Hamilton, by the way; it's such an honor."

"Who's paying for this?!" The mayor's son all but slapped his forehead in horror at what he was witnessing. His rage was quite evident at going completely blindsided, and he was pulling at his hair. Skye was watching him out of the corner of his eye in amusement. "Need I remind you of our very limited budget? Did you forget the drought? The current famine? That earthquake last Tuesday – no? Nothing!? Am I talking to the wind?!"

The mayor finally acknowledged his son with a demeaning scoff at his bellyaching. "Please, Gill, the heroes are here! They're going to fix all of that, son; we don't have to worry about things anymore. Isn't that right?"

"Oh, quite!" Skye nodded in agreement at the cue.

"You heard the man!" A man whooped in joy.

"He said it himself! It's really the heroes!" A woman called.

"We're saved!"

"He's just saying what you want to hear!" His voice cracked on the last decibel as his temper outreached the capability of his vocal chords.

A great uproar erupted from the crowd, everyone cheering and yelling that completely drowned out Gill. People were already volunteering dishes they'd bring and instruments to play for the feast that night. There was so much planning and cooking to do. It wasn't but a moment that the excitement dribbled down as the people got to work to make it all happen, leaving the pier quite empty but for the gulls.

"There's so much for you to see!" Hamilton was saying, leading the way into town. The strangers and his son trailed after him at varying degrees of discomfort but for Skye who was smiling and nodding at everything the mayor was saying. Having an agreeable personality only prompted Hamilton to smile wider and put a skip in his step. "Come along, boys; there's much to do before the feast!"

"I always knew this was going to happen…" the mayor's blond son bemoaned with a heavy, tired sigh. Klaus looked at him, but Gill sent a spitting mad glare of hatred the band's way, forced to shadow his father as he went on and on with party plans. Gill would be doing most of the work for it anyways. He crossed his arms and turned away, still muttering to himself. "Bloody fucking quilt nonsense…"

Allen and Klaus both exchanged a glance – acknowledging that the kid had a death wish for them. But… a party sounded awfully nice. And free of charge, considering it was in their honor. Perhaps a night with a brat staring them down was worth the risk? Skye certainly seemed to think so, laughing with the mayor up ahead. Their trust in their leader was about to face the ultimate test here in this bizarre misadventure they found themselves in. Really, what was this place so immediate to welcome strangers? What was Skye getting them into?

Risky as it was, the band had little choice but to play along. But Klaus couldn't help but feel a pit opening in his stomach at the idea. What was more dangerous? Outing themselves as wanted men or playing god to desperate people?