Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of Guardians, The Guardians of Childhood, and Avengers.

Chapter Six:

Running. He was running. It was so very dark here in this place, with the barest of light filtering through the crevices of this twisted maze he ran in. His feet pounded on the ground hard as he tried to speed up, his body aching and crying out with pain from the previous nights spent with the Other. Just thinking about all those endless nights with that thing caused his chest to grow heavy and constrict with fear.

The Other kept chasing him; he had to get away from it no matter what, that dying would be better than getting recaptured by that monstrosity again. But despite everything, the Other was gaining on him, no matter how fast he ran, he knew it wouldn't be enough, it would never be enough. That beast would find his again and he would be brought before him. His wounds began to reopen, blood soaking into the rags he was forced to wear. He was just so tired. His body began to slow down as he rounded a corner when his hair was grabbed and he was dragged to the ground.

"You thought you could escape me? That you could escape from my master? Foolish runt! You thought you knew pain from our weekly nights together? Soon you'll be begging me for it again," the Other growled, seizing his hair in a tighter grip with its scaly claw like hands. Pulling out a pair of iron manacles, engraved with anti-magic runes. The Other bound his arms and legs tightly together. He hissed as the runes grew painfully hot, consuming the last remaining scraps of his seidr. Holding his head up high, he spat at the Other's disfigured face, sneering at its hold on him.

"You and your pathetic master will never break me monster. I'll die before I beg you or him for anything," he savagely promised to the Other and to himself.

Enraged at the whelp's insolence and disrespect of his master, the Other clutched the runts throat, his grip brutally crushing until the prisoner began to choke from the lack of air.

"Your screams will sound so very sweet, once I finally wring them from your pretty little throat. The wait that I have to go through, shall be so ever worth it in the end," whispered the Other, in a sickening loving voice, caressing the liesmiths throat with unveiled lust.

Jerking up violently from his slumber, Luka clutched his chest, his heart wildly beating. He shuddered as the last traces of his dream disappeared. What the hell was that? Luka thought trying to push the lingering words that thing had said to him at the end. Closing his eyes he calmly counting to three, when he felt certain that he had calmed down enough, his eyes opened. Standing up slowly, the blanket covering his body from last night slip off his lap. Feeling something brush against him, Luka looked down and saw a midnight black blanket on the ground before him.

How did this get on him? He wondered staring at it, he didn't believe that he had created it while sleeping. So that must mean someone had to have placed it on him while he slept. Someone could see him! Getting excited about the prospect of having his first conversation with another person, he began to search the forest. But before he could get any further into his search, the little bird from yesterday started to peep at him. Turning his attention the little bird he asked, "Do you want to come with me little guy?" The bird in question quickly spun around, turning its tail feather to him. Realizing the blunder he made, he attempted to compensate, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were a female. Would having a name make up for it?" Hearing a confirmation peep, Luka started out saying any random name.

"Lucienne, Jill, Sorana, Lilith, Garawin, Lyla, Merrill," he recited, but all he received was a disapproving chirp. Frowning, Luka called out a couple of more names, when he finally threw out a random one that got a chirp of approval.

"Leif," he repeated in disbelief, "You want me to call you Leif. After the whole little pouting scene you had because I called you a guy and you now want to go by a boys name. You've got to be kidding me," he grumbled unhappily. After being pecked at in the face by the newly dubbed Leif, he folded. Hastily he cried, "Okay, okay! I give! Leif is a wonderful name, for a lovely bird such as yourself." Finally the onslaught of pecking attacks stopped and Leif hopped onto his shoulder, giving him a smug look that should have been impossible for a bird.

Resuming his search for the mysterious person who could see him, Luka kept walking ahead until he tripped over something. Rolling over he saw that he had tripped on a leg, unconcerned he brushed the debris on his clothes off when he thought about it again. A leg. He had tripped on a leg, meaning that if he could touch that person, then they could vice versa. Realization flooded him and he felt so stupid at that moment. This was the person who put the blanket on him.

Spinning around, Luka turned his eyes onto the figure on the ground. The sleeping man was tall and when he said tall, he meant freakin tall. He had pale gray skin, with glossy short black hair that was slicked back into spikes. His choice of apparel was a long sleeve, black V-neck robe. The man's robe was brunched up a bit at his legs, showing off a pair of black slacks and shoes. The man's apparel felt like the same material his own clothes were made out of. Looking around the area, all the shadows except his own were gathering around the strange man.

Getting down to his knees, Luka shuffled closer to better inspect the man, not noticing him starting to wake up until two luminous gold eyes, outlined with silver opened up. Startled, he fell onto his bottom as the man with the pretty eyes stood up and stretched. Eager to ask the man questions, Luka shot up to his feet and hovered around the man, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"You know, you have really pretty eyes."

A/N: Reviews are luv:)

~Chase