Fleeting Moments

Ch. 5

A lent hand

"Alright, so what exactly do you want from us?" Marco demanded, taking a step forward and standing in front of Star. He was doing his best to keep his confrontational attitude loosely intact. To say that he was having none of this was a crushing understatement, so whatever got him back in a quiet bed with some food, better come a lot faster.

The ring leader wasted no time in grabbing one of his 'subordinates' swords, testing its weight in his hands before abruptly throwing it at Marco. Of course it was only a meager show of force, and the sword was impaled right at Marco's feet, its hilt wobbling lazily. "I told you what we ask, boy. Pick up that weapon for our cause and fight for us," he said, almost like he was ordering Marco to do so, "you and your pet."

"Okay one, she's not a pet. She's… she's a friend of mine," Marco listed, though his hesitation caught even him off guard. It was hardly warranted, but in light of Star's recent rejection of his advice, the scorn he harbored hadn't exactly melted away just because she stepped in to save his ass.

"Two, what 'cause' exactly are you expecting us to sign our souls away for?" he asked with narrowed eyes, his position in front of Star meant to convey some sense of control in the conversation, "Because so far I've only see your robbing venture, and I gotta say: not that promising."

The ringleader glared back at Marco, his pretty face contorting ever so slightly towards impatience. "Our actions are not excusable, I'm aware. You may look upon thieves and murderers with scorn, but we do this because we have to. Our hands have been forced by those that rule above us."

Marco's first gut reaction, his first instinctual image, was of course Hekapoo. The flaming bitch herself that beat the snot out of him, stole Star's toy, and left them for dead. But, at the same time, he had to be sure if his hunch was right, if Hekapoo was really in charge in this place. "And who exactly is that?" He asked, his glare not once faltering to the swelling group of scornful looks he was receiving, "Who rules over you guys and makes you rob people?"

While all of this was going on, however, Marco finally took notice of the odd noise coming from behind him. A quick glance proved disastrous, revealing nothing out of the ordinary besides Star, in her odd, purple form. Except her breathing was much more bellowed, more...lascivious almost. It unnerved him but he had to keep up a front, turning around and facing the leader, hopeful that no one had taken notice yet.

"Enough questions, boy," the man in charge snorted, unbecoming of his prior collected nature, "if you want our objectives, oppressions and morals to be laid bare, you will come with us and find out for yourself. Do we have a deal or not?"

Marco struggled to concentrate, but the panting, the hoarse, heavy breathing behind him made it difficult. Another quick glance showed that Star was practically sweating now, and her once vacant eyes were trained on him. Not in malice or predatory nature, but rather in an affectionate gaze, like he was all she could see.

Unhelpful as expected. Turning back around and trying to ignore whatever the hell that was, Marco leaned forward and ripped the sword from the dirt and held it aloft, finding its weight extremely off balance and far too heavy to wield. "Fine. It's a deal," he growled, careful to uphold his front as he leveled the useless sword at the leader, "but just remember: you cross us, you die. And if you people are as scummy as you've been, as you look? We'll finish what we started."

A moment of held, strained silence passed between the two men before finally, the leader smirked in a pleased, yet equally amused fashion. He lifted his arm and threw his hand rearward, signaling his men to move out. Or what was left of them. "Your attitude won't make you many friends among us, Boy. Pray that my patience is matched by your skill." He hesitated for a moment, looking Marco over before adding, "or at the very least, your usefulness."

Without another word, the man turned about and followed two of his men into the woods, leaving two more to tend to the newly wounded. Marco lowered his new sword, ultimately stabbing it into the ground as he had no sheath. "Alright then?"

He heard one of the bandits grumble, "Kid fucks up five of our guys, the freaky bug killed two more, and we're letting 'em in?" But one scorching glare from the leader shut him up as Marco turned to Star, ignoring the grunts picking up bodies. Barely above a whisper he asked, "can you change back? I think we should be safe now, if you...can…?"

His words trailed off as he slowly processed the state Star was in. She stared at him with such intensity, he feared she might burn two holes into his chest with her eyes. She was shaking, sweating, and… was she panting? He figured it was likely some effect of looking like that, whatever that form was supposed to do for her, but thankfully after a moment she nodded, her eyes widening hungrily.

There was no warning, and it happened so fast Marco had no time to react. In a split second, Star's vacant, empty expression cracked the faintest of smiles before she suddenly lunged at him, pressing her lavender lips to his. It wasn't romantic, or affectionate by any means, hell no. Rather, it was voracious, like she was starving for that contact and living without it had driven her mad.

Marco on the other hand reacted as anyone should in that situation, and struggled to get away from the onslaught, much to no avail. Six arms grabbed his own and held him in place as he struggled, but to his surprise, it was over as fast as it had begun. As if her appetite had been immediately satiated with the kiss, Star's arms folded into themselves until there were only two, and her wings dissolved into nothing as her color returned to normal.

Within seconds, she looked like she had when she told him she wasn't going with him. Except for what followed immediately after, where Star collapsed onto Marco in a heap he struggled to balance. He looked around nervously, finding the grunts quickly looking back at their work before he turned back to Star, carefully setting her down and cradling her.

'What the fuuuuuuck?' He mentally screamed.

As a million reactions raged in and out of his mind, Marco turned to the sound of the leader striding back out of the forest with two horses in tote. Perfect. Timing.

"Boy. You and- …," he stopped, staring at the young man the unconscious woman currently drooling in his arms before asking simply, "who is that."

'And I guess we're doing this now,' Marco seethed. Between his confusion, his embarrassment, his hunger and his screaming wounds, he was well and done with the situation before it had even started. "This is Star. The purple girl that was just here," he offered, though when he was met with skepticism, he explained shortly,, "She can transform... I guess? Save your breath and don't ask. I don't know either."

Another long silence between them before the man finally answered, "...aye, very well. You and her will come with me and meet with our leader." As he said it, Marco traded a one-sided glance with Star before turning back and cocking a confused eyebrow. "Is...is that not you, big guy?"

At that, he finally got a speck of emotion from the man in the form of a stifled laugh before he shook his head. "Heh, no Boy. I am Alwen, and I operate below the one in charge. He is who you will question, and if you displease the leader, he will end your life without a second thought."

Marco scoffed at that. "He sounds almost as charming as you," he grumbled, forgetting for a moment that Star was still out cold, and burdening him with keeping her upright. He glanced at the two horses Alwen was shepherding, asking skeptically, "are the two of us supposed to share a horse? Or-"

"Is that a problem? Would you prefer to match his gait with a run?" Alwen asked with all the sarcasm he was probably capable of, "besides, it seems you're already sharing plenty."

Marco rolled his eyes at the jab and heaved Star into a cradled position, noting that she was far heavier than she looked. "No, it's fine I guess. Just...kinda weird." Alwen shot him a questioning look, which Marco was quick to brush off before carefully lifting Star up to the saddle.

After some delicate, embarrassing maneuvering, he had Star saddled to his front, resting against his chest as he waited for Alwen to finish barking orders to what remained of his men. "Get them back to camp by any means necessary. No risks, and stay out of sight. I should be back before sun up tomorrow."

Of course, it took no time at all for Alwen to notice Marco's precarious position and mount his horse, calling out, "you look like a frightened whelp with that woman to your front, Boy. Try to appear less weak when you meet our leader." And with that, he kicked off, his horse thundering down the dirt road with complete disregard for the newbies.

"Hurrrrr, try to appear less weak, boy," Marco mocked before tapping his horse on the flank. The chestnut steed whinnied in complaint before starting a quick trot down the dirt road, Marco keeping his eyes trained forward and on Alwen.

As it turned out, though, he had no idea how long he was supposed to follow, or how far away their destination was. Moreover, he came to the daunting realization that he had no idea how to properly ride a horse, just going off of old movies and video games for the basics, but thankfully it seemed capable of following Alwen without his help.

On the bright side, he didn't have to use what little energy he had left walking, much preferring to watch the forest around him and learn what he could about keeping his ride in check. Then, after an hour of what he considered beautiful silence, he was relieved to feel Star finally stir to his front, her back arching as she stretched.

But that wonderful peace was short-lived, as Star took one quick look around, inhaled sharply, and began screaming as she struggled to free herself from whatever position she was in with her captors. "Star what are you-?!" Was all Marco could say before taking an elbow to his inflamed ribs, Star struggling to get away from him.

"GET OFF ME! LET ME GO, NOW! GET THE HECK AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed, but Marco held firm, desperate to breathe as he held her struggling form in place to keep her from falling. But holy hell, she was stronger than him by a mile, and she could still breathe. With no effort, she shoved him back off of the saddle, and straight off the horse to the dirt road below.

Marco hit the ground with a thud as Star stopped the horse and turned herself around, looking down at her thrown captor to find- "Marco?" She asked carefully, assessing every inch of him with intense scrutiny.

"Who the fuck else would it be?" He demanded through clenched teeth, "The hell's your problem?!"

Star stared at him, wide eyed, terrified and desperate before glancing around at her surroundings. "Where is he? Is this just more of the same crazy trick? Are you even real?" She demanded right back, careful to keep her safer position on the horse. After a moment of catching his breath. Marco righted himself into a lounging position and glared at her.

"YES it's me, you crazy-," he stopped himself, remembering the circumstances of her return and the mystery surrounding her experiences after he had left. "Ugghh! Screw it nevermind. What happened at the village?," he asked, not wasting his limited breath, "are you okay?"

His answer was a piercing glare that was held as the seconds droned by. She was watching him, carefully, as if she was analyzing every detail she could, and it only served to raise his curiosity. And his worry. "What are you staring at me like that for? Can you answer me, or are you still brain dead up there?"

"What are you talking about?" She barked, finding his sword strapped to the saddle and pulling it from the leather. As she tested its weight, finding it very agreeable, she continued, asking, "how do I know you're the real Marco? Tell me something only he would know!"

"What the fu-! What?!" Marco demanded, but Star jumped from the saddle and leveled her blade with his face, her eyes showing no sign of that bubbly joy they usually expressed. "Unless you're a fake too, like the last one," she growled.

Marco rolled his eyes. He wasn't easily intimidated by a blonde teenager weilding a stupid-

"Answer me!" Star shouted, pressing the tip of her blade to his chest. Marco looked down at the weathered steel before turning his gaze back up to her. "You saved my life, and now you're gonna end it?" He asked in a low voice, "you won't kill me because you know it's me. So cut the crap and tell me what happened, before I-"

Star was on him in a heartbeat, having spent only one second of livid surprise before realizing this idiot was her idiot. She had her arms wrapped around his waist in a bone crushing hug, literally, before darting back and assessing his stomach. "Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry! I didn't know if… you were real or not," she explained, but he was already chuckling off the pain.

"First you kiss me, then you threaten my life, and now you're torturing me?" He laughed through labored breaths, "whatever planet you're from must be wild."

But his joking demeanor quickly subsided when he noticed Star's sudden, profuse blushing and her immediate distancing from him. "First I what? Did he send a copy of me after you too?" She asked, terrified that Marco might have been tricked just the same.

"No? Who sent a what?" He asked, heaving himself to his feet, "you kissed me, and you haven't left my side since. You were like a big purple moth and you blasted two guys to hell, and after some...negotiations with the rest, you kissed me and passed out."

Star took another step back to keep her distance from him and looked back at the horse. After some short deliberation, however, she finally sighed and turned back to Marco. "Okay. Let's- ...run me through this again, where are we?"

For a moment, he didn't say anything. He just watched her, careful not to freak her out any more than she already had been. "When we seperated, I left back down the road we came, and I kinda got jumped by some pricks," he explained, finding that Star was thankfully nodding along. "After that, I took out a few of 'em, took a few good hits myself, and then you flew in all purpley with wings and six arms and junk, you blasted two, and the leader asked us to join them. We talked, I said fine, he left. Then, you kissed me, changed back to normal, and we were following the guy when you woke up and beat the shit out of me."

"Yeah I remember that part…," Star murmured to herself. What she also remembered, was seven layers of fresh hell that took place before she blacked out. And Marco, ever clever as he was, was keen to know what that was.

"What happened to you? At the village, I mean. You came in like some kinda monster, so...are you alright?" He asked, taking a step closer to her, but like clockwork she stepped back a pace in return. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, the village turned out to be…" Star faltered, glaring at the ground, but Marco could see she was shaking, even if only slightly. "It turned out to be a trap. So I must have used my butterfly transformation to get out."

Marco tilted his head at the mention of 'butterfly transformation, the sight of it alone reaffirming his belief that Star was truly something from another world. "And that weird kiss?"

He noticed Star blush, but it was likely embarrassment above anything else. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's uh, got a mind of its own. Its supposed to go away after a couple hours, but...I guess not all the time.

Marco nodded at that, finding it more than weird enough to warrant moreover, he was curious as to what else might have happened during that 'trap' of a village.

It was true, he knew it was off, and more than a little sketchy, but he felt as though he couldn't gloat, or tell her it served her right out of fear that maybe she had experienced something awful before she escaped. "Are you alright, Star? Really?" He asked carefully, gesturing to his maintained distance from her.

Before she could answer, the rapping of hooves against the dirt alerted them that their returned privacy was not to last. "I see your friend is awake, boy. Keep up with me if you want to arrive before nightfall. I do have things to do today.," Alwen barked, nodding to their horse and turning his own around. Star shot a look at Marco, a desperate glance to gauge his reaction before he nodded, gesturing for her to saddle up and trust him.

Slowly, as if she didn't trust him, Star finally gave in and mounted the horse. But this time, she made Marco ride in front, holding his shoulders as the horse began its quick trot after Alwen. When they had picked up speed, she leaned forward and spoke in his ear, "I'm fine. Just ...a little messed up from it. ...thanks for asking, though."

She saw Marco nod to himself in front of her, but to himself he knew that there was more she wasn't telling him. He'd seen the village, there was no way she couldn't take a handful of them on and escape without turning into that thing. Something happened, something bad, but he decided to let it be for now. He valued privacy above all else, and he trusted that she was being honest in saying she was still messed up about it.

Changing the conversation, and still sitting in a cautious position, Star asked, "are we really joining the guys that tried to rob you? I thought you were more focused on finding Hekapoo."

"I am," he answered, softly of course, "but right now, we need a place to crash, maybe some food and a bed."

Star was quiet for a moment, her brows furrowed in contempt at the idea of testing out another group of people so soon. "And you think we can trust these guys any more than- ...you think they won't try to kill us?"

He shook his head and tossed her a curious glance before answering, "well, they already tried to kill us, and they think we might be useful to them. But, no. I don't think we can trust them. Keep your guard up, stick together this time."

Those last words were tinged with more than their fair share of spite, but Star didn't have anything to say in return. So, slapping the reins and giving his horse a kick, Marco picked up speed to follow Alwen more closely, and the two rode the rest of the way in silence.

O - O - O - O - O - O - O

It was a double edged sword of peace and quiet Marco found himself struggling to enjoy for the second time that evening. On one hand, Star hadn't said a word to him until Alwen informed them they were close, but on the other? Star hadn't said a single word, and it was making him nervous.

He regretted his remark about sticking together this time, but it was true. Had she decided to leave with him, they probably would have been fine. But now, she was silent as the dead, and it was all he could think about before Alwen called out, "Duvaliet!" To the seemingly ordinary treeline he had stopped at. Both Star and Marco craned their necks for a better look and were quickly rewarded with a brutish man stepping from the forest.

He wore the same raggedy clothes the rest of the bandits wore, save for a helmet to his credit, and carried a spear. Though, Marco noted he carried it aloft, as if he had no intention of actually using it in battle. Given the way his arms rippled as he walked, that was probably a safe choice. "Masters expecting you," the man chuckled before turning to the other two, sizing them up as little more than kids tagging along. "Who are they?"

Marco listened carefully, something Alwen was well aware of as he answered back, "tributes. Let the Master know I've brought guests, and keep any other information to yourself, Ginseng."

The muscular guard nodded and pulled back several branches to reveal a worn, dingy little path that led deeper into the woods. Alwen was keen to hurry inside, his horse trotting through without complaint, but Star and Marco held back for a moment.

"You think it's safe?" Star asked him, finally breaking their silence. Marco answered with a curious look at the guard and the forest around him before muttering, "probably not. But only one way to find out, right?"

Star didn't answer, likely eager to continue 'the quiet game', so Marco wasted no time in coaxing his horse to follow past the guard and deeper into the woods.

What they were met with was a sight nothing short of jaw dropping, both Star and Marco left speechless as the trudged closer. Where they expected a run-down camp of filthy degenerates and lowlife scumbags, they found themselves sitting dead center of an empty run-down camp.

"The hell is this place?" Marco asked, throwing Alwen an incredulous look, "what, was the homeless shelter taken this wee-"

"Silence yourself, boy," Alwen interrupted, not even bothering to look back as his horse strode past the main tent, and straight through the camp, "I will not warn you again to mind your tongue. Perhaps take after your friend until this meeting is over, and it would do you well in getting what we both want."

Marco made to comment, but a sudden squeeze of his shoulder served as a reminder that Star was riding behind him, and she clearly didn't need him starting something. Either way, he didn't have the mind to say anything when Alwen stopped under a pine tree just outside the camp's border. When it was clear Marco wasn't going to comment, either under duress or common sense, the man pulled a branch, making a loud *chunk* sound as it dropped.

Just behind the tree, a mound of grass rattled, shaking pollen and dust before it suddenly began rising, revealing a descending slope carved into the ground. The mechanism of gears that lifted the mound groaned, but finally clicked into place as the mound was locked open like a huge, grassy maw.

Alwen took special notice of the two teens dropped jaws, both of them glancing back at the empty camp before looking at him. "You know, I've heard you can see it even better from inside," he prompted with excessive smarm, dismounting his horse and stepping down the slope. Marco said nothing, but another squeeze on his shoulder prompted him to trade a glance with Star.

He found her already staring, and looking more than a little skeptical. "This could be a trap," she whispered.

Marco seemed to have considered it, but after a moment he too dismounted his horse, holding out a hand for Star to help her down. Thankfully, she took it and jumped down before he answered, "If it is, we stick together through it. If you wanna leave, I'm with you."

It was meant to show her that he could be trusted, that he was willing to do for her what she had refused. But Star felt a wash of guilt overtake her, knowing that it was just another jab at her mistake, despite the fact that she had already paid the price for it. Regardless, she nodded, whispering, "I trust you."

Marco, satisfied with her answer, took the lead and followed Alwen down the rabbit hole. But the first thing he noticed about the dirt cave they had just entered was that it smelled nothing like a cave. It smelled like vanilla spice and sugar cookies, of all things. "I don't like this," Marco muttered as Star took a whiff of her own, matching his expression.

But before either of them could ask to turn tail and run, they reached the end of the tunnel and found themselves staring right into the antechamber of a cave system unlike anything they'd ever seen.

It was a massive underground cavern littered with stalactites above and stalagmites below, all dotted with lanterns and torches to provide a dazzling array of artificial light. It was like a stone forest with flickering fireflies, but below was a scale model of the camp above. A few dozen men and women shuffled around wooden shacks, depots of unknown functions varying from weapons cleaning to armor repair.

Ziplines carrying wooden carts of goods whizzed past above their heads from raised platforms and stalls; the clangs of moved metal sang through the columns; it honestly made Marco dizzy. He was used to the quiet, the solitary. This place was anything but that.

"Everyone's first time seeing the Cathedral is just like this, so try not to lose focus and keep with me," Alwen muttered, but both of them could tell he was more than a little proud to show off his home. He was quick to sidestep the 'workshop', as Marco figured it was called, before leading them down a side cavern. Its walls were both slanted at a left-leaning forty five degree angle, but there was room enough for everyone to walk without slouching.

The first notable set of rooms they passed were what Star figured were bunk rooms, each with two rows of beds lining either side of a dug-out space. Footlockers and chests were scattered about and likely full of the other bandits belongings, but other than that? It was largely empty and boring by her standards, and could have reeeaaally used a S.G.B.E. spell.

Marco tried to appear nonchalant as he struggled to snag a peak into what he believed was a planning room, of sorts. Knives on a wooden table all stabbed into a huge map, he figured there was some useful geographical information in there, but Alwen was quick to step in the way. "If you are accepted, then you may enter. But until then, you're an outsider, and you stay in the dark."

"Whatever," Marco grumbled, glaring at the back of his head. But a nudge from Star quickly got his attention turned to another side room, this one's door only open a crack. Inside, the two saw a swarm of varying oranges and reds, and more than enough fire to light several rooms, but they couldn't see much else. "What's in there?" Star asked.

Alwen threw a lazy look at the cracked door and shook his head. "Just a religious space from those that believe in any of that. You're welcome to waste your time there after you meet our leader."

Star glared at the back of his head in the exact same fashion that Marco had, but decided it best not to push it. What was prominent on her mind wasn't the rooms anyway. It was the tour.

Earlier that same day, she had let herself be led around an illusion town with illusion people, and at any second she could have been killed. She was completely at that man's mercy, and she wasn't keen to be caught in that position again. Thankfully, the differences were just as severe as the similarities.

This time, Marco was with her, however helpful he wanted to or could be. And of course, this Alwen guy seemed to more or less be completely indifferent to them, rather than watching their every move with intense scrutiny and enthusiasm. He was quiet, but in an annoyed way, and for whatever reason that made him seem more real. Even if he was a real prick.

Finally, at the end of the long cavern were a set of wooden doors that slanted with the walls, their age showing through a thick patina of grime and mineral growth. Marco was the first to comment, muttering, "It's kind of pompous, isn't it?"

"Mind your tongue, boy," Alwen barked, giving Marcona sideways glance as he approached the door, "choose your words carelessly, and you might lose it. The same goes for you, girl."

Star was glaring daggers at him now, silently affirming she and him would not get along when Marco finally sighed. "Fine. I'll play nice with your boss guy," he muttered, turning to look at Star. She dropped her glare and gave him an appraising look as he suggested, "it's probably our best chance of not starving or being gutted."

"Fair choice. Thank you," Alwen noted, before promptly turning towards the door and knocking three times.

No answer.

Again, Alwen knocked three times.

Still no answer.

Not wanting to look ridiculous, Alwen knocked three more times, and this time he announced himself with, "I have brought you two prospects that wish to meet."

There came a rustling from the other side of the door, but still no answer. Alwen sighed, defeated, glaring at the door as if it was the source of his embarrassment. "And I believe there is value in their skills...Mother."

Like clockwork the door swung open so fast it created a vacuum. And both Star and Marco alike were left stunned at the sight that lay behind it: not a leader of power and size, but an old woman graying and well past her fifties. She was dressed as nicely as Alwen, if not a little better, and completely ignored him in lieu of the two teenagers standing before her.

"I thought you said it was a guy," Marco muttered to Alwen, but to the man's relief, no one paid attention to the comment. Eager to get things rolling, the woman barked, "Age. The lot of you."

Marco traded glances with Star, finding the question more than a little off-putting. Why she needed to know was beyond him, but ultimately he answered with, "Nineteen. You can take a look at my license if yo-OOF!"

A stiff elbow from Alwen kept him in line. Next the woman turned to Star, waiting less than patiently for her answer. The blonde princess took another quick look at Marco, to which he shrugged before she finally mumbled, "same as him."

"BAH! You've brought me children, boy! What's gotten in your head!" The old woman shouted at who Star and Marco figured was her son, Alwen. "I need warriors, not stumbling, half-baked adolescents!"

She made to slam the door in his face, clearly a woman as charming as her supposed son, when Alwen kicked his foot out, holding it open as he leaned closer. "Mothe- ...Lady Duwen, they beat seven of my entourage with nothing but their hands. Their age is but a number, and we would be wise to overlook it," he finished, meeting her tired eyes.

She was glaring at him, harder than Marco thought possible for an old codger like herself, but Alwen held firm. He gestured to the both of them, adding, "I don't bring you new prospects unless I'm sure you can use them. And we can use them, of that there's no doubt."

Duwen, he thought he heard that name correctly, turned and glanced over Star and Marco once more, this time with far more careful scrutiny. She did this for a moment, to the point where it began to get uncomfortable before she finally grumbled, "Fine. Come in, and mind your boots!"

She led them into the dimly lit little room, and it became quickly apparent why the entire cave system smelled like a bakery. Ole Nanny Duwen had two ovens tucked to the side of the carved out space, and they were clearly used to heavy traffic. The walls were lined with twin trails of smoke, but the smells coming from them made their mouths water.

Other than the mini bakery, there was a rather large wooden desk, littered with maps, papers, and jewelry. To the walls went bookshelves lined with books, scrolls, and various nick knacks, and tucked to the side was a very old, heavily worn suit of armor, shaped to fit a young woman.

Besides all this there was of course, a mess on every square inch, but Nanny Duwen sat down behind her desk and motioned for the two 'kids' to sit. After gawking at the odd little room, Star and Marco both took a seat opposite to Duwens desk and waited as Alwen hovered near the back of the room, sifting through papers.

"How long have you two been fighting the crown?"

Star seemed to take immediate offense to the question, because what didn't she take offense to today, and Marco merely answered with a confused tilt of his head. After a quiet moment of awkward silence, both of them glancing back at Alwen for advice, Duwen let out a deep sigh. "You have no idea what I'm talking about. Do you."

She threw a glare at Alwen, one he was quick to dismiss with a shrug. "They fight like they've been trained. I'm not expected to know their life story. "

Glaring at Duwen, Star felt the tension rising in the room like a heat she couldn't escape. "Of course we can fight," she grumbled, "We both have been trained since we were little. Who's this 'crown' you expect us to fight?"

Marco gave her a sideways glance but wisely kept his mouth shut as they waited for an answer. If Star really was royalty wherever she came from, he worried she might start something dramatic over the nickname 'crown', but thankfully, it seemed like she was just asking for clarity. Duwen, however, didn't answer, and leaned over to look at Alwen.

"Let me try to understand this situation I find myself in," she grumbled, lacing her withered fingers, "you brought me two kids, neither of which knowing who or what we fight against, purely based on their combat 'skills', and you expect me to just let them in. Is that correct?"

Alwen frowned, his face warping into one of exasperation, and ultimately assent. "I expect you to use them like you used me...but yes. That is correct."

Marco abruptly stood, peeved to no end at the conversation happening over his head. "I didn't come here to be used, and I certainly didn't come here for a job interview! We're here because-"

Duwen held up her hand and stared at Marco with contempt and impatience draped across her face. His audacity and his attitude had overstayed their welcome, and she was well and through with letting him speak so freely in her presence. "I know what it is that you two want- ...need. You desire our food, our shelter, a bed, money, information, vengeance! The same as every other wide-eyed child that enters this place."

She stood slowly as her bones creaked as loud as her chair, rising to meet Marcos glare with her own. "What I want are fighters who can operate under my orders, and hold their own in battle should it come to one. People who are smart enough to know why they fight, how to avoid the fight, and to not screw up my mission."

Star remained silent, watching this display with mild interest, but Marco was unmoved by Duwen's words. "We're not. Soldiers," he growled, folding his arms in a clear-as-day challenge.

Thankfully, Duwen was either too old or too wise to care for a young man's pride, and sat back down at her desk, sizing him and Star up for what felt like the fifth time. "I don't need you to be. I need skilled warriors that can circumvent the soldiers, and get a job done when asked. Are you two capable of that? Or should I rid myself of you both and take immense satisfaction in knowing that I am not limited to choosing only what I see before me now."

Marco didn't say a word, carefully calculating what he would offer or deny, but he never got the chance. Without prompt or warning, Star stood up from her chair and slammed both hands down on Duwens desk, the old wood groaning under the pressure and the boom echoing throughout the cave. But without anger or malice in her voice, all she had to say was, "We'll do whatever it takes. We'll fight for you, rob for you, kill for you, so long as help us with what we need in return. Just...please. Don't send us back out alone. Not out there…."

Marco, having wanted to negotiate terms, gather information, and find out more of what they would be doing, simply stared wide-eyed at his compatriot, too shocked to say anything. Whether she had just fucked them out of an option or got them exactly what they needed, purely out of fear or desperation? He would have to wait and see.

Duwen didn't answer right away, though. She looked from Stars intense blue eyes down to her hands, the girl's splayed palms resting on the desk with a spider web of cracks reaching out in every direction. The old woman's eyes were calculating, decisively choosing her options with care as she looked up to Alwen. He stood just as shocked as the boy, not much help there, so Duwen cleared her throat passively.

"I don't much care for either of you. But my son seems to believe you may have a latent use to us," she prompted, folding her hands and looking between the two of them, "so I will give you a chance to prove him right. You'll be assigned a simple, yet extremely important task. Fail, and you can find your way home in bags. Succeed, and you'll find yourselves a wonderful addition to our little family."

Without much deliberation, Star nodded at the simple proposition before turning to Marco. She was looking at him with curious, expecting eyes, as if she sought some form of approval from him, which of course, she was.

After a moment of thought, Marco sighed and nodded as well, unfolding his arms and gesturing for Duwen to continue. "Fuck it. What do you want?" He asked with all the enthusiasm of a corpse. Which, judging from how Alwen was glaring at him, that might have not been too far off.

"Alwen, take them to their rooms. In the morning I'll brief you on the finer details of the task, I'm sure you're familiar with it. And no entourage this time " Duwen spoke with cold authority, but no one in the room seemed to receive it that way. All eyes were on her, expectantly, before Alwen nodded himself and opened the worn door.

"As you wish, Mother. I'll see it done," he affirmed before adding in a sarcastic, mocking tone, "Come along now, children, it's bedtime."

"Go fuck yourself," Marco grumbled, leaving the office closely followed by Star. As Alwen rolled his eyes at the provocative return, making to leave as well, Duwen called out after him, "I do like the boy's spunk! He reminds me of you when you were more of a troublesome little scamp!"

After walking for a moment in silence-awkward, unsettling silence, Marco finally broke the quiet by asking, "so what exactly is this 'crown' you guys are fighting? Some kinda ruler? A powerful being that can travel through portals?"

Alwen lazily looked his way, a comical eyebrow raised in appraisal. "Are you joking? Or are you just ignorant."

Marco shrugged, answering with a challenging smile as he offered back, "What? We just got here, and the only interaction we've had with the locals other than some weird villagers, was you guys trying to rob-OOF!"

Star elbowed him again and flashed him an alarming, 'shut up' look, which was received with as much friendliness as the elbow she had given him. "What he means to say is, we're new here, just recently moved to the area, so we don't know who or what 'the crown' is. Can you give us the short version?"

Not much caring for their story or the question particularly, Alwen slurred his speech into what could loosely be described as 'dummy talk'. "Bad government no good, rich family takes over. People stepped on, people rise up against family. Family slaughters thousands, you're fighting them with us."

Passing by the odd, captivating orange-colored room again, Marco nodded, struggling to keep his retorts and comments in check. "Sounds like a good old fashioned revolution."

"Of sorts, yes," Alwen noted, "the crown has seized control of every trade, business venture and city in the country, so you understand why we have to resort to petty theft to fund our rebellion."

That was all well and good, as far as Marco was concerned. He couldn't care less what sad state this place was in, much less what the people needed from him. He and Star needed, above all else, to find Hekapoo and get out of here before people noticed they were gone back home.

As hard as it was to think about, he still had a job, he still had bills to pay, no one else was going to keep his home running nowadays, so the sooner they got back, the better. But what he could also recognize was that while he didn't care, helping these people could be their best chance at gathering information. Maybe they knew Hekapoo, maybe they could take them to her, they might even help them fight her.

He didn't know exactly what state Star was in, much less what had happened to her, but he knew she needed out just as much as he did. So for now, the name of the game was revolution, and reaping the rewards that came with it. But first? This job Duwen had offered.

"The old lady said you knew what we were doing tomorrow," Marco asked with a casual tone, "you wanna fill us in on that?"

Awlen shook his head and seemed to ignore the question until he finally mumbled, "I have no idea what she's talking about. Most likely, it's a hit, and it'll be over before mid day."

Before either of them could question if he meant a hit hit, Alwen veered left down a four way junction, stopping at the first door in a long line of doors. They dotted the cavern walls or were tucked behind stalagmites, scattered in seemingly no specific order. There were a few women dotting the cavern, talking or training, or both, but the torchlight and clean-carving was impeccable. Far cleaner than the Cathedral's had been. "This is the female living area. You'll sleep here, girl."

"No," Star outright refused in no time at all, folding her arms and glaring past Alwen at the row of rooms, "I'm not sleeping alone."

Alwen cocked an eyebrow and turned to look down the same cave, noting the scatter of women going about their business and gesturing to them with growing impatience. "I see women all over the cavern, so you aren't alone," he offered with a touch of sarcasm, "now, seeing as you killed two of my men, I doubt that you're afraid of dark, girl."

Star furrowed her brow and glared steaming daggers at him. Whatever conceptions she had about him before were wiped clean and sufficiently replaced with gripping enmity. She took a step closer, her lack of height unnoticed as she growled, "I'm sharing. A room. With him." She punctuated that demand with a sharp point at Marco, but Alwen didn't react.

He only leaned down to her level and frowned, his expression now void of any patience. "You sleep. With the rest of the women. There will be no pregnant warriors in this regiment, so he sleeps, with the rest of the men," he listed with a growl before narrowing his eyes, "no. Exceptions."

"WHAT?! EXCUSE-" Star screamed, lunging for him just as Marco got a hold of her, covering her mouth and desperately trying to calm the situation. Star was beyond furious by now, so dodging her wild punches, he managed to turn her just enough to catch her attention before calling out, "Star, let's talk for a sec. Please."

Thankfully, Star calmed down as quickly as her anger exploded, smoothing herself over and following Marco off to the side of the junction.

Marco gestured for Alwen to give him a moment, shooting him an apologetic glance that seemed to at least buy them a couple of minutes. Turning back to Star with more patience she had ever seen from him, he nodded and folded his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, holding her angry, distressed eyes, "you slept alone at my house, so I know you aren't afraid of the dark. Is this… about the village thing?"

Star looked to the side, back down the hallway they came. Her face was tight with restraint, but Marco noticed the fear that kept her from meeting his eyes and stepped a bit closer. He knew for sure now that something happened while he was gone, and by the second his pride in being right was rapidly replaced with guilt above anything else.

Keen to keep her attention, he added, "You don't have to talk about what happened yet, it's fine. But, we kinda have to work with him on this. It's a place to sleep, right?"

She nodded and turned back to face him. "I just don't want to be alone. Not yet. I don't trust these people, and I don't trust this place," she whispered, quickly shooting Alwen a glare for good measure.

Marco nodded, which was more than a little surprising for her, given how thin his patience could be at the best of times. "Alright, I totally get that. We can go sleep up above ground, we can set up a little camp like we had, if you feel better about that." He knelt a bit to be eye level with her, tossing a look behind him to make sure they were out of earshot. "But if you want to sleep in a real bed tonight? Out of the cold and away from whatever happened? Star these guys have rules."

Alwen suddenly coalesced out of the aether, standing beside Marco and making both teens jump. In a low voice he offered, "if it bothers the two of you this much, I could make arrangements to-"

"It's fine," Star barked, her special glare meant just for Alwen burning just a touch less now, "I'll manage. Just...I don't wanna go back out there at night."

Marco glanced at her, more than worried now for what she may have seen or experienced, but he regretfully held his tongue as Alwen ushered Star to her own room. It was the first actually, closest to the junction and easily escapable should the need arise. "And where's his?" Star asked in front of her door.

"Uhhh, right there," came Alwens answer, jutting a thumb at the adjacent corridor, "he's the first room in the Men's living area." For good measure, he pointed at the first door on the other side of the cavern, ironically the door they had just been standing next to before gesturing for Marco to go.

Star watched them both jaunt over to the other side, a good thirty feet away, before quietly slipping into her own room. Now alone, Alwen folded his arms and nodded towards Marco's door. "I'll send for you in the morning after some preparations. Get rest, we'll eat, then we'll leave," he barked. A split second before Marco could ask, though, he added, "and yes, you'll get your information tomorrow."

"Alright then, night asshole," Marco grumbled, already slamming his door and locking it with a loud chunk.

Growling, Alwen turned on his heels and headed towards the Cathedral, muttering under his breath about kids being ungrateful, needy and problematic all at once.

Alone again, but this time by his own choice, Marco peeled his ear from the door, mocking alwen before finally taking in his very own corner of the world. 'Not bad, actually,' he thought, satisfied with even the cramped space. There was a pretty decent, real bed, candles tucked into dugout alcoves, an empty weapon rack, and a matching chest for whatever belongings he kept hidden in his medical pack.

On a small wooden table tucked to the corner was by and far the best addition to the room: Food. There were roasted Jackalegs haunches, a piece of Duwens bread, some dried fruit, and by the blessed sun a flask of water! Without thinking, Marco had cleaned the plate and nearly drowned himself before he even knew what happened.

Satisfied, he slung the medpack onto the floor near the foot of his bed and collapsed into… 'stiff,' he sighed. After a moment spent trying to work out a soft spot to no avail, Marco gave up and relaxed in place, staring at the carved out ceiling.

His thoughts quickly moved to the events he should expect tomorrow, like whether or not he should be worried for his life, or if they were going to just run a handful of errands for these people. He'd almost prefer the latter of the two, given that it would leave plenty of time for hunting Hekapoo, but his pride wanted something real to do. Not just be a busboy for an old lady's club.

In all honesty, it would likely be worth it if the two could be trusted with something that paid well. But whether or not they could be trusted was still up in the air, and if Star had anything to say about it, there was no way. And why he was trusting them was a mystery in and of itself. He wanted to believe he was getting better, that he was losing the things that made him a 'bad person', but deep down he knew why he was taking the risk of joining the bandits. He was worried about Star, and he couldn't keep her afloat on his own.

Something had happened in that village, something bad enough to traumatize her like this. But whatever it might have been, he couldn't ask her outright. She helped him on the bridge, she brought light into his life, Star did what she could to save him.

And now,, the best way for Marco to help her, was to just be as available as possible, hopefully long enough for her to open up and let him in. That's what she did, after all. She forced him to open up, to let her in and to let her fix what she saw was broken, but just like her, he had skeletons in his closet. Skeletons that wanted to come out and play.

"That's enough wallowing for today," Marco grumbled, standing up to blow out the dozen candles hiding in his walls. It wasn't until one was left and he was back in bed that he realized how tired he really was. Not to mention that he hadn't slept alone in his own room in days. He wanted to feel a little bad for Star, but given how comfortable his cot was becoming by the second, he couldn't….bring himself… to feel that….bad...

O - O - O - O - O - O - O

When Marco opened his eyes, he wasn't in that… wherever he was. He couldn't really remember actually, it was all kind of a blur of forests and rocks. Point being, where he lay now was a strip of concrete, both cold to the touch and burning his skin at the same time. And what lay above was nothing but the most dazzling night sky he had ever seen, accented with a moon bright enough to rival any star out there.

He slowly sat upright, taking in his surroundings as familiar, but in a way that made his stomach turn. Marco found himself sitting on a bridge, over a narrow river that held the best view in the city. And to make things more interesting, he wasn't alone.

A girl, about the same age as him, stood at the edge of the bridge taking in the sights and enjoying the view. And for whatever reason, he felt compelled to do the same, so he did. Marco walked to the edge of the bridge and stood beside her, both of them looking down at the churning water below. "You know, it's really nice to get to enjoy the bridge this time," he found himself saying to her.

She didn't answer. Her blonde hair just continued to fray lazily in the wind as she stared out over the water. Marco nodded to himself, and decided that if he wanted the girl to talk, he had to be more personal, if that made sense.

"I used to fish off of this bridge a lot when I was a kid, I'd just let the water carry my bobber to wherever the fish were hiding" he noted, not looking to see if she heard, "my dad took me all the time, back when he was alive."

That got her attention, and this time she looked his way, if only for a fleeting second. Marco decided to count that as a small victory and rested his hands on the railing, trying to remember how many times he came here when he was a boy. "My mom always promised us that if we brought home a fish, she would cook it for dinner and make a big meal out of it. Sides, fried food, fish tacos, you name it. She made it sound like heaven."

He noticed as the pretty young woman nodded, but she still said nothing. Just gave him another quick glance, and turned back to the water, happy to enjoy the serenity. "You can imagine her surprise when finally, I brought home a huge one! A whopping three inches of bass, just as promised!" He looked at her just as she managed to let out a chuckle, an adorable little laugh that made his heart flutter.

Why he came here, what he wanted to do, none of it mattered except seeing her smile, especially when he noticed the drying trails of spent tears lining her tattooed cheeks. "But man! Would you believe that she actually cooked it for us? Split right down the middle for my dad and I," he remembered fondly, the smell of lemon pepper and burned fish still invading his nose, "obviously we had Chinese for dinner that night, but that didn't stop my dad and I from hamming it up like mom had brought us a five star meal."

Another adorable chuckle from her, and this time, she turned to him, her brilliant sapphire eyes sparkling as she asked, "and did you eat the fish?"

Marco grinned. "Of course we did, mom promised to cook it, but told us it was our job to finish it. One bite of awful flavor later, I have a memory I'll never forget."

Star smiled that smile that made him feel like he was home again, a warm grin meant to ease all of his pain effortlessly. "I bet you miss them, huh?"

A few seconds passed before he found the courage to answer, "I do. But having you around makes me feel less alone, and I couldn't be happier…"

It was a moment of bliss, the sky changing from a deap, night violet to a stunning amethyst in a heartbeat. Star leaned closer to him and pushed a stray strand of blonde behind her ear. "Marco…."

"Yes?"

"Marco."

He blinked several times, struggling to hear her right. Her voice sounded as if it was being drowned out by the water below, and it was getting louder.

"MARCO!"

She was disappearing, but he couldn't move. His limbs were like jelly, and that night sky was getting darker by the second. "Please, just a few more seconds of this? I don't want to lose you too..." he asked, his voice filled with unrivaled calm, but it was to no avail. She kept slipping away, slowly ever further out of his rea- "Marco!"

Marco sat bolt upright in his bed, his chest heaving with spent breath. A whisper at his door, and a rapping against the wood alerted him that someone was outside. So picking up his shirt and sliding it on, Marco got up and marched to the door, throwing it open to find, "Star?"

"Can I come in?" She hissed, throwing rapid glances over her shoulder to the darkness of the cave beyond.

"Wha- Star, you're not supposed to- what are you doing here?" Marco hissed back, leaning out the threshold and seeing no one down either cavern. Star met his accusatory glare with a frown and folded her arms. "I just wanna talk, we're not doing the cob dance in bed or anything."

"The cob da- what?" Marco asked, still shaking off the last wisps of sleep that slipped through his fingers, "you couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

A deeper frown, only this one seemed far more shameful than the last had seemed annoyed. Under her breath, Star muttered simply, "I can't fall asleep. I keep seeing things."

That woke him up. Marco looked her up and down, finding her, like him, still in her day clothes, but looking far worse for wear. After a moment of deliberation, he threw another glance down the cavernous hallways before pulling Star into his room and shutting the door.

She sat on his bed and he sat on the floor, his back to the wall and that same single candle illuminating just enough to see. "What about you?" She asked.

Marco rested his head against the rocks and closed his eyes, trying to remember what he dreamed about, but all he could get was a bridge, a girl, and a tiny fish. "I fell asleep. Had some weird dreams, then you came around looking for trouble."

"I wasn't- ...you were- ..uugggh!" She groaned, glaring at the wall beside her, "I wanted to check on you. I don't like the way that old lady was sizing us up, and I don't think this place is safe."

"I know, Star, but I need you to trust me," he said, ignoring her kind regard for his well being, for now, "these guys might know about Hekapoo, or even better? How to get home. We find a guy with scissors like yours? We're golden."

Star nodded, but she didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic as two days ago, not even when talking about home. "She won't let us leave until we win. But…," she hesitated, glaring at the door for a moment as voices passed and quickly faded away, "But the more people, the better. So long as they don't kill us first. We can't afford to be careless just because we want free food and beds."

Marco raised an eyebrow at her out of curiosity, a look she immediately recognized as his, 'really?' look. She sighed and rested her head in her hand, slouching onto the bed carefully. "Don't look at me like that just because I sound like you at the village."

She noticed his brow furrow, and she already knew what was coming. A gruff rant about something or other that she had to listen to, followed by a super cagey half explanation for his behavior. So, rather than deal with any of that, Star cut to the chase for his sake at least.

"I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you wanna hear from me right now?" She asked, not caring if she was being a bit loud. But Marco only tilted his head and asked softly, "what for? You didn't do anything-"

"I let you walk away," she cut in, meeting his brown eyes in the dark light of the candle, "I should have listened to you, and I didn't. You told me it was bad news, and I just ignored you, and I let you walk away. I learned my lesson, okay? I'm sorry."

She expected Marco to agree, the gloat or to lord it over her that yes, he was right. She was stupid and she should have listened, and that she would have to do a lot more than apologize to make up for- "You don't need to apologize, Star," he explained just above a whisper, cutting off her frantic thoughts.

"I knew something was up, and I still left you there. I should have stayed with you and made sure you were okay." She tensed, but he held up his hands defensively. "Not that you need me holding your hand, but I shoulda been there for you. So, I'm sorry too."

After a moment of shared silence between them, it was Star who spoke first, nodding to herself. "It's okay. We just have to stick together from now on. Only trust each other, right?"

That question had dangerous implications, Marco was quick to notice, but after whatever she had been through, maybe she needed that reassurance. That he was still here, and they were stuck together. "Right," he breathed, slumping back against the wall, "don't trust anyone."

Star laid down on his bed, quickly entranced by the dim candlelight as Marco looked her way. "I want you to tell me what happened in that village, when you're ready I mean," he offered, earning a short nod.

"I will. Just… not done… running yet," were the last words she spoke. Marco figured she must have passed out, which was quite the turnaround from 'not being able to fall asleep', but, what the hell. He had been sleeping on the ground for a few days anyway, what was one more. Carefully, Marco stood and pulled the dingy wool blanket over her before taking his own place on the floor, using his worn hoodie at a pillow.

"Night, princess," he hummed, feeling his own sleep returning, a wash of bliss in a dark cave. He tried to ignore the drastic change he'd seen in his bubbly castaway partner, but… she was like a whole different person. And it terrified him, seeing how much she resembled his own behavior.

"Night… Marco," she breathed, just as the candle keeping the darkness of the room at bay, found the end of its wick.

"You can never be sure what someone might need. Silence, comfort, light, the dark, food, or even just some company when it's too lonely to see a way out. Every problem, every person, they all need something different, and it's hard to know what it might be. So when you don't know, just lend a hand. Be a shoulder. Everyone has a battle, and nobody should fight alone."

~Mr. Ronald Reagan