Disclaimer: You know the deal.

Notes: Enjoy! And thanks reviewers! Sorry for the wait, writer's block.

Leon was roughly brought out of his unconsciousness by the constant urges of Phoebe shaking his shoulders. Although his sight was blurry, he could make out the outlines of his sister's worried and distraught face. As the boy cleared his site, he gazed up at Be. The older sister's face relaxed into one of relief, even as he closed his once more and let out a weak groan, for the pain rekindled.

"I know, it hurts." Phoebe said quietly as she rocked Augustus in her arms, "But you're going to have to get up. We need to leave before Gio awakes again."

Leon's orange-red eyes peeked open to gaze at his sister, a few tears trailing down his face. Quietly, he managed to choke out a response, "Phoebs… I don't think I can…."

"Don't say that," Phoebe stated gently, bottom lip quivering as she tried to keep her voice a whisper, "I can't carry both you and Augustus, but I will try; I'm not leaving without you."

"Be…" Leon whispered, his tone saying that he was going to argue, but the darkness around his eyes was closing in quickly. Yet, he was not fully out cold, for he heard the movements of cloth brushing against the floor; Giovanni was stirring. There was then a sound of wood sliding against wood, and footsteps moving close to him. The sounds of a child whimpering; Gus knew what was happening, and it frightened him. Voices then sprung up, one deep and filled with hatred, the other feminine and stubborn.

"Get away from them girl, or you'll go down with them." Giovanni growled, picking up his whip as he stared down his daughter.

"No! My place is beside my siblings whom I love for who they are." Phoebe replied, holding the pitchfork across herself in defense. Her light brown eyes stared sharply at her father, daring him as she made contact. A sneer moved onto Gio's face at her response; she didn't know her place.

Gio was fast in his movements, thrusting the whip forward. Phoebe cowered behind the pitchfork, bracing herself as the whip curled around the wood. With a rough tug, the man pulled the weapon from the girl and let it fall loudly to the floor, the girl letting out a yelp of surprise. The noise rose sharply enough to stir Leon out of his dazed state, the sound of Be sobbing quietly registering in his mind, as did the harsh voice of the father.

"I am offering you a choice of life again; stand down and be my new bride, or fall with them."

Leon painfully sat up and steadied himself with his hands and arms, angered with what his father said. Although he was young, there was something not right about anything of what he said. Color seemed to of drained from the boy's face, even around his lips, yet his orange eyes gazed vehemently at his father. The fires within him burned against his skin, acting dangerously with the boy's emotions. The little kid wanted nothing more then to harvest the flames and put everything ahead of him, behind him.

Staggering up, he could hardly see anything as his vision blackened around the edges, but he was not going to give in. Soft hands grabbed firmly on his shoulders, as his sister whispered to him, "Don't worry, I've got you."

"You're still alive?" Giovanni taunted, cracking his whip and causing Leon to flinch. The boy's vision was tunneling, and all he could see was the hate-filled face of his father. "I thought you would've given up by now; you can't win."

The boy's fingertips sparked with flames as he temper increased, and with a hoarse voice he replied hotly, "No, not to you." Shaking out of Phoebe's grasp, Leon staggered down to his knees, and leaned forward on both hands. It was like tinder and wood; flames erupted from his hands, his Gift encouraging the fire to consume the wood floors. All that Leon could see was the brightness of the orange and red flames, the heat blowing onto his face and lifting his hair.

"Leon!" Phoebe managed to squeak out frightfully, due the site of her brother nearly in the flames. It was enough to distract the boy, as he pulled himself away, miraculously unharmed. He turned his head around to look for his sister, who in a swift motion already had an upset infant in her arms. A free hand of the girl went to her brother, and roughly pulled him to his feet. Phoebe dared a look at her father; he was cowering against a wall at the flames surrounding. Before Gio had any more ideas of how to get the children, she grabbed hold of Leon's upper arm, and directed him out of the burning house.

Leon stepped haphazardly, trying to keep up with his sister and not fall over. As the burning emotions disappeared into the cool spring night, the pain in his back returned. All the scars had reopened, allowing fresh blood to pour out of his wounds. The siblings did not make far until Leon went limp, and Be could no longer support him in there walk.

The older sister rocked the infant as she stood above her brother, looking frightful and lost. For the second time, she looked back. Smoke could be seen rising from where their home would be, covering the starry night. It wouldn't be long until the neighbors or someone will see the flames, and react. Phoebe closed her eyes, the cool tears running down her face feeling oddly refreshing. Through blurry eyes the girl looked up to the heavens, and silently whispered a prayer of protection, from any deity that was listening.

A putrid smell seemed to of responded to the girl, the sound of metal not far away. Phoebe's eyes widened, looking frantically about her for the source. Her imaginative mind filled her with thousands of possibilities. The smell only intensified as she thought, as did the sound of clattering metal. All her thoughts and ideas never prepared her for what she saw when she turned around.

Hovering several feet of the ground was a Stormwing, in its clanking metal of a bird's body and feathers, and the head of a human. This one was a male, his mouse brown hair in a rat's nests, and his yellow grin missing several teeth. His skin was covered with patches of dirt, and it would seem he had gotten on the wrong end of a sword, judging by the slash down his face. The Stormwing's nose was too big for its face, and his hazel eyes looked mischievous.

"'Ullo, poppet!" The Stormwing greeted, cackling as he watched Phoebe stumble back. "Nice of me to drop by, innit?"

The girl continued to step back, eyes wide for the shadows that casted over his face made him look more horrifying. The worse of it was, that he was hovering over Leon, who seemed to be stirring from the smell. Yet, the pain, and drained Gift had a hard hold on him, as well as the Immortal's stench. Against the Stormwing's will, his face softened lightly. "I'm here to help you, lass. You're only kids after all, this isn't right."

Be looked stupefied, and lost for words. What was she suppose to say to the creature? If here schooling was correct, this was a Stormwing, a being who made filth of the dead and fed off war. Why would he care about three abused children? Or, why would he even be in Tyra? The country relied solely on trade for economics; it could never support itself in a war. The Stormwing shook its head at the girl's stunned silence.

"I heard of you problem from the Wildmage, and her from a horse. I offered to find ye first. Believe it or not, we like kids." The Stormwing explained, voice gruff, and slightly unwilling to admit that he liked something other then his species norm. He knew the boy he was flying over was not doing so well, and needed to see a healer. The infant hardly looked healthy, and the girl appeared to be too young to be stressing over everything. "There's a caravan you can hide in that isn't too far away; I'll watch over you three. Stop standing there like a dolt," His voice sounded then aggravated, "Before the one who did this is back."

Face paling, Be nodded her head, yet did not move. The Stormwing hovered closer, "I'll take the infant, and use the blankets as a sling; I'd suggest getting the kid over there." Skirting around the Immortal, Be moved down to Leon, and brought him to his feet, even though he was still unconscious. The Stormwing took off with Be following, Leon's feet dragging on the feet behind them.

"Do you have a name?" Phoebe whispered quietly, looking up at him with wide eyes, and flinching when he looked back at her.

"Loic." The Stormwing responded responded, turning down a narrow street.

"I'm Phoebe… And the one you have Augustus, and the other boy is Leon."

Loic didn't respond, but instead continued flying, the wind from the alley gratefully directing the creature's smell away from the children. Surprisingly, the infant was quiet, almost falling asleep. As they exited that alley, sure enough there was a caravan sitting empty outside.

"What if it belongs to someone?" Phoebe asked, glancing down the empty street as she approached the covered cart, looking into the flaps.

"Then it belongs to someone." Loic retorted, hovering a few spaces away. "Get them in."

The girl sighed as she dragged Leon in, arranging his limbs so they weren't in an awkward position. Appearing out again, she reached up to take the infant, trying not to choke on the smell. For a brief moment, she wondered if part of the smell was the sleeping Gus. Well, she wasn't going to look because he was sleeping for one, and another being she had nothing to change him with. After settled Gus down, she peeked her head out to look for the Immortal; he was gone. Phoebe grunted with irritation, before sneaking back in. Mumbling to herself about not trusting Loic, and how she shouldn't of, she found herself drifting off into a restless sleep.