Subi: WHOO! This is getting AWESOME!

Anonymous: (blushing a lot) ... Would you please quit jumping around?

Subi: T-T But I like this chapter... >D mainly because you wrote at least half of it.

Anonymous: ... >>... No comment...

3. Escape

The land was covered with treacherous jagged spikes and edges that previous battles gave them, and even more scorch marks. As Siax and Amnae were carefully yet briskly traveling to a safer destination, Ravage watched them from an edge above.

Siax moved ahead while Amnae stayed behind as he scouting the rough landscape for the safest route. Amnae walked behind, warily keeping lookout for dangers behind. Suddenly, the tingling sensation of being followed -that was dismissed earlier, blamed on the shift of Karahrr- came back even stronger than before. Getting a grip on herself to not panic, she started gradually speeding up, testing if the feeling was false. For all three attempts, it still persisted, giving barely any room for doubt. But she had to be sure, or else they would tire themselves out fleeing from possibly nothing; and that would not suit well with pursuers lurking about. Quickly, without giving away her position, her eyes darted within the field of vision. To her suspicions (and horror), a small portion of swishing mech tail could be spotted on a higher ledge. Walking slightly faster, she caught up to Siax and walked at his pace. Siax looked at her curiously; she usually held her position behind him.

"What is it?" he asked, knowing it couldn't be good if she wanted to be closer to him while they tried to escape.

"We're being followed, one mech at least," was her hushed reply, "How far are we from shelter? We can probably run and lose its tracks if we're close enough."

Siax considered his options; if they ran, it would give them the advantage of finding a place to hide, but a lot of energy would be used, and if they continued at this pace, there would be no protection in battle. Finally, he made his choice. Nodding to Amnae, they set off at a faster speed, being careful to dodge the imposing chunks of metal that threatened to impale all in their path.

"I think this is a safe place to be for now," Siax said as they approached an especially metal imbedded area.

"And if it isn't, I will make it that way," declared Amnae. Tapping into her inner strength and energies, the metal around them began to form into a fortified wall, inconspicuously in the appearance of being there to begin with, unbeknownst to any passerby; for the battlefield always changes and one cannot be sure of it's true form.

"It's all my fault, we shouldn't have ever come here..." Amnae said remorsefully. A moment later, a blast destroyed the foundation of the wall in front of them, sending shards of sharp metal everywhere. Siax leapt up, changing into his rare mech-mode, to shield Amnae and Karahrr from harm, taking the impact for himself. Little Karahrr choked on the air that was thick with dust from the blasters in her bag. Turning with a roar, Siax shot out of the building, fangs and claws bared, his twin-lasers flashing at the 'Cons that threatened him and his family. Amnae took advantage of the distraction, running out of the battlefield in her mech form. Siax continued to slash at the Decepticons viciously, daring them to try and follow the retreating form of the mother and child. After damaging the Decepticons to the point of being immobile, he turned his concerned gaze to the direction Amnae had went. He took a weak step towards their direction before the darkness folded around him...

Not far away, an Autobot that heard the last Decepticon cry out before going offline, and turned to see the silver-white and green cat collapse sideways. Alarmed, the Autobot dodged the decepticon he was fighting and ran over to the cat-mech to make sure it was going to survive, calling for a medic as he went...

Having escaped the Decepticons, Amnae carried Karahrr to a small shelter nearby. Amnea turned back into her human form when she was sure it was safe, panting and knees shaking with exhaustion, hoping with all her heart that Siax would return safely. The owner of the shelter was another cat demon with the rare mech-trait, and he quickly ushered them in to the relative safety of the building after a quick sniff of his sensitive nose. Glaviin was a older cat demon, and had kept himself half-transformed for so long that he could never completely transform back into a human. Half blind with age, he mostly relied on his sensitive nose, his whiskers, what he felt with his paws, and by sheer knowledge of his surroundings. He placed one of his Grey-brown paws on Amnae's shoulder and gently took the basket she was carrying out of her hands as she curled up in a corner of the room. His tail, though he was old, still whisked back and forth as he brought her a cup of soup and handed it to her soundlessly.

"Thank you, Glaviin... We owe you so much for everything that you've done for us," Amnae whispered, slipping the bag with Karahrr off her shoulders, and cradling her now sleeping daughter in her arms.

The older cat demon smiled behind his half-furred face, twitching his whiskers. he nodded in her direction and scurried away, hunting for something he alone knew about. When he came back, he had three things with him: A small woven basket, a necklace, and a staff with an amethyst crystal somehow fused to one end. Glaviin held out the necklace towards Amnae and Karahrr,

"Put this around her neck; It will protect her," he rasped, before digging into the small basket in his paws. Amnae gently put the black beaded necklace over her daughter's head. Glaviin's paw flashed out and touched the largest stone on the necklace; He muttered a protecting spell before returning to his previous task. Amnae looked up and saw him arranging six stones in a circle around him...

"Siax has been gone too long, Glaviin. I have to go find him. Please watch over my Karahrr while I'm gone," Amnae hugged the aged cat demon and turned to leave. But before she could walk out the door, the little one in question awakened from her nap. Seeing her mother starting away, she struggled out of her bag/bed and ran to them, tugging on her mother's ragged skirt, whimpering and tears on her face. Amnae's heart wrenched with the sadness showing in Karahrr's tear pooling orbs, but she knew what she had to do. "It's alright sweetie," her mother crooned, bending down and giving the child a loving embrace; long and warm, as love is exactly that. Tears forming in her own eyes, Amnae whispered a sleeping spell, arms still around Karahrr and assured even softer, "It will be okay, I promise, Karahrr. We'll come back as soon as we can."

Karahrr blinked with the sudden heaviness of her eyelids, trying to keep awake…then all faded to black, and her hands slowly slid off Amnae. Glaviin scooped up her now dreaming body and solemnly looked up into Amnae's eyes, the urge to cry prickling at the corners of his own eyes.

"Please take good care of her," was all she said before turning and dashing off into the star strewn landscape to hunt for Siax. Glaviin never saw her again...

Subi: WHOO! CLIFFIES ARE FUN!

Anonymous: V-V As if they care; they just want us to update... and update... and update...

Subi: Oo whats wrong with updating?

Anonymous: Are you Crazy?.!

Subi: I'm evil and crazy- and proud of it. >D

Anonymous: Oh god... X-X

Subi: WHOO UPDATE FRENZIES ARE FUN!

Anonymous: What has that got to do with anything?.!

Subi: Honestly, I have no idea... >>;