There was no choice now. It was now or never and if I didn't do it now, I never would. So as the night wound down for the third time since kissing Ragan, Keori bolted. The timing was right, no one was watching and I booked it for the closet treeline. I was lucky to have the gift of mother's legs and lungs because I didn't stop until my breath burned in my chest and my arms felt like goo.
"Breathe… breathe…" I hid behind a tree expecting to be chased down by one of the catlike people that were Ragan's tribe. Instead there was nothing but utter silence. And that was the problem. Not a bird sang, not a cricket chirped and Ragan would not have left her go… not when she was so interesting… But she couldn't stay. It had been a while now and they had not so much as even spoken about her needed to get to Fanelia. "…breathe…" I'm not alone… I know it… "Come out. I don't plan to be followed by anyone or be taken back so come out." I waited for a few seconds and nothing happened. I had either two choices. Pretend that I believed someone was there and they came out or pretend and make a fool of myself to nobody. "I'll wait…" I sat down and crossed my legs even though I wanted to put as much distance between me and Ragan… Ok, not him himself, but his people. I needed to find Van. He had a way to get me home.
"You are a very particular woman. You knew I was here. How?" A man that was not Ragan dropped out of the tree directly above me. He nearly scared the actual piss out of me.
"I didn't. It was unlikely that Ragan would let me escape or that I wasn't seen leaving out right though… I'm surprised that I got out… even if you were following me." The man laughed then.
"You escaped only because I helped you to escape… Ragan told me to be your guide to Fanelia." I looked at him confused as hell.
"Why would he tell you to help me escape and how did he even know I was going to run and why did I even need help? Why couldn't I have just left?" Had I been standing I might have backed away, being that I was still sitting I could only watch as the man knelt down to look at me eye to eye.
"My people, would not have allowed you to leave. You are a woman from the mystic moon and have brought stability to the people. You have given us our chieftain back and he openly has feelings for you. They would not have allowed you to leave… Ragan asked me to help you when you decided to leave. That is his way for you." I could only gap at him.
"How do we get to Fanelia and what is your name. I can't keep calling you cat-man." He smiled and tilted his head slightly as him affirming something in his mind.
"I am Kaen, Head to the guard set around Ragan and now your personal servant. I will always be within sight of you, whether you see me or not. Ragan has told me of you need to bath alone. This cannot be allowed outside of the protection of my people… You will have to learn to coup." He silenced my rebuke with a finger before grabbing me and jumping right up into the tree as high as the tree went before stopping. It was then that a group of five men walked right to where we had just been. Kaen no longer needed to silence me with his hand released me. It was clear without hearing them, that they were after me for some reason. Perhaps Allen had sent them to hunt me down.
"They were here… the man from the tribes that had been sent to guide her must have taken her into the trees. From there they could move at an unbelievable pace. We have to move and quickly if we wish to keep up with them." The men didn't stay long and I stayed in the tree silent until Kaen said it was safe to move and talk.
"They were after me… who are they? Why are they following me?" Kaen stooped down and picked me back up. I held on his neck from his backside and he detoured away from the men.
"I do not know, but they know more than they should… We will have to be careful with you." He peered back at me with a smile and started to actually jump from tree to tree.
"Why are you doing all of this? Why are you not trying to drag me back to your people and cage me like the rest seem to want to?"
"I am not the rest of my people. I do not wish to remain in the village, but it is their way. Ragan knows this. I asked to guide you for two reasons. The first gets me into the world. The other… is because you are interesting. Whatever draws Ragan in also does so for me." I would have let go had I not been 20 feet in the air.
He likes me like Ragan likes me… that's what he just said… He doesn't like acting like his people act… He said he liked me… This world is messed up… I'm confused.
"How long will it take to get you Fanelia?" Kaen continued his leap frog thing and spoke like he wasn't doing a blasted thing.
"It will take at least 2 weeks to get to the boarder that it Freid and Fanelia. From there at least another month if not more; It will depend on how much you can handle travel. We will avoid the mountain pass that it Fortona temple and go for the sea. We shall follow the sea coast until we reach Castelo castle, the capital of Fanelia. This is where you will met with the King of Fanelia… if you can get in to see him. Since the war with Zaibach 3 years ago, the King has been rebuilding his country from ruin. It is said the only people to see the King outside of events held at the capital would be his advisors… You might have a better chance going to Asturia and meeting the King there and gaining an audience." I could hear everything he said and it was clear that Kean wanted a piece of the world he was not getting from his own people.
"Where did you learn all of this?" The forest was quickly changing from thick green foliage to patches of open fields were trees became few and far between.
"I have listened to travelers and read books that were forbidden amongst our people. I have memorized maps and names of places. It is why Ragan allowed me to accompany you. He would not allow just anyone to follow after you." He soon dropped to the ground and I slid off his back.
"Hey… how do you plan to get down from here?" I had walked to what I thought was a little hill or something of the sort, but it turns out I was wrong. Before was a huge cliff that sat abreast a large body of water.
"This is part of the sea, we are just passed the main city of Fried, Godashim. It would take too long to go around and Ragan has told me that you all but fly when you have to… How do you fly, Hurin?" I backed away from the cliff and gave him the look that said 'you are fricken insane'.
"I cannot fly. I jumped out some kind of aircraft with a parachute… It stopped me from falling too quickly and dying… And who is Hurin?" Kean smiled and picked me up. I tensed as he looked down at me with sparkling eyes.
He is fricken insane!
"In common tongue 'hur' means poison or toxin. 'in' is a honorable word for lady. You are so very interesting and I find myself happy with you, but I fear like everything… too much of such a thing is dangerous." He suddenly burst towards the cliff and I started to scream. I hoped his ears burst and bled. I prayed his landed hard and got an angry pink belly from it. I hoped he ate recently and got a knot in his stomach and OH MY GOD!
The cliff fell away and air streamed past my face carrying my tears away. Kaen laughed as I squeezed onto him like he was going save me.
"I will fucking kill you!" My words got carried away much like my tears as the water below rushed up to meet me.