Me: sorry folks, I had a lot to do, but I'm not dead...yet.

Kai: and this is good how?

Max: that was mean-holds crying me-

Rei: yeah Kai, whats the deal.

Tala: it's not his fault she's to softhearted -folds arms over chest-

me: Oh how you all will pay in my stories. Get ready for torture. pure torture.

Max: backs away-that sounds...nice...yeah, anyway Silverdranzer does not own beyblade.

Chapter Five: In sickness we travel

Rei looked around and decided he was going to have make someone start talking. No one seemed to thrilled to be where they were. "Okay," the elf looked at Kai. "Why don't you tell us why you were in the city and stole that piece of fruit?"

"Why dosn't he tell us his name first." Tala growled aloud.

"Wait a minute," Spencer looked around. "You mean to tell me he stole a piece of fruit? Is this all he did?"

"Why don't you ask the wierd ugly one over there?" Tyson pointed to Kai.

With everyone looking at him, Kai opened his eyes. He stood stright and placed his arms at his side. "My name is Alxander." Kai used his fathers name as a cover for his real name. He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but since the demon over there caught his scent Kai could be tracked done. Looking Tala up and down he figured the prince would hunt him down like a wolf, so better play it their way.

"The guards started chasing me, so I went for the first thing I could use as cover at the time." His eyes glanced at Max. "After that, I bought your precious prince here where I planned to leave him today."

"Great, that makes a lot of sense." Tala remarked. "Why the hell were you running anyway? The worst punishment for stealing a piece of fruit is two lashes of a whip."

"I can't get caught," was all Kai said before leaning agianst the tree. He refused to answer any more qustions, if he did he would give up his real identitiy as an Avian. Still, the Dragon demon asked another qustion he couldn't refuse to answer.

"How did you get off the cliff?" Everyone looked back at Kai wanting an answer. What was he?

"I have a friend who controlled wind at the bottom of the cliff who saved my life and the heir." Kai quickly made up the story.

"Where is he now?" Rei asked concerend that someone might be hiding in the bushes.

"Dead." Kai answered. "I killed him the night after."

Half of the group raised an eyebrow. Lex didn't believe him for a second. "Who are you really?" she thought.

"How did they happen to be with you?" Tala interrogated nodding his head toward the entertianers.

When Kai didn't answer Hiro answered for him. "Yesturday, we were entertainers tied to the back of a caravan, forced to walk from city to city. He freed us by killing our captors and the ox, when he offered free use of his campsite; we didn't refuse. We fought you earlier as payment for the help he gave us."

Rei chewed on the new information. At least they had all talked and seemed to be telling the truth. Alexander (Kai) may have been lying, but he wasn't so sure. The only problem was what had to be done now. Did he let them walk away? Turn them in? Kill them now?

"A good king always does his best to be fair Rei and listens to his heart along with the god Drigger." He remembered what his father always told him. His heart told him to let them go, but to be fair would mean turning someone in.

"Drigger, help me," he prayed silently to his god.

Suddenly Max began to cough violently and blood spilled from his mouth. His skin had paled tremediously. His body was slightly beginning to shake with fever.

"Max are you okay?" Tyson looked at his close friend worridly. When Max only nodded he turned toward Kai. "You poisned him didn't you?" The Dragon teen was on his feet. "You piece of trash, your trying to kill him!" He moved toward Kai ferious. Before he could reach Kai though, Evenescence pushed him aside with a huff and growl.

She moved to Max's side and lifted up his shirt exaiming a small roundish rash with a slight black haze in the middle. Tyson was yelling at Kai when she screamed. "Tyson shut up! It wasn't Alaxander's (Kai) fault anyway. Your friend here has Black Rose Fever."

"What's that?" Rei asked curious.

"A fever thats going to kill him." She said matter of factly. "It's a deadly sickness that appears with a rash. Slowly you begin to lose strength, though you may not feel it a first. Than on the last days you have left, a black spot appears in the midde. The only cure is the pollen in an unopened black rose."

"So," Tyson looked at her. "All we have to do is get black rose pollen and he'll be as good as new."

"What do you mean he is going to die?" Tala looked at her not quite believeing what he was hearing.

"I mean he's only got about five days left and the only place Black Rose bloom is in the Dragon Kingdom. It would take you a week and a half even if you flew. By than he'd be already dead." She stood up and looked down at him without pity. "He's as good as dead."

"That's not true, there has to be something we can do!" Tyson ran over to the girl demanding her help. Soon everyone was yelling and Max was coughing violently. Kai stood to the side and was about to make a dash for it when he saw the boy on his hands and knees vomiting. Sighing Kai took a deep breath and blew fire at the crowd of arguing teens.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Tala demanded.

Kai didn't answer at first, but leaned down and picked Max up. The younger boy was to weak to protest. "I'm taking him to get the cure, their's a patch of black roses at the end of the woods. An old couple owns them, but they'd be willing to give me some. I'll return your prince when he is healthy."

"Oh no, " Rei grabbed Kai's shoulder, "Your not taking Max without us. How do we know your lying or if your going to kill him? I'm going with you."

"We're going with you," Tala said boldly and Tyson nodded.

"No," Kai answered. "I'm not taking you anywhere. I'm only taking Max." Before Tyson could protest Hiro spoke up.

"I understand your fear Alexander," he looked at Kai, "my group and I will follow you. We owe you a great debt and don't want you to get double crossed by these so called royal princes and killed." Spencer stept forward and removed Max from Kai's hands. The Avian prince nodded in a reply, picked up his bag and started to walk. The others following mutely behind him.

They had only traveled two hours when Tyson stopped. "I can't go any farther!" he exclaimed. We were searching for Max all night and I'm so hungry. Can we please stop now?"

Silently Rei and Tala agreed equally exhausted and hungry. They hadn't slept in over ninteen hours. Kai on the other hand kept walking ignoring Tyson's plea. Tyson got angry and called out, "I command you to stop!"

To their surprise, Kai did stop and turned around. He sent a glare at Tyson that made the younger boy shiver. "You have no authority out here Prince," Kai hissed. "I could kill you and be long gone before anyone was the wiser. I'm in charge and I say we move forward." A smirk graced his lips, "Of course your welcome to stay here and wait for a band of pirites or vagabonds to either kill you, kindnap you, or make you a slave." Kai turned around and kept walking.

Tyson stayed on the ground but gulped. "Yeah right," he muttered. "There's nothing to be scared of. It's just a trail and no one would dare harm me. I'm a Prince, not some pesant like Mr. I make all the rules up there." Hiro stopped in front of him and leaned down suddenly making Tyson jump.

"If your tired, I'll carry you." Tyson looked at the offered back and jumped on. The older teen stood stright and began walking.

"Here we are babysitting a buch of ingreatfull brats," Bryan muttered. "Next thing you know thier all going to want us to carry them."

"Quit your whinning Bryan," Ilyana muttered back. "We have to travel this way anyway. We're wanted now that our "masters" are killed, they'll be looking for the murderer. And who do you'll think they'll blame hum?"

Bryan didn't answer but kept muttering. Grey wings came quickly out of his back and with a gust of air, he flew into the sky. His sister continued walking shaking her head, but laughed inside when she saw the princes faces when they finally figured out they were travling with an avian. It was almost priceless. She looked ahead and saw Alaxander. She didn't believe for one second that was his name or that he was human. She narrowed her eyes, something was up.

Kai: well that was...okay

Me: thanks, I love the critisism.

Max: why am I sick

Tala: I'm bored, i'm gonna go look at the other fics.

Rei: I'll go with you.

Me: whatever. Bye!

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