Yao had been searching for the supposed stables that Matthew had mentioned earlier for about an hour now. His feet were aching and his head was spinning from seeing the same building and colors over and over again, looking at the colors even started to hurt his eyes once he realized how bright they are despite the sun setting in the horizon. At least the village started to calm down and wasn't as rowdy as it was the afternoon before, the music also started to go in a slow pace down in town square and the people were just calmly dancing with their partners. Some folks went up to lampposts and lit up, or replace, the candles within them, lighting up the darkening paths with a warm glow.
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaoooooo" Gilbert groaned out for the umpteenth time that day, after the first five Yao started to completely ignore him, but a man can only take so much "Yaaaaaaaaaaaooooo….Yaaaaaaaaaoooo!...YAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAOOO-" The stopped abruptly and turned heel to glare at his companion "Gilbert, I don't know why you are tormenting me aru, but I don't need you adding to my list of labors on this mission! I'm tried too but you don't see me complaining. Be a man!" Gilbert stared at him blankly, Yao smiled in triumph and was about to turn around again until his companion slouched and took in a deep lazy breath "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo-"
"AIYAH! SHUT UP GILBERT!" He shouted. The people nearby paused and looked at the two of them in puzzlement. Yao bit his lip and quickly turned around again, dragging Gilbert with him "Look what you got us into aru!" Gilbert smirked and finally started walking normally again after the passed the crowd "I was boooored! I thought the mission would be a lot more fun than getting stupid horses from a stall…" They passed through the town square again, looking around for any sign of the horse stables, unfortunately just like their last attempts they ended up with a whole load of nothing "Matthew should have given us better directions aru…" Yao hoped that they at least found an inn for them to stay in, he was still carrying his bags full of medicine, food and clothes.
Gilbert on the other hand didn't seem to have any trouble walking around with his bag full of….whatever Gilbert brings to their missions- and he will always refuse to touch it!- But considering how much combat he was into, it wouldn't actually be as surprising if he had a whole lot of energy. He even had enough to raise his brother all by himself "Admit it Yao, we need to ask someone for directions" Gilbert leaned against a nearby wall, crossing his arms. A smug smile on his pale face. Yao pouted and looked up at the sky, at this rate they'll never find the stalls, Matthew would get disappointed. He sighed in defeat "Fine…."
Gilbert smirked and got off the wall, walking beside Yao again as they looked around for anyone to ask directions from "Excuse me, but could you-" The man Yao was talking to just ignored him and walked on, Yao tried again and approached a guy who was out for an evening walk with a lady friend "Uhm, hello could you direct me to-" The man grinned at him and patted him on the shoulder "Yeah hi buddy! Listen we're on a rush so can't talk kay? But be sure to visit my club down in May street!" He chuckled before scampering off with his girl. But that didn't discourage the doctor, he wouldn't let Gilbert rub it in his face about being unable to ask for directions.
This time he went for someone who wasn't running around, doing whatever, he approached a bakery nearby, one where the baker was just rolling some dough near the counter "Excuse me" He said in a soft voice, the baker looked up and smiled "Oh hi, what can I do you for?" He set his dough aside and actually looked at Yao, the doctor was thankful for it "Yes well, a friend and I are looking for horse stables and we'd like to buy a few, do you know of any stables like that?" The baker simply stared, a dreamy look on his face, Yao backed away, feeling something weird is going on with him "Uh, are you okay?"
"Oh certainly~ now that a lovely lady such as yourself has come to visit my humble little shop" Everything went blank for Yao at that moment in time.
Gilbert laughed behind Yao, earning a disapproving look in return, but instead of stopping, he merely dropped to the ground and held his stomach as he laughed out loud "Okay then, how about you try asking for directions aru?" Yao gritted out, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. Gilbert sighed and stood back up, pulling his companion in a one armed hug "Oh Yao, Yao, Yao…you just haven't mastered the art of manly awesomeness like me yet, it takes years of dedication to reach this" He gestured at his whole self. Yao grimaced, practically feeling the other's cocky energy radiate from his body "By 'reaching this' if you mean a self-centered, violent and rash idiot then I think I'll pass aru"
Gilbert shook his index finger from side to side, making little tsking sounds like how children would pretend to tell off their toys for being bad "Don't be like that Yao, I'm offering you my awesome knowledge that I only usually reserve for my brother and closest friends. Besides that I already asked about ten people while you were wasting daylight by the way, and we already passed the stables" Yao blinked, registering Gilbert's words in his mind. He gaped at him then pushed him off harshly "YOU COULDN'T TELL ME THAT EARLIER?!" Gilbert grinned like a Cheshire cat and turned around again to actually follow the path leading to the stables "I just wanted to see how long you'll last without asking anyone for directions~" Yao glared the retreating albino's back. One day he's sure that the resistance will be one man short.
They rounded a corner which they hadn't gone through the first time because they thought it led to a dead end, but instead it actually split up into two other roads at the end. Gilbert gave Yao a triumphant look while the doctor scowled at the floor "This doesn't prove anything you know.." Yao mumbled, kicking a pebble away "Nooo, it proves just how awesome I am! Come on, I can hear the horses already!" He went right and Yao went left. They stopped and looked at each other questionably "Uh, Yao the stables are this way" Gilbert pointed at the path he was on, Yao on the other hand shook his head "No, the way to the stables are over here aru, you're wrong"
"Yeah?, and whooo asked for directions again? Oh that's right, ME!" Gilbert jabbed a finger onto his chest and glared at Yao "Yes but, do you know how to read signs?" There was a pole on the path the doctor took, a small wooden arrow was nailed to it's side, the words 'Horse stables' painted onto it in red. Gilbert flustered, he shook his head and lifted his nose high then crossed his arms, marching towards Yao and passing him to walk in front "I knew that! The awesome me was just testing you!" He said. Yao sighed and walked behind him, it would take a miracle if they actually made it to the stables with Gilbert as his companion.
They had a bit of difficulty, concerning that Yao had to drag Gilbert around by the collar of his shirt now to keep him from getting lost, it wasn't long before they reached the stables and finally get the damn horses that Yao is starting to dislike. Were those things worth the trouble of being with Gilbert? He wouldn't know "Finally!" Yao let go of a whining Gilbert, who promptly fell to the ground on his ass. They were in front of a small patch of land with multiple stables surrounding it, there were people who rode some horses in a nearby field and some who were looking through the stables.
The stables had different colors, some would be a dark brown, yellow, pink or blue, little triangular banners of different colors hung between some stables for decoration. Yao grimaced 'Why does everything have to be so bright aru?' Diversity is something he appreciated, but sometimes simple things are enjoyable as well, and after all he's been through, simple is like a rare taste of heaven for him. Gilbert finally stood back up and joined him, he looked around once until the same bored expression from earlier crossed his features "So unawesome!" Yao huffed, he would not stand for Gilbert's whining again "We just need to get horses aru, you should have known nothing much will happen. If you feel that you'll get bored while I'm picking out horses aru, then just go and play somewhere else"
"Don't you use your little reverse psychology trick on me! I'm not gonna fall for it!... But maybe you don't want me to fall for it and you just want to see me goof off so you'll have something to blame me for later! You sneaky bastard! The awesome me will not be fooled! I won't go with you but I will because I'm too smart for your little Chinese mind games! HAH! BEAT THAT YAO!" He waved his index finger up and down in front of Yao's face in triumph. Yao stared at him boredly, he could feel a headache starting to climb into his mind, since when did he become a babysitter? "Okay Gilbert, but the moment a complaint escapes your lips or if you scamper off, you'll have to give up being 'awesome' for a day" A horrified gasp left the Prussian's mouth "You monster! You'll be depriving the world of the awesomeness I give it everyday!"
"I think the world can take it's chances, let's just go and pick out suitable horses already" Gilbert pouted and begrudgingly followed Yao into the ranch. The doctor knew he had to look around for the owner first, they couldn't risk just dilly dallying around now that the sky was starting to darken, at least they made it in time and the ranch isn't closed yet. He spotted a man talking to a couple near a bunch of blue stables, the couple handed him some money and took a horse by the bridle and started to lead it out of the ranch, the man waved at them and happily placed the money in a small pouch, he turned to the stables and began to pet one of the horses with a smile "That's the owner" Yao mumbled to himself while Gilbert was pressing his mouth into a thin line to stop his complaints.
They walked towards the man and it didn't take long for the guy to notice them coming towards him, for a ranch owner he actually looked pretty neat, unlike the workers Yao saw running around, he had slicked back brown hair and wore a clothing similar to a polo, he had black-almost- baggy pants and a pair of dress shoes. If he was what Yao thought he was, then he probably dresses like that just because he doesn't work much "Hello there! Are you here to buy horses?" He asked in a cheery voice. Yao nodded numbly and looked over the stables "What are your finest horses? Particularly, the very fast ones" The man placed a hand on his chin, looking up in thought, he snapped his fingers and led them through the stables "We had newer horses brought in just two days ago, they're very healthy and somewhat young so I'm sure they have enough energy for a long ride! And if you're interested, we could provide you with saddles and other things you may need for the horses"
"I see, but I think it would be best to check on them first, after all I…." The conversation faded out in Gilbert's painfully bored mind. He rolled his eyes and bit down hard on his tongue to keep anything from coming out, his arms hung loosely at his sides, he slumped backward and practically had to drag his upper half around 'This is so BORING! UGH! STOP TALKING ALREADY AND PICK A DAMN HORSE! They all look fucking the same to me!' He red eyes scanned the ranch in an upside down view, there wasn't anything that caught his interest. He grimaced, if he stayed like this he'll probably go crazy, he could feel his awesome energy aching to be let out and shared with the world, he whined inwardly.
"WHOA! KEEP HIM STEADY!" Gilbert's ears perked up to the frantic screaming somewhere in the ranch. He straightened himself and looked around again, someone started shouting curses then a scream came next "WAAAAAAAH!" He inwardly flinched when a man came flying out of a gathered crowd and into the air, the man landed chest first into the soil, he groaned and was later helped up by fellow workers 'Now this I gotta see' He sneaked a peek at Yao and the man, they were still talking about horses, Yao was completely engrossed in the conversation that he didn't even realize the Gilbert wasn't there anymore.
The Prussian on the other hand was worming his way through a crowd gathered around a small corral, if the flying man sparked his interest, he was sure that whatever this was will finally chase his boredom away. He reached the front of the crowd and looked to where they were staring "By the mother of all things awesome….." He gaped. There was a black stallion in the middle of the corral, multiple workers were surrounding it, each of them holding rope "We gotta restrain this thing already!" One of them shouted out, barely dodging the horse's kick "Oh do you think we haven't tried that yet?!" Another spat back in distaste, before the man knew it, the horse ran straight for him, he yelled as he came in contact with the beast and got rammed into one of the wooden posts in the corral.
'Awesome…' Gilbert's eyes sparkled with excitement, how awesome would it be if he could tame that horse. He cracked a smile and went over the corral, the people gasped as he calmly walked towards the distraught workers, one of them caught him, eyes wide and frantic "SIR! PLEASE STEP BACK! THIS ANIMAL IS DANGEROUS!" Gilbert pried the man's hands off him coolly, he smiled at him as if he knew the secrets of the universe "Dear boy, what if I told you I could tame this beast?..."
"Are you sure that's all I can take?" Yao pressed on, the man just revealed that he could only afford two of their finest horses, of course back then it would have been okay for the four of them, but they had a prisoner now so squeezing three people into one horse might be a problem "Yes, I'm sorry sir but it's really all you can afford, especially with our most finest" The doctor frowned, he looked down at the little pouch full of silver and gold, he couldn't run back to Matthew to ask for more money now, the ranch would have closed up by then "What do you think Gilbert?" Silence. He groaned and turned to scold his companion "Gilbert I know you're upset aru, but you don't have to give me….the….silent treatment…." He stared at an empty space where Gilbert once stood, the man beside him furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "Erm, do you need some help sir? Are you dizzy?"
Yao paled, who knows what Gilbert would do when he's left alone, that man could start an Armageddon if he actually tried hard enough-or not even try at all!- the doctor looked around frantically for the Prussian. He ran away from the man without a second thought and began his search that may judge the fate of the world, and/or people's sanity "GILBERT?!" He shouted out, moving through crowds and pushing past people, still no sign of the Prussian "GIL-"
"YAHOOOOO!" Yao skidded to a stop, hearing the albino's familiar voice. He looked over to a crowd of people and saw a flash of white hair jumping around. He bit his lip and ran towards the crowd, hoping Gilbert hasn't made a fool of himself. By the time he reached the front of the crowd, his worries built up inside him, he was about ready to give Gilbert an earful if it wasn't for the fact that the man was riding a horse that was trying to shake him off "WOOO! Can't handle the awesomeness horse?!" The stallion bucked in response, it tried ramming Gilbert into the wooden posts but the persistent Prussian kept a tight hold on it's mane and neck.
It started to get tired, never encountering a human such as the man on his back, he gave out one last buck until it practically collapsed after the ten minutes of trying to shake the man off. Gilbert jumped off the horse and raised his hands "This beast…..HAS BEEN TAMED!" He declared as if he were the emperor in the middle of a fight in an arena. The crowd cheered and clapped, the workers clapping as well but in a calm manner. The man who Yao was with finally caught up to him and gaped at Gilbert who was now petting the wild horse they failed to tame for three weeks "By God! Is that your friend?"
"Well, yes" Yao answered simply. The man smiled widely and clapped him on the back "We've been trying to tame that horse for weeks now! And yet your friend has done it in less than minuets! What a spectacular young man" Gilbert was now riding the stallion around the corral, petting it a few time on it's side when they executed a jump over some barrels, the man laughed in amusement and walked Yao back to the stables once the crowd cleared "You said you needed three horses right? Tell you what, you buy those two horses and I can give your friend that stallion for free! How's that sound?"Yao's eyes widened, he did not just hear that did he? He smiled and shook the man's hand "It's a deal aru" He handed the man some coins for the two horses "I'll just get them ready with their saddles and bridles, I'll meet the two of you at the exit" He walked away and back into the stables.
"HEY YAO!" Gilbert came up next to the doctor, still riding the horse "Check it out! I tamed something! Pretty awesome huh?" Then realization dawned on him, he looked down and sighed "I have to give up being awesome for a day now right?" Yao blinked, then he remembered their little talk. He smiled and shook his head "No Gilbert, you actually did pretty good aru. You were…awesome" Gilbert instantly brightened, he bounced excitedly on the stallion's back, much to the animal's dismay "Really?! You thought I was awesome?!" Yao chuckled at his friend's almost childish attitude "Yes, you were awesome, and surprise you get to keep that horse" Gilbert whooped and started to ride the horse in a huge circle around Yao "AWESOME! And you know what awesome name I dub this horse with?...Schmidt!" The doctor raised an eyebrow "'Schmidt'?"
Gilbert frowned "What? You want me to call him Gilhorse? That's totally weird! Besides, Schmidt sounds like Smith but with an awesome twist to it!" The man came back with two horses in tow, he smiled at both of them and handed Yao the reins "A pleasure doing business with you two" The turned to Gilbert "And thanks for the show young man! A little bit of advice, keep doing what you do best!" The man really took a shine to Gilbert, so it seems. The albino winked "Being awesome is my specialty sir!" The man laughed and waved them off. They said their goodbyes and exited the ranch, Gilbert still rode Schmidt all the way and Yao was content, Gilbert's impulsive behavior to 'spread his awesomeness' actually got them somewhere, in fact the doctor couldn't have had it any other way.
Alfred stood at the back of the inn, munching on a sandwich he got from the dining room, it was much too noisy for him in there, he just has a lot on his mind. He wanted to sort them out in a quiet place, especially since a certain mage occupied his thoughts. Yes he was curious about him, something about the mage just made Alfred push away his awful personality, he couldn't explain why he actually felt that way towards Arthur 'Arthur' the name replayed in his mind, it just sounded good, he sighed 'God, if only Mattie were here, he'd probably know the answer' He took another bite off his sandwich and stared at the forest in front of him, a blue ball of light caught his attention. He smiled as it came close
"Michelle! Where did you go?" The fairy giggled and sat on his shoulder, she dusted off her arms and relaxed "Well, when that stupid mage let me go I darted back into the forest. You don't think I'd leave you now that the mage is with you right? I'll be your guardian from now on!" Alfred laughed and stroked Michelle's hair with his pinky, seeing as to how small she is, the fairy didn't protest and simply swung her legs back and forth "Thanks Michelle, I appreciate that" Then the fairy's expression turned serious, she held Alfred's pinky finger and frowned "I'm serious Alfred, that mage is a dangerous man. I've seen what he did, you wouldn't believe it, one day you'd think he trusts you and he's willing to help then the next he betrays you, laughs at your pain then leaves you for dead…" She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply "Just….be careful…" She flew in front of Alfred, with an almost sad expression.
Alfred's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Michelle knew Arthur? He smiled sadly at the fairy, still not able to comprehend what's wrong "I will Chelle, thanks for looking out for me" The fairy blushed at the little nickname Alfred gave her, she really can't leave this boy alone. It's rare to find such a pure and innocent soul like his, and she's determined to protect him "I just don't want to see you get hurt Alfred, you have to promise me, you won't get too attached to that mage okay? Trust me when I say he's not what you think he is" The swordsman swallowed, somehow Michelle's request struck him as something he couldn't do, he didn't know what answer he should give the little fairy, he racked his brain for anything at all that could still be a good answer.
He let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling cold and hot at the same time "…I'll try" Came his weak response. Michelle grimaced, but Alfred didn't see it, she nodded and flew next to him "I'll accept that answer. So, what exactly is your quest? I haven't really asked you yet" Alfred finished up his sandwich and walked near the forest edge, Michelle flying right beside him "Ah, well we're part of a resistance group, we don't really have a name yet so we're just 'resistance', a branch of our group in Avia reported something about a squadron working with some mages to create some sort of flying machine that has built in firearms and can protect itself from magic" A hint of fear and shock went over Michelle's face "Wow, that sounds kinda scary"
"Isn't it? Anyway, we're on our way to Avia to help them sabotage the squadron's plans, we can't let them have one up against us, we always plan on staying ahead of the kingdom. So far we held one year but that's questionable now" Michelle pouted, why did Alfred suddenly sound so serious? She had pinned him as the type to be happy-go-lucky, and always that way. But somehow, the swordsman managed to conjure up a sort of dreading feeling mixed with seriousness, Michelle hoped it won't last long. Luckily for the fairy, her prayers were answered when Alfred smiled at her and changed the subject.
"How about you? Y'know this is dangerous and you probably have a family somewhere" He started to get used to talking to her naturally, as if she was an old friend instead of some mythical creature that people barely even see. Michelle tensed, the swordsman saw her reaction and waved his hand "Uh, its okay if you don't want to answer that, I'm okay with whatever" The fairy sighed, she fluttered down to sit on his shoulder "It's not you Alfred, it's just that….well I don't know my family, like I just woke up one day and I'm here, no one else. It's kinda hard to explain, think of this, just one day you exist and that's it, no memories, but you know things already. That's how it went for me until other faeries found me, they weren't really family, all they did was raise and take care of me but we never had anything like 'love' or whatever going on like how humans usually have" Alfred frowned, he could never imagine a life like that, to not have his father's protectiveness and knowledge or his mother's kindness and love.
"What's it like?" Michelle asked out of the blue, Alfred hummed, noting that they're almost at the end of the village, it actually surprised him with how far they went and he didn't notice "What's what like?" He asked, not really understanding what she meant "….Having a family" She muttered sadly. Alfred thought for a little while, they stopped behind some building at the edge of the village, he could still hear the sounds of festivity in the square but it was faint, light came from the distance and glowed like a small sun from where they were, providing a little bit of illumination "Well, it's really-by how Gilbert would put it- awesome. Parents would love and care for you, they'd provide what you need and want, and they're really patient with you especially when you're still an annoying little brat or a teenager hopped up on hormones. And your siblings are people who you'd probably tell stuff you wouldn't tell your parents, you'd have fights but you still love each other at the same time, like Mattie and me! Oh! There's also all the cool stuff you'd do with them like camping or hiking a mountain and sometimes a little bit of picnics here and there! Basically, by blood or not, a family is people who love, protect and provide for each other, no questions, they do it just because"
Michelle had a thoughtful look on her face "Like, you and the resistance?" Alfred chuckled and nodded "Yeah! I guess we're some sort of family too! Right Michelle?" The fairy blinked, she shyly flew a few inches away from the swordsman "I-I'm part of it too?" Alfred gave her his brightest smile in return "Of course! If ever, when you want to meet the others, I'm sure they'd be happy to have you!" Michelle smiled, Alfred was such an interesting human, she's never been able to encounter someone like him before, he really is a diamond among stones "Thank you Alfred…that means a lot" They simply stared at each other, enjoying the music in the distance. Then Michelle suddenly shot up and scanned their surroundings, tense and on guard "Michelle?" Alfred sensed her change in emotion, she shushed him and made him crouch down so that the bushes would hide him from sight "A-Alfred" She flew down to his level and hid in the pocket of his shirt.
"W-We need to go! N-now!" Her frantic plea was all the swordsman needed to bolt out of the bushes and run back into town to get the others.
Matthew rubbed his wet hair with a towel, he dragged his feet through the carpeted floor, though he thought it was a bad idea since he was wearing fuzzy slippers. Just as he expected, when he reached out for the knob static went through his hand, he winced a little bit but went on to open the door anyway. He was surprised to find that his brother was no where to be seen, and the mage wide wake just humming folk songs on the bed he was on. He flinched when bright green eyes turned to look at him "Alfred?" He looked genuinely confused. Matthew sighed "No, Matthew, I'm Alfred's brother. And how did you know his name?" He shot a suspicious look at the mage, making his way towards his bed to get some clothes from his bag. Arthur shrugged "He told me, not like I even wanted to know the git's name"
Matthew hummed and pulled out a white shirt, he removed his robe and faced away from the mage, wrapping it around his waist instead as he pulled his shirt over his head "He does that" Arthur scoffed and shook his head "Then he's an idiot, what if I were an assassin who simply needs his name for me to kill him? The imbecile wouldn't even think twice" Matthew finished dressing up, now he had a white shirt, brown jacket, a sam browne belt to carry a dagger and a small pistol and a pair of black shorts reaching up to his knees, finishing up with combat boots "Look" He turned around after double checking that he had everything "I don't know what your game is, but you better not take advantage of my brother's kind and welcoming nature. Once you do, we'll be on you like a pack of wolves" The mage laughed and rolled his eyes "Oh, I'm quaking in my cloak" His voice dripped with sarcasm, enough to make Matthew scowl at him.
"At any rate we aren't going to let you go any time soon, so you better be on your best behavior" All he was met with was silence. He groaned, this guy's definitely going to be difficult. He was about to tell him off again when the door suddenly busted open, revealing a panting and sweaty Alfred "Al?" "Alfred?" Matthew and Arthur spoke at the same time, they spared each other heated glares and looked away. The swordsman on the other hand was packing up all their things in a rush, he took up his bag and tossed Matthew his. His younger brother finally snapped out of whatever state he was in and looked up to see his bag flying towards him "AUGH!" It hit him in the stomach and he fell down to his knees, Alfred looked up from checking the room and smiled sheepishly "Uh sorry Matt! But we gotta go!" He walked over to Arthur's bed, the mage realized what he was about to do "Oh no you don't! I will not be treated as baggage you-"
His words fell on deaf ears as Alfred slung him over his shoulder like a rag doll, Arthur yelped and started to pound his hands on the swordsman's back in an attempt to make the other man let him go "That won't work you know~" His eyes widened when a little fairy flew in front of him with a smug look, he glared at her once he finally realized who it was "Michelle" He growled. Michelle laughed and kicked him on the nose "Damn straight jerk!" Matthew stared at the little fairy in a shock, his mouth hung open. He pointed at Michelle and turned to Alfred "W-Wha-"
"Michelle, Matt, Matt, Michelle, yes she's a fairy let's go" He pulled Matthew by his arm and pulled his still stupefied brother out of the room. He took the key from the door and descended down the stairs with a stiff Matthew and a protesting Arthur in tow, with Michelle hiding inside his shirt pocket. The man behind the counter was surprised to see them "S-Sir? Was our accommodations not sufficie-" Alfred slammed the room key on the counter and forced a smile "No it was great! We just really need to go right now, thanks for letting us stay!" He ran out of the inn in such a speed that he didn't hear the man yell about his refund. But frankly, he doesn't really care right now "Michelle, how long till they come?" The fairy poked her head out of the swordsman's shirt pocket when she heard his question. She shivered in fear "They're really close now" Alfred cursed under his breath, he still had to look for Gilbert and Yao. He looked over crowds, passed through multiple streets but still no sign of the two.
"Where are they?!" Matthew blinked once, noticing that they weren't in the hotel room anymore. His hand hurt from being pulled at by Alfred and he was sure it was gonna pop out of it's socket soon "A-AL! What the hell?!" He pulled his hand away, Alfred skidded to a halt and faced his brother "Mattie please! We gotta hurry or they'll-" Matthew raised his hand up in front of his brother's face, silencing him effectively "First who the hell is this they you're talking about?! Why are you acting all crazy?!" Michelle flew out of Alfred's shirt pocket and flew right in front of Matthew's-startled- face "Alfred's not crazy! I felt them coming! They're close to the village!"
Matthew shook off his shock and blew the fairy off his face, Michelle yelped as she was pushed back into Alfred's hair "Urgh! You didn't answer my question!" Alfred gripped his brother's wrist and stared at him sternly "Marauders" It was the only word he said yet Matthew's eyes widened in fear, he instantly went ahead of his brother, going in the direction of the horse ranch "Come on Al!" Alfred took Michelle out of his hair and said something to the fairy in a whisper, Michelle looked shocked but nodded and flew away, Alfred watched her go then ran after his brother. Arthur had listened through the conversation, and he understood nothing, what kind of group were these 'Marauders' that it would send these two in a frenzy?
A scream tore through the square, Alfred and Matthew didn't spare a single glance to whatever was happening, they already knew. Arthur lifted his head up to see just what was happening, he caught glances of a group clad in grey, with dangerous looking weapons in their hands as people fled from them. They scanned the area, supposedly looking for something. One of them turned his eyes to their direction, he smirked, Arthur felt a chill go through him, something about this group didn't fit well with him, the way their eyes looked so cold and ruthless, how they calmly move despite the commotion they're causing, almost as if they feel they're invisible. The man who saw them called his group back and pointed at them, yelling something before they started advancing "A-ALFRED!" Arthur shouted out of impulse. He stopped and replayed what he just said, why did he call the swordsman's name?
Alfred heard his cry and looked back to see the Marauders running towards them, he scowled and adjusted his grip on Arthur before running beside his brother "Matt they saw us" Matthew nodded but never kept his eyes off the path they ran on or looked behind him. They ran through twisting paths, stairs and sharp corners, still keeping a look out for the other two, and hoping to shake their pursuers off, but to no avail. After running through the whole village, they stopped in front of the horse ranch, now thankfully bare of people but no sign of their two other companions "Goddamnit" Matthew mumbled "They went to the ranch!" Alfred growled when he heard one of the Marauders shout out their location, he removed Arthur from his shoulder and cut the ropes binding him.
Arthur stared at his now free limbs then back at Alfred "What are you-" Alfred shushed him and took his hand, he grabbed Matthew and they dove into the forest "W-Wait! What about Gilbert and Yao?!" Matthew lagged behind him, unable to match his brother's speed, thus getting dragged again instead. Alfred made them crouch down behind a bush not so far from the ranch, he panted and sat down"We'll come back for them! Right now we can't let them see us" He pointed at the silhouettes entering the ranch in front of them, they were all holding torches but their features lay masked in the darkness "Check around, they could be hiding anywhere" Someone said, the rest of them split up around the ranch and began looking.
"Who are these people exactly?" Arthur whispered, frustrated that he didn't know what was going on. Alfred pulled him closer and pointed at the group "They call themselves the 'Marauders', you can say our group has history with them. They were the first group to rebel against the kingdom, only problem is they're doing it for the wrong reason…" He trailed off and made them all duck under the bush when one of the silhouettes came close and searched through the forest, after a while he left. Alfred let out the breath he was holding and sat back up "Think of it this way, the 'our exact opposites' kind of deal. We're doing this for the people, they're doing it for themselves. They see us as a threat to their goal so they'll stop at nothing to eliminate us" Matthew continued for his brother in a more silent whisper that you could barely hear. Arthur took in the information, something he can report once he gets away from his captors, he turned his attention back to the group searching through the ranch. One of them started to get impatient, he flipped over a few things before stopping in the middle of the ranch.
"I know you're here Alfred!" He shouted angrily. Arthur glanced at Alfred beside him, the swordsman was gripping onto the hilt of his sword, watching the group closely "Come out come out~ I thought you were a hero? What if we take over this pathetic village? Would you do something about it?" Matthew sent his brother a warning glance "Don't listen to him Alfred, he's bluffing" He held his brother's hand that was on his sword's hilt, Alfred tensed then relaxed "What if he's not Matt?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice that made Matthew retreat his hand "We don't have enough people to fight them Al, with only you and me I think they'd beat us easily" Alfred hesitantly let go of his sword and let his hand fall limply to the ground "I-I know, but if they do something…I don't know what I'll do" Arthur was about to tell them something until a hand clamped over his mouth, he thrashed and reached for the two but he was soon dragged into the darkness "ARTHUR!" Alfred shot up from his hiding spot and dove in after the mage "AL-AAH!" Matthew started but was also pulled out of his hiding place by a hand.
The three were tossed into the ranch and into someone's feet. The person cackled "Why hello~" He sang. Alfred blinked his eyes open and glared at the person looming over him "Jason…" He growled out. Jason smiled, his blood red eyes narrowing at Alfred, he picked the other up by his shirt and pulled him close so that their gazes locked "Good to see you too Alfie, and I see you have a new addition to your little party" Alfred's eyes darted to the person behind Jason, holding Arthur captive with the same rope he cut a little while ago, he meant to let Arthur at least defend himself if the Marauders caught up with them. The mage thrashed in the man's arms but couldn't say anything because of a cloth tied over his mouth. Alfred glared at Jason "Don't you dare hurt him" He threatened.
Jason laughed, along with the rest of the Marauders "Since when did I take orders from you Alfred?" One of the Marauders, who held Matthew, tossed Jason a jagged dagger. He pressed the sharp blade near Alfred's throat and grinned "Your group has been the bane of our existence ever since you little shits thought you had what it takes to dethrone the royal family, well guess what children? We were here first" The blade started to cut through Alfred's skin, drawing blood, the swordsman bit down hard on his tongue, he'd never let Jason hear him scream, he'd rather die than have that. He forced up a shaking smile and imitated Jason's gaze "N-News flash Jason, you may be first, but you aren't the best" Jason twitched, he chuckled darkly and shook his head "Alfred, Alfred, Alfred….still the same as always, thinking you're better? Tsk tsk" The swordsman caught a flash of light with his peripheral vision, his fear washed away completely.
Alfred laughed, his usual happy laugh, confusing everyone there "Jason, Jason, Jason….we are the best, ARTHUR, MATTHEW CLOSE YOUR EYES!" At that moment, a blinding light spread through the ranch, it was small but enough to make a distraction "AGH!" Jason let Alfred go and covered his eyes, running around blindly to get away from the light. Alfred stood up and took out the two people holding his friends hostage, they had thankfully followed his instructions and weren't affected "W-What happened?" Matthew blinked a few times "Michelle happened" The fairy flew down into Alfred's shirt pocket, panting "That took…a lot of energy…" She wheezed out "HEY! MISSED US?!" Two figures riding on horses came galloping towards them. Yao and Gilbert grinned at them, pulling the third horse into view "We gonna stand around or be awesome?" He asked.
"Where were you guys?!" Matthew hopped onto the horse Gilbert was on, he didn't know how to ride a horse on his own, the albino merely grinned "Shopping" Alfred had to carry Arthur again, since he was restrained, and made him sit on his lap once they boarded the horse "Y-You bloody git! Why the hell am I stuck sitting like this?!" Somehow, Arthur managed to rip off the cloth from his mouth, he glared at the swordsman taking hold of the reins "Well Artie we don't really have time to chat right now! Let's ride!" He whipped the reins causing the horse to instantly start running, Yao followed next then Gilbert and Matthew, they rode into the dark forest, despite how dangerous they knew it could be to travel at night.
"THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!" Jason shouted after clearing his vision. He ran towards one of the stables and practically ripped the door open, the horse inside neighed in protest, it backed up against the wall and tried to kick at Jason. The man took the horse out by force and boarded it, it thrashed against him, earning a hit from the Marauder "Now you listen to me you filthy piece of shit, you'll do as I say or there's hell to pay. HIYAH!" The horse bounded off with Jason riding it, the other Marauders followed suit of their leader and rode into the dark forest.
"AH! UGH! OW!" Meanwhile the others were facing an onslaught of low branches. Alfred rubbed his nose and ducked an incoming branch, he laughed in triumph until another one hit him in the face, it was Arthur's turn to laugh this time "Aiyah Alfred! I don't have that many bandages! Watch where you're going!" Yao scolded, barely missing a branch himself, were the trees actually that low? "Hahaha! Only awesome people like me don't get hit by branches!" Gilbert swiftly dodged a branch and smiled at his companions "See? I-HEUGH!" A branch hit him in the mouth, interrupting what he was supposed to say. The albino growled and spat out the leave from his mouth as Matthew chuckled behind him. They couldn't really see what was up ahead, the moon was their only source of illumination, they just hoped that wherever they were headed would be away from the Marauders.
"I see them!" Unfortunately their hopes were crushed. The Marauders chased after them, only they had torches lit up so they were actually able to see what was in front of them. Alfred scowled and made his horse go faster, his companions doing the same thing. Matthew looked up at the stars, using them as a temporary map, he smiled when they were actually going to the right directions "If we just keep heading north we'll be able to come across an intersection, And hopefully shake off the Marauders in the mountain path!" They were relieved to know that at least, all except Arthur. The mage's eyes glowed and widened in realization, he looked up ahead and started to panic "A-ALFRED! STOP!" The swordsman looked down in confusion "What?! Are you crazy?! They'll catch us!"
"Arthur that's not an option!"
"Exactly aru!"
"Have you lost it bro?!" The they protested.
Arthur panicked, they were getting dangerously close and at a high speed, he tried to take off his restraints even if he knew it was inevitable "NO YOU BLITHERING IDIOTS! WE'RE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A-!" He wasn't able to finish. The horses fell into a cliff, taking their riders along with them, the group screamed out in terror as they fell into the ravine, the last thing they heard was Jason's laughter.
A/N: Did I just put in the 2ps? yes. And for those who don't know Michelle is Seychelles :3c