As Tyura was recovering from the pain in his face he heard the carriage stop.

“Young boy?” He heard a soft voice call. He looked up to see the driver hop down from the carriage and approach him. The man took off his hat and kneeled revealing a kind bearded face. “Are you ok?”

“What is it?” Another more gruff voice called from within the carriage.

“A child fell into the road.” The driver replied back.

 Tyura grabbing the man's sleeve.

“There are some people who kidnapped me. Please take me to the nearest town.”

The man's bushy eyebrows rose and he turned back to the carriage.

“The boy says he’s been kidnapped.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Tyura urged. “Get me out of here. You can tie me up if you think I’m suspicious. Fade and Nave could be anywhere right now.”

The man’s eyes wide to the size of saucers and he jumped away from Tyura as if he had burned him.

“Wh-what did you say?” He uttered in a trembling voice.

Tyura didn’t get to answer him. Something struck the man’s head splitting it nearly in half. Blood sprayed into Tyura’s face and clothes and a childlike scream erupted from the carriage.

Tyura turned stiffly, following the axe as it returned to Fades' hand. Him and Nave strolled down the slope as if they had been following him the whole time. 

They probably had, Tyura thought numbly.

The doors to the carriage were thrown open and two men in all black jumped out, one of them carrying a sword.

The other man lifted his palm in Nave's direction.

Tyura didn’t see anything happen but then Nave tilted her body to the side as if she were merely stretching and in the spot where she had been, a tree exploded and fell.

Tyura didn’t know what just happened but he did know that he was in a dangerous position.

Not even waiting for the fight to begin, Tyura crawled to the side of the carriage to make an escape while Fade and Nave were occupied.

The door opened suddenly and a child with curly red hair jumped out screaming hysterically, wielding a small dagger.

Tyura took a step back dodging his sloppy attacks.

“Shhh. I’m not going to hurt you.” Tyura tried to explain but the boy didn’t hear him. 

He was in a panic. 

Tyura tsked and tried to grab the boys wrist, but Tyura wasn't as quick in his child body and ended up getting nicked instead. 

He hissed, taking another step back, nearly losing his balance. He glanced behind him. Another slope. Then he felt something squeeze him tight around the waist. Tyura gasped and looked down.

The boy had grabbed him and was going to tackle him. Tyura’s eyes widened as he tried to resist.

“No, stop!” But it was too late. They both rolled down the hill.

When they finally stopped the boy landed on top of him. They both groaned in pain. But since Tyura absorbed most of the impact he was the slowest to recover. 

He gasped for air still winded from the fall earlier. He felt a movement and instinctively moved his head to the side just in time for the small dagger to strike the ground.

“Die, you monster!” The boy yelled, tears streaming from his blue eyes. Tyura understood that he was afraid but he also couldn’t just let himself get stabbed to death either.

When the boy brought his knife down a second time Tyura grabbed his wrist.

“Will you stop!” Tyura said through gritted teeth. Despite them both being about the same size, the boy was slightly bigger and was well fed unlike Tyura. 

He could feel himself losing strength as the dagger grew closer and closer to his eye.

Tyura cursed and with his last ounce of strength he kicked the boy to the side. There was a thud and then silence.

Tyura put his hand on his chest, sucking in deep breaths. After he had calmed himself he turned his head to see the boy lying unconscious…with a pool of blood around his head.

Tyura felt cold instantly. He didn’t kick him that hard…

 Tyura quickly crawled over and lifted the boy into his tired arms, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.

The boys eyes were open and his breathing was shallow.

“Hey, hey it’s going to be ok.” Tyura said frantically. He looked around for something to use.

The boy's mouth gaped open as if he were trying to say something.

“Don’t speak, just hang on!” Tyura tried and failed to tear his silk shirt. His hands trembled as he kept trying. “Hang on.”

The boy let out a small breath and didn’t move.

He was gone.

Tyura stared at the boy. His wide blue eyes still held fear. 

Tyura looked down at his bloodied hands blankly. He had killed someone. A person, a human, a child.

This was the first time he had taken a human life. The very ones he was born to protect. 

What have I done…

“Good job.” Tyura felt a heavy hand drop on his head. Fade whistled. “You sure did a number on him. Who would have thought you had it in you.” He said pleasantly.

“I killed someone.” Tyura mumbled. He felt his body going numb.

“Yes you did.” The hand on his head twists, causing Tyura to come face to face with Fade. His voice had been pleasant but he wasn’t smiling.

“But you also ran away.”

“Tyura.” Tyura shifted his eyes to Nave. She grinned and pointed to her teeth. “Don’t clench your teeth.”