The boards bent beneath Ravin’s foot as daylight glimmered through the cracks. The rotten wood gave way scattering across the ground. The scavenger kicked the debris off to the side so that he could kneel near the hole. 

His gloved hands gripped the side of another board and yanked it in their direction. The wood gave a sickening crunch as they were pried away from the position they had kept for years. Ravin sat back on his heels while he surveyed the opening. It would have to do, he concluded. He motioned Jax over to him from where the boy stood a few feet away at a safe distance. 

Jax hesitantly walked over to his savior and tried to mimic his stance. His footing felt awkward, straining his muscles in a way they had never moved before. A pain filled wince was quickly muffled. 

Ravin made the shh-ing motion once Jax had softened down. Not to chastise, but more so remind the other of their predicament. He unhooked the swords holster from his belt along with his cloak, handing them to Jax. 

“I am going to go out first and make sure it is safe. Stay here and stay quiet, okay? It won’t take me but a few minutes,” Ravin whispered. Jax nodded quickly, holding the sword and cape tightly to his chest. His knuckles turned white from the pressure. Ravin huffed  his approval.

The scavenger moved so that he was facing away from the boy, laying down on his stomach. He shuffled in the dirt till he was in the right position and then began to army crawl into the small opening. Ravin ducked underneath the jagged edge of the board, feeling it graze his back as he went. Enough to catch the end of the fabric and not get caught. 

He was almost too big for the hole. If he was any bigger, he’d have gotten stuck before he could get past his shoulders. Ravin will admit that he is not buff as some of the people he’s seen during his time, but he’s also not slim. He’s somewhere in the middle ground. 

Always in the middle of something. It never seemed to fail. 

Planting his feet on solid ground, feeling the wind whisk his hair as the sun gleamed in the sky. The sight stole his breath.  The moment lasted a few seconds, but it was more than he hoped for. The fresh air solidified the feeling; they were out. 

Jax awaited patiently in the darkness of the cave. He heard Ravin rise to his feet, watching his shadow disappear behind the wood. Shifting his weight between his own feet helped somewhat. His anxiety grew the longer he stood there in silence. Ravin made no sound that Jax could hear, too light a step for someone so inexperienced not trained to hear it. 

He fiddled with the hem of his threadbare shirt out of habit. The fabric worn thin over the years since it was given to him already littered with tears. The sleeves were ripped off at some point, he guessed, the loose pieces of thread gave him that idea. Torn further when a guard grabbed him, ripping what remained of the shoulder strap. Jax had to tie the strips of material into a knot if he wanted to keep the shirt from falling off. His pants weren’t in much better shape. 

He fixed the strap from where it had slid off his shoulder. The knot may have worked to keep it on his person, but it hated his shoulder with passion. Falling whenever it felt like it. It had a mind of its own.

Oblivious to the danger behind him. A clawed hand reached out of the obsidian, shadows dripping off it like water from the rain. The keratin skimming the back of Jax’s neck to trace the curl of the baby hairs. 

Jax flinched, spinning on his heel. A hand slapped on the spot as his brain registered something touching the bruised skin. His breath rattled in his chest. He saw nothing there. He stepped back slowly as if evading a predator. The spoiled wood met his stern becoming flush with each other. He stared into the abyss, and it stared back, waiting for the other to move. 

He gasped, jumping in place as a knock sounded behind him. Knuckles racking on the rotten timber in a timed beat. Jax prepared to turn and look when a familiar voice rang out. 

“You can come out now, Jax. It’s safe,” Ravin’s disembodied voice sifted through the cracks. His shadow once again presents beneath the wall. 

There was no indication he’d heard the man. The boy froze in silent fear. He couldn’t move no matter how hard he tried. Bones set into stone preventing it. 

“Kid?” The worried confusion drifted into his ear as if the owner stood just on the other side. The high-pitched whine that replied didn’t sound human. A puppy in destress perhaps. Jax realized quickly that it came from him. 

His grip became painful on both Ravin’s things and his neck. Things? The fog slowly lifted over his mind as he took note of what he held. A dark fabric cloak and a sword with a lopsided handle. Ravin’s means of defense was given to Jax. He went out without his sword, his mind repeated. 

….And he’s out there waiting on Jax. The thought kick started his body into action. A different kind of terror was strangling him. Grabbing hold of his lifeline as if it was the only thing it could grab. 

The man in question opened his mouth to call out to the boy as a long-forgotten feeling bloomed in his chest. He was interrupted by his possessions being shoved through the opening in the earth. Ravin pulled them out of the way as a lite body started to follow them. The kid dug his hands into the dirt, yanking himself out of the hole into the open air. He went faster than his body would have normally allowed, but in terror, anything was possible. Transitioning into a kneeling position the first chance he got. 

The too pale skin looked sickly in the morning light. Darkness hid most of the fine details from view. Though no amount of obsidian could hide the sunken cheeks or the scarred flesh that covered the boy. Every detail catalogued into his mind, etching itself into his memory. Then those ocean eyes found him. Their dullness couldn’t contain the vibrant colors. Or the fear that lied with them. 

Jax looked up, feeling a set of eyes baring into his head. His savior’s gaze held an emotion unknown to Jax. He expected anger for his disobedience. But when Ravin held out his hand to help the lesser one to his feet, his touch remained kind. 

This man continued to confuse him. He could not remember the last time someone was this kind to him. The shoe was bound to drop, he only wished he knew when. Until then, it was best he stays on Ravins good side. 

No malice intent when Jax stumbled to retrieve the man’s things from the dirty ground. Only a kind smile as Ravin reclasped the cloak around his shoulders and his sword to his hip. Even his mannerisms bewildered the boy. 

Not a word was spoken about the event. Much to Jax’s displeasure, then again, he didn’t think he could fathom the words to describe it. It was as bizarre as it was common, he supposed. So, he kept it to himself allowing it to fade from his memory, still present in the background should the need arise. He hoped not. 

The time spent in the caves threw Ravin’s internal clock for a spin. He wasn’t completely unaware of the passage of time. At least a couple of days, but no longer than a week, he figured. He wished to the rising sun to give him the answer. 

He needed to find out where they were before anything else. Checking the entrance for clues proved to be no help. The surrounding area gave no indication of their whereabout either. Everywhere he turned showed no recognition in his memory. The boy was no help whatsoever, the endeavor to no avail. 

The entrance was covered in with one sign. ‘Danger’. Typical. 

But danger to what?

Ravin knew he should’ve tried harder; however, the caves were far in the distance. He chose to leave not long after he found the worn-down paint. They must’ve surpassed the danger beforehand. Though he couldn’t leave it to chance. There was lost time to make up for, going south was their best option. Heading south meant the ocean. They had to stumble upon it at some point. 

The beautiful grass hills went on for miles without another soul in sight. The wind surfed across the blades as one would brush their hair. Smooth, precise movements to create a spectacle for the eye. Nature at its finest. 

A gift to anyone who may witness it. Jax gasped, eyes wide in awe. He’d never seen something so beautiful. He inhaled shallowly as the fresh air sent a shock through his system with each breath. The sweet and clean scent flowed in the breeze. His heart danced while his other senses went wild. A sharp contrast to his former situation. 

The ranger chuckled good-heartedly seeing the look on the bith’s face. It never failed to bring a smile to their faces. This isn’t even the best part. He did it again when Jax ducked his head, hiding the blush forming on his cheeks. 

The pink either from the embarrassment or the staggering heat. About midday now. Either way the color was still good to see. Though he suspected that both held a hand in it. 

A brilliant sight for anyone who dared to see it. Magnified by the outstanding landscape backdrop surrounding them. One best seen from the top of the grazing hill. The trek upwards stole their breath in more ways than one. It slipped the mind that heading down may steal their footing as well. 

Descending the grassy mountain was easier said than done. Jax yelped, his feet slipping on the slick terrain. He flailed out his arms, trying to balance on the slippery slope. His feet flew out from under him, landing on his butt before skidding twenty feet down onto a rocky platform. The grass still wet from the morning dew, helped with a smoother dissent. 

He tucked his scarred arm close to his chest as he came to an abrupt stop. Digging his heels into the soaping wet dirt, Jax tried to stand after giving his heart a moment to reset. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he pushed himself into a crouching position. As slow as he dared, he tried to lift himself up. 

Tried being the keyword. He landed on his face; legs sprawled out as if that would help him. Jax groaned, spitting out dirt while he wiped his face with his free hand. His forearm throbbed in tandem with his heart. 

He rolled over onto his back, waiting for the spurt of pain to subside. The muddy clothing clung to his skin weighing him down. The material felt warm against his lower back, traveling up his spine till a familiar scent reached his nose. 

The light mood vanished as the realization hit him like a freight train. Whatever that is. 

He must have reopened on the wounds on his back when he fell. If he focused, he could feel the blood sluggishly leaking, mixing with the mud. Jax hoped the mud would stop the bleeding. He did not have much hope to begin with. 

Jax risked a glance up to where he had fallen from. He threw his good arm up to wave at the ranger. The older looked down at the other with a blank look. His stance speaking a darker tone. 

Jax swallowed dry, his hand freezing in midair. The man’s aura thrashed in anger churring beneath the surface. His gaze held a forbidden heat as he stared into Jax’s soul. Jax felt his arm begin to shake numbly from exertion and fear. He slowly brought it down, feeling like prey, stalked by a predator. 

Lost within his mind, Ravin ignored the outside world to pander on his own. Snapping out of that reality raised a mild alarm within seeing he was alone at the top of a hill. The boy could not have gotten far, he knew. He had not been daydreaming that long, he thought. He felt relief flood his soul as he spotted the bith far below, resting on a ledge.