It was darker in the deep forest, the moon would have lit the sky and their way as well if a crowd of angry grey clouds, ready to produce thunder, weren’t blocking its way. Both Yael and DJ sprinted forward to chase off the danger lurking on their backs, they moved steadily, Jerry behind Yael, crushing crunchy leaves and rough ground under their heavy boots.

It wasn’t over yet, the danger

Earlier when Yael and Alberto emerged from the rackety cottage, the old man rushed to get his luggage before they could take off to reach some help promised by the unknown caller. While doing so he accidentally caught the attention of some random drunk man of Chevy pissing in the bushes at the back of the cottage.

A sigh of happiness that he was out of that horrible basement alive was the reason or was it an empty beer can that involuntarily came in his way to get crushed under his boots resulting in the man snapping his neck at the duo.

Slowly, both of their eyes widened in realization.

The drunken man didn’t allow them more than a minute as he screamed at them to stop before screaming for his fellows, he shouted at the top of his lungs zipping his pants up hurriedly. Just as quickly as he secured his pants, the man also staggered back when his eyes met with the glaring Lord of the Pyro causing a shiver to run down his spine as he stared between the old man and the Lord.

The man didn’t know who Alberto was but he certainly knew who Yael was, it’s been half a year since he had seen that large man trapped in the basement probably counting his days. But now he is in front of him, all free and daunting.

There must be something wrong.

Meanwhile, the detective froze at his spot after he heard the man calling backup. With eyes wide, breathing short and an unmoving body, he was just like a deer caught in headlight as he stared back at the man in fear. A clear depression took over him while he imagined scenarios of his unplanned death.

If not before, then now is the time he is gonna be dead.

Jerry was lost in his pessimistic thoughts, giving a clear getaway pass to paralyse his rational thinking, until he heard a loud hiss ‘Run’ from beside him. Oh, how much effort he had to put in just to look at his side, but once he did while trembling in panic, he found Yael, more specifically his back, which was getting farther away with each blink of an eye……and just like that, he was gone.

Yael was surprisingly fast in running and then disappearing from sight. Even though he was fed barely nutritious food, the man possessed amazing energy. The only problem was that Yael had vanished without consulting DJ and had sprinted in the opposite direction from what was conveyed to the detective.

The direction they were gonna get help from…..but not anymore.

Travel towards the east…..you will find help there.

Well…..Shit.

A cry for lord Yael, to stop him and convey the right path, got stuck in his throat. The boy struggled between glancing at the lord and his fainting figure and getting hold of his thoughts and his luggage. It wasn’t his fault when he wasn’t even given a chance to explain, DJ was merely given seconds to carry his minimal luggage and sprint after Yael before he could be held back and beaten to death by Chevy’s people.

He ran and ran for his dear life, following Yael’s thudding steps and his heavy breathing that echoed in the quiet woods ahead. A quick glance at his back, call it curiosity, had his breath hitched and a sharp gasp left his soul when he saw a large gathering had formed where he was a few seconds before.

Men started to form a large group where the one who shouted for them stood, they were screaming and yelling loudly at each other and Jerry could feel it right next to him because of his heightened senses.

Soon they will be chasing both Yael and Alberto and after knowing that their gang leader Chevy has been shot, they will be chasing them even harder. The thought only made Jerry speed up as he followed the lord, a figure running in front of him which looked like a blur in the dark.

……..

The detective was tired and with lungs begging to be normal, the young boy heaved for steady breath. DJ wanted to stop and rest for a second, but it wasn’t in his best interest to do so, he had to run to save himself from the people following them far behind. It was fortunate that they had successfully aced running farther to get in close reach of Chevy’s men, but the danger of that kind was not fully over yet.

Atop that, all fortunateness until now was seeking payback.

DJ’s throat burned with dryness and felt like thousands of thorns prickling his insides, he heaved loudly taking in as much oxygen as he could, but his body seemed to be shutting down. The pace he was running at was getting slower, luggage heavy in his hands, and his vision blurry with each passing second.

Along with all this disturbance and exhaustion, a constant vibration in his tucked-in satchel added nothing but edginess to his already sulky temper. The device was constantly vibrating, a reminder of someone that he could kill with his bare hands. A strong urge to drop everything on the ground and pick up the call was overpowering, but Jerry was able to compose himself.

The boy sighed, all he wanted was to fish out that small device and turn it off for good, but due to heavy clothing and other hindrances folding ten times the trouble, it was impossible to search for the object. If he could then he would have picked up and delivered a piece of his mind to that stupid unknown caller.

That disguised bastard of a well-wisher.

DJ believed that he wouldn’t be in this state if ever he had refused to do the job for the lords. What worse could have happened? He would be dead meat the next moment right? but that seems to be a freaking good option right now. He was regretting his life choices, those choices which were imposed on him by others. He was young and small, fragile and depressed, what more would anyone ask if it wasn’t enough to make his life hell?

But no, the Lords appeared to be creative.

Jerry was getting slower, he wasn’t as energetic as before with the load of bags and his thoughts. With bleary eyes, he once again lifted his gaze to look ahead at the running figure of Lord Yael, who hadn’t turned to look at his back since he had started running and tried to call for him.

“L-Lor…Lor-d” the boy stuttered but his voice didn’t reach the older. Maybe it did, but the other didn’t deem it necessary to stop.

Then it all happened in seconds.

With a quick waver of his vision and a trip of his boot, DJ went flying to the ground, toppling over his bag that was in his grip a few seconds ago. A loud ‘Thwack’ resounded and the detective finally met with the ground.

A groan left past his lips as tiredness finally got the best of him. DJ was lying on the dirty dark ground of the deep forest with his eyes trying to focus, breathing irregularly and body sore in all possible ways. The adrenaline rush was seeping out of him, wasting itself in a puddle of shame and anxiety, the courage to run forward left him alone as he lay there thinking, wandering his large eyes around, what should he do next.

Should he play dead like when you do with a bear on chase?

It was funny how his dark thoughts don’t suspend their ridiculous race even when DJ’s whole brain is trying to get him back on track.

……

On the other hand, Yael hasn’t looked back for once since they started running for their life, let alone a pitiful glance. A whisper of heavy steps and constant jingling of artificial jewellery that came from a distance behind him told him that the old man was following him.

That surety was enough

Basking himself in the fresh air of mother nature, smelling something other than damp walls and feeling the warm wind over his sweaty body, he ran freely. It’s been months since he was trapped under that stupid cottage, deprived of many things but not anymore. Now lord Yael is unrestrained, already planning on giving the man responsible for his miserable months a brutal death.

The lord was lost in his thoughts when all of a sudden all that jingling noise and soft breathing at his back, proving the presence of Alberto, vanished in thin air and replaced it was a groan and a thud.

Yael stopped in his tracks, heaving for air to pass through his lungs without sharp pain, as he leaned against a tree with his sweaty back resting sideways on the thick trunk. Without even looking, he knew that the old man had landed his small self on the ground and now was curled there like a sack of potatoes.

And why wouldn’t he be at this age?

The lord didn’t want to turn around and help the man, who had rescued him, for the sake of his freedom. But an overly controlling emotion of guilt crept inside his chest and crawled upwards to his brain making the man groan in displeasure.

Although, it wasn’t in the nature of the lord of the Pyro to feel such emotions like guilt, mercy or shame, however, there he was providing a home to such emotions. Yael wasn’t raised that way, a cruel man and a cunning woman were the reason for Yael Doukas’s existence in the world, he was brought up by them to be ignorant and cruel to the level he was right now.

But still, all those bad growing aspects didn’t help in him stopping to think over for a second for that old man who was still lying on the ground with his eyes now open wide, looking everywhere like a curious animal, and small body curled on the unforgiving ground, breathing heavily.

Another reason for him stopping was that beautiful voice he had heard earlier, the voice which made Yael sceptical about Alberto’s whole demeanour. That dulcet voice was so innocent and pure, possessed by someone who doesn’t belong in this world and Yael was positive on his opinion.

He will find out eventually.

After living through hell in those few months of abduction, eating rotten food with no nutritious value whatsoever instead of a seven-course meal, sleeping on the skeleton of a chair instead of the softest mattress ever and hoping to get out of that place every day, made The Lord somewhat less ignorant man if not humble.

Closing his eyes for a few seconds as he breathed in slowly, the man reminisced the whole one or two hours that had passed. He was finally out of that dungeon, from the grip of that gang leader Chevy. He was finally free and the reason for his freedom was lying on the ground a mere few feet away.

He has made up his mind.

Turning around fully, Yael dashed towards the direction Alberto had dumped himself. Reaching the man, he started to gather his scattered belongings quickly while calling his name over and over.

“Alberto!” the lord called out umpteenth time as he crouched near the heavily breathing man after he collected his stuff. Eyes darting around cautious of any threat that might lurk around, Yael placed his large hand across Alberto’s back and shook him with force.

“get up…..they are still after us. Come on get up!” the man whisper-yelled in DJ’s ears as he shook him awake. Jerry was already wide awake staring at the towering man above him, bleary eyes trying to focus and lips trembling to utter a word so that the older could stop shaking him.

“I---I..” he could only manage a sound but that was enough to catch Lord’s attention. The older then looked down at Jerry only to have his strong gaze locked with the old man lying on the ground, almost beneath him……..he stopped for a moment.

Those eyes, long and big hidden behind the cracked glass of his spectacles. Soft lashes curling upwards and a sheen layer of moisture hovering over his orbs……how hypnotising it was to stare and get lost in that pair of beautiful eyes and still it didn’t feel wrong.

Yael was mesmerized.

Jerry looked back but with slight fear and confusion, forehead sweaty and mouth open for air. He couldn’t muster up the courage to showcase his discomfort whether it was because of Yael staring down at him or because of health issues he was facing.

The phone in his satchel, that has gone quiet for some time, vibrated once again and at the same time a distant crunching sound echoed in their ears. People who were following them must be getting closer.

“come on get up” Yael gritted his teeth, coming out of that enticing trance, as he dug his long fingers into the layers of clothing over Alberto’s body. He helped DJ leaning his tired body against Yael’s so he could stand up but it was more work than it appeared.

The lord was getting frustrated, after getting his freedom, he wasn’t appreciative of him getting hurdled again which could lead to another possible trap. According to him, the old man was taking forever to collect himself from the ground and it did nothing but add more annoyance in Yael’s already annoyed mind.

Crushed between guilt and selfishness was jeopardizing his brain. Glancing down at the man, he found Alberto licking his dry lips as he made efforts to steady himself on his own feet, the only solution left for Yael’s practical thinking was to carry that burden of a human in his arms.

Yes, that’s right.

So without thinking for another second, Yael crouched lower to the ground and circled his strong arms around the thickly covered waist of Alberto, warm breath fanned over Jerry’s already hot skin. The boy lifted his wavering gaze up to the lord and his breath hitched realizing the close proximity he shared with the older.

There it was again, the anxiety, clawing at his chest and scratching at his senses while the boy drowned in the mixture of shyness and embarrassment creeping up his neck, making him bothered and itchy at some point. He wanted to move away, wanted to word out his uncomfortable condition but those words got stuck in his throat with Yael’s next move.

“come here” With that loud command, Yael scooped Jerry from his middle and lifted him. He then hurled DJ towards his sturdy shoulder like he weighed nothing. The detective gasped and squealed together, hands flailing wildly before he was hanging over the shoulder of the man, like a kitchen rag.

“hold tight” Yael instructed gruffly, with one hand around DJ’s legs and the other holding the belongings, as he started to move again. DJ tried his best to hold onto the lord’s shoulders for support but with his physical stance, small hands of his were hanging lower towards that fine thick ass of Lord Yael.

The boy refrained himself from making Yael uncomfortable at any cost but literally not having much choice, he clutched around the hips of the lord and closed his eyes tightly while hanging upside down. The said lord increased his pace swiftly, stepping up, changing routes and making his way into the dark forest. He planned on moving until they found a safe spot and those people following him were off his back.

On the other hand, the detective hung on his shoulder, red like a ripped tomato, and was lost in his thoughts. He planned on lashing at the caller the second he got a chance since not only was his life put at risk but he had to face the utter embarrassment and that well-wisher was somewhere a part of it.

…..