The Princess And The Wanderer

[Sheex]

(Solo)

The prison walls had a dank sort of stench to them, and so did the rest of the prison cell. It was a rather large cell, probably built to hold about ten people or so. At the moment, however, only four people were lucky enough to occupy the place. There were four rotting benches, two of which were being used at the moment. On one a man sat and looked out the barred door (as well as at the fellow inmate in front of it) and on the other a man in a black trench coat lazily lay down, almost as if he was asleep. One other inmate stared out the sole window, which had enough steel bars on it to prevent escape but still let a fresh breeze in.

“I’M INNOCENT! I DID NOTHING!” Screamed the man who stood in front of the cell door as he ferociously yanked on the iron bars before him. He screamed in vain, for no guard answered the shouts. In fact, there wasn’t a guard to be seen. The iron bars were more than enough to prevent the four current prisoners from escaping.

“They didn’t answer for the last fifteen shouts. They probably won’t answer for the next one.” Muttered the man who tried to sleep. The screamer apparently didn’t care, for he continued to shout at the top of his lungs. A sigh was heard from the man who stared out the window as the man in the coat sat up and let out a loud yawn. As he rubbed his eyes, Sheex Deltin surveyed his current residence.

Well, you’ve really done it this time Deltin. Prison. Sheesh. What rotten luck. Sheex tiredly thought to himself. He had hoped to catch a little shuteye, but with a racket such a hope seemed futile. Deltin quickly picked up a pebble that rested on the cold stone floor below and took careful aim. In the next instant, the pebble soared through the air and smacked the inmate near the door right in the head. The man quickly spun about with an evil look in his eyes and in response Sheex quickly glanced about the prison cell in a carefree manner.

“Man, is someone throwing rocks in here? Maybe it’s the just the wind…” Muttered Deltin as the other man sitting on a bench stifled a laugh. The inmate glared at Sheex for a moment longer, and then turned his attention back to the iron bars. Sheex smacked his own forehead as the man went back and continued to proclaim his innocence.

“Next time use a bigger rock.” Muttered the inmate who sat on the nearby bench. Sheex shrugged as he reached into his coat and produced a pack of cigarettes from one of his pockets. At least the guards were nice enough to allow me to continue my cancer producing habit. Thought Sheex as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag. All in all, the wanderer had definitely seen better days.

“Mind if I bum one off you?” Asked the man on the bench. Sheex held out the pack and the man quickly walked over to grab a cigarette. Sheex tossed the man the pack of matches and offered a cigarette to the person who looked out the window. The man hesitated but eventually accepted the offer. Sheex would have offered the other inmate one, but that inmate was far too busy at the moment. At least, he looked busy with his face red and voice hoarse from the constant shouts.

“So, what are you guys in here for?” Asked the who formerly sat on the bench as he leaned against the wall and smoked his cigarette. The man looked like he was about thirty or so, while the other inmate next to Sheex looked about twenty-five. It seemed the entire group in the cell was quite a young group, except for the inmate who continued to scream. He appeared to be about forty (as well as overweight), but Sheex figured that guy really didn’t count.

“Defacing public property. I had the unfortunate luck of throwing a bottle at a statue of our lovely king…right next to a soldier.” Muttered the twenty-five year old inmate. Both Sheex and the other inmate raised their eyebrows, which evoked a laugh from the inmate who spoke.

“I know, that could be considered treason. I had to bribe the damn guard to get him to knock down the charges. What about you?” Asked the twenty-five year old as he motioned towards the inmate who leaned against the wall. That man just shook his head.

“I called my ex-wife a stupid whore. Forgot she was dating a guard. Wonder if it was the same bastard who caught you committing treason, er, defacing public property.” All three men let out a slight chuckle as cigarette smoke began to pollute the air and quickly mixed with the dank atmosphere. Not that any of the men seemed to care. Any onlooker would quickly realize that the three men were obviously not a health-conscious bunch.

“My, my gentleman. You guys just got in trouble with the guards? Looks like I win the prize on serious offenses. They threw me in here for hitting on someone.” Muttered Sheex as he tossed his spent cigarette to the ground. The two men gave him a puzzled look as Sheex leaned his head back, as if he had already completed the story.

“They threw you in here for making a pass at some bar maid?” Asked one of the inmates, which caused Sheex to smile. The wanderer sat up, adjusted his coat, and for a moment even the screams stopped. Apparently, the inmate next to the door had finally taken interest in something other than an exercise in futility.

“Bar maid? Hell no! Apparently, your royal highness the princess frequents bars! She even wore regular clothes…well; I guess they were sort of nice but hell…a damn princess! I think I beat my own record with this one.” Sheex finished his statement and expected a laugh, but all he received was stunned stares by his fellow inmates. Even the screamer had a look of awe upon his face now.

“Er, you were hitting on…the princess?” Asked one of the inmates in a soft voice. Sheex’s cocky composure began to fade and was replaced with a puzzled look. When Sheex nodded in response, another inmate shook his head and placed a hand on Sheex’s shoulder.

“Pal, I don’t know how to tell you this, but in this kingdom…no matter how stupid they are…the royalty treat themselves as Gods. The punishment for offending one of them is, well, death.” Said the inmate to a stunned Sheex. The wanderer’s first reaction was that it was some sort of sick joke, but the look on his fellow inmates eyes said that this was no laughing matter. Sheex quickly gulped and ran a nervous hand through his hair that was now wet with sweat.

“You mean…because some bimbo princess…was hanging out a bar…for some unknown reason…dressed in common clothes…I’m gonna lose my life?” Asked Sheex, to which he received multiple nods. It took the stunned Sheex Deltin several seconds to collect his thoughts, and they he soon came up with a plan.

“I’M INNOCENT! I DID NOTHING” Screamed Sheex at the top of his lungs as he violently yanked at the steel bars preventing his escape.

[Sheex]

The warden whistled softly as he strolled down the corridor. The outside world was pretty chaotic, especially with the kingdom in its current sorry state of affairs. For almost fifteen years now the kingdom of Dunland had been at war with its neighbor Faleen, and there wasn’t a citizen that wasn’t sick of it. More than anything else the war was a political war, which meant that the nobility sent other young men off to die for their own selfish causes.

And that was why the warden was so happy with his current post. Outside was brutal carnage, but in the prison there was peace. In the prison, the warden was the king. As he turned the corner, two guards saluted him and together the group walked towards one of the prison cells. One of the prisoners had a meeting with a special someone.

As they walked into the room the warden carefully eyed the inmates. One of them screamed to be let out. Ironically, the one that screamed was the one that the warden had been sent to retrieve. The man should have been more careful for what he wished for.

“That’s the one. Grab him.” Muttered the warden as he pointed to Sheex. Instantly Sheex began to back away from the cell door; quickly he held up his hands as he ran towards the back of the cell. The two guards opened the door and grabbed Sheex by his arms and began to drag him away.

“Actually, on second thought, I changed my mind. I don’t want to be let out. I’ll stay in the prison.” Sheex managed to whimper as the two men dragged him into another room. That’s it Deltin, it’s all over. Perhaps they’ll display your corpse in the courtyard as a warning to your fellow men. I can see the headline now, DON’T HIT ON ANY BIMBO PRINCESS! He thought sadly as the guards flung the door open and shoved Sheex into a seat.

It was a very small and simple room, with one table and two chairs each on opposite ends of that table. One of those seats was now occupied by the very distraught Sheex Deltin, and in the other sat some old lady in a robe. Perhaps it’s the princess’s grandmother, out to avenge the princess’s honor and sullied name. Sheex thought to himself sarcastically.

“Thank you gentlemen. You are excused.” The old hag (at least that was what Sheex thought of her) said as she waved the two guards and the warden away. Obedient to a fault, the men instantly vanished. For a moment, not a word was spoken between the two. Sheex wisely spent that brief moment in contemplation as he wondered what method of execution they would use to send him to the next world.

“So…um…how’s the weather today?” Asked Sheex, as he tried to stir up a bit of conversation. Of course, it probably wasn’t the most proper topic of discussion at the moment, but Sheex Deltin had never been one to worry about being proper. For that matter, Sheex actually had never been one to worry about manners either.

No response. He squirmed about in his seat as the air seemed to somehow grow thicker by the moment. Whoever this lady was, she gave the poor wanderer the creeps. After today, Sheex swore to avoid all princesses in all bars and every silent old hag in every dungeons. Perhaps, he mused, he should avoid all dungeons as well.

“Mr. Deltin, may I ask you a question? What kind of a man flirts with royalty in plain sight? Actually, what kind of a man would dare to flirt with royalty to begin with?” Asked the old lady, whose tone made it clear that this question was definitely a trick question. The way Sheex figured it, no mater what he said the wanderer was a dead man. And when faced with a choice like that, he did the same thing he always did.

“A man with pretty big balls.” Sheex said before he had a chance to catch himself. No matter how bad the situation was, Sheex knew he could always make it worse. It was a point of pride for the wanderer, that and he how he managed to get lost no matter how easy the road was to follow. Yet, when the lady spoke once more, Sheexrealized he may have caught a lucky break of some sort.

“That was exactly the answer I was looking for, or at least it is close enough. I’d prefer a bit more courtesy, but I guess that’s too much to hope for.” Said the old hag, which caused Sheex to raise his eyebrows. The last thing he wanted was this old person in front of him to think about his balls.

“Um…okay…” Sheex said as he eyed the door. Maybe, just maybe, if he made a break for it he could make it out of the dungeon before the alarm was sounded. Then it was only a small matter to dodge countless royal guards and flee the city under the cover of night. All in all, Sheex thought his chances were about one out of a thousand, which didn't sound too bad at the moment.

“You see Mr. Deltin, I happen to need a man with…big balls as you put it…” As soon as she was finished, Sheex shot up out of his chair and knocked the wooden thing over as he moved. The wanderer quickly began to back away from this old hag.

“That’s it, I’m out! It’s nothing personal, but you talking about my balls…that just makes me really uncomfortable. Can I go back to my cell now?” Sheex asked his mysterious visitor. The old lady simply shrugged and motioned towards the door.

“If you want to be executed tomorrow morning, by all means.” Was her only reply. Sheex frowned and sighed as he picked up the chair and sat back down. It seemed he was fresh out of good luck, but he was in no short supply of bad luck.

“Okay, you win. Who are you and what exactly do you want from a guy like me?” Asked Sheex as he stared up at the stone ceiling. And whatever it is, please don’t let it be sex. Even I’m not that desperate. Sheex almost added, but decided against it. He was already in enough trouble.

“My name is Emma Vaine. Does that name sound at all familiar?” The woman asked softly. Sheex thought for several moments as he scratched his chin (for no other reason than he felt it made him look smart). Come to think of it, that name does sounds really familiar. Seems like I heard it only a little while ago. Emma simply watched silently as the gears in Sheex’s head began to turn. After two minutes or so, Emma could have sworn she heard a click when Sheex figured it out.

“The princess! The guard that threw me in here said never to insult the Vaine royal family line with my low birth and dirty blood! Sweet Lords Of A Forgotten Era!” Sheex exclaimed, though he was not entirely sure what the last part of his sentence. He could just see the executioner in a black hood sharpen an axe as this old hag continued to play mind games. The woman smiled as everything finally fell into to place for the poor man in front of her.

“Yes. I’m her grandmother. Sheex, I have something you want to do for me.” Emma said as Sheex stumbled backwards into the corner. The wanderer cursed silently as he realized he missed the door and inadvertently trapped himself. All he could do was wipe the sweat off his forehead and look back at Emma. However, he was not so caught up in fear for his life that he was unable to give himself a bit of credit. Princess’s grandmother. Yup. Totally called that one.

“And, what pray tell, could a lowly commoner with dirty blood do for such a noble and highborn person? Why, you’ve got clean blood and everything!” Sheex stated with no small amount of sarcasm at the end. Sheex had been called many things in his life, but someone with “dirty-blood” was a new one. But all the alcohol in the world wouldn’t have prepared Deltin for what Emma was about to say.

“Sheex, I want you to rescue my granddaughter, the princess.”

[Sheex]

“I think you may have misunderstood just what it is I actually do. Now I don’t blame you, after all, Althanas just happens to be filled with numerous heroes. I’m sure, at least in this world, if you need a hero to save your granddaughter there’s almost always one nearby ready to take the job. Unfortunately…I’m just not that guy.”

Emma raised her eyebrows as Sheex began to explain himself. The wanderer knew he had to choose his words carefully, and he had to be even more careful as he explained to this woman that he was just not the man she for the job. In fact, if Emma knew the type of man Sheex Deltin was, she would have never even considered his help in this most delicate matter. Still, she deserved an explanation, and Sheex was determined to give her one.

“Now, there are plenty of heroes who chase villains. Myself, I prefer to chase women. There are those who search for a great power so that they may better serve mankind. I’d rather search for a great drink. There are mighty warriors who quest to slay dragons and demons. I quest to get laid. And let’s not forget the people who instantly rush to the aid of a damsel in distress, regardless of what harm lies before them. Lady, I’m the guy trying to get the damsel out of her dress.”

All in all, Sheex thought his argument had been well developed and expertly explained. The fact that Emma shook her head with a look of disappointment fixed upon her face was proof. It wasn’t that Sheex didn’t want to help the princess (she was pretty good-looking, even for a bimbo princess); it was just that Sheex was not the right person for this job. Once Emma saw that, she had to let Sheex go. Sheex wasn’t exactly sure how he had arrived at that conclusion, but it was what he hoped for nonetheless.

“Mr. Deltin, if I knew someone else who could handle this do you really think I would have come to you? At this point I’d take a child wielding a toy sword, but I’m afraid the palace doesn’t let their children out past their bedtime. No Mr. Deltin, no matter how much I hate admit it, you’re the only person available to me.” It was a statement that saddened both Sheex as well as Emma. Emma was sad because it was obvious that the man before her was a buffoon, and Sheex was sad because this adventure would probably shorten his already short life expectancy.

“This deal is simple. You find my granddaughter and bring her back safely, and you’re off the hook. The charges will be dropped and you won’t lose your head for practically violating a member of the royal family. What’s your answer?” Asked Emma as she gave the wanderer a hard look. Sheex could only sigh as he realized that there was only one answer he could give. I have to go save the bimbo princess. Man, usually rescuing beautiful women is something I love to do, although albeit not for heroic reasons. But I got a feeling this broad’s going to be more trouble than she’s worth.

“Well, I fail to see how telling a girl that she’s good looking is equivalent to violating her, but I guess I’ve got to accept. Now, how do we exactly escape these luxurious accommodations?” As soon as he finished, Emma rose out of her seat and headed to the wall. Sheex heard somethin click, and very slowly the wall swung open. Well there’s something you don’t see every day. Course, you don’t usually end up in a dungeon on your average day either. At least I don’t.

“And I fail to see how saying my granddaughter's ass is more beautiful than the rising moon is calling a girl good looking.” Muttered Emma as the two headed down the dark passage. She knew that her plan was not the greatest of ideas, but she also knew she had no choice in the matter. She only prayed that this drunkard could keep his hands off of her granddaughter.

In several minutes the two were outside of the castle walls. Sheex looked up to realize that night had fallen and the dark sky was alight with the twinkle of numerous stars. Had it been different circumstances, he might have commented on the beauty of the night, but instead he just adjusted his coat and stared out at the road ahead of him. This journey was not going to be a fun one, that much was obvious. However, he did look forward to the time when he could once again speak to the princess. He owed her a little payback for the trouble she had caused him during that tavern escapade (which had only occured several hours ago).

“So Grandma, er, your majesty. I’ve but two questions for you. First off, which way did your lovely princess go? Second, why is it that you can’t send…say…a royal guard?” Sheex asked and heard a sigh from Emma as he did so. As he turned back to face her, Sheex could see the old lady shake her head sadly. She remained silent for a moment, and then began to lookup at the starry sky above.

“I can’t send the royal guards because the king has forbidden me to. You see, Mr. Deltin, this kingdom is falling apart. We’ve been at war now for ages and each side keeps trying to one-up the other. My son, the king, stole Faleen’s royal emblem, which is something that Faleen thinks is quite dear. In response, Faleen kidnapped the king’s son.” Instantly Sheex raised both of his eyebrows in shock. Quite frankly, he had always thought that war was a stupid thing, and he tried to avoid it as much as possible. The words Emma had just said were proof of that fact.

“You’re telling me your king won’t trade one lousy emblem for his son? That’s some sort of twisted joke, right? I mean, that’s really, really, really, pathetic.” It was a harsh statement, and Emma agreed with it. All she could do was nod her head as the wanderer shook his very own. Sheex was not too impressed with this kingdom. Terrible parents, bimbo princesses, over-zealous guards, and he still couldn’t get over being called dirty blooded. It wasn’t really insulting; it was just kind of stupid.

“Both the princess and the prince are children of a previous marriage. Suffice to say, the king’s new queen does not like them. In fact, she hates them. There’s no real reason I suppose. I guess that anyone who can compete for the king’s attention is an enemy to the queen. When my granddaughter heard there would be no trade, she set off on her own and the queen coaxed my son into sacrificing their lives so that the kingdom could prosper. It’s so stupid…” Emma’s voice slowly faded into silence as she finished her sentence. Sheex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. If this was a sob story, Emma sure knew how to make a good one.

“Okay, ya got me. Just point me in the direction she went. I’ll save the bimbo princess…er, no offence intended.” Sheex said as he smiled. Even Emma cracked a bit of a thin smile at his remark. She then handed Sheex a map and pointed southward. Of course, Sheex knew that the map would be utterly useless in his hands since the wanderer couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag. Hopefully the princess would be better at directions.

“Well, I thought I might have to warn you that if you tried to run away I’d tell the guards that you were in league with the kidnappers, but I guess that won’t be necessary. And as for calling the princess a bimbo…I’ll overlook it since you’re going to help. Although, to be honest, she is quite stubborn.” Sheex gave out a hearty laugh at that remark as he remembered the incident in the tavern. Sheex had simply made a remark about her figure (not very eloquently), and she had immediately yelled to a nearby guard that Sheex had “impugned her honor.” The rest was history.

“Here, you’ll need these. Good luck Mr. Deltin.” Emma said as she produced Sheex’s daggers from her pocket. She handed them back to Sheex, who graciously thanked her. With a little luck, Sheex wouldn’t need them, but judging from the day so far he was pretty sure that luck was a quantity he had run out of. The good type of luck anyway.

“All right then, I’m off to play hero. Hmph. A princess and a wanderer…at least it’ll make a good story.” Said Sheex as he waved good-bye and vanished into the night.

[Sheex]

“I should have asked how she expected me to find the stupid princess.” Muttered Sheex as he stumbled aimlessly into the first town on the map. Thankfully the layout of the kingdom was simple, the towns seemed to be on a direct line to Faleen, each just a bit closer to the border than the last. Speaking logically, the closer to the border the higher the chance of finding someone from Faleen, which meant that the princess would most likely head towards the border towns. Sheex just had to make sure to catch her before she got too far.

But what Sheex needed at the moment was information, for he found that he had very little to go on. Sure, he knew what the princess looked like due to the previous encounter, but not much past that. Still, it was better than nothing. Yeah, I don’t I’ll be forgetting what she looked like any time soon. Jet black hair, snow white skin, a little over five and a half feet tall, and an ass so beautiful it’s a shame she has to sit on it. Not a bad chest size either. Sheex would probably have to edit that description a bit when he asked about her, but it was better than nothing. Then again, Sheex didn’t even know what the princess’s name actually was. Paying attention to current events was never really Sheex’s style.

Sheex continued to muddle over that information as he swung open the doors to a nearby tavern that also served as an inn. Instantly his senses were bombarded by the sudden change in atmosphere. The cool and crisp night air evaporated into a musky and dank atmosphere, filled with slumped over drunks and over-worked barmaids. As the floorboards creaked while he walked over to the closet table, Sheex could not help but smile. The wanderer loved taverns.

As soon as he managed to sit down a barmaid appeared at the edge of his small wooden table. Sheex had gotten lucky, this bar maid was fairly good-looking. In his experience there were two types of barmaids. There were that fat ones and the good-looking ones. The fat ones were almost always very nice, but weren’t much to look at. The good-looking ones were hit on by almost every male patron and were sometimes in a foul mood. Still, the smart good-looking ones knew that a pretty smile meant bigger tips. Most people probably wouldn’t have categorized bar maids into just those two groups, but Sheex liked to keep things simple.

“What’ll it be hon?” The barmaid asked, her voice filled with enough charm to make most men smile. Sheex imaged that this particular woman was quite popular with the customers around here. If Sheex had to guess, he’d say the woman was about twenty three, about five foot nine…Keep it together Sheex. You’ve got to save the bimbo princess. No time for the ladies yet…but I’ll be sure to put it on the to-do list.

”Just a beer, my dear. Hey, that kind of rhymes.” Sheex said with a chuckle as the barmaid quickly vanished, apparently unimpressed. Sheex sighed and turned his attention back to his small map, which he had laid out on the table. Okay, Bimbo Princess is probably looking to take the fastest route to the border. Also, she can’t be that far ahead of me, seeing as how I just saw her earlier today. She’s also keeping a low profile, which would explain the lack of royal clothes she was wearing when I ran into her. I wonder how far bimbo princesses can walk in one day…

~*~*~*~

The woman impatiently tapped her foot while she waited for the barkeep to make his way over to her. Apparently, the barkeep was both the manager of the bar as well as the inn and all problems needed to be directed to him. Unfortunately, the man was also served drinks at the same time, and that meant that there happened to be a bit of a line and the woman was at the end of it.

She was young, only having just turned twenty years old. Her black hair was combed back, except for several strands that fell forward in front of her face which actually made her look even prettier. Her outfit was plain but well made, it consisted of a slightly decorated blue top that was tied off at her neck and left just a bit of her chest exposed as well as a black skirt that extended past her knees. She also wore a dark black jacket that seemed to be made up of finer material than the rest of the outfit. The one thing that didn’t fit with the outfit was the black boots. The reason for that was while the outfit was made to show off just a little bit, those boots were made for rough walking. All in all, she was pretty cute.

“Excuse me? All I need is a towel so I can take my shower in peace and dry myself off! Where can I find one?” She shouted at the bar keep, who at this point was busy mixing some sort of strange drink. The slightly overweight man simply held up a finger, a signal that the lady would just have to wait a bit longer. Her foot began to tap even more impatiently; a loud wooden knock was sent throughout the tavern to the quick beat of her impatience.

“I got plenty of towels babe. Just come to up my room!” Yelled one of the bar patrons, which caused the woman to roll her eyes in exasperation. She was not in the mood to be hit on, or for that matter even talked to by these low-life drunks. What is it with everyone? Seems like the perverts are out in force today…and the service here stinks. I knew I should have stayed at the fancier inn…

~*~*~*~

“Forget the towels! I bet you look way better when you’re wet!” Sheex fired off, his eyes still fixed on his map. An immediate roar of laughter erupted from a number of tables and a chorus of agreement could be heard in the background. Had he had the time, Sheex would have liked to see whom he had just shouted at, but his mind was preoccupied at the moment. He still wasn’t exactly sure if he should search this town or hurry to the next one. Sheex figured it was a fifty-fifty shot, but he knew that if he messed up he’d probably lose track of the princess for a long time. Plus his beer had just arrived and there was no sense in not staying to finish it.

But before he could take his first sip a sudden force slammed into him and nearly caused him to spill his beer all over the table. With quick hands that had gotten him into trouble more than once, he lashed out and caught the mug; disaster barely averted. That was a good thing since Sheex hated to waste good alcohol, especially when he was thirsty. All this bimbo princess chasing could sure tire a man out.

“Sorry about that. My friend needs to learn to watch where he’s going.” A man dressed in a black suit with long silver hair said as he placed a hand on Sheex’s shoulder. When he looked up, Sheex noticed the man was flanked by two other rather well-built men in the same outfits, with the exception of a black cape draped over their shoulders. Picking a fight with the three of them was not the greatest idea, which was all right with Sheex anyway. He considered himself to be more of a lover than a fighter.

“No harm no foul.” Sheex replied as he raised his mug and showed that the precious alcohol was still safe. The silver haired man smiled and nodded as he began to walk towards the bar. Ah, precious alcohol. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Sheex thought to himself as he took a long sip of the beverage. A satisfied smile appeared on the wanderer’s face as he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

~*~*~*~

“Be more careful Dimitry. Learn to watch where you’re going.” Muttered the silver haired man as the trio made their way up the stairs. With speed that indicated a large amount of training, the three dashed down the hall and scanned the room numbers of each room. When they reached the room at the end of the hall the group came to a halt. Dimitry reached into his cape and put his hand on the steel broad sword that was concealed there.

“My apologies Hannibal. It won’t happen again.” Dimitry said as the third man stood in front of the door and placed a single hand on his own broad sword as well. The man looked at Hannibal, who at this moment was the only man who did not have his hands over a weapon. Hannibal gave one last look down the hall to make sure no one was there and nodded towards the man staring at him.

The man leapt forward with all his might, his foot slammed into the wooden door before him. This building was primarily a tavern, and although it doubled as an inn the accommodations were far from luxurious. The cheap wooden door quickly buckled against the force of the blow and swung wide open; both men quickly yanked out their broad swords and rushed inside the room. Hannibal waited for a moment, and the two came out shaking their heads.

“Not in there.” Dimitry muttered as he re-sheathed his sword and appeared at the doorway. Hannibal clucked his tongue and glanced over Dimitry’s shoulder and into the room where the third man checked the sole window in the entire room. From the man’s inability to open the window, Hannibal assumed it was locked for he did not believe his man to be an idiot. That meant that no one had quickly leapt out the window, since no window could be locked from outside.

“This is problematic. Ivan! Are you sure this is the right room?” Asked Hannibal, to which the man at the window nodded. On the bright side, the room still looked like it had been recently been occupied. Hannibal crossed his arms and considered his options when he heard an annoyed voice from the other side of the hall.

“Took him long enough. You’d think a towel is a precious commodity or something! And I can’t believe that overweight bartender was so rude to me! I swear, when I return…” The woman and Hannibal locked eyes for a moment, effectively stopping the woman from whatever she was about to say. The woman’s eyes went wide as Hannibal quickly motioned towards the two other men standing by him. In the next second, the woman had dropped her all-important towel and bolted down the stairs.

[Sheex]

Sheex had just finished off his drink and was contemplating ordering another one when a sudden blur shot out of nowhere and slammed into him. Sheex instantly felt himself fly out of his chair as he lost his grip on his empty beer mug. The mug flew up into the air as Sheex fell down, and he had just enough time to glimpse who it was that ran into him before that mug landed squarely on Sheex’s head. The wanderer cried out in pain as his head began to throb, apparently Sheex had not yet consumed enough alcohol to dull the pain. He’d have to work on that.

"Stupid bimbo! Watch where you’re going!” Shouted Sheex at the female figure who was momentarily shaken by the collusion, but in no time had regained her balance and headed for the door. It really said something about the world when a person smashed into another person and failed to even offer the slightest bit of apology. Sheex would have felt sad if his head hadn’t been hit with that beer mug. Instead of sadness, he felt a bit of rage along with a headache.

“Watch where you’re sitting!” Responded the still running lady. Before Sheex even had the time to come up with a witty remark the woman was already out the door and her footsteps where quickly fading as she put more and more distance between herself and the tavern. Sheex, along with a majority of the tavern, looked back towards the staircase to see exactly just who or what the woman was so terrified only to see an empty staircase. Puzzled, a majority of the bar simply dismissed the matter as a strange but unimportant event. Even the owner merely shrugged and went back to serving drinks. He had seen stranger things.

“You okay hon?” Asked the same blonde barmaid who had brought him his drink as she helped Sheex to his feet. In response, Sheex gently touched his forehead and winced slightly at the split second of pain he felt. But, it was nothing serious and all it had really done was put Sheex in a bit of a foul mood. That was twice he had been interrupted while he tried to drink. What was it with the world and its inability to let the wanderer enjoy a nice drink now and then? Although to be honest, Sheex did drink a bit more frequently than just now and then.

“I’ve been run into by worse things.” Sheex muttered as he thanked the barmaid. Well, now I’m definitely in no mode to go princess hunting. But then again, I do wonder… Sheex pondered to himself as he glanced at the staircase. No one had yet to chase after the woman, which probably meant she was just wanted to skip out on paying the barkeep for something. Or better yet, maybe she lost a bet and had to sleep with something repulsive. Sheex decided that it was probably the former (although the latter was pretty funny), but it probably couldn’t hurt to find out was up there. He mumbled softly to himself about the impoliteness of people nowadays and slowly began to trudge up the stairs.

~*~*~*~

“Damn, there she goes!” Muttered Dimitry as he began to dash after the woman who had just fled before their eyes. Yet Hannibal’s hand quickly shot out and grabbed the man by the shoulder; he stopped instantly. Dimitry glanced back at his leader, who simply shook his head at the man as he brought him into the room where Ivan was.

“Not that way. It’ll look too suspicious if everyone sees one lone woman running from three men. We’ll go out the window. Forget about the lock, just break the damn thing open Ivan!” Hannibal ordered as he released his hold on Dimitry and pointed to a small wooden chair that occupied the center of the room. In an instant Ivan had snatched up the chair and flung it at the locked window, instantly the glass shattered into hundreds of small glittering pieces. Hannibal smiled as he motioned towards the ladder that acted as a fire escape. One after another, all of the black suited men quickly descended down the ladder and after their target, Hannibal smiled as he quickly slid down the later at a rapid pace. We’re close now; I can still hear her footsteps! There’s no way a stuck up brat can out run all three of us!

~*~*~*~

The woman’s breath had become short and rapid while her face turned red with exhaustion. All though her body was anything but overweight (in fact, she looked quite slender), she was simply not use to this much exercise in this short of time. Only seconds ago she had heard glass shatter as well as a number of objects hit the stone street. She could only assume that those thugs had decided to go out the back way instead of chase after her directly, which was bad. She had hoped that someone in the bar would have been nice enough to either stop them or help her. It didn’t occur to her that no one really wants to help someone who rolls their eyes at everyone around her and slams into people without an apology.

The woman jerked violently as she took a sudden right turn; a spray of dust and stone flew up into the crisp night air that did little to cool her down. Despite the cool breeze that softly made its way through the city streets, the black-haired woman felt as if she ran through a desert or something of equal heat. The fact that those footsteps behind her had gotten louder and louder was also not a comforting circumstance. In fact, it was actually quite a panic-inducing circumstance.

Damn…Which way to go? Left or right? Why must all these streets be so confusing? Which way is out of here? The woman thought to herself as she saw a fork in the road up ahead. The footsteps were mere seconds away now, the woman knew that those men would see her the minute they turned the corner. Panic-stricken and out of breath, she felt herself trip over her own two feet and she began to fall face first towards the cold ground below. She quickly closed her eyes and braced herself for what she knew would be a painful impact as well as imminent capture. Yet she never hit the ground, for a sudden hand snaked out of nowhere and clamped itself tightly over her mouth.

She quickly opened her eyes as she felt her feet fly off the ground and into the air, while she found another hand wrap itself around her waist and pull her tightly next to a warm something. It took her a moment to figure out that the something was actually a person, and the second she did realize that she let out a scream, which only came out as a muffled cry thanks to the hand clamped firmly across her mouth. Her eyes quickly scanned her captor as the wind flew by them as whoever had grabbed her ran full speed towards a nearby alley.

“It’s me or them babe and I don’t have a sword in my hands. I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you want to stay hidden.” Muttered the man who had her firmly in his grasp. Try as she might to see her captor, all she could make out was the man’s black trench coat that whipped around them as they ran, as well as the empty glass bottle in the hand around her waist. Puzzled but helpless, she knew it was only a matter of time before she was either in the arms of the men behind her or this man did what he pleased. The thought of what this new captor might want was not a pleasant thought and more muffled screams escaped her lips.

“Shut up you dumb bimbo! You wanna die?” The man said in a harsh whisper with no short amount of rage in his voice. The effect was just what the man intended, for the woman instantly obeyed his harsh command and ceased her struggles. The woman saw the man fling the empty bottle he was carrying far off into the night sky, and then in the next moment she felt herself being thrown into a reeking pile of garbage along with whoever had dragged her this way. Immediately she began to kick and scream as the smell began to creep its way into her nose; an immediate feeling of nausea to welled up in her stomach. Yet the man quickly tightened his grip around her and quickly cut off all movement and sounds she could have made.

~*~*~*~

“Damn! Which way did she go Ivan?” Hannibal muttered as he caught up to the man who had been the first to turn the corner. Both Ivan and Dimitry had their broad swords out in their hands in order to keep any would be heroes far away from the pursuit. Yet Ivan only shook his head in response to Hannibal’s question, a sign that he had not seen which way she went. Hannibal began to swear a number of profusely foul words when a glass shattered in the distance.

“That’s got to be her! Move it!” Ordered Hannibal as both Dimitry and Ivan nodded. Instantly the three men shot down the left fork in the road, each hoped that in her rush the woman had stumbled and broken something. Come on God! Make her blunder! Once we have her, we’ll have all we need! Hannibal prayed as the trio dashed like rabid dogs down the street. The irony of the moment never really dawned on Hannibal, since he never really considered that God probably wouldn't answer a prayer that involve the kidnapping of a young woman.

~*~*~*~

The two lay silently still amidst the foul trash while a number of footsteps flashed passed the hidden couple. Despite her earlier protests, the woman had finally ceased her struggle, which was a blessing that her captor had really needed. Of course, this blessing only lasted until the footsteps had faded out of hearing, and then she began her struggle anew. She wormed and kicked as she tried to fight free from the iron grip that held her tight and to her surprise, it worked.

“Get your filthy hands of me! How dare you, you filthy, disgusting, perverted, no good…” The list of insults went on as she struggled to her feet and desperately tried to escape the smell that was probably now permanently fixed to her clothes. Shouting and cursing, she stumbled out of the garbage and turned to glare at whoever had grabbed her. Of course, if she were in danger the smart move would have been to run while the man was stunned, but then again this woman wasn’t exactly street-smart. All she did was continue to call her captor foul names, most of which insinuated that he was a womanizing, leeching, ass-grabbing bastard. Or something along those lines. The man in black simply smiled a sarcastic smile as he looked back at the now very red-faced screaming woman.

“Nice to see you haven’t changed your opinion of me princess.” Muttered Sheex as he pulled himself out of the surrounding garbage. What a royal pain in the ass. Thought Sheex to himself as the woman finally shut up.

[Sheex]

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m no princess. I’m just a simple town girl, that’s all.” Stammered the woman as she slowly backed away from Sheex. However, Sheex didn’t even show that much interest in her, instead turning his attention back to the pile of garbage that they had hid in. Wrinkling his nose at the smell (it was a cross between burnt hair and bird droppings), he slowly shifted through the garbage before him as if he was searching for something.

“You really don’t know how to lie that well. Besides, how could I forget your lovely face? And even if I did forget that particular picture of beauty, I’d remember your fine ass. That ass almost got me beheaded.” Sheex said making sure to add a bit of sarcasm to his last sentence. Instantaneously the woman turned red with anger and opened her mouth to once more unleash a long line of insults. For a princess, this particular woman did not strike Sheex as a very polite and well-mannered young lady. But Sheex paid her little heed as he found what he was looking for and quickly yanked out from the mess a small, but surprising heavy, black bag.

“Why you…you deserve whatever punishment you get you stupid pervert! And that’s my bag!” The woman screamed as she made a desperate lunge at Sheex, who quickly stepped to the side while sticking out his left foot. The end result was a cry from the woman as she tripped over Sheex’s foot and fell headfirst back into the garbage, this time with her mouth wide open. Immediately she began to writhe about, not only sending garbage every which way but also managing to cover herself with even more foul-smelling objects.

“HA! Oh, that so makes up for nearly getting me killed! Hope you had a nice trip, and I’ll see you next fall!” Sheex said while continuously laughing (as well as pointing) at the clumsy woman before him. Eventually, the woman managed to free herself from the garbage, and she quickly stood up and began to toss off the banana peel that clung to her shoulder. After removing what garbage had remained on her, she quickly glared at Sheex with a fierce fire in her eyes.

“You bastard! What kind of man trips a woman into a pile of garbage? Now give me back that bag!” She screamed, but this time she knew better than to lunge at the man before her. At long last, all those times Sheex had been stuck in tough situations were paying off. After all, ducking swords and other sharp objects (most of which wouldn’t have been swung in the first place if Sheex kept his mouth shut) made you quite nimble, and what better way to put that speed good use than to tease a bimbo princess?

“The same type of man who nearly gets killed for hitting on a princess! Now, you can either calm down, or continue your exercise of futility. Personally, I hope you choose the second option, because I get a kick of humiliating royalty.” Sheex said as he slung the black bag in his hand over his shoulder. The woman quickly leaped at Sheex, clawing violently at the bag over his shoulder. In response, Sheex quickly stuck out his right hand and gently shoved the princess’s forehead. Once again, the woman was back into the pile of garbage.

In keeping with her current tactic, the woman once more began to thrash about, but she quickly came to a stop when Sheex walked over to her and offered his hand. She gave the wanderer a hard stare, but finally accepted his offer and reached up. Sheex quickly yanked her to her feet, causing her to lose her balance and stumble into Sheex, who quickly caught her with both of his hands while letting out a sly chuckle.

“Jeez princess, I know I saved your life and all, but that’s no reason to throw yourself at me. But, then again, I guess palace life must be pretty dull. All that excitement get your juices flowing?” Sheex said with a grin, which quickly became an expression of pain as the woman brought her hand back and delivered a harsh slap into Sheex’s cheek. His face flared with pain as she gave him a good shove, forcing the wanderer back into a wall. On the bright side, she still hadn’t managed to get her bag back.

“That is enough! I am not a princess, and that is my bag! You will return it!” She barked, causing Sheex to just shake his head. Without a doubt, this lady was definitely the girl he was looking for. After all, she honestly expected that simply shouting out orders would get people to do what she wanted. A sure sign of royalty.

“Look babes. Maybe barking orders gets things done in the palace, where you have people to do everything for you. But, in the real world, simply yelling at people won’t get them to do what you want. In fact, it will usually get you the exact opposite. By the way, if you’re trying to pass yourself off as a commoner, you really shouldn’t carry things like this around.” Sheex muttered as he quickly unzipped the bag and reached inside. He quickly produced a short-sheathed sword, which while not a very deadly weapon, was certainly a very expensive one. The hilt was laced with gold as well as rubies. The sword itself was made of mithril, which Sheex had realized when he had unsheathed the blade on the way here. The sheath itself was also made of a finely polished wood, and although Sheex did not know exactly what type he was willing to bet it was way out of his price range.

At last the bimbo had shut up. This time she merely stood shocked instead of sending a long list of names at the wanderer. She took several steps back, only to realize that all that laid behind her was a pile of garbage, and she had no desire to end up in there again. Sheex simply smiled as he casually tossed the sheathed sword from hand to hand.

“Little expensive for a commoner wouldn’t you say? I mean, the hilt is gold for crying out loud! Even trained soldiers don’t buy weapons like this! Only someone with pretty deep pockets can afford something as pricey as this little thing, so can we please drop the act already? I’m not that dumb you know.” Sheex said as the girl finally nodded her head in acceptance. Sheex looked over his shoulder to check if those men were on their way back, but it seemed like Sheex’s little ruse had tricked them pretty good. It was the first thing that had actually gone right today.

“Great! Well now, I believe introductions are in order! The name’s Sheex Deltin, no fancy titles or anything else please. Just plain old Sheex will do just fine. And you are?” Sheex said as the woman hung her head. Apparently the cat was out of the bag so to speak, which meant that she was pretty much out of options. Sheex decided she was much easier to deal with when she was quiet.

“Lila. Lila Vaine.” She said in a very soft voice sounding of defeat. Apparently the fiery vixen from earlier had vanished, and instead had left Sheex with a much quieter woman. Of course, with the way she hung her head it made the situation look like Sheex was part of the abductors. It was actually pretty ironic.

“Well I dare say it’s a pleasure to meet you. And there’s no need to look so glum, it’s not like I’m here to kidnap you or anything. I’m just here to take you back home, and then we can go our separate ways. I’ll go back to being a drunk, and you can go back to doing whatever it is that princesses do. Sound good?”

Sheex had been expecting a nod of acceptance or something to that effect. Instead, the girl simply shook her head with a sad look upon her face. Sheex was puzzled, to say the very least. Of course, seeing as how the wanderer had been hit on the head with a beer mug earlier, he did have a bit of an excuse for his slow wits. It eventually did dawn on him why she looked so glum though.

“Oh yeah…about your bro…don’t worry so much. It’s not like anything bad will happen to him. Besides, the streets are no place for a princess. Best to leave it to others, right? You do what you do best, like go shopping and buy skimpy outfits. At least, that’s what a lot of girls do. Bet you look good in a mini-skirt.” Sheex said with a smile as he tried to look Lila in the eyes. She simply averted her gaze and continued to stare at the floor. Okay. What happened? The princess I remember should be furious about now, threatening me with divine justice or something like that. Did someone replace the girl right in front of me?

“You're so stupid. You just don’t get it do you? My father doesn’t care! My stupid stepmother will be happy to see him go! No ones going to help him! Nobody gives a damn!” The princess said as she stomped her foot in anger. She gave Sheex a harsh glare, which quickly killed the smile on his face. Instinctively, the wanderer took a step back, for usually with that glare came a slap. But, Sheex figured he was pretty far out of reach.

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that! If I don’t get you back, you know what happens to me?” Sheex said as he made a chopping motion with his right hand. Emma had been pretty clear on what the deal was. A live princess bought Sheex his freedom. A dead princess bought Sheex a date with an executioner, and Sheex was quite fond of his head where it was at the current moment, namely attached to his neck.

“Yeah. Go ahead and make excuses. Whatever helps you sleep at night!” Lila muttered as she began to walk past Sheex. Of course, she stopped when Sheex’s had shot out in front of her. In the next moment, Sheex gave her a hard shove landing the woman once more back into the pile of garbage that was quickly beginning to conform to her shape. She gave Sheex a harsh glare, but faltered when Sheex returned it with one of his own.

“Oh, poor little baby. You’ve got it so rough don’t you? Servants wait on you night and day, daddy takes care of all your problems, and if anyone angers you all you have to do is snap your fingers and a legion of guards will quickly rush to help you. Such a tough little life you’ve got. How do you ever survive?”

“Shut up! My brother’s been kidnapped and you dare to mock me?”

“So? In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not the only one with problems. People die everyday, what makes you so damn important? Stupid royalty walks around like they’re better than the average villager. What makes your brother’s life worth more than the kid who starves because of your taxes? Answer me that, and I’ll let you go.”

Lila glared at Sheex, but for the life of her couldn’t think of an answer. Even if she could think of one, Lila knew she wouldn’t even believe it herself. In her heart, she knew that Sheex was right. With a sigh of defeat, she shook her head and curled up into a ball. Apparently she didn’t care that she was in a pile of garbage.

“No answer? Good. Let’s get going princess.” Sheex muttered as he yanked her up and the two began to walk down the street. For several minutes the two walked in silence, but eventually Lila looked up. When she did, she immediately came to a complete stop.

“Are you lost or something?” She asked as Sheex put back the sword he had been carrying into the bag that was still over his shoulder. He smiled softly and shook his head at the princess before him.

“No, but I often am. Why do you ask?”

“Because the palace is that way.” Lila said as she pointed in the exact opposite direction that the two of them were heading. Expecting a rude remark of some sort, Lila had no problem admitting that she was very surprised when Sheex nodded his head in agreement, but continued to walk in the exact opposite direction.

“Yeah, what’s your point?” Sheex asked as he pulled out the map that Emma had given him. Okay, scratch this town. Those bad dudes are probably going to be pretty confused at what to do next. I bet if we avoid the roads we can avoid them as well…

“But, isn’t that where we’re headed?” Lila asked completely and utterly confused. Apparently, she couldn’t quite piece together what was happening. Sheex gave her a quick glance, quickly coming to a conclusion about her. She was a bimbo, no doubt about that.

“Your brother isn’t in that direction. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think your brother’s life is worth more than the starving kid, but that doesn’t mean I want him to die or anything. I want to save them both. Sound good?” Sheex asked, receiving a stare from Lila. For a moment, Sheex actually thought she was going to tell him to get lost and that she didn’t need a drunks help, but eventually she nodded her head. Sheex still hadn’t gotten her to smile though.

“All right then. Let’s get going Flower Girl.” Sheex stated as the two reached the town exit. He looked back to see Lila giving him a puzzled look. Obviously, that statement was past her education level. It was definitely a good thing he decided to help her; she’d be dead or worse otherwise. Damn, I’m no hero. Who the hell taught me these morals? I owe them a punch in the face.

“Flower Girl?” Lila asked as the two exited the town. The fresh night air quickly raced around them, cooling Sheex off. The sky above twinkled with countless stars to light the young pair’s journey, a journey that would no doubt be trouble. But, then again, if a damsel is in distress Sheex just had to help her out. It was one of his actually better qualities, albeit one that got him into a lot of trouble.

“Lila is a flower you silly princess. Quite a pretty one too. Not as pretty as you of course.” Sheex said as he brushed back a strand of Lila’s hair that had fallen forward into her face. He was surprised to see that her defeated look had been replaced with a smile. When she wasn’t yelling or attacking him, this girl was actually pretty damn cute.

“Oh? What’s this? Princess Lila Vaine dares smile at the lowly Sheex Deltin? My luck’s changing for the better already.”

[Sheex]

“It really isn’t that hard to understand. Your kingdom is way too zealous when it comes to enforcing its laws.”

“You’re only saying that because you nearly got your head cut off.”

“Seems like a perfectly good reason to me.”

The forest path that Sheex and Lila walked down was both a blessing as well as a curse. It was a blessing because it kept the two travelers out of sight of any would be kidnappers. It was a curse because the thick branches and large trees made any sort of travel but a slow walk impossible. Not to mention the fact that when Sheex wasn’t ducking branches or swatting aside numerous falling leaves, he had to deal the princess’s personal view on politics. It was irritating, to say the least.

While all seemed well and good when the two left the town on their search for the little lost prince, both Sheex and Lila quickly discovered that the two of them could not stand each other. Perhaps it was Sheex’s careless attitude towards life even during desperate times, or maybe it was Lila’s holier-than-though way she talked to Sheex. In either case, the two were not very fond of each other.

“No, it’s not a good reason. Nobles and commoners are different types of people, that is a fact of life. It is not a nice fact, but it is a fact. Insulting a noble is completely different than insulting a farmer.” Responded Lila as she shoved a branch out of her way. Sheex was several feet ahead of her, claiming that it was for her protection. In actuality he thought if he was farther away she would shut up. His plan was not coming to fruition like he had hoped.

“No, their title is different. Take away the fancy clothes, the fancy food and the coffers filled with gold and there’s no difference at all. Except maybe certain princesses are a bit slower than your average farmer.” Muttered Sheex as he nearly tripped over a large rock. Fortunately he caught himself by grabbing a nearby branch and quickly yanking himself out of his tumble.

“But you can’t take away the clothes, the food, and the gold. The fact of the matter is that those things are there and they make the two people different. Which is why certain drunks end up in prison.” Snickered Lila as she easily hopped over the rock that had nearly brought Sheex down. However, when Sheex released the branch he had clung to it quickly swung towards Lila and smacked her square in the face. Sheex let out his own snicker as he offered his hand towards Lila, who was now rubbing her face.

“Material comes and goes, the traits in people stay the same. By the way, you need me to hold your hand or can you manage?” Lila's response was to simply shove Sheex aside as she pushed onwards. When the two reached an open clearing in an otherwise dense forest, both decided it was time for a break. From the traveling and from each other.

“We’ve made enough progress for one day. By tomorrow we’ll be out of this stupid forest, but there is no sense it traveling through it at night. You’d probably just get lost.” Spat Lila as she flung her bag off her shoulder and began to dig through it. Sheex thought about responding to that remark, but realized that she was probably right. Instead of pursuing the matter, he simply sat down next to a tree a good ten feet or so away from what was quickly becoming a royal pain in the ass.

“Works for me.” Responded Sheex as he leaned back against the tree and stared up at the forest canopy above him, which for the most part blocked out any view the wanderer might have had of the blue sky above. At most only a few beams of golden sunlight managed to find its way through the dark green foilage above.

“Hey! I didn’t say you could just doze off! According to the map a river runs through this forest. Why don’t you go get us some water while I put up my tent?” Lila snapped as she tossed Sheex two near empty canteens. Sheex was quick enough to catch one of the flying metal objects, but the other smashed into his leg and caused quite a stinging sensation to shoot up his body. After he had recovered, Sheex looked over at his companion, who at this point was digging through her bag.

“You managed to fit a tent in there? Congratulations. At least we’ll be somewhat comfortable.” Muttered Sheex as he began to head off towards the direction Lila had pointed at. Lila simply shook her had at Sheex as he left.

“It’s an enchanted bag I got for my birthday. It can hold five times it size, but what’s this about we’ll be comfortable? I sure as hell don’t intend to share my tent with you.” Snapped Lila as Sheex grit his teeth. He considered throwing the canteens back at the stubborn woman, but instead he decided to storm off into the words. He figured he’d be better off away from the bimbo princess for a little while.

About two hours later (which qualified as a bit more than a little while) Sheex strolled back into the clearing. He almost laughed out loud when he realized Lila had only managed to get half her tent up, but instead he tossed her one of the now full canteens and began to build a small fire. Apparently putting together tents are not part of a princess’s required education. Pity. Well, not really.

“Took you long enough. I didn’t realize it was that hard to fill up two canteens.” Muttered Lila as one side of the tent collapsed back to the ground. The princess cursed as she crawled about the purple cloth that consisted of the tent while Sheex stifled a laugh as the pile of wood before him was slowly consumed by the tiny orange fire Sheex had created.

“And I didn’t know it was so hard to pitch a tent. Besides, there was some fish in the river. Took me about a half hour to spear the damn thing and another half hour to clean it. It’ll be worth it though.” Responded Sheex as Lila looked over to see the wanderer calmly sitting by the fire cooking one small fish that was impaled on a sharp wooden stick. Sheex licked his lips as Lila’s stomach made a rumbling noise, all she had left to eat was the soldier rations that she had brought just in case. It was amazing just how fast the good food had vanished.

“Well I hope you enjoy your dinner. And I hope you enjoy sleeping under the fresh night sky as well.” Snapped Lila as she managed to bring another side of the tent up. Now she only had two more sides to go, assuming the currently standing sides did not fall back down as they had the last twelve times. Ironically, had she asked Sheex probably would have shared his meal with her, but Lila was far too proud to ask for any favors from someone who was currently at the top of her “rotten scoundrel” list. Stupid broad thinks she’s better than me. At least I can pitch a damn tent. Sheex thought to himself as his nostril’s danced to the smell of the cooking fish. If she wasn’t going to ask, then Sheex had no intention of sharing.

Several hours later…

“Wake up you stupid moron!” Lila shouted as she delivered a swift kick into Sheex’s rib cage, instantly snapping Sheex out of his peaceful sleep as well as leaving a painful throbbing sensation in his side. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he slowly stood, the first thing that Sheex managed to see clearly was Lila standing in front of him. Sheex pulled his black coat tightly around him in an attempt to block out the chilling night wind as he gave her an approving look.

“Damn you look good in that outfit. You’re daddy know you wear stuff like that? Nice job on the tent by the way. Don’t tell me you woke me up just to brag though. I was having a good dream.” Sheex said as he motioned at the purple gown (made out of the finest silk no doubt) that Lila wore, which more the amply showed off her slender figure. Behind her, and of far less interest to Sheex, stood a fully pitched tent.

“Do you really think I enjoy having you stare at me that much? You could have stayed asleep for all I care, but those men have other ideas.” Barked Lila as she pointed towards Sheex’s right. With a bit of a sleepy expression on his face, Sheex turned about to see three gruff looking men armed with daggers snickering at the two of them. Well, they snickered at Sheex and made lewd looks at Lila. In Sheex’s opinion she really was bringing it upon herself.

“Huh? Hell, it’s just three bandits or something. Nothing to worry about. Just show them your goods, give them some cash, and let me get back to sleep.” Muttered Sheex as Lila’s hand slapped his face. She hoped that would be enough to give him a better understanding of the situation.

Sheex simply hopped about clutching his now red cheek as the bandits let out a long and cruel laugh.

[Sheex]

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Why’d you have to go and hit me?” Cried Sheex as he rubbed his now red cheek. Lila simply looked at him with a look of pure bemusement while the bandits could not help but laugh as they moved closer and closer to the increasingly frightened (and appalled) Lila. When the group was in arms reach of the unlucky duo, the self-appointed lead bandit stepped forward and pointed his knife at Sheex.

“The girl and your belongings stay. We don’t really care about the idiot though. He’s free to leave.” Grumbled the man in a rather gruff voice as Lila instinctively took several quick steps back. Sheex, on the other hand, simply stretched out his arms and let out a nice long yawn.

“Sounds good to me. Play nice.” Sheex said as shoved his hands into his pockets and began to move away; he stopped only when Lila yanked him towards her with no small look of irritation in her eyes. Sheex simply scratched his head and let out another yawn while Lila began to shake him violently.

“You said you’d help me! You said you’d save my brother! You said you’d…” Lila was quickly cut off when Sheex swooped his hands down severed Lila’s grip on his coat. Sheex simply readjusted his outfit while he took a glance back at the bandits, who had stopped to admire the current conversation.

“But I never said I’d help you fight off three armed men! I’m no sword master, and while I may be stupid I’m smart enough to know when I’m outmatched. And babes, given the current circumstances, I’m really outmatched.” Responded Sheex as the bandits nodded in agreement. They had expected the man to put up a fight, but if they could take their prize with less work, then that was just fine with them.

“You know, you may not be a big of an idiot as you look. You know when to back down. Good for you. Now scram.” Muttered the lead bandit as he stepped forward and jerked his thumb towards the forest behind him. Sheex took one last look at Lila, who at this point strongly gripped Sheex’s arm with a pleading look in her eyes.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. Not my fault you don’t know how to protect yourself. You don’t even have a weapon on you. Hell, you don’t even have real clothes on you.” Sheex said, causing Lila to immediately look back at her tent where her sword slept. Sheex allowed a faint smile to cross his lips as he began to contemplate the situation. Well princess, I hope you can take the hint. You need that sword. Now, how to buy some time? Oh, I got it!

“Besides, you really brought this on yourself. I’m afraid you’re just too beautiful for your own good, and I’m sure these guys agree with me. Who can really blame them? Just look at you.” Sheex said slyly as he crept forward a few inches. As soon as he finished his sentence his right hand darted down at incredible speed (Sheex prided himself on his lightning fast hands) and gripped the bottom of Lila’s gown. Before anyone else could make a move, Sheex quickly brought the gown upwards and revealed a good portion of the princess’s smooth skin (as well as her underwear).

“Not bad.” Muttered one of the bandits as Lila let out a scream and quickly swung her hand at Sheex. Although she usually managed to score direct hits when it came to slapping Sheex for his lewd nature, this time she hit nothing but air. She was more than surprised when she turned to find Sheex barreling towards the bandits, who had been completely focused on Lila’s revealed body parts.

“Gotta keep your eyes on the prize gents! Those fine legs will be the death of ya!” Cried Sheex as his right hand balled into a fist and slammed into the nose of the lead bandit; no small amount of blood burst forth as the bandit crumbled to the grassy floor below. Now be smart and get the damn sword! Better not leave me hanging princess! Thought Sheex to himself as he ran past the other two bandits, who now turned their attention solely towards Sheex.

“You’re gonna bleed hero!” Let out one bandit as he lunged forward and struke at Sheex with the small knife in his right hand. Sheex grabbed the wrist of the bandit and steered the blow away from him as well as lined up the bandit right in front of the other one, so that the bandit in the rear could not attack. Sheex then gave the bandit in his hands a hard shove and knocked his attacker into the other bandit. Having a free moment, Sheex turned his attention towards the lead bandit, who was began to rise up despite the broken nose Sheex had given him. That particular problem was quickly remedied when Sheex lashed out with his foot and delivered a swift kick into the already bloodied face.

“Hey, don’t blame me. You wanna get in her pants? Well, I’ve got no problems with that. Had you been real nice to me, I probably would’ve even helped you. But I’ve not lost my entire moral grounding yet, and I can’t condone what you’re trying to do. If you’ve anything else to say, say it with steel!” Spoke Sheex forcefully as he whipped out his own two daggers, one in each hand. In truth, Sheex’s speech was a bluff. While he may have sounded confident his heart beat at the rapid pace of a hummingbird’s wings. He simply hoped to scare the two remaining bandits away, and it did manage to cause the two to pause, for about five seconds.

“That’s a deal tough guy. Show us what you got!” Shouted one of the bandits as he lunged forward and a blow aimed at Sheex’s stomach. Moving quickly, Sheex parried the blow with one of his daggers as the other bandit came at him from the left. Faced with no other option, Sheex leapt back several feet in order to escape from an ever-worsening battle. The bandits quickly pursued.

“Come on! What happened to all your earlier enthusiasm?” Questioned one of the bandits as he brought his dagger above his head and slashed down hard at Sheex’s head. Sheex quickly caught the dagger with one of his own as the other bandit swooped in for the kill. Still fending off the dagger above his head with one dagger, Sheex made a weak stab at the incoming bandit, who leapt back out of Sheex’s range. Whatever joy Sheex felt at his small triumph quickly evaporated as the free bandit brought his dagger back, opting to throw the blade at the cornered wanderer. Shit. Out of options. Was Sheex’s only response to that particular maneuver.

“SON OF A BITCH!” Screamed Lila as she ran forward, her finely decorated sword clutched in both of her hands. Caught off guard, the bandit about to toss his dagger into Sheex was forced to call off his attack in order to defend himself against the enraged princesses. Despite his best attempt at defense, Lila’s blade still managed to cleave a solid gash into the man’s side a bit; blood began to stain the green forest floor.

Now able to focus on only one bandit, Sheex brought his free hand upwards and slammed it into the man’s chest. The bandit let out a gasp as he stumbled backward while Sheex flung one of his daggers at the man’s legs. At the last instant the man step sided, causing the dagger to only dig itself into the grass below. Yet before the bandit could even laugh at Sheex’s failed attack, the man turned forward only to see Sheex close the distance between the two of them and land an uppercut right onto the man’s jaw.

“Told ya to keep your eye on the prize. You gotta focus on your enemy, not just one of his weapons.” Sheex advised as the man fell backwards, completely unconscious. Sheex picked up his thrown dagger as he turned his attention to Lila and the bandit she was fighting, who at this point was on the ground clutching his wounded side and fending off blow after blow from the mad princess. Lila’s surprise attack had clearly given her the upper hand.

“Rapist bastard! You stupid scum!” Cried Lila at the top of her voice, her face now the color of crimson. With a wild swing she batted aside the man’s small dagger and raised her sword above her head to deliver the killing blow. Yet as the blade came down towards the crawling (and at this point screaming bandit), it found not flesh but rather cold steel. Lila’s adorned sword crashed into Sheex’s plain outstretched dagger; the whimpering bandit saved from a sure death. The resulting kick from Sheex however, did knock the man out.

With blood-crazed eyes Lila spun towards Sheex, slashing about as she did so. Stunned, but not entirely unprepared, Sheex leapt back as Lila’s blade grazed the side of his throat; a small trickle of blood seeped from his skin. Infested with madness, Lila lunged forward and slashed wildly as she did so. With calm eyes Sheex quickly struck her blade with one of his daggers and stopped the assault. With another swift movement hw slammed the hilt of his other dagger into Lila’s shoulder and sent the mad princess backwards as well as causing her to fumble her sword to the ground. As she reached for it the wanderer quickly kicked it out of her reach, an act that caused Lila to clench her hands with rage. She gave the wanderer a harsh glare, only to receive a look of sadness. Momentarily stunned, she quickly pulled herself up from the ground and walked towards her tent.

“What the hell is with that look Sheex? Get the hell away from me!” She shouted as she turned his back on him.

Several minutes later…

“Hope that’s not too tight gentlemen. Well, not really.” Sheex joked as he finished tying the three bandits to a single large tree. All of the bandits were bleeding, but Sheex was sure that they’d all be fine. He did take a moment to smile at the irony of the moment. The rope Sheex had used to tie them up had actually been found on one of the bandits.

“I can’t believe you saved him. He is scum! They’re a bunch of rapists! They deserve to die!” Screamed Lila, who was now fully dressed and leaned against a nearby tree with her arms crossed in frustration. Slowly Sheex walked over towards her while he carried Lila’s sword in hands. With a sad sigh he looked back at the terrified bandits and then back at Lila, who was furious with Sheex to say the least.

“You’re right. They’re all scum. They’re nothing but a bunch of dogs. It’s just…” Sheex fell silent as the princess stared at him intently. Sheex stood still and stared at the ground below him, or more accurately the one spot where Lila had spilled blood. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a soft and sad voice.

“You know, most people in this land seem to be able to kill freely. They can cut anyone down and it doesn’t really bother them at all. I’m not like that. I can’t just kill freely. Regardless of the circumstances, I can’t shake the guilt. For me, taking a life is something I just can’t seem to come to terms with.” Lila didn’t budge from the tree when Sheex spoke, but her face of hatred slowly began to disappear, at least just a little bit. For the most part, she still seemed quite enraged to Sheex.

“But you’re right of course. I’ve no say in the matter. It really is your decision after all. If you still want them dead, I won’t stop you. I simply wanted to let you know that if you kill them you might never ever feel the same about yourself. Just thought you should know that.” Sheex said quietly. When he was finished, he slammed Lila’s blade into the forest earth and left it impaled there. Slowly Lila withdrew the blade and walked over towards the trembling bandits, while Sheex stood still and stared at the bloodstained forest.

“Sheex…is that something you know from experience?” Lila asked as she glared at the bandits, who quickly began to beg for their lives. In response, Sheex took a look at his own hands as if there was something there to see. There wasn’t of course, at least not at the moment. All that was there now was his skin; naught a sign of anything else. Although from the way he stared at his hands a person might think they were covered with blood.

“I’ll pack up your tent.” Was his only response as he finally dropped his hands to his side and walked off. Lila stood still for a minute and then slowly raised her sword above the terrified head of one of the bandit’s. She stood there poised to strike for what seemed like an eternity, especially to the whimpering bandit.

“Let’s go. You can tell the sheriff to pick them up when we reach the next town.” Lila muttered as she placed her sword back into her sheath. Together and in silence both Sheex and Lila walked off, as the one of the bandit burst into tears at the joy of being spared.

[Sheex]

“Well, I talked to the sheriff. Said those bandits had been hassling a few travelers, but no one got really hurt. Just small-time wanna be crooks I guess. All bark and no bite. The sheriff was nice enough to call me a hero though. Jokes on him huh?” Sheex said as he strolled into the entrance of the town’s inn where Lila was waiting for him.

“Hmph. Good for you. There’s only one room vacant, so we’re going to have to spilt the room.” Lila stated coolly as she motioned for Sheex to come with her as the two strolled up the stairs. Lila had chosen a middle-class establishment, signified by the fine oak walls as well as the well-made stairs. Had Sheex had any say in the matter he would have preferred a less obvious place of rest, but Lila wasn’t listening to him much at the moment.

“Guess that means I’m not going to be sleeping in the bed.” Said Sheex as he opened the door and peered into what would be tonight’s lodging. There was a fine oak table, as well as a bathroom and a sofa that was well taken care of. Sadly there was but one bed, and it wasn’t even a very large one at that. Of course, compared to the tree he had rested his head on the previous night Sheex figured the sofa was definitely a step in the right direction.

“I’m sure that you’ll manage somehow. Now, I’m going to take a shower. That means you stay the hell away from the bathroom. Actually, just stay the hell away from that entire half of the room.” Muttered Lila as she dug through her belongings for her nightgown. Sheex simply plopped himself down on the couch and let out a long sigh.

“Yeah yeah. I get the idea. Personally, I don’t see where all this hostility for me comes from. You act like I’m going to take pictures of you and sell them all over town or something.” Almost instantaneously Lila spun about and gave Sheex what he hoped would be the last harsh glare of the evening. Sooner or later he was going to start counting the number of glares he received over the course of this little adventure. For the sake of knowledge, of course.

“Well I probably wouldn’t be so hostile if your battle plan for fighting bandits didn’t involve lifting my skirt up!” Snapped Lila as she stormed off towards the shower and slammed the door shut as she did so. Irritated, Sheex snatched up a nearby pillow and tossed it after her, managing only to hit the solid wooden door that barred his way.

“Oh come on! What did you expect I was going to do? Take on three armed men straight up, with absolutely no trick? In case you haven’t noticed, I lack the mythical ability to become a super human!” Shouted Sheex back as he kicked the side of the table for no reason except to vent a bit of his frustration.

“Believe it or not Sheex, some people have standards when it comes to saving there own skin!” Shouted Lila through the wooden door, which was strong enough to prevent Sheex’s pillow assault but allowed the conversation to continue just fine (although at this point the two were practically screaming at each other).

“Sweet Jesus! I charge three armed bandits head on and manage to buy you enough time to get your stupid sword that you stupidly left in your stupid tent, and you’re upset because you had to show a little skin. ARGH! You’re so…so…STUPID!” Screamed Sheex back at her, this time only a sharp breath of anger was heard through the door as a response. Lila deemed the conversation unworthy of continuing and decided to start her shower, while Sheex folded his arms and sat irritated on his sofa.

Eventually Lila came out of the shower, this time wearing a dark blue robe around her nightgown. Had Sheex been his usual self, he would have commented on the fact that with her hair and skin freshly wet from the shower Lila looked simply gorgeous. Under the current circumstances, he simply walked passed her so he could take his own shower. The minute Sheex had shut the bathroom door and turned on the shower however, he immediately let out another yell.

“AND YOU USED UP ALL THE HOT WATER! YOU ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS!”

Several hours and one cold shower later…

After his shower and a long walk through the town, Sheex eventually returned to the room tightly clutching a bottle of whiskey and a glass to consume that whiskey with. He would have preferred to skip the walk and get straight to the consuming of whiskey, but Sheex had a long standing rule of not to drink while he was angry. Sheex found that the best way to cure anger was a nice walk under the fresh night air (either that or it was just the fact he was away from Lila).

Expecting to return to Lila sleeping in bed, Sheex was mildly surprised to find the only bed in the room empty. The wanderer was even more surprised to see Lila out on the balcony, and even further surprised to discover that this room actually had a balcony. Maybe I shouldn’t drink too much tonight. Thought Sheex as he took off his coat. Taking careful aim, Sheex quickly flung his coat in one smooth motion and expertly landed it on one of the bedposts. With a bit of a smile, Sheex plopped down on the sofa and yanked the table closer to him as he began to pour himself a drink.

“Standing outside like that is not a good idea. Last thing we need is your face to be recognized.” Said Sheex in a soft voice that was just loud enough to be heard. Receiving no response from Lila in any way, shape, or form, Sheex let out a sigh as he picked up his half-full glass of whiskey as well as the bottle itself and strolled out to the balcony himself. The minute he opened the door the night air rushed across his face, instantly cooling him down and causing his loose blue shirt to flutter about violently. Lila was still in her bathrobe, which made sense considering the cold night air that had just passed Sheex by.

“I’m serious. You kinda do stand out. Every guy that passes by on the street is going to take a look up here. The last thing we need is for one of those thugs that were chasing you to see you.” Sheex said as he took a look over the balcony. Thankfully the street below was completely empty; a blessing since Lila seemed intent to stay cooped up in her own thoughts.

“Not going to talk to me eh? Okay, fine. I’ve cracked tougher nuts than you. I got some alcohol, you wanna a drink? Come on, I bet you get nice and wild after a shot or two. Take a drink, I dare ya.” Said Sheex in an antagonizing voice as he swished his drink about under her nose. It took about another thirty seconds of prodding for Sheex to finally get a reaction out of the princess, which was good considering Sheex was about to move onto cheap pick-up lines.

“If I take a drink will you stop being so obnoxious?” Asked Lila with her hands on her hips as she turned to look at Sheex. Smiling, Sheex shrugged as he handed her the glass of whiskey and leaned back against the balcony rail. The cool night wind continued to pick up, causing Sheex’s brown hair to slightly toss about and Lila’s black hair to whip around almost non-stop. Sheex had to admit it was pretty ravishing.

“Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. Only one way for you to find out, isn’t there? So, what were you thinking about, or did you just find the night sky particularly pleasing tonight? I’ll admit it is rather beautiful.” Sheex said as he looked up into the starry night sky as Lila took a sip of the whiskey. Instantly her faced crinkled and her right hand flew up to cover her mouth as she began to cough.

“Oops. I probably should’ve asked if you’ve ever even had alcohol, and I definitely should’ve warned you about the strength of whiskey. It’s not easy to take down on your first time.” Sheex said with a laugh as he sat down on the rail, careful to balance himself so he didn’t dive headfirst down into the alley below. Lila coughed for a few more seconds and then gave Sheex a harsh glare.

“I’m not a child! I’ve had alcohol before…just not this cheap stuff.” Lila spat as she carefully took another sip, this time managing not to gag. Sheex simply continued to smile gleefully as he let the night air dash around him. There was just something about starry nights and a cool breeze that brought out the best in Sheex. That and Lila’s slender figure didn’t hurt.

“Hey! That bottle wasn’t very cheap! Cost me twenty pieces of gold it did! And it’s not a very large bottle either!” Sheex said as Lila continued to slowly drink down the whiskey. She was about one-fourth of the way done and Sheex was curious if she was going to be able to handle the rest of the drink. Her sips were getting smaller and smaller but more frequent. The wanderer, for all his drinking experience, wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Where did you get twenty pieces of gold? You’ve been leaching off me this entire trip.” Lila asked as Sheex produced a tiny leather bag. The sound of coins clinking together could be heard as Sheex moved the bag about, a sound that usually made shopkeepers leap with joy. Lila imagined that bartenders were the one's leaping for joy whenever Sheex got his hands on any amount of cash.

“There was a slight reward on those bandits, fifty gold coins to be exact. I spent twenty on that bottle and I got this cool little hip flask for free too! The rest is yours.” Sheex said as he tossed Lila the gold as he managed to produce a small steel hip flask. Carefully Sheex poured a good portion of whiskey into the metallic container. He imagined that this little flask would be far more useful than any weapon he could get his hands on. Most people wouldn’t agree with such an idea, but then again Sheex was the type to gladly trade away a weapon of mass destruction for booze.

“Both of us caught the bandits. That should be twenty-five gold pieces each.” Lila said as she opened the pouch and held it out to Sheex, who simply shook his head and took another swing of whiskey. Realizing if he continued down this pace of drinking he would soon be on the street below, Sheex decided it was time to put away his favorite new toy, namely the hip flask.

“Nah. I’d just spend it on more booze anyway. Or maybe some barmaid. It’s better that you take it. You’re paying for this room after all and out of your good gracious allowing me to sleep on the sofa. I though you were going to have me sleep outside for a moment, so the least I can do is give you the bigger half of the reward. Not to mention your little peep-show earned it.” Sheex said with a cackle as Lila stomped her feet on the balcony floor. She sure did get pretty red faced when Sheex teased her; either that or the alcohol was taking effect far faster than Sheex had anticipated.

“Oh shut up! I’ve never been so humiliated in my life!” Lila snapped as she spun about and crossed her arms, nearly spilling her drink as she did so. It was a good thing she managed to catch herself, otherwise Sheex would have been very upset. He hated to see good alcohol go to waste.

“Ha! You call that humiliating? Man, you have lived a sheltered life. Stick around; it’s bound to get worse. Especially with me around. And you still haven’t told me what you were thinking about by the way.” Sheex said as Lila just shook her head. Eventually, after what Sheex would definitely call an awkward silence, Lila turned to stare out at the night sky as she had been doing before Sheex had interrupted her.

“You want to know what I was thinking about? I was thinking about that fight in the forest.” Lila said in a very solemn tone and if Sheex had to guess the whole fight had to be weighing pretty heavily on her mind. He quickly kicked himself off the balcony and landed right next to where Lila starred of into the glittering night sky.

“First time you ever used that sword of yours, wasn’t it?” Sheex asked in an equally serious tone. He received a slight nod from Lila, but she still continued to look up at the sky instead of at him. At least she wasn’t yelling at him again.

“It’s not my sword, I stole it from my father before I left. I never ever used a sword before. I certainly never fought bandits before. The only blood I ever spilt was on accident.” Lila said, her voice getting softer and softer as she continued to talk with her last sentence being that of a whisper. Sheex slowly put his hand on her shoulder, doing his best to comfort someone who was obviously out of their usual habitat. He was willing to bet the only experience with battle she had before last night was the boasting of fat old nobles who talked about sending other men into glorious combat.

“Yeah, but you handled yourself all right. Came out okay, no one was really hurt too bad. You’re still you. A fight won’t change that.” Sheex said as Lila finally tuned away from the sky and faced him. If Sheex was a betting man, which he was, he would have bet a fortune that Lila was feeling pretty regretful about the whole thing.

“Barely. I always thought mankind was civilized, especially nobles. I was always told that what separates us from the commoners was the fact that we could control our impulses. But when I gripped that sword, all I could think about was making those bandits suffer. I wanted to hurt them. I wanted to watch them bleed. And when you interfered, I wanted to…to…” Lila eventually quit talking, instead opting to pull her robe close to her as Sheex finished off the sentence for her.

“Kill me?” Sheex asked, receiving a slow nod from Lila. Sheex had known all along if Lila had the chance she probably would have cut him down in her blood-crazed state. But, the wanderer was well aware that blood and carnage made people do things that they did not actually want to do. Lila, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be taking it so well.

"Hey now, don’t you worry about it. Nobody could ever blame you for that.” Sheex said as he pulled Lila over to him, stopping just short of giving her a hug. He had heard somewhere that being close to another person helped during stressful times, but he had no idea if that was true. Sheex usually thought it was a cunning way to get into a woman’s pants.

“You could.” Lila said softly as she continued to look at the wooden floor at her feet. Sheex simply shook his head at her.

“Nah. I’m no traveling swordsman, but I know enough about fighting to know I could never blame you for that. Besides, I’m too lazy to hold a grudge anyway.” Sheex said with a grin as Lila finally looked up at him. A wave of relief seemed to cross over her face, apparently meaning that she didn’t hate Sheex enough to want him dead. That was always a nice thing to know.

“I’m sorry about your neck. I can bandage it if you want.” She said softly as she reached up and gently touched the cut on Sheex’s neck that she had caused. The wound itself wasn’t very deep (thankfully) and was already well on it’s way to being fully healed, but that really didn’t matter. The fact that the princess had offered to do something nice for Sheex was enough to make him smile.

“Nah. It can wait. You’re too tired right now, so let’s take a rain check for tomorrow. Besides, I hear princesses require a good ten hours of beauty sleep to look their best, so you’d better get some rest. I expect to be walking next to a ravishing beauty tomorrow.” Sheex said as he patted her on the shoulder and quickly turned her about while pointing towards the empty bed in the room. Nodding in assent, Lila began to walk towards the room but stopped short right before leaving the balcony.

“Hey Sheex. You never answered my question. Back in the forest, you told me taking someone’s life is a hard burden to carry. Is that something you know from experience?” Lila asked as she glanced back at Sheex, who was now once more sitting on the edge of the railing looking up at the sky. Still smiling, Sheex turned his attention back towards her making sure not to let his smile fade away.

“It’s late, you should get some sleep. My opinions about killing are a long story, too long to tell you right now. But, sometime soon, I’ll be sure to tell you about it.” Sheex said as Lila nodded her head and turned back towards the room. Before she left, she spoke a few more words in the softest of voices, causing Sheex to strain his ears to hear it. There was no doubt about what she said though.

“Thanks for stopping me Sheex.” Lila whispered as she closed the balcony door and headed off to sleep. Sheex let his smile finally drop and he looked once more at the sky above, eventually reaching back into his coat pocket. Soon enough, his flask of whiskey was back in his hands.

After all that, I’ve earned another drink. Thought Sheex as his thoughts turned towards the heavens above.

[Sheex]

The sun was shining on a new day in the kingdom of Dunland, and at about noon Sheex sat alone at a wooden table next to a bakery. There was a cool breeze in the air, making the day even better. But what made the day great was not the shinning sun or the cool breeze, but rather the food that lay in front of Sheex. That food was pie. Pie made the day great.

Despite any sick innuendo multiple people could come up with concerning just why pie made a day great, the pie Sheex was talking about was in fact regular pie. It was a slice of cherry pie and he happily took a bite out of the Food Of The Gods (at least that was what Sheex always called it) as he waited for Lila to show up.

Once again the princess had rudely awakened Sheex, although this time she had opted to use freezing cold water instead of a kick to the ribs. Sheex would have preferred to sleep another few hours, but she had been insistent that the two use the morning to scour the city and search for signs of her kidnapped brother. It was the wanderer who had suggested the meeting point of the pie-serving bakery.

“This is good pie.” Sheex hummed to himself as he took another bite from the delicious substance before him. He was so caught up in the greatness of his snack that he completely missed Lila walk up to him and take a seat. He also paid no attention to her when she began to speak. It was only when she began waving a hand in front of his face did his concentration finally break away from his snack.

“Are you listening to me Deltin?” Lila nearly shouted as Sheex put down his fork and stared at her. He nodded slightly and motioned for her to continue with whatever it was she was saying although his attention was far more focused on the pie he was still swallowing. Sheex was able to keep up his ruse of feigning attention until she asked him what he thought of the current situation. Then he was sadly stumped.

“Um. Well, you’re bro ain’t here.” Choked Sheex as he reached for the plate of half-eaten pie before him. Lila’s hand quickly shot forward with no small amount of speed catching Sheex before he could take another bite. Sheex began to whimper sadly; he really wanted to finish his pie.

“Yes, I know that Sheex. I just told you that. Tell me, were you paying attention at all? Wait, don’t answer that. Just tell me you actually tried to look and you didn’t spend your day sampling the local cuisine.” Lila barked as Sheex yanked his hand away from her and yanked up the fork on his plate. Yet, instead of eating with it, Sheex pointed it towards Lila with a stern look on his face.

“Hey, bad mouth me all you want, but leave the pie out of this. Pie never did anything to anyone. When times are bad, pie is always there for you. So don’t, and I repeat don’t bad mouth the pie. I got some for you too by the way.” Sheex said, quickly changing his tone from stern to playful at the last sentence. Next to his pie was another untouched piece of pie that was soon slid across the table towards Lila.

“Why don’t you tell me what you accomplished first and then we’ll eat?” Lila said as she gently pushed the pie a bit away from her. Sheex simply shook his head and pushed it back towards her. He was quite firm in his decision on pie first, questions later.

“No, you’ll eat that pie and tell me how it tastes bearing in mine our relationship will be greatly affected by your answer. Then I’ll tell you what I found out. There’s no debate on this one Lila. Eat the pie.” Sheex said forcefully as he took another bite of his own pie and stared at her intently. Slowly, she picked up her fork and cut off a small piece of pie for herself. Before she took a bite, however, she stared at Sheex with a suspicious look in her eyes.

“There’s nothing wrong with it! Honest! I would never, EVER, ruin a good piece of pie! It’s sacrilegious!” Sheex said before she could even ask whatever question she had been forming in her mind. Seemingly satisfied, Lila took a small bite and chewed on it for a while. Eventually, she gave Sheex a thumbs up.

“Excellent. I’m glad you like it; otherwise I would’ve had to throw something at you. I figured you’d like an apple pie, which is always a standard pie. I can’t really tell with royalty so I thought I’d better play it safe. I went with cherry myself cause-” Sheex quickly found himself cut off when Lila placed her had over his mouth. He was slightly offended, and at the same time he managed to admire her silk-like skin. It was interesting the conflicting thoughts that ran through Sheex’s mind at times.

“The pie’s great. I love pie. I’ll eat the pie. Now can you please tell me about what you did other than eat pie, which I know in your mind is apparently the greatest thing on earth. I won’t bother to ask why.” Lila said as she removed her hand from Sheex’s mouth. Sighing, Sheex reached into one of his trench coat’s pockets and produced the map the two had been following. Only one town remained to be checked, and that town was very close to the border. Next to the town a large red X had been drawn.

“Right next to the last town is an old fort. It’s rundown and falling apart, which explains why it is not on the map. The army abandoned it a while ago and no one thinks much of it. However, it is a good distance away from the town, making it a good place to keep out of everyone’s eyesight. Also, it’s next to the border, making it an ideal hideout for people wanting to skip out of the country. How much you wanna bet your brother’s there?” Sheex said with a cocky smile as he took another bite of pie. Slightly in shock, Lila stared at the map for a few seconds then reached over for her pie. She took a huge bite and gave Sheex the nicest smile she had. Even the sarcastic wanderer had to admit it was a pretty amazing smile.

Together, the two happily finished off their food, choosing to talk about non-serious subjects such as how wild the princess got when she really started drinking. Actually, Sheex tried to talk about that subject but Lila didn’t say much. It was a pity really. Sheex was sure that she was a party animal on the inside. But, it was almost a three-day walk to the next town so Sheex figured he’d have plenty of time to test his theory. Instead, as the two began to walk down the road, Sheex decided to let his opinion be known about a different subject.

“You know Lila, it’s not nice to put your hands on other people. Some people would consider it sexual harassment, what with the perverted advance you made on me back there.” In actuality most people wouldn’t call putting a hand over another person’s mouth sexual harassment, but Sheex was not like most people. Such a fact was well known to everyone that knew him.

“It has to be offensive for it to be harassment Sheex. If anything, I think you were excited by that contact. First time a female touched you in a way that didn’t end up with you howling in pain?” Lila asked with a sly smirk as she placed a hand on her hip and threw the luggage bag at Sheex. It was actually quite heavy for its size, no doubt due to its magical nature. Lila figured since Sheex was leeching off her wallet the least he could do was carry the bags.

“Wow. That’s all I gotta say. Wow.” Sheex said completely stunned as he caught the bag thrown at him but made no further movements. Lila cocked her head sideways as Sheex stared at her without saying a word. Eventually, he decided to break the silence.

“You just made a joke. A sex joke. Granted, not a very good one, but I do believe that was the first non-royal thing you’ve done during our time together. Actually, it’s down right commoner of you. You know what this means, don’t you?” Sheex said with a sly look on his face. Puzzled, Lila continued to stare at him until with one smooth motion Sheex produced his hip flask that was still filled with whiskey.

“A toast! A toast to Lila and her foul mouth! A toast to finally casting off your high-airs and for but one brief shinning moment indulging in the low-life pleasure of mocking another person! A toast I say! A toast!” Shouted Sheex loudly, drawing puzzled looks from many of the passer-bys. Sheex quickly took a large gulp of the whiskey and offered the flask to Lila, who simply shook her head and began to walk down the road.

“You do realize it was a joke at your expense right?” She muttered as Sheex quickly caught up to her and wrapped his arm around her; waving the flask before her as he did so. In no time at all Lila had shoved him away with a laugh, but Sheex was quite persistent in the matter.

“So? I’ve made at least a dozen jokes at your expense and I plan to make at least another two-dozen. And I hope to hear many more jokes at my expense as well. Granted, we’ll have to work on the quality of your jokes, but we’ve got time. Take a drink!” Sheex chanted as he quickly sped in front of Lila. Soon enough he was walking backwards down the road before them, keeping Lila in his sight at all times and tossing the flask about in his hands as he chanted loudly.

“Take a drink! Take a drink! Take a drink!” Sheex shouted loudly. It was ironic that last night he had been concerned about Lila standing out while at the current moment Sheex was standing out like a sore thumb. Not that it mattered to him; at the moment the wanderer was having the time of his life.

“You’re causing a scene Deltin! Look, if I take a drink will you shut up?” Shouted Lila over his ever increasing voice. She quickly grabbed the offered flask and brought it to her mouth, while Sheex let out a triumphant laugh as he raised his arms in victory.

“That’s the spirit! I knew I could break you if I worked hard enough! When we return you’ll be a rough, tough, drinking, cussing, free-spirited princess. Trust me, it’ll be much better than your stuck-up nature.” Sheex said as Lila shot him a playful glare. She quickly took a gulp of the drink and screwed the cap back on while she brought back her arm.

“Stuck up am I? This coming from a perverted drunk who’s recreational activities consist of chasing women and ending up in jail because of it?” Lila shouted as she tossed the flask high into the air. Sheex quickly sprinted a few feet to catch the flask, grinning as he did so.

“Damn right. And you said that with a smile on your face instead of the usual holier-than-thou look! That calls for another drink! Take a drink!”

[Sheex]

A few days later

“So. Um. Do Princesses go out on dates or do princes just kinda show up at your castle and marry you?” Sheex said as the two walked through a forest path. He had to speak fairly loudly, considering he was trailing behind Lila by about a good fifteen feet.

“Why, in the hell, is that any business of yours?” Lila shouted back, her face extremely red. The reason for Lila’s red face and Sheex keeping his distance from her was very simple. Lila had the unfortunate luck of stepping on a skunk, who soon repaid the favor in the way skunks usually repaid any type of favor. Sheex was pretty sure she was the most foul smelling thing he had ever smelled and that was really saying something.

“I was just trying to stir up some conversation. There’s no need to answer if you don’t want to. However, failure to answer will result in me thinking you are available, which will lead to numerous pick-up lines involving sex and or the steps leading up to sex. It’s in your best interest to answer.” Sheex said as Lila spun around and gave Sheex a glare. Sheex instantly froze, not so much because of the glare but rather the smell. He figured fifteen feet at all times was the minimum safe distance.

“If you must know I am going to be married two months from now, so in no way, shape, or form am I available!” Lila barked while Sheex snapped his fingers in disappointment. He knew better than to try to pick up a soon to be married chick (at least, most of the time he did).

“Huh. Never thought anyone would be able to put up with you like that.” Sheex blurted out before he had time to think through what he was about to say. He quickly ducked an incoming rock sent towards his head and immediately rephrased his statement.

“I mean, that lucky bastard! So, was it one of those arranged marriage set-ups or did he just sneak into your bedroom when your father wasn’t looking?” Sheex asked while Lila pressed forward despite the fact her smell was driving off forest animals at this point.

“It was the first one, but I’ve known him since I was a child so it’s not like he’s some creepy old guy or anything like that. He’s actually only two years older than me. And he’s nice. And pretty good-looking. Basically, he’s a way better catch than you.” Lila said with a grin. Sheex simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Not arguing it. Bet he comes with a big bank account too. Not that you’d be interested in that. Crap, it looks like the wind is starting to blow in my direction. Mind if we switch spots?” Sheex asked as Lila threw up her arms in frustration.

“This is stupid! I smell terrible. You keep bugging me about my love life. What’s next? Bird droppings?” The minute Lila said that, she suddenly felt something beneath her foot make a squishing sound. If it was even possible, her face got even redder. Sheex barely managed to contain his laughter.

“Uh, look at the bright side. At least it wasn’t bird droppings. Heh.” Lila quickly stormed towards Sheex with a very upset look in her eyes. He quickly began to cower in fear.

“Hey! We agreed on a fifteen feet safety zone! Ack!” Lila quickly grabbed Sheex’s coat and pulled her towards him, nearly causing the wanderer to gag in repulsion. Whatever skunk decided to blast her had definitely been packing a cannon.

“Okay. There is a lake about a hundred feet from here. We will walk there; you will not say anything else regarding my love life, my current smell, or what is on my feet. When we are in thirty feet of that lake, you will stop walking and stare at a tree for about a half hour. During that time, I will bathe. You will still be staring at the tree. Should you fail to stare at that tree, I will personally inflict a world of pain upon you. Your agony will beyond the human senses. Understand?” After that rousing speech, Sheex’s hands slowly covered his lower regions as he nodded meekly.

“Yes ma’am. You bathe. I stare at tree.” Sheex answered silently. Lila continued to hold him near her as her eyes continued to glare into Sheex’s soul.

“And should you fail to stare at said tree?” Lila asked in order to make sure Sheex fully understood the situation. Although the wanderer usually had a couple of screws loose, his mind was totally clear on what the current conditions were should he fail to live up to Lila’s expectations.

“Pain. Lots and lots of pain.”

*~*~*~*~

It sure was a nice tree. The bark was a rich brown color, the leaves the perfect shade of green. Every now and then a leaf would fall from the tree or a squirrel would run about on the branches. Other than that, it wasn’t much more than an ordinary tree and Sheex was getting very bored.

“But I will not shift my gaze from this tree, because if I do that Lila will have my head. Or something more important.” Sheex said to himself as he reached into his coat and pulled out a pack of cigarettes that he always carried with him. Sighing, he quickly lit one and put the pack back into his coat. He spent the next few minutes trying to blow smoke rings, a task at which he was failing miserably. He quickly stopped when an ear-piercing scream shattered his concentration.

“SHEEX! GET OVER HERE NOW!” Came a voice that Sheex instantly recognized as Lila. After all, he had been screamed at enough by her over the course of this little adventure. Yet instead of rushing to her aid, he hesitated.

“ARE YOU WAIVING THE PENALTIES FOR NOT STARING AT THE TREE?” Sheex shouted back. He couldn’t care less if there were twelve armed bandits around her this time. There was no way he was going anywhere if she didn’t remove the penalties for not staring at the tree. It was about a minute before Lila responded.

“FINE! NOW GET OVER HERE!”

*~*~*~*~

“You screamed?” Sheex said as he peeked his head out of the bushes. Instantly he saw Lila in the lake and at this point she was doing her best to hide her figure by clutching herself against the lakes edge. To Sheex’s eternal disappointment, she was actually doing a good job. All he could see was her bare shoulders.

“Take a look around Sheex. Notice anything missing?” Lila said with a very upset look on her face. Slowly Sheex scanned the area. Trees. Bushes. Lake. Lila. Rock. Squirrel, possibly the same one from the tree. Some flowers. Lila. Thirty seconds later, he finally spoke up.

“Hey, where are your clothes?” He asked in a serious voice. At least he tried to sound serious. It was pretty hard to hide his laughter given the current circumstances.

“Some little pre-pubescent punks took them. Would you be a dear and GET THEM BACK?” Lila said, screaming at the top of her lungs at the end of the sentence. Sheex scratched his head for a second, and then replied.

“What, you only brought one pair of clothes? Why don’t you just change into some new ones? It’ll be easier that way.” Sheex said, hoping he could find a way out of this little errand. The scenery was pretty nice at the lake and he wanted to stick around a bit longer.

“Because they took the bag too! Now will you get going? They’re getting away!” Defeated, Sheex nodded in assent as he got up and began to walk in the direction Lila was feverishly pointing at.

“Fine. Don’t see why you don’t get up and do it yourself though.” Sheex said sarcastically as Lila nearly jumped out of the lake to strangle him. Sadly, she did not. She did however, flail about in anger when she responded, which was enough for Sheex.

“Because I’m naked you stupid, inconsiderate, lazy, perverted, drunken, good for nothing, false hero, ASSHOLE!” Lila cried at the top of her lungs while she flailed about, sending water all over the place, but mostly on her self.

“Yeah. I know. God you look good wet.”

Fifteen minutes and several more screams later…

“I’m back.” Sheex said proudly as he walked back into the lake area carrying both Lila’s bag as well as her clothes. Lila said a silent prayer thanking God and motioned for Sheex to bring her clothes to her.

“Good, I hope you made those punks pay! Now give me my clothes and turn around.” Although Lila was certain she had made herself very clear, she was rather stunned (eh, not really) when Sheex opted to sit down on a nearby rock a few feet away from her.

“Oh, they weren’t punks. They followed the Code Of The Guys, what more could you want?” Sheex said as he plopped the bag and clothes in front of him, but out of Lila’s reach. Her face became its usual red color as she strained to reach the clothes and cover her self, a task that she could not accomplish.

“Just what is the Code Of The Guys, and do you mind bringing them a little bit closer?” Lila asked loudly. Sheex simply leaned forward and smiled at her.

“You know, the Code Of The Guys. Stuff like don’t ever do you best friend’s ex, even if he says it’s okay. Or, don’t try to pick-up a girl if a guy is already working on her. Don’t blow off your buddies for a girl. Stick up for your friend around strangers, even if you badmouth him all the time. And always help a fellow man look good in front of a lady if he has a better chance than you. The last one is actually the hardest, but those kids did it anyway. Good kids really. They’re going to grow up just fine. And actually, I do mind.”

Lila listened carefully to everything Sheex said. She actually found it rather interesting, if not a little childish. She didn’t actually believe that there was some universal code that guys followed, but then again most women don't. Yet, the code did (and still does) exist, and all good men still follow it. But that is irrelevant. What is relevant is that Lila screamed a very long line of obscenities at Sheex when he finished speaking.

“You rat bastard! You little drunkard! You son of a bitch! You conniving worm! You miscreant! You drifting piece of rift-raft! You slime ball! You chauvinistic pig! You will give me back my clothes or I will…I will…” Lila quickly realized there wasn’t anything she could do and Sheex simply leaned his head on his hand and stared at her.

“You know, if your just going to insult me I can take off right now. Not much stopping me. We’re even close to the border. I bet I could get out of your country without even being noticed. Now, are you calm, or do you need some alone time?” Defeated, Lila sunk her head into the lake and remained underwater for as long as she could. However, she eventually had to come back up at look at Sheex’s grinning face.

“Okay. What do you want?” Lila asked as Sheex clapped his hands. He licked his lips as he began to list of everything he had wished for over the past couple days. And it was a very long list.

“A bottle of your country’s finest scotch. A room in your castle with a servant to attend to my every whim, preferably a good-looking female. You father to thank me on his knees for keeping you alive. Your grandmother off my back. Your guards off my back. A feast in my honor, a life-time supply of pies, new shoes…”

[Sheex]

“A banana split, a new set of golf clubs, don’t ask me why I want that cause I don’t even golf, I already mentioned the life time supply of pie right?” Sheex said as he looked at Lila, who at this point was at least three separate shades of red.

“Oh yes. Anything else? Perhaps a million pieces of gold?” She responded with an extremely irritated voice. Sheex just shook his head.

“Nah, money is the root of all evil I say. So, do we have a deal?” Sheex said with a grin on his face. Now it was time for Lila to shake her head.

“No. I can’t possibly get my father to thank you on his knees. And you can scratch the room in the castle as well, for your own safety. You wouldn’t last a day surrounded by royalty. In fact, that whole offer is pretty ridiculous.” Sheex frowned, but figured she was right. There was a ninety percent chance that he’d end up back in prison waiting to be executed if he decided to stick around in this particular country longer than necessary.

“Oh, very well. I guess I’ll just take a thank-you instead. And the bottle of scotch. And if you could keep the palace guards off my back when we return home I’d really appreciate that too. How about that deal?” Sheex said as he stood up and moved the clothes over towards Lila. This time she nodded her head in agreement.

“That deal is much more reasonable.” Lila stated as Sheex smiled. He dropped the clothes in arm’s reach of Lila and almost turned around when a sudden idea crossed his mind.

“Well then, we have an accord. Let’s shake on it.” Sheex said with a serious face. Lila found that to be a fair thing to say and reached over to shake Sheex’s extended hand. Unfortunately for her, the only thing keeping Sheex from getting a good view of her chest had in fact been the hand that she had just moved. Sheex smiled at his own genius as Lila quickly realized just what she had done.

“DELTIN! YOU PERVERTED BASTARD!”

Several minutes and a slap later…

“Don’t you turn around, got it?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I’m serious, keep staring at that tree.”

“Yes ma’am.”

As Sheex stared at the wooden tree before him (while rubbing his somewhat sore left cheek), Lila quickly dried herself off and donned her clothes that Sheex had been nice enough to retrieve. She made sure to keep one eye on him at all times, although for the moment Sheex seemed satisfied from what he saw earlier and never moved his glance away from the brown oak tree in front of him.

“All right, you can turn around now.” Lila said as Sheex turned around just as she finished putting on her black jacket. Sheex yawned as he stood up and coolly walked over towards the princess who just stared at him.

“What, tired already? You haven’t even accomplished anything today.” Lila said as she crossed her arms while Sheex slowly walked past. Without turning around, Sheex shook his head in disagreement.

“Not true. I’ve actually learned two very important things so far. Thing number one, we’re only about fifteen minutes or so away from that old fort. I learned that from chasing those little pre-pubescent punks, or at least I think that’s what you called them.” Lila’s face immediately brightened as she quickly ran to catch up to Sheex.

“Great! And what else did you learn?” She asked as she caught up to Sheex and began to walk by his side. With his usual cool grin, Sheex stretched out his arms and let the cool forest breeze rush over him.

“That you’ve got a real nice rack.” Sheex said with a wink as Lila brought back her right hand. Immediately Sheex broke into a sprint and Lila quickly followed suit. The quick run through the forest did have one upside, and that was that it got them to the abandoned fort in even less than fifteen minutes. The downside was that at the end of the race Sheex’s cheek was sore again.

The fort itself was a relic of the war, mainly built for the time where there had been no clear border between the two warring countries. Currently Dunland had a clear cut border that they patrolled heavily, not to mention a nearby town that provided the soldiers with all the supplies they needed. In return, the town prospered from the extra money that the soldiers spent there. Such things had rendered the fort useless and it wasn’t long before the fort had been mostly forgotten about.

However, that didn’t mean that the fort had been crudely made. Made of solid stone the fort was two stories high, with several windows on the second floor. The first floor, however, only had one entrance that Sheex could see and that was the large wooden door. On the bright side there was no huge iron gate to worry about, which was enough to make Sheex sigh in relief. He didn’t have a plan on getting in without raising suspicion and a large set of bars would make the task even harder.

“So, what are you thinking about?” Lila asked as she caught her breath and sat down on one of the many stone blocks that surrounded the fort. Perhaps the large stones that lay scattered around the fort had simply fallen off the fort over time or maybe the workers had left them here. Either way, it was far more important for Sheex to find a solution to the current problem.

“I’m trying to think about the best way to enter this fort. I mean, that door looks like it’s pretty old, so I’m pretty sure with a little effort we could break it down but that would kinda be a little too obvious, wouldn’t it?” Sheex said as he crossed his arms and continued to rack his brains for a solution.

“You think that all three of those guys will be in there?” Lila asked with a worried look on her face, but Sheex just shook his head in response. If this was the right place, Sheex was sure that there would be at least one guard, but the whole group wouldn’t be in there.

“I don’t think so. After all, they’re out looking for you and I don’t think they can really do that from their hideout. I seriously doubt they know that we know that this fort is their hideout, assuming it is of course their hideout. Naturally they’ll have one person there to guard your brother, but not much more.” Sheex finished his statement and gently kicked a nearby rock at his foot. Several more minutes passed by without either Lila or Sheex saying anything, until Lila let out a small giggle.

“Huh? What was that for? I’d expect you to be a bit more serious at a time like this. In fact, since it’s you, I’d expect you to be screaming at me to go in their daggers drawn and killing anything in my path.” Sheex said as he raised his eyebrows at Lila, who at this time was smiling and rocking back and forth upon the rock she sat upon. Immediately her face became more solemn.

“I wouldn’t ask that of you Sheex. I mean, I know I screamed at you about it in the past, but that was because I didn’t know you hated to fight so much. I promise, I won’t ever ask you to draw your weapon unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Sheex was pretty sure she was being sarcastic, but Lila’s face remained serious the entire time. Somewhat stunned, Sheex ran a hand through his brown hair as he stared back at her.

“Uh, thanks I guess. I never really figured you of all people to say something like that. Not that I don’t appreciate it mind you.” The two of them stared at each other for almost a minute until Lila eventually smiled and leaned her head back to stare at the sky.

“Still, it is pretty funny. I mean, I was sure you’d have a devious plan already thought of to get inside. I guess not though.” She said with a small laugh as Sheex kicked another stone away from him, this time a bit harder then the first.

“Hey! It’s not like I’m some masterful tactician or anything! And why do you keep laughing? What’s so funny?” Sheex nearly shouted as he stamped his foot in his frustration. This time, it was Lila who had the sly grin on her face.

“Ha! I’m laughing because Mr. Quick-Witted Sheex Deltin is totally stumped, where as the Bimbo Princess has already thought of a way in.” Lila giggled as she finished speaking while Sheex thought about which of those statements he felt like responding to first.

“Okay, first of all you’re still are a bimbo princess in my book, albeit one that is much more tolerable and fun to be around. Second of all, we can’t scale the wall or knock on the door and say we’re delivering food.” Sheex had been pretty sure she had been either joking or he had named her plan. However, Lila just continued to grin and stare at him. Pretty soon Sheex was slowing beginning to back away towards the forest.

“Uh, so…you’ve really got a plan, don’t you?” Sheex asked as Lila finally stood up and strolled over towards Sheex. She put her hands on her hips and if it was even possible, her grin became even wider.

“Yes, I do. And since you apparently can’t think of one, I guess this means we will be using mine.” With surprising quickness, Lila’s hand shot out and grabbed Sheex’s trench coat. At this time, Sheex was beginning to back away even more and Lila figured if she didn’t stop him soon he would make a run for it.

“Should…should I be worried?” Sheex asked as a few drops of sweat began to run down his skin. The princess simply laughed loudly (and in Sheex’s opinion somewhat sinisterly) as she dragged Sheex towards the front door of the fort.

“Oh, don’t you worry about a thing Sheex. You’re going to love my plan. I guarantee it.”

[Sheex]

Levin was bored. Actually, that was an understatement. He was very, very, bored. While all his companions were out scouring the countryside looking for that little runaway princess, Levin had drawn the short straw and was stuck baby-sitting a very annoying and spoiled brat. Granted, that annoying and spoiled brat was a prince, but Levin really didn’t care anymore. His headache was growing bigger by the second.

“I’m hungry! Give me some food!” Shouted a young voice, slightly muffled due to the large steel door separating Levin from the voice’s body. Levin was thanking the Gods above for that steel door; otherwise he probably would have slapped the brat. The room was not exactly a very big one and contained only the sole closet that was used for supplies as well as several plain beds and dressers. At one point in time this room was where low-ranking officers in the fort had slept. A bit better than standard soldier rooms, but not exactly middle-class either.

“Child, you ate three hours ago. Dinner isn’t for another hour, and I’m not opening that door until then. Deal with it.” Levin muttered loudly as he lazily rolled around on one of the beds. Originally the plan had been to trade this spoiled brat for Faleen’s royal emblem, but much to Levin’s (and his entire group) surprise the King of Dunland had completely rejected that offer and threatened to behead the messenger. Without a doubt that king was one of the worst fathers Levin had ever seen, but that still didn’t change the fact that the group of Faleen soldiers were completely stumped on what to do next.

It was at that time Hannibal had came up with a juicy piece of information. Levin had no idea how (a wise soldier never asked how someone got information; what mattered was that it was accurate), but Hannibal had learned that Dunland’s one and only princess had left the castle in search of her brother all alone. In Levin’s mind, she was a far better family member than her father was.

So the new plan was to capture both the princess and offer both of them for trade. Of course, Levin knew that planned hinged on the idea that the king actually gave a damn about his children, but no man could cast away two children. Well, no decent man anyway.

“But I’m hungry now! I need to go to the bathroom too! So open this door NOW!” The voice shouted again as Levin rolled in the opposite direction of the voice. Naturally someone had to guard the prince while the other three went out looking for the princess and that was where Levin disagreed with the plan. In Levin’s opinion, this kid was a royal pain in the ass.

“You already went to the bathroom. Three minutes ago to be exact and no one has that small of a bladder. So shut up and quit trying to order me around.” Levin said with no small amount of irritation in his voice. This particular child had yet to learn that just being royalty did not mean that every person on this planet had to bend to your will.

“I said I’m hungry so open this door! NOW!” The voice yelled out again and this time several loud bangs echoed through the room as the steel door took several kicks. Apparently the child also thought that his feet could somehow break through a steel door. Levin thought that was particularly unlikely. Spoiled brat lacked common courtesy as well as intelligence.

Levin closed his eyes and decided to try to take a nap, even though it would not be easy with the prince in such a close vicinity to him. But Levin’s eyes quickly shot open as he heard a loud noise echo through the fort. Instantly he leapt out of the bed and snatched up his sheathed sword that had rested against the wall next to him as he dashed towards the stairs. The fort was a total of two stories and the top floor consisted only of the sleeping quarters Levin was currently in, a small but very nice room that had once been the commander’s office, and a bar of sorts for the higher ranking soldiers. It took all of fifteen seconds for Levin to check those rooms and find no one, that meant that the noise had come from the first floor.

“What was that noise? What’s going on? I order you to release me this moment!” Barked the young prince locked away behind the steel door. By the time the prince had barked his order, however, Levin was already racing down the staircase towards the entrance room with his right hand tightly gripping the hilt of his still sheathed sword. Levin would very surprise if his sword was still sheathed two minutes from now.

The entrance room was the largest in the entire fort, but it was also the most empty. At one time Levin was certain that many things had been held in this particular room; now that nearly broken wooden door outside only led to a room with a barren stone floor and equally barren stonewalls. The entrance room only contained two doors, one of which led upstairs and the other that led towards the rear of the fort. It was the first of those two doors that Levin busted through with a wild look in his eyes. That look quickly changed from wild to surprise.

Expecting to see a group of Dunland knights with their swords drawn, Levin instead gazed upon a man in a black trench coat with brown hair as well as a rather good-looking woman in a blue top, with pants and jacket that were both the dark color of black. The woman’s black hair covered most of her face, but from the little that Levin could see he was fairly certain the woman was quite pretty. That made the man in black a very lucky man, because at this particular moment the two were kissing passionately. In this particular case, passionately means furious saliva-swapping tonsil hockey, for lack of a better term.

“Oh my God! Someone’s here!” The woman yelped as she quickly pulled the man’s coat over her face. The man was far less embarrassed and he simply turned around with a surprised look on his face (as well as a small amount of lipstick).

“Oh, there is. Damn it. I mean, what’s up partner?” The man said in a somewhat angry voice. Seeing as how Levin was also a man and seeing as how the woman was quite cute, Levin did not really blame the guy.

“What exactly are you doing here?” Levin asked as he moved closer towards the couple, making sure to keep his hand near his sword at all times. Across from him the man in black only raised an eyebrow. His face made it clear that he thought it had been pretty obvious what exactly he had been doing.

“I mean what are you doing in this fort! I can tell what, as well as who, you’re in the process of doing.” Levin muttered as he came within a few feet of the couple. It was the woman who answered that particular question.

“This knucklehead said this place was deserted and we could be alone here!” She shouted and Levin heard her voice very well despite the fact that her head was still buried underneath the man’s long coat.

“Hey! I thought it was! I thought the army picked up and took off towards the border when the war started! Trust me, it’s not like I wanted an audience! Unless of course you’re into that type of thing…” As the man finished speaking, he quickly gagged in pain and bent over slightly. Levin was fairly certain that the woman had just punched the guy in the stomach, or perhaps someplace a little lower. Levin doubted it had been too low though; it had been obvious from what Levin walked in on that the woman wanted that particular body part intact.

“Well, sorry fellas. I’m afraid this fort is still useful to us. We’ve gotta house soldiers anywhere we can, what with this lousy war going on and what not. And I’m afraid my captain is a bit too strict to allow you guys to…entertain down here.” Levin said, acting as if he were part of the Dunland army. There was no point in killing if it could be avoided. Faleen may have been enemies with Dunland, but Levin certainly didn’t blame Dunland’s people for it. Especially what looked like two people in their early twenties wanting to have some fun. Levin was thirty-four now, but he remembered what it was like at that age.

“Right. We’re going. Now!” The woman ordered as she began to shove her boyfriend (or husband, or lover, or the person she was cheating on her husband with) towards the door. Levin relaxed his grip on his sword as he walked the couple towards the door. He was fairly certain there wouldn’t be much trouble here.

“It’s nothing personal. I mean, I would tell you to get a room, but I kind of just kicked you out of one.” Levin said with a smile as the woman gave the man another shove, this time separating the both of them. A puzzled look crossed Levin’s face as he finally saw the woman’s entire face.

“Hey! Aren’t you the-” Levin’s vision went black and his sentence stopped the moment Sheex slammed the wooden hilt of one of his daggers into the back of Levin’s neck. Levin quickly collapsed to the floor unconscious as Lila fixed her slightly messed-up hair while Sheex tried to wipe off the lipstick smeared across his face.

“See? Didn’t I tell you that you would love my plan?” Lila bragged as she headed towards the stairs. She figured that since that was the way the man had come down, it was most likely the way her brother was. Sheex just shook his head at her.

“Okay. Two things. Number one, you’re dad is now definitely going to kill me. Number two, anytime you ever want to put a plan like that into action again, count me in.” Sheex said as he dashed after Lila, who giggled as she ran up the stairs. It may have been Sheex’s imagination, but he could have sworn that he heard someone upstairs yelling. As the two came to a stop in front of a steel door, he realized he had been very right.

“I want out! Now! Let me out! I command that you answer me!” The voice shouted loudly, despite the fact that the steel door was muffling a good portion of the sound. Lila quickly banged her hand against that steel door.

“Issac! Is that you? It’s me, Lila!” Lila screamed as she tried to open the door, only to find out it was locked. Desperately she pounded her fists against the door before her as if somehow her flesh could punch through steel.

“Um, Lila. Your face is getting red. Why not try using these?” Sheex said as he leaned over her shoulder and jingled the set of keys he had taken off the guard the two of them had fooled. Lila smiled and quickly took the keys from Sheex.

“Thanks Sheex. I owe you.” Lila said as she quickly tried key after key until she found the one that fit. Sheex simply shoved his hands into his pockets and laughed as Lila flung open the door keeping her away from her brother.

“Lila, trust me. We are more than even.”

[Sheex]

The kid was a small one, that was for sure. Lila had quickly flung open the steel door before her, only to be nearly tackled by Issac. The child had short black hair and wore clothes that were definitely not of royal status. He wore a simple brown leather shirt and matching pants, no doubt given to him by the kidnappers to keep a low profile. Of course, it was all relatively useless information to Sheex. He was just happy that this adventure was almost through (he was also extremely happy about his recent interaction with Lila as well).

Sheex impatiently shifted his feet back and forth. For the last ten minutes the two members of the royal family had done nothing but hug each other and tell one another about how great it was to see each other. All this affection made Sheex just a little bit uneasy, for he wasn’t known as a family man.

“Issac, I want you to meet Sheex. He’s the one who helped me get this far.” Lila said as she brought Issac over towards Sheex, who at this point was leaning was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He quickly kicked himself off that wall and looked at the child before him (who Sheex guessed was about twelve).

“It is good to see you, sir knight. I thank you for aiding my sister in her journey.” Issac said and all though Sheex thought it was a joke Issac’s serious face probably meant otherwise. It was Lila who quickly ended the awkward silence.

“Issac, Sheex isn’t a knight.” Lila said as Issac quickly took a step back. If Sheex had to take a guess, he was pretty sure the kid had just lost a bit of respect for Sheex. Well, the wanderer was pretty sure if Issac knew what Sheex had spent a majority of his life doing (namely chasing after barmaids and drinking beer) he would lose even more respect.

“But surely, he is a squire?” Issac said with a questioning look on his face. Lila frowned while Sheex just shook his head. Lila was pretty sure she knew where this is going.

“Sorry kid. I’m just an ordinary guy.” Sheex said with a shrug as Issac’s eyes went wide. Sheex had forgotten how sheltered and stuck-up members of the Vaine family could be.

“I am not a kid! I am a prince of Dunland! Peasants should not address me in such a simple manner!” Issac barked as Lila quickly tried to interrupt the two. Of course, she couldn’t stop Sheex from his natural reaction to such a response, namely sarcasm.

“Why you little punk! I’ll show you how I address-” Sheex was quickly interrupted by Lila who was fast to step in between the two. It was a good thing she did too, because he was seriously considering giving the brat a spanking. It looked like it would do the kid a little good from Sheex’s point of view.

“Issac! Sheex is no knight, but that doesn’t make him any less of a person!” Lila yelled as Issac stared at her.

“What do you mean sister? He’s a peasant! He should address royalty with the proper respect!” Issac said as Sheex cracked his knuckles. The wanderer was pretty sure he could give the kid a good smack before Lila got in his way.

“Issac! He’s my friend!” Lila blurted out as Issac stood there stunned while Lila quickly covered her own mouth. Sheex raised an eyebrow and walked over towards Lila, whose face was slightly red.

“Friend eh? When did you elevate me to that status?” Sheex asked with a quizzical look on his face. Lila kicked a nearby stone into the wall before answering.

“Oh you know, along the way…I just kind of thought…you were really helpful…” She stuttered as Sheex chuckled to himself before stopping her by placing his hand on her shoulder.

“I never had a friend in royalty before. I wonder if that comes with any special perks?” He joked as Issac stomped his foot angrily.

“This is insane! You can’t be friends with a peasant! They shouldn’t even talk to you like that! Get your hand off my sister!” Issac barked as Lila quickly touched Sheex’s hand in an effort to calm him down.

“Issac, please. Be nice to him. For me?” Lila said with a sad look on her face. Issac looked like he was going to continue his rant, but eventually hung his head and stared at the floor.

“Okay. Fine.” Issac muttered as Lila smiled and Sheex just ran a hand through his hair. Dealing with Vaine family members was definitely not something that he would enjoy doing on a daily basis.

“Okay! Great! I wonder if I was that bad…” Lila asked as Sheex just patted her on the shoulder.

“Yeah, well, you live and learn and whatnot. Had to break through the wall of ice first, but ya got better with time. A lot better, if you catch my drift.” Sheex said with a wink as Lila giggled. Issac didn’t exactly understand that joke, but that was probably a good thing.

“In any case, I suppose we should be on our way. There’s no telling when the rest of those guys will be back and…” Sheex stopped talking as he heard a noise from downstairs. He motioned for Lila and Issac to stay still as Sheex headed for the door, both of his hands on his daggers. Several seconds later, Levin charged into the room with his sword drawn.

“Bastards! Give yourself up!” Levin screamed as Sheex whipped out his daggers and parried Levin’s incoming thrust. Sheex then tried to counter by shoving his elbow into Levin’s stomach, but the Farleen soldier was one step ahead of him and quickly smacked Sheex in the head with his left hand.

“Surrender and I’ll spare you. No sense in dying here.” Levin said as he circled around Sheex, who at this point was caught in a corner. The wanderer cursed his rotten luck as he tightened his grip on his daggers. Drat. Should’ve been more careful. Stupid of me to think this guy would’ve stayed out so long. He thought to himself as Levin quickly stepped to the left and stabbed at Sheex’s head. The wanderer was able to dodge that attack, but Levin was quick to stop Sheex’s movement by kicking him in the stomach and flinging him to the center of the room.

“Sheex! Are you okay?” Lila cried as she ran towards Sheex, who was laying on the floor. She reached to her waist where her sword was still sheathed. Sheex quickly stood up and shoved Lila to the side.

“I’m fine. You’d better grab your bro and get lost though. I’ll buy you some time.” Before Lila had time to respond to that particular comment, Sheex quickly charged and slashed wildly at Levin, who took a step back in order to prepare himself for Sheex’s offensive.

“A noble gesture. However, I should warn you. I’m quite good with my sword, so you won’t be able to buy them much time.” Levin said as he parried Sheex’s daggers and caught the wanderer by the coat. Sheex quickly smacked Levin’s ribs with the hilt of his dagger and forced the man back.

“Go Lila! I can’t really stand that brother of yours anyhow.” Sheex muttered as he swung at Levin’s face, managing to only nick the man on his left cheek. A small trace of blood appeared on Levin’s face, but it was nowhere near enough to even slightly slow Levin down. The wanderer quickly positioned himself so that he was blocking Levin’s sight of Lila and Issac.

“My quarrel is not with you. If you leave, I won’t follow.” Levin stated as he heard several noises of movement from behind Sheex. Levin knew very well that if he spent too much time on Sheex, the princess and her brother would be long past gone.

“I would, but I’ve got to pay her back for that special treatment from earlier.” Sheex said with a grin as Levin frowned and shifted his stance so that his sword was held in both hands and positioned at his side. Sheex hesitated and then timidly lashed out with a small slash. Levin quickly sidestepped and spun about, stabbingat Sheex as he did so. Sheex quickly ducked that attack but fell prey to Levin’s follow up sweep.

His head slammed into the cold stone floor, dazing him slightly. Sheex then raised his daggers in order to defend himself, but Levin quickly kicked Sheex’s weapons out of his hands with a solid swing of his right foot. The wanderer tried to recover, but Levin quickly sent him back to the floor with yet another kick.

“Should’ve run away while you still had a chance. A noble gesture though. Rest in peace my friend.” Levin said as he pointed his sword at Sheex’s heart. The wanderer was pretty sure that he had been outclassed when he started this fight, but he was stunned that he had lost so quickly. I knew this adventure was bad news! I ain’t going down yet! Sheex thought to himself as grabbed one of his daggers and wildly stabbed it forward. Unsurprisingly, Levin batted that attack aside just like every single one of Sheex’s attacks. Sheex didn’t even have time to say something sarcastic as Levin’s sword came at his chest.

And then blood ran down a single sword.

[Sheex]

“Damn it. I should have paid more attention.” Levin spat as Lila’s sword entered the center of his chest, several inches away from where his heart beat. Not that it really mattered; Levin knew enough about battle to know that the wound he had just been dealt was quite fatal. At best, Levin guessed he had another two minutes of life left in him.

Sheex replayed the entire scene in his mind very slowly. He had been on the floor, stunned and awaiting Levin’s finishing stroke. Levin had raised his blade over Sheex’s chest and aimed carefully at Sheex’s heart, but before he could actually deal the deathblow, Lila had charged at him from the side with her sword aimed directly at the man’s chest. The Faleen soldier had been paying far too much attention to Sheex, and had been unable to avoid Lila’s attack. That was why Lila’s sword was imbedded in the man’s chest and that was why blood ran down that cold steel and onto Lila’s delicate fingers.

“Unbelievable. What a rookie mistake. Hannibal will have my head for this.” The man stuttered as his sword fell to the ground. The princess tried to yank her blade out of Levin’s chest, but unfortunately she lacked the strength. The blade remained pierced into the man’s flesh and she only succeeded in tearing the wound further open, which sent no small amount of blood towards the floor.

Sheex quickly rolled to his left and stood back up, picking up his fallen daggers as he did so. Knowing that there was no further need to wield those daggers at the moment he tucked them away and slowly walked over to where both Levin and Lila stood. At this point Levin had both of his hands on Lila’s blade, as if to stop the princess from taking back her sword. Issac stood paralyzed in the corner and Lila did nothing but stare at the large amounts of blood that now stained her hands. Sheex slowly reached out and touched her on the shoulder, but the princess remained fixated on the man about to die.

“It’s a stupid war, right friend?” Levin said softly as he turned to look at Sheex. Sheex removed his hand from Lila’s shoulder and looked Levin in the eyes. If he was not mistaken, Sheex was fairly certain that Levin’s eyes were beginning to moisten.

“Most wars usually are. I certainly ain’t found of them.” Sheex responded as a single tear fell from Levin’s face. There was no way for the wandererto know just what Levin was going through. Did the man have a family? Was there a beautiful girl waiting for him to come home? Was his son eagerly awaiting for the day his father would return home and teach him catch? Did the man even have a son? What about his parents? Were they already dead and gone, or would they now be faced with the terrible prospect of burying their own son? All these questions raced through Sheex’s mind, but there was not a single answer to be found.

It made him happy to be a wanderer. No obligations or responsibilities. No one counting on him, no one for him to be let down.

“Look well your Highness. This is the cost of being royalty. Sit on your cushioned throne, eat your fancy meals and treat others like their lives are insignificant. Observe well the blood on your hands. It won’t ever, ever go away.” Levin spat at Lila, who recoiled instantly at the man’s words. She let go of her sword, which at this point was the only thing keeping Levin on his feet, and the man soon fell backwards towards the ground. Sheex quickly grabbed the man and laid him down softly.

“Sorry about all this pal. I didn’t want it to end like this. You seemed like a good guy.” Sheex muttered as Levin cracked a small grin while his body twitched slightly as if trying to draw on a reserve of strength that just wasn’t there. Levin probably had about thirty more seconds of time on this planet left.

“Not your fault. Stupid royalty. All this over a damn emblem. Kidnapping kids, fathers who won’t save their own sons, this whole country is messed up. And my king’s no better. Dying over a goddamn emblem. A GOD DAMN EMBLEM!” Levin shouted, understandably upset by the fact that he was dying not for family or a friend, but rather for an expensive piece of metal (or whatever material Faleen’s emblem was made of).

“It’s not fair, I know. If there were any justice in this world the two kings would just draw their swords and settle their problems like men, but that just isn’t the way life works. It just isn’t the way at all.” Sheex said softly, trying to comfort the man but probably failing miserably. After all, what do you tell a man about to die? That it was worth it? That at least his death was honorable? In Sheex’s opinion, no death was ever “worth it.”

A final tear fell down Levin’s cheek as the man grabbed Sheex’s hand and held it tight. Five seconds later, Levin was dead.

“What a damn waste. Stuff like this makes me glad that I’m a wanderer and not a knight. Hey Lila, we better beat it. Aw shit.” Sheex cursed as he turned to look at Lila. The poor girl had sunk to her knees and was staring at her blood-stained hands. Not only that, a good portion of Levin’s blood had spilled onto her clothes as well, covering her chest in that special crimson liquid.

“Sister? Are you all right?” Issac asked as he walked towards her, receiving no acknowledgement to his question. Sheex couldn’t exactly say he was surprised. After Sheex took his first life, he hadn’t exactly done much but stare at his hands either.

“Lila. We need to go. Now. There’s no telling when the rest of the group will be back and they will not be happy with us. Can you walk?” Sheex said as he crouched down to look her in the eyes. She quickly avoided his gaze by lowering her head and said not a word in response. Sheex didn’t exactly blame her, but he knew staying here and comforting her wasn’t exactly the best plan either.

“Screw it. The worst she could do is slap me. I ought to have a natural resistance to that particular attack by now.” Sheex muttered to himself as he quickly stood back up and grabbed Lila’s arms. Lila remained motionless, even after Sheex picked her up and cradled her in his arms. Not completely uncomfortably, Sheex began to make towards the door.

“Just what do you think you are doing! My sister did not give you permission to touch her! I demand that you unhand her this instant or I’ll-” Issac was quickly cut short as Sheex’s right hand shot out and grabbed the boy's collar. A look of fear crossed Issac’s face as the wanderer pulled the boy close and glared at him.

“Listen brat! I just saw a guy stabbed through the heart and your sister was the one who did it. Reasons aside, your sister is covered with blood and she ain’t taking it too well. On top of that, this blood is now on me and I’m not exactly sure how I can explain this particular stain on my shirt to a passerby. So shut up, turn around, and walk, or so help me I’ll show you how peasants handle disrespectful little punks.” Sheex’s words had the desired effect. Issac quickly turned around and marched down the stairs, with Sheex carrying Lila in his arms right behind him. It wasn’t until the fort was several feet away from the group did Lila speak and it wasn’t exactly a very upbeat sentence.

“I killed him Sheex. I killed him. I don't believe I actually killed him.” Lila muttered as Sheex continued to carry her towards the nearby town. Issac remained quite and continued to walk, leaving it up to Sheex to comfort the woman.

“It wasn’t your fault. If you didn’t, I’d be dead. Hey, guess that means I owe you one.” Sheex said softly, but the princess just stared at the blood on her shirt. Obviously, Levin's last words had had quite the dramatic effect on the princess.

“But I killed him. I killed him. I...” Lila simply repeated those words over and over again, leaving Sheex at a lose for words. Eventually, he said the only thing he could think of.

“Yeah. You did. So, what do you think of killing people now?” Sheex asked in attempt to break her out of her three word sentence. It had the desired effect, as well as the additional effect of causing the poor girl’s eyes to water. The wanderer realized he could have chosen his words more carefully.

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.” Lila stuttered as the water in her eyes began to overflow. Issac started to say something, but was quickly silenced by a harsh glare from Sheex. Sheex then looked down at Lila, who at this point was trying hard to stifle back the tears.

“Neither do I. And I’ll be honest with you, you’re going to remember this day in detail for the rest of your life. But you should also remember that you're not alone and I’m right here with you. And if it wasn’t for your actions, I wouldn’t be right here with you. I don’t know if that’s very comforting, but it’s the truth.” Sheex said as Lila tightly gripped Sheex’s coat. He only shook his head at his own luck. There was no way he could bring her back in this condition. Sheex’s original plan of taking her to the nearby border patrol would have to wait; Dunland soldiers would take one look at the blood-stained princess in Sheex’s arms and blame Sheex instantly.

“Look, we’ll stay at the inn tonight and tomorrow we’ll get you and your brother back home. It’ll all be better then, all right?” Sheex said as Lila nodded slowly while continuing to tightly clutch Sheex’s coat as if it offered her some sort of condolence. Sheex stopped walking and pulled her closer to him.

“Until then, you don’t have to act so tough Flower Girl. I’m already impressed with you.” Sheex whispered softly into Lila’s ear. In response, Lila tucked her head underneath Sheex’s coat and he felt her slender arms wrap around his waist.

Lila spent the rest of the walk crying.

[Sheex]

Not having a free hand at the moment Sheex slammed his shoulder into the creaky wooden door before him, easily flinging the wooden object open. Night had fallen and covered in sweat from carrying Lila all the way back to town Sheex stumbled into the very small inn room. Thankfully, when Sheex had walked in with Lila covered in blood the inn owner seemed to buy the story that she had been attacked by bandits and Sheex had fought them off, but not without spilling some blood. One good thing about inns on the poorer side of town was that the owner's usually did not ask too many questions.

“See? What'd I tell you? A nice quiet room on the second floor of a somewhat reputable establishment. Not bad at all, right?” Sheex said, receiving a small nod from Lila as he laid her onto one of the two beds in the room. Other than the two beds all the room contained was a very small bathroom as well as a couch and rickety wooden table. It seemed that Sheex would be sleeping on the couch tonight, for Issac quickly walked over towards the empty bed and sat down on it.

“Sheex...I...” Lila began to say, but she was quickly silenced by Sheex as he put his hand over her mouth. Sheex just smiled at her as he removed his hand and set down Lila’s traveling bag next to her bed. The wanderer suddenly remembered that he had left Lila’s sword where she had let it go, namely in Levin’s chest, but it was far too late to go back for it and he certainly wasn’t about to point it out to Lila.

“Hush now. It’s already nightfall and we’ve all had a long day. Now, I’m gonna go wash up and see if I can’t do something about my more than wrinkled clothes. You’re probably going to want to change, so I’ll be in the bathroom for a few minutes.” Sheex said as he smiled at Lila and headed towards the bathroom as he examined his shirt. Fortunately, there weren’t many bloodstains on his shirt or his coat, which was more than he could say for Lila. Her chest was caked in blood.

Ten minutes later...

Sheex sighed as he walked out of the bathroom with his coat hung over his shoulders and his still somewhat wet shirt clinging to his skin. The wanderer figured he had managed to get most of the blood off of his shirt, mainly due to the fact that there was very little blood on his shirt to begin with. As he walked through the tiny room, Sheex noticed that Lila had already tucked Issac into bed and the kid was already asleep. Lila simply sat at the edge of her bed and stared out the solitary window of the room, which was no bigger than two feet. Still, it was big enough to see at least some of the stars in the sky.

“Bathroom’s all yours. You could use a shower. You kinda smell funny. I think that you stepped in something on the way here.” Sheex joked as he walked up behind Lila and placed a hand on Lila’s shoulder. All the poor woman did was nod at him and walk towards the bathroom without saying a word. Sheex shook his head at the day’s past events, wishing that if anyone had killed Levin it had been him. He certainly took no joy in killing, but he really didn’t enjoy seeing Lila in her current state. Sure, she could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he would rather deal with her yelling at him than see her like she currently was.

Eventually the princess walked out of the shower and back into the small room where Issac slept and Sheex sat silently on the couch. Lila had changed into a new set of clothes, now she wore a solid black silk long sleeve shirt that covered her entire chest as well as lengthy dark blue pants that extended over her currently bare feet. Sheex had moved the couch towards the window so he could better stare at the little bit of sky he could see.

“You know something Lila? I’ve always had a certain fondness for the sky. It has no limits. No matter how far you look, the sky extends in all directions father than any man can see. No restrictions, nothing holding it back. It just goes on and on regardless of what is happening below it.” Sheex said as she sat down next to him on the couch. Sheex had expected her to go to sleep, but then again he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to go straight to bed. Even he was going to have a bit of trouble sleeping tonight.

“That was mighty poetic of you Sheex.” Lila said as she rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. Sheex raised his eyebrows at her and pointed at the empty bed while Issac started to snore a little bit, which almost made Sheex laugh at the kid. He just barely managed to restrain himself.

“You know, the bed does have blankets. I’m pretty sure they’re meant to keep you warm.” Sheex pointed out, but Lila simply shook her head and continued to rub her arms.

“I’m not tired. I don’t feel like sleeping yet. It’s all right if I look out the window with you, right?” Lila asked as Sheex just smiled at her and reached over to grab his coat that lay at the edge of the couch.

“Of course it is Flower Girl. Here, use this to keep you warm.” Sheex said as he wrapped his coat around Lila’s slender figure. She quickly pulled the coat towards her to better warm herself and nodded her head.

“Thanks Sheex. I appreciate it.” Lila mumbled as she stared out the window. The wanderer cracked a grin and waited for several minutes before doing anything. He figured Lila wanted to say something, but he wasn’t quiet sure what. Eventually she finally did speak in a very hushed voice.

“So Sheex, how about that story you promised to tell me? Remember, on the balcony several days ago? Tell me why you feel the way you do about killing.” Lila asked in a low voice and Sheex let out an almost inaudible sigh knowing that he certainly owed it to her to tell her, but he did not enjoy taking a trip down this particular memory lane.

“You’re right of course. A promise is a promise. It all started when I left home at the tender age of eighteen. It wasn’t for some great task you understand, I simply wanted to see the world. I guess my hometown started feeling small after a while, so I bid farewell to my parents and took my chances on the long windy road. Of course I got lost pretty quickly, I’m not very good with directions. After a while...” It took Sheex almost an hour to spin this particular story. Ordinarily when Sheex told a story he was always grinning about his usually silly adventures, but in this case he simply smiled softly and kept on talking while he stared out at the beautiful dark blue sky. It was all he could do just to keep the smile up.

Sheex had joined a guild of mercenaries, but he hadn’t stayed there long. Because that was where he made his one stupid mistake. Of all the mistakes in his life, and there were quite a few, it was the only one Sheex wished he could undo. For one late night, he had challenged a fellow student of the guild to a friendly duel. The other student had used spells while Sheex had used wooden daggers. He had gotten his ass royally kicked by that student.

Sheex should have just accepted his defeat gracefully, but he didn’t. Nowadays the wanderer had no trouble losing in contests of strength; not two years ago. Back then, and for a little while after, he had wanted to be the best like any teenager. Since the mage was using actual spells, Sheex had only figured it was fair to have a rematch. This time Sheex wanted to use his actual weapons and not stupid wooden ones.

The other student had of course agreed, even though now Sheex wished he hadn’t. Things had gotten out of hand and those are exactly the times that training weapons come in handy. But Sheex had cast aside those weapons and picked up sharpened steel daggers. The very same steel daggers he still carried with him to this days. Those daggers had cut flesh that night, amidst the starry night sky. If only Sheex had used those wooden daggers instead of steel ones, one more person would be living on Althanas.

“What...what did you do?” Lila asked as she stared intently at Sheex. He just turned to look at her, the usual smile gone from his face. Now Sheex’s face was barren, with the only emotion being hints of sadness that occasionally made their way through Sheex’s eyes.

“What do you think? Because of my arrogance, I had killed a man. I should of backed off, but I didn’t. I though I could stop my dagger before it entered the guy’s heart, but I wasn’t that good then and I’m probably not that good now. So either I took responsibility for my crimes like a man or I ran like a coward.” Sheex said as he looked at Lila, who gently touched his one of his arms, which seemed very cold to her at the moment.

“You are one of the best men I know Sheex. You’re no coward.” She whispered softly, even though Sheex just shook his head and stared at the wooden floor at his feet. That night was not his finest hour.

“Yeah right. I was terrified of what the guild masters would do to me. I killed the guy Lila. I murdered him because of my stupid pride and my inability to control these damn things.” Sheex said as he reached into his coat and pulled out his daggers. He clutched them tightly in his hand; the wooden sheaths fitalmost perfectly into his palm.

“I ran away Lila. I turned my back on the guy, even though he died right in front of me. I left his dead body on the floor, with no one to even bury him. I just ran. And I never looked back.” Sheex muttered as Lila tried her best to comfort the man. She was now beginning to regret asking Sheex to tell this particular story.

“You can’t damn yourself just for that one mistake Sheex. Okay, so you messed up. Big time. But like told me, you just gotta keep going, right?” Lila said as Sheex laughed sarcastically. He kicked the edge of the couch as he tucked his daggers back into his coat.

“Hell Lila, the guy had friends. If someone killed one of your friends, and you had the power to avenge his death, wouldn’t you? They sure as hell tried to. Five of ‘em too.” Lila gasped slightly, apparently not quiet prepared for that particular response. Sheex would have laughed at his story, if it hadn’t filled him with so much guilt.

“What did you do?” She asked quietly, clutching Sheex’s arm tightly as he continued to tell his tale. Her touch brought some comfort to Sheex, but he still felt the guilt through her silk like skin. It was such a pity in the mind of the wanderer.

“Hell, they wanted to kill me Lila. Self-defense you know? I dealt with them. Not all at once of course. They were honorable enough to fight me one at a time, over the course of several days. But four of them are dead now. Only one is left.” Sheex responded as he leaned forward, hunching over his knees as he did so. He remained silent for a while; Lila dared not say anything else. Eventually, he continued the only painful tale in his repertoire of stories.

“I remember their names and their faces as if it were yesterday. Robert was the mage I killed while sparring. Chad was his good friend and a bit of a show off who loved to impress his girlfriend. Jake was Robert’s best friend and only wanted avenge the wrongful death of the man who he had spent many days laughing and drinking with. Jerme was just a creep that liked to kill and any reason was a good reason for him. And there was Trep, the leader of the group. A good guy who fought not for his dead friend, but rather for the ones that were still alive. They dragged him into the mess; he didn’t care. He fought for them anyway. And Lyn. Chad’s girlfriend. Her sword skill was lacking, but her heart was as strong as a giant.” The wanderer took a deep breath as Lila almost told him to stop. But, Sheex had started the story, and he was going to finish it.

“Six friends. Five of them are dead. I managed to keep Lyn alive because she was pretty bad with a sword, but every other one pushed me to the breaking point. I thought I had to kill them to save myself, so I did. I often wonder what Lyn is doing now. Is she still burning with hatred, seeking me out to finish what her friends started? Did she finally forgive me? I doubt it.” Sheex slowly rose back up, staring once more out the window. He slowly turned towards Lila, who at this point was clutching Sheex’s shoulder very tightly.

“That’s the problem with killing. I killed one guy and it turned into four more deaths. That means I’ve killed five people in my life. I’ve never killed again, but I still remember my five kills. And some of the guys were real jerks too. I mean, this guy Jerme killed an innocent girl to lure me out into the open. I had no regrets about killing that guy, but damn it, it’s still another life.” Sheex quickly grabbed Lila but the shoulders, almost jerking her off the couch as he did so. He locked eyes with her and spoke very softly.

“Understand this Lila. Some of the people I killed deserved to die and some certainly did not. But all that matters is that they are dead. I won’t destroy my life and give up because of that, but I still feel the guilt. One became two. Two became three. That’s why I don’t want to kill. Once you start, it's so easy to keep going. In fact, I’m happy I see their faces. I don’t ever want to become the type of person who can’t remember the people he’s killed because he’s killed so many. The pain hurts, but it serves as a reminder and I heed it well.” Lila remained silent as Sheex let her go and stared at the floor once more. Eventually she spoke in a very soft voice.

“So...do you think...one will become two...two will become three...for me?” Lila said softly. Instantly Sheex jerked back to life and grabbed Lila and pulled her close once again.

“No! What you do with your life is your choice! There’s blood on your hands, you can’t change that. But how much blood is on your hands is still something that is up to you. That part of the story is untold, both for you and for me. You can lose yourself and give up, or you can keep going despite your sins. I may have killed, but I will continue to live my life to the fullest. For me, and for the people I have killed.” Sheex said as he released Lila and closed his eyes while he reflected on the vow he had just made. It was the exact same vow he had made two years ago. Nothing happened for a moment and then Sheex added one more sentence to his story.

“And that Lila, is why I feel the way I do about killing.” He said finally, letting his words echo through the room. The princess did nothing for several minutes but think about Sheex’s story while the wanderer just closed his eyes, sat down and leaned his head back against the couch. Eventually, Lila wrapped her arms around Sheex’s arm and leaned against his shoulder.

“I understand. I stand by what I said. You are one of the best men I know Sheex.” Lila said as she wrapped Sheex’s coat over both him and her, then closed her eyes.

And together, on a worn couch in a cheap inn in a poor part of town, the princess and the wanderer both fell asleep.

[Sheex]

Sheex jerked violently when he heard the door slam into something and make a crashing sound. Lila, who at this time was comfortably sleeping on Sheex’s right arm, only moved about slightly but Sheex’s head quickly snapped around and stared at the entrance to his room. Cursing his rotten luck, Sheex quickly shot straight up.

In the door way stood a man dressed in a black suit which covered his entire body save for his hands and face. The man had dark brown eyes and his silver hair was cut short and spiky. The clothes were rather loose and Sheex had no idea what the man had on him, for the man could have easily concealed any number of small weapons within those folds of cloth. Sheex thought about moving, but if he stood still for the moment he could at least keep the couch between himself and the man. Plus the couch blocked the man’s sight of Lila and Issac was tucked away under the covers. With any luck, Sheex could play himself off as an innocent family man.

“Can I help you sir?” Sheex asked in a cool tone as he picked up his coat and slid it over his shoulders. His daggers were tucked away in his coat’s pockets and Sheex was fairly certain that he have need of those particular weapons in several short moments. Hopefully, he would not.

“You look familiar. Have I seen you before?” The man asked, his voice completely neutral as his eyes slowly scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary. Sheex simply shrugged his shoulders and stared back at the man.

“Not sure. I travel a lot so there’s a chance. I drink a lot too, so maybe I’d seem more familiar if I was stumbling about blindly.” Sheex replied softly as his hands gently traced over the hilt of his blades tucked away in his coat. The man simply continued to glance about the room, but did not make a single move.

“Perhaps. I’ve been to many bars in my life time. I’m looking for someone. Have you seen them?” The man asked, although he neglected to give a description. Sheex figured the man was either stupid or trying to buy time for something, although the wanderer could not quite figure out what.

“Sheex? What’s going on?” Lila asked drowsily as she lifted her head to peer over at the door. The silver-haired man grinned menacingly as he locked eyes with Lila, and she quickly gasped and ducked her head back down. He took a step forward before quickly darting back into the hallway as one of Sheex’s daggers sailed through the air and slightly cut into the man’s cheek.

The man looked back at Sheex, who at this time had drawn his other dagger and had flung himself over the couch and was running straight towards the intruder. The man weighed his options and quickly darted down the hallway and out of Sheex’s sight. Sheex quickly reached down and scooped up his thrown dagger as Lila quickly stood up and ran towards him.

“Stay here. Lock the door. Don’t let anyone in.” Sheex barked as he shoved the princess back and bolted after whoever had broken into the room. Not even looking back, Sheex scanned the hallway and saw there were only two exits. One lead downstairs and the other to the roof. Sheex quickly studied the stairs leading to the roof and noticed there were several small drops of blood on the stairs and he followed them upwards.

Sheex blindly broke through the door leading to the roof, which he realized in retrospect was not the smartest plan he had ever conceived. The wanderer immediately felt a sensation of pain flare through his face as a man’s black boot connected with the side of Sheex’s face. Sheex cursed in pain as he tumbled across the roof, which was luckily a flat roof otherwise he probably would have had enough momentum to roll off. As it stood, the roof was at least fifteen feet wide and fifteen feet long; plenty of room for maneuverability. The wanderer wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“That’s what I get for charging blindly. You’d think I’d be smarter than that.” Sheex muttered as he picked himself up, tightly clutching his daggers as he did so. He carefully eyed the man across from him, who simply stood several feet away from the rising Sheex and stared back at him.

“I’ve no problem with you sir. It’s the girl I’m after. If you leave, I won’t follow.” The man said in a gruff voice as he began to circle Sheex. The wanderer just grinned back at the man, watching him as he continued to move around and grow closer and closer. Finally having time to study his foe, Sheex noticed that the man had to be in his late forties as several lines of wrinkles creased across his face. His silver hair, although rather short, was still long enough to dance slightly with the wind the blew across the town. The man also stood with the confidence of a man who had fought many battles; not something Sheex liked to see.

“Funny. That’s what the guy at the fort said. I’d say you guys were honorable if you weren’t chasing some defenseless girl and her little brother.” Sheex said before leaping towards the man, swinging his daggers as he did so. The man quickly stepped out of Sheex’s reach and grabbed Sheex’s extended arms as he did so. The man quickly flung Sheex to the side, but did not follow up with another attack.

“Judging from the sword that girl left buried in Levin’s chest, I’d say she’s not that defenseless. And pardon me for pointing this out, but it seems you're a bit tired. Are you sure you wish to fight me?” The man said as he spread his legs slightly and raised his hands into a fighting stance. The wanderer just gasped for air as he stood straight up and began to walk towards the man.

“So Levin was his name huh? I’m glad you told me. I hate not being able to remember the dead. And I’m not that tired.” Sheex said as he pointed at the man’s cheek, which had a long line of blood dripping down it from when Sheex had thrown his dagger back inside the inn. The man simply reached up and had a mildly surprised look as he touched the side of his cheek.

“I’m impressed. I didn’t even feel a thing. I was sure you had missed. I should be more careful.” The man said as Sheex quickly stepped forward and stabbed at the man’s forehead. The man was just as quick as Sheex however, and quickly darted to the left while slamming his left hand into Sheex’s stomach. The wanderer felt the wind leave his chest as his foe followed up with a solid kick to Sheex’s chest, which had enough power to send him to the ground. Sheex quickly recovered, dodging the man’s next kick as Sheex jumped back up and to the left.

“God, you sure are good at fighting. You’re not even using a weapon.” Sheex cursed as he stumbled backwards as the man slowly advanced towards Sheex. The man simply grinned and cracked his knuckles.

“In my youth I had the ill-fortune of taking a strike straight to my hand. The doctor told me that it damaged my nervous system or something to that effect. All that matters to me is that I can’t grip things for a prolonged period of time without suffering a spasm in my right hand. It makes holding a sword somewhat difficult. I have, however, found alternate means of fighting.” The man said with a slightly cruel smile as he dashed within a few feet of Sheex. The man quickly balled his fists and let out of flurry of blows at Sheex. Realizing that staying on defense had only ended badly for Sheex, the wanderer quickly turned to his left and allowed his shoulder to absorb most of the blows.

“Is that so? My compliments to your determination.” Sheex said as he took aim with the dagger in his right hand. Ignoring the constant pain in his left arm, Sheex quickly stabbed forward with his right dagger, aiming for the man’s stomach. His foe quickly realized the danger and quickly swung his hand about to swipe Sheex’s attack away. Too close to attack accurately with the dagger in his left hand, Sheex instead swung it hilt first and bashed it into the man’s skull. The man let out a curse as Sheex quickly brought his foot up and slammed it into the man’s chest, sending the man flying backwards and onto the ground.

“I must compliment you on your determination as well. You fight like a father protecting his daughter. Obviously not that girl’s father, but many other fathers.” The man said as he picked himself up and stood back up. Perhaps the insult was meant to rile Sheex’s nerve, but it didn’t have any affect at all. Mainly because Sheex agreed with the man.

“You know, you’re offer runs both ways. If you leave, I won’t follow.” Sheex offered as the man rubbed his wrists and began to slowly advance towards Sheex. Quickly surveying the battlefield, Sheex realized the man was pushing him closer and closer to the edge of the roof. Not a good thing.

“I’m sorry, but you know very well that a knight cannot shrink from his duty.” The man said as he dashed forward and swung at Sheex’s face. The wanderer quickly ducked the blow, but instead of attacking Sheex choose to dash behind the man so that now his foe was the one being pushed towards the edge.

“I’m afraid I don’t know that very well. You see, I’m no knight. I’m more of a wandering barfly to be honest.” Sheex said with a grin as the man spun around at a rapid speed to force Sheex back. Sheex quickly leapt back, creating a few feet of space between the two warriors.

“Barfly? The man in the bar.” The man whispered to himself, although it was loud enough for Sheex to hear. A look of recognition crossed the man’s face and then a similar look crossed Sheex’s face as he remembered just who he was fighting.

“Your friend, he was the guy that bumped into me at that bar! He nearly spilled my beer too.” Sheex said as he stared at the man before him. The man nodded softly and continued to keep his guard up although he did not advance. Sheex also remained still, not wanting to engage the man without a plan.

“Indeed, and once again I must apologize for his inability to see you. We have been under a lot of stress lately, you see.” The man said as Sheex just gripped his daggers and glared back at the man.

“Yeah. Kidnapping innocent women and children puts a lot of strain on a man with a conscious, or so I hear.” Sheex muttered as the man before him sighed. Slowly, the man nodded in agreement.

“Indeed it does. However, I am a knight. I will do my duty, no matter how distasteful I find it.” The man said softly as he continued to stare at Sheex as if he was waiting for something. Not exactly sure of what he should do next, Sheex just continued to stare back.

“I wouldn’t know. Like I said, I’m no knight.” Sheex responded, while the man before him slowly lowered his hands. Surprised, Sheex kept his guard up as he raised his eyebrows. The man just smiled and did not move.

“Pity. You may have made a fine knight. However, I’m afraid you have lost.” The man said softly as he slowly motioned to the door behind Sheex. The wanderer slowly turned to look, trying his best to keep his eyes on his opponent as he did so. Sheex soon failed at doing so when he realized both Lila and Issac were standing at the door watching him fight.

“Lila! Damn it! I told you to stay inside!” Sheex barked loudly, no doubt scaring both members of the royal family. He quickly turned back, almost in time to catch his opponent before the man closed the distance between him and Sheex. Sheex was not quick enough however and the man’s closed fist smashed into Sheex’s jaw.

The wanderer snarled back at the man with an almost animal like voice, ignoring the pain in his face and the blood he tasted in his own mouth. Slightly stunned, the man before him leapt back as Sheex swung his dagger at the man’s face and this time he actually somewhat hit his mark. The man let out a small howl of pain as blood appeared from above the man’s eye and he quickly retreated back to nurse his wound.

His body racing with adrenaline, Sheex turned his attention back towards Lila and Issac. It was at that time Sheex noticed a figure appear behind the two and in no time Sheex was dashing at full speed towards the door where Lila and Issac stood stunned.

The man behind the two had brown hair and wore the exact same outfit as the person Sheex had previously been fighting, although this newcomer also wore a long cape. The cape was meant to hide the sword tucked away in the man’s belt and although the man did not draw it on his way up for fear of accidentally hurting the princess or prince he did so now. The newcomer quickly shoved Lila into Issac, knocking both of them to the ground at their feet. The man quickly drew his sword, but Sheex was already upon him. The wanderer's daggers crashed against the man’s drawn sword; no small amount of sparks were sent onto the rooftop. Sheex quickly slammed his knee into the man’s stomach, stunning the man and forcing him back. Not wanting to waste his advantage Sheex quickly shoved the man to the ground and looked around for the person he was previously fighting.

“Sheex! Behind you!” Lila screamed as Sheex spun around to find his previous foe charging towards him. The man managed to land a solid punch into Sheex’s shoulder, causing him to lose his footing and stumble backwards. He would have fallen, but thankfully Sheex managed to catch himself on the door leading back down into the inn. At that time the blood from the man’s forehead seeped down into his eye and the man stumbled as his vision suddenly became blurry. Thinking quickly, Sheex shoved himself forward and slammed his shoulder into the man knocking him to the ground.

The newcomer was now on his feet an charged at Sheex who quickly turned to face him. But the man had momentum now and began swinging his sword wildly through the air, causing Sheex to fall back. Out of the corner of his eye Sheex saw Lila attempt to grab the other Faleen soldier, but the man quickly shoved her down and charged towards Sheex. Sheex stabbed at the man in front of him, but his attack was quickly parried. Sheex tried to take another step back only to quickly lurch himself forward as he nearly stepped off the roof. The man in front of him stepped to the side and caught his left hand as he did so. Sheex tried to stab at him with the dagger in his right hand, but found that he could not move his right hand at all for the other Faleen soldier had grabbed that hand.

“No! NO!” Lila screamed as she ran towards the group of men at the exact moment the bleeding knight had grabbed Sheex’s right hand. With both of his adversaries holding one of his hands, the wanderer knew he was in a bad spot. He tried to struggle against the two men, but their grips felt like an iron vice. Sheex could see Lila trying to reach him, but she was well out of reach and he was well out of time.

“LILA! RUN!” Sheex shouted as he felt a sudden impact hit his chest and his feet lift off the ground. The last thing he saw was Lila trying to reach him as her delicate fingers just fall short of his favorite black coat. The last thing Lila saw was her friend tumble over the side of the roof and into the darkness below.

“SHEEX!” Lila screamed as she felt a firm grip on her shoulders pull her back from the edge. She quickly turned around to see a man with a bleeding forehead clutching her tightly and the other man pining Issac to the ground.

“We’ve got them Hannibal.” The man holding Issac said as the silver-haired man nodded in silent agreement as Lila desperately struggled to break free of his grip. It was to no avail, for the man held her in a firm grip and Lila could not break free.

“Let me go! I have to see if he’s alive!” The princess screamed as she struggled against Hannibal, but the man held her firm. Time was running out and Hannibal knew sooner or later people would begin to investigate the noises that the battle had caused. Sighing with regret, he slammed the side of his fist into the back of Lila’s neck, instantly knocking her to the floor and sapping her of most of her strength.

“We don’t have time for niceties. Silence the boy Ivan. I’ll signal Dimitry.” Hannibal ordered as he walked over towards the edge of the roof. There another man in a black cape with blonde hair stood in front of the inn, although this man was looking straight up instead of inside the inn. Hannibal raised two fingers and then a thumbs up, signaling they had caught both the princess and the prince. Dimitry motioned for Hannibal to get out through the back door of the inn and then turned his attention towards the street to make sure no one followed them.

“How dare you hurt my sister! I’ll-” Issac’s rant was cut short as Ivan slammed the hilt of his blade into the back of Issac’s neck and knocked the young boy out cold. Hannibal sighed again at the necessary violence and walked over towards where Lila lay, who at this point was desperately trying to stand.

“He was a fierce one eh? Guess the king decided to actually try something after all.” Ivan said softly as Hannibal wiped more blood off of his forehead. The wound Sheex had given him was bleeding badly, but it didn’t seem too serious. Hannibal knew he would make it.

“Fierce was an understatement. I told him he was like a father defending his child, although perhaps a brother defending his sister was more appropriate. Who was he?” Hannibal asked Lila as he walked up to where Lila lay.

“My friend. My best friend. My dearest friend. Oh God Sheex, what have I done?” Lila said in a voice barely above a whisper as she slowly crawled towards the edge of the roof. Hannibal silently cursed the war and the both kingdoms. Under different circumstances, he was certain he would have liked the man who he had just fought against.

“It’s time to go. Your majesty.” Hannibal said softly as he reached and grabbed Lila, who at this point had reached the edge of the roof and was desperately reaching down into the pitch black darkness below as if there was an actual chance Sheex was able to reach back. Lila almost expected to feel Sheex’s familiar skin as she reached out, but instead she only felt the cold night air brush against her skin. Hannibal then picked her up and flung her over his shoulder as Lila continued to reach towards the edge. She continued to reach out towards where Sheex had fallen even when Hannibal began to walk towards the exit. As he carried her, Hannibal heard five more words escape from he lips and then Lila fell completely and utterly silent. All that was left was the tears running down her smooth skin as well as her moans of sadness.

“Sheex. I am so sorry...”

[Sheex]

Blackness. Blackness was all he saw. Pain. Pain was all he felt. Throughout his entire body pain was everywhere. Sheex wasn't sure where he was. Perhaps this was hell? Although if this was hell, where were all the demons with pitchforks? Perhaps this was purgatory then. Utter nothingness. It wasn't bad, nor was it good. Lying in pain, Sheex thought to himself about how he got here. There was that fight on the roof, but what had Sheex been fighting for? Perhaps he had picked a fight in a bar? No, that didn't seem right. A woman then? That seemed a bit more likely. But who had the woman been?

"Lila!" Sheex heard himself scream as the blackness faded away and was replaced with what appeared to be a room of some sort. He found himself laying on his back in what appeared to be a small, yet comfortable, bed. Instantly he shot up; a bad idea for the second he did so pain raced through his back and he found himself gasping for air and unable to move.

"Mom! He's up!" Sheex heard a young female voice say. Rolling his head to the direction of the voice he saw a young blond woman sitting at the side of his bed. She seemed to be in her teens, probably about sixteen or so. Before he could say anything another woman walked into the room. This woman seemed to be in about her forties and looked like an older version of the teenager. Using his amazing powers of deduction, the wanderer figured the woman was the teenager's mom.

"Go finish closing up the store Amy. I'll see to him." The teenager nodded and left the room as the older woman walked towards Sheex's bedside and placed a damp cloth on his head.

"Thanks." Sheex managed feebly. The cool cloth soothed his head, which along with the rest of his body was throbbing in pain. Sheex took a couple of breaths and took in his surroundings. He was in a small room that was well kept despite the fact that it seemed to be in poor shape. Sheex noticed parts of the room were falling apart and the bed he was in was certainly past its prime. Even the woman's clothes seemed worn and faded.

"Thank my daughter. She's the one who found you." The woman replied as lifted the blankets covering Sheex. Had he wanted to stop her, Sheex was certain he did not have the strength. Then again if the woman had meant him harm he was pretty sure he'd already be dead.

"Will do. Ummm. Where am I?" He managed to ask the woman as she pulled out some bandages. Sheex noticed shirt was off and his midsection had quite a few bandages on it. Interesting. Don't remember those being there.

"Only in the best bakery this side of town. My name is Samantha Dyle. My daughter is Amy. And you are?" The woman asked as she finished changing Sheex's bandages. The wanderer noticed several more bruises about his body than he remembered.

"Sheex Deltin. And pardon me for saying so, but this doesn't exactly look like a bakery." Sheex said as he managed to sit up, this time without experiencing too much pain. The woman smiled a slightly weary smile as she tossed the old bandages into a nearby garbage can.

"This is my daughter's bedroom. The bakery is downstairs." The woman said. Sheex looked about and noticed there was a bit more pink in this room than he was used to. Perhaps the pink bed sheets should have given it away?

"I see. Well, thank you for taking care of me. I'm pretty sure I was in a tight spot before you came along." Sheex said with a weak smile. His memory was quite fuzzy and he couldn't remember just exactly how he ended up here, but judging by his wounds it couldn't have been a fun trip.

"My mother always told me that an act of kindness can sometimes mean the world to a person." Samantha said. Several seconds later, her daughter walked into the room looking slightly worried.

"I closed up the shop mom...but the landlord is here..." Amy said with a worried look on her face. Samantha shook her head and motioned for her daughter to watch Sheex as she headed downstairs.

"Landlord huh?" Sheex said softly as Amy sat down in the rickety chair that was placed by Sheex's bed. It didn't take a genius to figure out why a landlord was paying a visit to his tenants, and judging from the worried faces it probably had something to do with money.

"Money has been rather tight since dad left. We use to have a house but...well, now we just have our little bakery. It's been in the family for generations." Amy said softly. Sheex motioned towards his jacket, which he saw on a rack right next to a white coat that he guessed belong to Amy.

"There ought to be a bit of cash in there. It's not much but..." Sheex was quickly cut off by Amy as she just shook her head.

"We didn't help you for reward. Besides you look like your down on your luck as well." Amy said with a soft smile. Taking a good look at her, Sheex decided she was quite a cute girl trying desperately to cover up her family's current lack of wealth. Her clothes were faded and worn, but she they were wrinkle free and completely clear of any stains. Still, they looked a bit too small for her, although the wanderer figured she could easily argue that was the look she had been going for. Several minutes of silence passed by before Amy spoke up again.

"So, who's Lila? Your girlfriend?" She asked with a bit of a sparkle in her eye. Sheex could barely contain his laughter. Him and Lila? That would be probably one of the worst match-ups of the century. She was a bit too stuck-up for his tastes and he was pretty sure Lila saw no small amounts of faults in Sheex. It was only after that bit of internal debate that Sheex remembered just exactly what he had been doing the last time he was with her. Instantly he was out of the bed and running towards the door. He made it about halfway through the room before falling to his knees in pain.

"Hey! Are you insane? You're in no condition to be running about like that!" Amy said as she dashed over to Sheex and began to help him up. Clutching her tightly, Sheex pulled himself up and made for the door, only to found himself being pulled back towards the bed. He was in pretty bad shape if a teenage girl was able to pull him about.

"Prime condition or terrible condition I have to help her! Now let me go!" Sheex cried as he pulled away from the shocked girl and headed towards the door. This time he made it to the actual door before falling down again.

Several minutes passed by before Sheex was able to pull himself up, only to find himself staring at Samantha who had just returned from talking to the landlord. She simply sighed and looked at Sheex.

"And just who is this Lila and why is she so important to you?" She asked while she completely blocked off the doorway. The wanderer realized that if he couldn't overpower the teenager, the mother could probably wipe the floor with him. Grimacing, he headed back towards the bed and sat down. Both Amy and Samantha stared at him intently as Sheex took a breath and began to tell his tale.

[Sheex]

"That is a very...interesting story." Samantha said with a relatively straight face as Sheex finished his tale. He figured it was best to change a few aspects of it for believability's sake. After all, chasing after a kidnapped princess while being hounded down by special forces from an enemy country seemed just a little too extraordinary to an everyday person. But, a girl being kidnapped by bandits was quite a bit more believable. Change Lila from a princess to an ordinary girl and the Faleen knights into bandits, and Sheex's story went from extraordinary to somewhat likely. In truth, Sheex hated lying, but since it looked like his hosts wouldn’t let him go except in the most dire circumstances, he decided the lie was necessary. Plus his slightly false story didn’t make him look like he had brain damage.

“Why didn’t you tell the town guards?” Samantha asked with her eyes pouring into Sheex. It didn’t take a mind reader to figure out she was still not totally convinced with Sheex’s story. It also didn’t take a mind reader to figure out that she didn’t intend to let Sheex go unless there was a really, really, good reason. The wanderer was pretty sure Lila’s life was a good enough reason, if only Samantha would believe the tale.

“Because he wants to save the girl of his dreams by himself of course!” Amy said with a wishful look in her eyes. Both Amy and Samantha had pulled up chairs while Sheex had laid in Amy’s bed while he told his story. Judging by the look in her eyes, Amy simply adored romance tales, which Sheex’s tale must have sounded like. After all, Sheex had told a tale or two in his life time; bandits and an innocent girl was easily the start of something romantic.

“Er, we’re just friends actually. I don’t think I’m her type. And the guards I did talk to weren‘t exactly much help, what with the war on and such.” Sheex said with a weak grin as Samantha bowed her head in thought. From what he remembered from his short stint in prison, the villagers were not too fond of the Dunland shoulders. Sheex could only hope that the sentiments were the same in this town. After a moment of what looked to be deep contemplation, Samantha excused herself politely and with a promise of returning shortly, walked back down stairs. Sheex watched her walk away and considered making a rush towards the door. But, since his last run failed so miserably, he decided to hold off on any strenuous activities until they were absolutely necessary. Besides, Sheex didn’t spy his daggers anywhere nearby and he was pretty sure he would need those when he went after Lila.

“Your going to fight a bunch of bandits for a friend? I think she’s a bit more to you than that.” Amy said, determined that Sheex’s tale was one of beautiful romance where the hero rides in at the last moment to save the damsel in distress. It made Sheex smile in a sad sort of way. He was in no way the man that this young girl thought him to be.

“Well, she’s a...really good friend. Some might say one of my best. It would never work out between us though.” Sheex said as Amy leaned in close to him. Although Sheex usually enjoyed being close to a good-looking woman, which Amy certainly was, he found himself slightly uncomfortable. This girl obviously had opinions of Sheex being some sort of knight or hero, and Sheex disliked the idea of being held up on such a high pedestal. Such thoughts about him were great when he was chatting up a barmaid, but right now it reminded him far too much of the knight that Lila had killed. Levin certainly seemed like the man Amy thought Sheex was, which was a little unnerving, to say the least.

“Why not? You said she was pretty, nice, funny, and cute when she was angry. Seems like she’d be the perfect girl for a guy like you.” Amy said eagerly. Sheex quickly regretted giving such a description of Lila. Perhaps he should have just told the truth and said she was a princess. The whole commoner and royalty intermixing would have probably been a pretty good excuse as to why Lila and Sheex were just not meant to be together.

“Well, she’s engaged for one. Getting married in two months actually. What kind of friend would I be if I wrecked those plans?” Sheex said as Amy frowned. Certainly running off into the sunset with a soon to be married woman was not part of the standard romance fantasy. Unless of course the person the woman was about to be married to was a total jerk or bad guy. Amy immediately began her attack along this theory.

“Whose she about to be married to? What’s his name? What’s he like?” Amy asked with all the tenacity of a star-struck girl in her teens. The wanderer immediately realized that he knew absolutely nothing about the prince Lila was going to marry, and although he could lie a bit more he was reluctant to do so. Spin too many webs of deceit and you’ll eventually be caught in one.

“Persistent aren’t you?” Sheex muttered as Amy simply nodded. Sheex did his best to conjure up anything from the little Lila had said about her fiancé, but came up with nothing. Fortunately for him, Samantha returned bearing a small bottle of liquid and a pair of daggers. Sheex instantly recognized the daggers as his own. He could only hope that the liquid was some sort of alcohol. He could use the liquid courage at the moment.

“I imagine you’ll need these daggers of yours. This tonic will help heal your wounds as well. You took quite a beating, but this will fix it much faster.” Samantha said as she immediately began applying the liquid to Sheex’s more grievous wounds. After hesitating a few moments, Samantha spoke again while she continued treating Sheex’s wounds.

“Roger is here to see you Amy.” Samantha muttered softly as Amy quickly said good-bye to Sheex as she ran down the stairs. He managed to say good-bye just as Amy was out of ear shot as he looked down at the wounds the healing tonic had been applied to. He certainly felt much better, meaning that potion of Samantha’s must have been of pretty good quality. Sheex instantly felt a pang of remorse; Samantha did not look like the type that could afford to be wasting money on strangers.

“Thanks for helping me out. Let me at least pay you for the tonic. Who’s Roger, by the way?” Sheex said as he got up, this time without collapsing in pain. With only a minor throbbing in his back, the wanderer walked over to where his coat and shirt lay on a worn dresser and reached for the few pieces of gold he had.

“That is not necessary. And yes, Roger is her boyfriend.” Samantha said as Sheex managed to pull out what little cash he had. Undeterred, Sheex held out the coins, but he couldn’t help but notice the look in Samantha’s eyes when she mentioned Roger’s name.

“It’s very necessary. You have taken me in, healed my wounds, and probably saved my life. I'm not about to leave you empty-handed. I take it your not too fond of this Roger?” Sheex said as he shoved the coins into Samantha’s hands. With the same determination, she shoved the coins right back.

“No offense Sheex, but you don’t look like the type who can afford to part with what little money he has. Tell me honestly, if you give me those coins, what will you have left?” Samantha said sternly as Sheex turned a slight shade of red. Samantha, it seemed, could read him like a book. Being a wanderer had its draw backs, and a light wallet was certainly one of them.

“Honestly? Not much.” Sheex said as he looked at the floor. It killed him to let such a kind lady give him so much and ask for nothing in return, but he had a feeling that Samantha would not be taking his money. Sheex offered the coins one more time, and just as before they were returned to him. For a moment, he debated continuing this game, but time was of the essence and he had to get moving. Reluctantly, he pocketed his few coins and put his shirt and coat back on. He couldn’t help but grin slightly at the familiar feeling of his well-worn clothes on his back once more.

“You’ve a heart of gold Samantha. I swear, I’m going to find a way to pay you back for this. So, tell me your feelings on this Roger guy.” Sheex said as he walked towards the stairs. As he expected, this house wasn’t a very big house, and if he crouched low enough he could easily see into what must have been the bakery part of the house. A young man who must have been about sixteen or so had just received a hug from Amy, and had responded with a rather fierce kiss.

“Let’s just say I’d feel a bit better if he knew Amy’s father was waiting around for his daughter to come home after every date.” Samantha said with a sigh. Sheex looked at her with her well worn features, her tired eyes, and her patched up clothes. He could not help but admire the woman’s fierce determination. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that life had dealt Samantha a crappy hand recently, but she had yet to complain in Sheex’s presence.

“Well, I’m certainly not father material, but I believe I can start repaying you by giving this Roger guy something to think about. How about it?” Sheex said as he flashed his usual grin. Although Samantha was far too polite to even nod at such an offer, Sheex could see the concern for her young daughter in her eyes.

Sheex was about to hunt down three trained soldiers. He was going to fight them. He was going to beat them, even though he wasn’t quite yet sure how. He was going to take Lila and her snot-nosed little brother home. He was, at least for a little bit, going to be a knight in shinning armor to someone.

Sheex figured that would be enough to make up for picking on this poor Roger guy.

[Sheex]

"Our orders are in." Hannibal said quietly as he and Dimitry sat beside a small table. Dimitry casually sipped from a canteen as Hannibal scanned the papers in front of him. Ivan was already in town making the necessary preparations for the next part of their plan. Hannibal and Dimitry had retired to their previous hideout, certain that no one would be looking for them.

“Well?” Dimitry questioned, slightly concerned. Hannibal had always been straightforward when issuing orders. If he was hesitating, Dimitry was certain he would not like the orders.

“Our king is going to send one more ambassador. The deal is the prince and princess for the emblem. If we are refused again we are to kill the prince and princess. Then we are to leave their bodies in a very visibal location where everyone can see the price of resisting Faleen.” Hannibal spoke the words with the cool calmness of a trained soldier. Dimitry was noticeably less calm.

“They are children Hannibal! The boy probably still has a bedtime!” Dimitry said in a hoarse voice. Killing was necessary in war, but the thought of a sworn knight killing an innocent child made his stomach turn.

“I know.” Was all Hannibal said.

*~*~*~*~

“This is absurd!” Ivan shouted as he was pinned up against a cold stone wall by no less than three guardsmen, all of which stank of whiskey. Ivan’s luck had just taken a turn for the worst.

“What is absurd is you thinking you could get away with defacing a statue of the king! That’s treason in these parts boy!” Shouted one of the guardsmen as he cuffed Ivan’s hands behind his back. Ivan was relatively certain that he could either outrun or outfight three drunk guardsmen, but that would draw far too much unwanted attention.

“You know what the penalty is for treason?” Grunted another guardsman as they hauled Ivan down the street. All Ivan could do was sigh. It was obvious the three were looking for a bribe, which wasn’t a huge deal for Ivan had funds for that purpose. It was the delay that Ivan was worried about.

“Death. Which is something I don’t want. Isn’t there anything I can do, sir?” Ivan said softly, his tone dripping with acid. The guardsmen chuckled a bit more.

“Well, we may be able talk about it. That depends on the circumstances though.” Another guardsman chimed in. Unfortunately, the trio seemed bent on taking Ivan into prison for at least the night, probably in order to look good to their superiors. Ivan cursed his rotten luck and wondered just how this had happened. He certainly hadn’t been running about defacing any statues.

From the shadow of a nearby alley, Sheex chuckled to himself and tossed aside an empty paint can. It was good to see that the proud soldiers of Dunland were just as ferocious about defending their king’s honor as they were when he had first begun this adventure.

*~*~*~*~

“Sister, what will happen to us?” Issac said softly as he and Lila sat huddled together in the prison Issac had so recently escaped from. Lila just smiled reassuringly and held her little brother tighter.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be just fine.” Lila said as she gave her brother a tight squeeze. Satisfied with his sister’s response, Issac curled up and shut his eyes. Captivity was much easier to bear with his sister next to him.

As soon as Issac stopped looking Lila’s smile faded. Her father wouldn’t trade the emblem for her brother, would she make any difference? Not if her stepmother had anything to say about it. She trembled slightly as she looked to the iron door preventing her escape.

“Sheex...” She whispered softly.

*~*~*~*~

“It’s just not right. I’m not about to kill a kid.” Dimitry said to himself as he paced about the room. Hannibal was sorting through some papers or something along those lines in the next room over, leaving Dimitry to his thoughts.

“But I can’t just disobey my king. Damn, what to do?” He muttered as he glanced about. He was suppose to be guarding the prince and princess, but the two hadn’t so much as said a word since being taken captive. The boy was certainly being more well behaved this time, that was for sure.

“Damn it! I wish there was a way out of this!” Cursed Dimitry as he kicked over a nearby table, venting a bit of his rage but nowhere near enough. Within him two opposite emotions tore at one another; be loyal to his oath or be a decent person? The knight in him said follow orders, the man in him said have a heart.

What was he to do?

Suddenly he heard the sound of metal scrapping against stone. Lost in his own thoughts though he was, Dimitry was not completely unaware of his surroundings. Instantly his sword was out and his eyes shot about the room. Eventually they rested on the window (which was completely bare and open, not even having glass to ward out invaders due to neglect and the passage of time) and the small grappling hook attached to a long strand of rope.

“Hi there!” Sheex said with a grin as he plopped himself on the window and took in a deep breath of the night air. He was quite thankful that Samantha had refused to take his money, otherwise he would have resorted to stealing the rope, grappling hook, and recently used paint. He made a mental note to send a bill to Lila later.

“Who...who are you?” Dimitry asked as he assumed his fighting stance and gripped his sword tightly. His mind became clear, his current dilemma cast aside by the arrival of the man before him, who was clearly intruder.

“Sheex Deltin. I don’t believe I’ve met you. Where’s that Hannibal guy?” Sheex asked with his usual grin about his face. Cool and confident on the outside, his heart was beating amazingly fast on the inside.

“In the next room. Why are you here?” Dimitry asked as a plan of attack began to form in his mind. He could call for help, but he wouldn’t do that until absolutely necessary. In fact, Dimitry was rather glad this man had suddenly made his appearance.

“Looking for this girl. A real babe. Jet black hair, just a bit shorter than me with an ass so fine it’s a shame she has to sit on it. Seen her by chance?” Sheex said as he played with his grappling hook, tossing it back and forth between his hands. Dimitry’s eyes focused on Sheex with a cold purpose.

“Your here to take back the princess.” Dimitry said softly.

“I’m here to take her home.” Sheex said back, even softer.

Neither spoke a word. For a moment, all was quiet and peaceful with the world. A few birds chirped in the background, many crickets could be heard playing in the night. Sheex and Dimitry just stared at each other; just two simple men and yet so much more.

Dimitry cracked a smile.

“Glory to Faleen!” He shouted as he charged at Sheex, who quickly flung the grappling hook at Dimitry’s head.

[Sheex]

"Sister, what's that noise?" Issac whispered as Lila held him tight. She had her ear pressed against the steel door but she heard nothing save for the sounds of metal clanging against metal.

"Shhh! Be quiet now Issac." Lila whispered back. The sounds died after a few minutes and Lila wasn't sure what to make of it. It sounded like a fight, but who would be fighting? Had her father actually sent someone? Not likely. Either way, Lila clutched her brother tightly as she heard the clicking of a key and the door to her prison slowly swung open.

Her heart beat faster than ever before. She had heard the orders that Dimitry had been cursing about through the steel door. Was this it? Was she about to die? Would Hannibal walk in here, slit her throat and stab her brother. She did not want to die. Lila held her breath and her lips quivered as a figure emerged from the door.

He had never looked so magnificent. Even as he stood there, slightly out of breath and red in the face from exertion. Lila knew he was no knight, and yet as he stood there in the doorway she could not of thought of a more heroic person. He was simple. He was rude. He was perverted. He was amazing.

“SHEEX!” Lila screamed, forgetting all the proper manners that she had been taught all her life she rushed forward and leapt into Sheex, hugging him tightly as he stumbled about.

“Whoa! Glad to see me I guess.” Sheex said as he spun about with Lila in his arms, hugging her back. He smiled and set her down, chuckling as he did so. Even then, she did not let him go completely.

“I thought you were dead Sheex! I...I...I was so worried!” Lila stuttered as Sheex laughed and rubbed his right hand on her head, completely messing up her hair as he did so. All she did was laugh back and smile.

“Sister! I must insist that you not be so informal with this peasant! You attitude is just...just absurd!” Issac shouted angrily. Sheex just laughed and gave Lila one more hug; she simply stood their and beamed at the wanderer.

“While the kid is totally ruining the mood, we really should be going. You can go back to telling me how great I am later.” Sheex said as he grabbed the unconscious body of Dimitry and flung him into the tiny room where Lila and her brother had been kept. With a small laugh at the irony he slammed the door shut and locked it.

“I can’t believe you came. I can’t believe you beat him either. You’re really something Sheex.” Lila whispered as she leaned close to him. Sheex took a whiff of her perfume. It certainly was quite lovely. It figured that even though she was stuck in a makeshift prison she would still smell great.

“Actually, I think he threw that match. He went down too quickly.” Sheex said as he ran towards the door. After he made sure the coast was clear, he motioned for Lila and her brother to follow him and dashed out into the hallway. Lila frowned slightly.

“Not that I’m complaining, but why would he lose on purpose?” Lila questioned as Sheex reached the door to the stairs that would lead down and out of this accursed place. Sheex fiddled with the keys he had took from Dimitry. There was no less than thirty keys on the key ring, no doubt a fail-safe to stop the princess from grabbing the keys and making a run for it.

“Not sure. He was complaining about his orders before I got here though. Perhaps something he didn’t like?” Sheex said as he quickly began trying keys. One down, twenty-nine or so to go.

“I heard the guards talking. They said they were going to trade me and my brother for the emblem. If my dad didn’t make the trade, they were going to kill us.” Lila whispered softly into Sheex’s ear.

“Sister, our father would not have let us come to any harm! I’m sure he had a plan all ready in place!” Issac blurted out, making it clear that Lila had not whispered softly enough. Lila on the other hand was not so sure. It seemed painfully obvious that no soldier would have a problem trading two hostages for an emblem, but a honorable man may very well have a problem with killing two innocents.

“Lila, I don’t really like the kid but I bet he’s right.” Sheex said as he continued to try key after key. He did not point out why the kid was right, because Sheex couldn't really think of a reason. He thought it was better to leave that part unsaid.

"That's a nice thought, but if my father cared I really wouldn't be here now, would I?" Lila said in a solemn tone. It was hard to argue with such logic, but fortunately there was one fault with logic. Sometimes the world just wasn't very logical.

"Yes, and if I really was just a drunken wanderer out to save his own skin I would have skipped over the border when I had a chance, don't you think?" Sheex said with a grin. Lila looked at him with curiosity as Issac smiled.

"Ah, I told you so sister! No peasant would risk so much for someone else. You must be a special agent of sorts. Not a knight per se, but certainly our father's man. Naturally a knight couldn't handle such a job. What with all the sneaking about it would be far too obvious to send a knight to..." Issac continued to talk, but Sheex just shrugged and gave a quick nodded. It was obvious Issac had no grasp on just who he was, but if it made the kid feel better about his dad to believe Sheex was some sort of agent of the king, so be it. Besides, the wanderer figured it would make the snot-nosed brat easier to deal with. However, Lila was not so gullible.

"Sheex, you and I both know you are not a knight nor sent here by my father. You are a drunken wanderer, you blatantly and rudely hit on me before you even knew my situation, and you're only here because my grandmother forced you to be." Lila said softly, this time making sure Issac couldn't hear her.

"No, really, I'm a secret agent. I've trained for years just in case..."

"Sheex, cut the bullshit."

Sheex could not help but be stunned. It was pitiable actually. It was obvious that Lila wanted so badly to believe that her father had done something, anything to help his children, but at the same time she knew the truth and would not look away from it. That and she said bullshit. It was so un-princess like Sheex couldn't help but smile.

"Well, maybe I'm not a secret agent or anything but I wasn't bullshitting completely. It would have been much easier to walk away and leave you to your fate, you've got to give me that." Sheex said as he patted Lila on the shoulder. She looked at him with hopeful eyes, although Sheex wasn't sure what exactly she was hoping for.

"So why did you come back then?" Lila asked softly. Before he could answer, a not too unfamiliar voice gave a shout and instantly Sheex whipped his head around and away from Lila.

"Dimitry, come here!"

It was a loud voice. A commanding voice. Sheex recognized the voice instantly; it belonged to the silver-haired man who had kicked him off the roof. The wanderer sighed and glanced down at the key ring in his hand. He still had twenty-three keys or so to go. Within a minute or two, that voice would come looking for Dimitry and find the three of them stuck at this door. That was not a situation Sheex was looking forward to.

Sheex looked over towards Lila. She was scared. He certainly couldn't blame her. She had been through more crap the last couple of days than she had in her entire life. He looked over at Issac. The kid looked confident. He was probably certain that his father's "special agent" had everything under control. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Dimitry! What's taking so long?" The voice barked again. Any moment now the man would decide to see just what happened to Dimitry. What would Sheex do then? He spun the key ring around his index finger as he contemplated his options.

Well, might as well finish what I started. Probably would have come down to this anyway. Sheex thought to himself. He looked over at Lila, flashed a cocky grin and tossed her the key ring.

"Keep trying keys ‘til you find the right one. Once you get that door open, you run to the nearest guard post. Don’t look back until you and your brother are safe and sound.” Sheex said as he pulled out his daggers. He frowned as he looked at them, sitting comfortably in their sheaths. He certainly wasn’t one to be attached to weapons of death, but they had served him well nonetheless. He shoved one of them into Lila’s hand, savoring the look of complete and utter shock on her face. He loved messing with the upper levels of society and it didn’t get much higher than a princess.

“You can’t be serious Sheex. You can’t just...” Lila grabbed Sheex’s coat to stop him, but he just brushed Lila’s hand away.

“Tut, tut my lady. I gave my word and I mean to follow through with it.” That part actually wasn’t a lie. He did promise he’d save the princess, and although Sheex was certainly more of a scoundrel than a saint he was rather meticulous about keeping his promises. He had to have something up his sleeve on judgment day.

Sheex took several steps towards the voice. It wasn’t hard to figure out where it came from. There was an open door down the hall and the candles in that room were lit. Sheex looked towards Issac; the boy seemed proud of Sheex. That was worth something.

“Hey kid, er, your highness. You know how to use one of these?” Sheex asked as he held up his other dagger. Issac raised his head up high.

“Swordplay is a basic part of education for any male member of the royal family.” Issac said with no small amount of pride. Sheex almost pointed out that a dagger wasn’t quite a sword, but that would have ruined the moment. He may as well let the kid dream. Sheex tossed the boy his last dagger and shoved his hands into his coat’s pockets.

“Well all right then. Anyone comes through that door but me, you fling those blades at them. Don’t even think about it, all right? Now get to work on those keys Lila. I’m gonna go have a talk about with this guy about how to treat a lady.” Sheex took several steps, but froze as Lila grabbed his coat and pulled him back.

“You can’t just leave! You...you can’t just...just go off and die!” Lila nearly screamed. Ironically, Issac did not have anything to say about her nature this time. Perhaps in Issac’s mind it was acceptable to be informal with a king’s secret agent.

“Die? Please princess, I’m not about to die here. Oh, I’m not actually giving you those daggers. They’re being loaned to you. I expect them back no worse for the wear.” Sheex said with his usual grin. Issac nodded firmly as he tightly clutched Sheex present while Lila still tightly clutched his coat.

“Sheex...I...I don’t...no...“ Lila stammered, unable to put exactly how she felt into words. Sheex just continued to smile while he grabbed her hands and held them tightly. If he wasn’t seeing things, he could have sworn he saw tears well up in the corner of her eyes.

“DIMITRY!” The voice shouted loudly. Time was up.

Sheex bowed low and, as if he were actually a noble hero, kissed her hand softly. He then stood up, shoved his hands back into his pockets and almost as if he was out on a stroll carelessly walked towards the end of the hall.

“SHEEX!” Lila screamed. Her tears hit the floor. He looked over his shoulder and grinned.

“Catch ya later Flower Girl.”

[Sheex]

"You...are not Dimitry." Hannibal said softly as Sheex stood before him with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

“Nope.” Sheex responded, eyeing the room as he did so. It was a rather large room with many tables and chairs scattered around it. All of the chairs and tables were old, most likely remnants of the army that used to occupy this fort. All of the furniture was scattered about and turned over; layers of dust and grime evidence to the fact that none of them had been moved in years. The only exception was the sole table Hannibal sat at. Four chairs sat around that square table, with Hannibal occupying the one at the head.

On that table stood a mess of papers. Sheex couldn’t read them from here, but they weren’t really that important to him anyway. The writings of an agent of a enemy kingdom would be worth a fortune to someone, but not to Sheex. All he cared about was buying enough time for Lila. Then he planned to get the hell out of here.

The room had candles spread about its walls, and Sheex could tell by the brass that held the candles in place that those candles were new. Hannibal must have brought them with him or bought them somewhere; they were in much better shape than the rest of the furniture.

Hannibal had some sort of bottle before him. It was a clear bottle with no label; the liquid was just as clear as the bottle and about one-fourth of the way gone. Sheex took in a deep breath, endeavoring to get a sense of what was in the bottle. He smelt something familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. He continued to mull over the liquid in his mind as he strolled within five feet of Hannibal, who had not yet risen from his seat.

“For a man who claims to be a drunk, you sure like sticking your nose in other peoples’ business.” Hannibal muttered as he played with an empty glass cup that sat before him.

“And for a knight you sure don’t have many morals. Kidnapping people and holding them hostage. Were you really going to kill them if their father didn’t cave into your demands?” Sheex asked. Hannibal looked at Sheex, not with hate but rather with a look of determination.

“I am a knight. A knight follows orders.” Hannibal said with such a straight face Sheex just had to laugh. With all the coolness he could possibly muster, the wanderer took his hands out of his pockets and ran them through his hair as the wind that coursed through the room made his coat flutter about.

“Well, I’m just a man and if you ask me a man doesn’t take advantage of innocent women like Lila, or use little kids like Issac as bargaining chips.” Hannibal just stared at Sheex with a blank expression as Sheex spoke. Sheex stared back with his usual grin plastered on his face.

“What do you intend to do?”

“Stop you from catching them.”

“How?”

“Anyway I can.”

“So we fight again.”

“Looks like it.”

For a moment, the two stared at one another. On one side, Hannibal. A man of honor, who did what was ordered because he swore to obey. His oath was everything to him. On the other side, Sheex. A man of freedom, who promised little and did what he felt was right. He followed his heart, disregarding all codes of conduct and honor for that principle. The two could have not been more different and yet more similar at the same time.

Hannibal struck first. He flung his tiny cup at Sheex, who darted to the left to avoid the object. Sheex heard the cup shatter against a far wall, but his eyes were focused solely on Hannibal. Hannibal sprung up and dashed forward with his fists raised just like they were on the roof. Sheex had no daggers this time, so he too raised his fists in a fighting stance. The wanderer wasn’t too afraid. He had been in several bar fights during the course of his wanderings.

Hannibal was what Sheex would have described as “over the hill.” The man’s face was wrinkled and his bones cracked a bit when he moved too fast. The man’s silver hair was balding slightly and Sheex was certain the man was past his prime. The man still packed a punch, which Sheex realized when Hannibal slammed his fist into Sheex’s ribs.

Hannibal grabbed at Sheex’s coat, but Sheex swung his elbow towards the man’s head and forced him back. Sheex punched out with a quick left jab, but Hannibal had long ago grown accustom to fist fights. He ducked Sheex’s punch and returned with one of his own. Sheex spun about as he felt Hannibal knuckle clip his face. He heard the man chuckle as Sheex grabbed a chair while he spun.

Hannibal stopped chuckling as Sheex swung his weapon about. The old chair shattered to pieces as Hannibal covered his face, splinters flew about and found their new home in his skin. Sheex leapt forward and delivered a solid kick into Hannibal’s exposed stomach and forced the man back.

“Not bad. If you were fighting with your daggers you might have been able to finish me.” Hannibal muttered as he recovered his balance. Sheex smiled and held his hands up in a defensive stance and smiled.

“Thanks, but I don‘t like to kill. Besides, since you can’t fight with weapons I thought it’d be unsporting to fight with my daggers.”

“Is that so?”

“Maybe.”

Hannibal studied his foe carefully. Sheex’s stance was full of energy, his body moved about even when remaining still. Hannibal, on the other hand, remained as still as possible when in his fighting stance. Hannibal wasn’t sure if it was his youth or what, but Sheex seemed to move about to a rhythm that only he could hear, which was interesting but not overtly important. Hannibal knew Sheex was good, but he was far better.

Hannibal dashed forward and struck low, an attack which Sheex blocked and countered with a punch. Hannibal grabbed the punch and flipped Sheex over his shoulder, slamming the wanderer’s body into the ground. Hannibal quickly knelt down and twisted Sheex’s wrist. locking his opponent to the floor.

“Now then, which way did they go?” Hannibal asked softly as he twisted Sheex’s wrist a bit more. Sheex grunted in pain and flailed about to no avail. Hannibal’s hold remained iron tight.

“Once more, then I snap your wrist. Where are they?”

It wasn’t a very hard choice. Sheex had never thought of himself as a hero under any circumstances, but selling out a young woman and her little brother simply would not sit well with him. Besides that, if the princess died he was relatively certain that her grandmother would hunt him down and cut off his head. Better a broken wrist than no head.

“So be it.”

Hannibal twisted Sheex’s wrist and Sheex yelled in pain. Yet before it snapped, Hannibal saw a blur out of the corner of his eye. Instantly he released Sheex, who rolled away clutching his sore wrist. The wanderer raised his head in time to see Lila barely miss Hannibal with her dagger. Hannibal grabbed the girl’s arm with his right hand and bent in hard, brining the princess to her knees in agony as his left hand tossed the dagger away.

Sheex was up in an instant, ignoring his throbbing wrist he barreled forward and slammed into Hannibal. The two crashed to the floor as Sheex swung again and again with his uninjured hand. Hannibal took a punch to the face, then another, and then one more before he flipped Sheex off of him. Hannibal sprung up but Sheex was already away and pulling Lila to her feet.

“What the hell are you doing? I told you to leave damn it!” Sheex shouted as Lila smiled and rubbed her arm.

“That’s not a very nice way to thank someone who just saved you. You looked like you were faring rather poorly until I showed up.” Was all she said, her face red with pain but her lips stuck in a small smile.

“Stupid bimbo princess! Why didn’t you run? Don‘t you want to go home? Don‘t you want to save your brother? Isn‘t that what you want?” Sheex yelled as he shook Lila, more out of concern for her safety than out of anger. Lila just gently brushed Sheex’s face and smiled.

“I want us all to go back. I don’t just want to save one of the two people next to me. I want to save them both.” Lila said softly. Sheex’s face contorted in a mixture of rage and confusion as he realized that Lila had just repeated something he had said to her days ago.

“What a bimbo.” Sheex said as he turned around. Hannibal was up and smiling sinisterly, marching towards the two of them.

Sheex raised his hands and prepared to defend himself. Lila did the same, trying her best to mimic Sheex’s stance. Hannibal came closer, but Sheex couldn’t help but look at Lila out of the corner of his eye.

“Flower Girl, have you ever even punched someone before?”

“I’m pretty sure I punched you at least once.”

“I bet you’ve never even been in a real fight either.”

“No, but I’d be willing to bet twice as much you’ve never risked you life so many times for someone you met several days ago.”

Sheex grinned slightly and nodded his head. Lila smiled and nodded back. Hannibal raised his hands and prepared to attack. The princess trembled in fear, but the wanderer just gently squeezed her shoulder; his touch calming her.

“Thanks for coming back to save my sorry ass.” Sheex muttered softly.

“Thank you. For everything.” Lila said even softer.

[Sheex]

No matter what the story books say, fighting two people by yourself is always a tricky proposition. The simple act of having to constantly watch a second person can be just enough to tip the scales of battle. Even if the second person isn't a great fighter they can give their partner just the edge needed.

Despite all that, Hannibal was performing quite admirably.

He ducked a blow from Sheex and spun around as Lila came at him. Without any hesitation Hannibal gave Lila a hard elbow to the face and sent her sprawling to the floor. Sheex snarled with rage as he launched another assault only to have Hannibal catch his fist and fling him into an aged table that shattered upon impact.

To her credit Lila never complained. Not once did she let out more than a grunt of irritation or a small gasp of pain. Even as she got to her feet and Hannibal smashed his knee into her stomach forcing her back down, all she did was grunt. Hannibal reached down and yanked her by her hair, almost causing her to scream. She bit her lip and ignored the pain.

"I give you credit for trying, but the two of you simply aren't strong enough. Tell me where your brother went." Hannibal demanded. Lila was too short of breath to answer, so all she did was shake her head. Hannibal frowned and raised his free hand to deliver another blow.

Sheex was upon him in a flash. The wanderer grabbed Hannibal's free hand and yanked it hard, causing Hannibal to stumble away from Lila. Pressing his advantage Sheex stepped to the side and smashed his fist into Hannibal's cheek. The man stumbled but did not fall. With a quick step for momentum Sheex gave a hard kick to Hannibal's side, forcing the man away. Rather than continue the attack, Sheex looked to Lila.

Her face was red and her breath short. She was drenched in sweat and holding her stomach which had endured more pain in the past few minutes than it had for her entire life. Yet she stumbled to her feet, raised her hands as best she could, and forced herself forward.

Hannibal attacked again, once more heading straight for Lila. Hannibal knew she was the weaker of the two and a strong blow would most likely put her out of the fight. Actually, given the punishment she had taken, Hannibal was surprised she wasn't already on the floor. He admired that.

Lila wasn't fast enough to dodge the punch aimed at her, but Sheex stepped in and took the blow with his shoulder. Sheex leaned back as Hannibal connected, letting the force of Hannibal's punch ride out before it did too much damage. Sheex's left hand shot out as he moved and smacked Hannibal in the face. Lila saw her chance and gripped her two hands tightly, then slammed her fists into Hannibal's face. Blood poured from his nose as he stumbled back. Sheex wanted to press the advantage, but Lila stumbled and fell to the ground. Instincts took over and Sheex immediately went to help her.

"Flower Girl, you okay?" Sheex grunted, ignoring his own pain as he wrapped his arms around Lila and pulled her up. She clutched Sheex for support, her own strength quite whittled away.

"I'm fine. Just...sore..." Lila managed to spit out as she leaned on Sheex. He shook his head. This just wasn't working out as planned. His own body was telling him to call it quits and Lila, for all her toughness, was losing what little strength she had left.

Hannibal smiled through the blood that poured down his face. It was like Sheex had said, the man was no knight. Anyone trained in combat would have pressed their advantage, but instead Sheex was too worried about Lila. Every time she was in danger Sheex rushed to help her. Hannibal could use that to his advantage. Hannibal would use that to his advantage.

Again he charged, an unstoppable force. Again he aimed at Lila. Again Sheex stepped forward to protect her, but that was all part of the plan. Hannibal lashed out with a feint aimed at Lila, something Sheex was easily able to knock away. But there was no force behind the blow, which was something Sheex realized the moment he warded the blow away. With full force Hannibal slammed into Sheex, knocking the man to the ground. Hannibal grabbed Sheex by his collar and pulled him up only to send him back to the floor with a devastating punch to the face.

"Shit." Was all Sheex managed to mutter as Hannibal lifted him up and tossed him across the room. Sheex collided into a mess of chairs, breaking them apart as he crashed. Sharp pieces of wood stung his skin, his head throbbed from the punch, and his sight kept flashing red.

He was most worried about the last one.

Lila forsook the battle and tried to run to Sheex, who had stopped moving after a moan of pain. Hannibal caught her and pulled her too him. The two met eyes, one a princess just trying to save her brother and the other a knight out to bring them both pain because his liege had said so. She gave him a defiant look as he smashed her to the floor.

"Enough of this foolishness." Hannibal muttered as Lila began to rise. With all his might Hannibal kicked her in the stomach. It was a blow that would have knocked down the strongest of men. Lila Vaine was neither a man nor the strongest of anything. She crumpled, clutching her stomach as she did so.

“Owww.” Lila gasped as her eyes welled up with tears of pain. It was such a sad, pathetic expression. The type of expression a child made when in great pain. The type of expression a kid would make as he tried to keep the pain in, but the pain was just too much. It was sad, pathetic, and filled with hurt.

Sheex heard it and became enraged.

“You bastard. Bastard! BASTARD!” Sheex screamed as he flailed about knocking away the debris around him. Sheex forced himself to his feet, filled with so much hate that if he had the power he would have ripped out Hannibal’s heart then and there. Sheex was not by nature a violent man but if he could have, he would have given anything for such power at that moment in time.

“I’m gonna kill you!” Sheex yelled with blood curling rage as he stormed forward towards Hannibal. Sheex just couldn’t stand it. Lila was too kind and too sweet for this type of treatment. How dare that man hurt her. How dare he treat her so roughly.

HOW DARE HE DO ANYTHING TO HARM A HAIR ON HER HEAD!

Sheex launched himself at Hannibal, grabbing a shattered piece of a chair as he flew across the room. The sharp piece of wood cut into Sheex’s hand, but he didn’t care. He swung it at Hannibal who stepped to the side and punched Sheex square in the face.

The wanderer spat blood on the floor and didn’t even notice.

Sheex lunged with his impromptu wooden weapon but Hannibal dodged again. Again Hannibal struck Sheex, this time in the stomach. Sheex stumbled but swung about, clipping Hannibal’s cheek with the jagged piece of wood he wielded.

“Sheex...” Lila managed to say as she watched him fight. Hannibal struck the wanderer again in the side but Sheex just ignored the blow.

“Gonna wreck your face! Gonna make you bleed! Make you suffer! Asshole!” Sheex shouted as he spun about and dug his weapon into Hannibal’s side. Hannibal grunted in pain as the weapon pierced his flesh, but it was at best a poor imitation of a small knife. He endured the pain and gave Sheex an uppercut that sent him backwards. Hannibal took the time to yank out the piece of wood from his side and toss it away. It was a small wound, but if left untreated it could cause problems. Hannibal decided to end this quickly.

Sheex’s vision was a blur of red haze and blackness. Perhaps that last blow had given him a bit of brain damage, but he didn’t care. He stumbled to his feet, swearing up a storm and swinging wildly. He wasn’t even really swinging at anything; Hannibal was a good five feet or so away from him.

“That’s enough now. You’ve lost.” Hannibal said softly as he stepped behind Lila and wrapped his right arm around her throat. She struggled to no avail. Lila could not free herself from the man’s iron grip.

Sheex clenched his fists so tightly he drew blood from them.

“Scum! Fight me! FIGHT ME!” Sheex howled with fury. And then the most amazing thing happened. Amid the chaos, amid Sheex’s blood rage and Hannibal’s calm cruelty an event occurred that Sheex would always remember till the day he died.

Lila smiled softly at him as Hannibal slowly choked her.

“Sheex, where’d you go?” Lila managed to gasp out. Hannibal raised his eyebrows in amusement as Sheex became even angrier. What the hell’s she talking about? I’m right here! Aren’t I?

But as Sheex looked at himself, covered in blood and screaming in rage, was it really him? Or was it someone else? Was he Sheex Deltin, the happy-go-lucky wanderer or was he a man obsessed with causing as much harm as he could to someone. Was he Sheex, or was he like Lila in the forest? About to do something he’d regret?

“I...I...” Was all Sheex could say. Slowly, he lowered his fists. Lila smiled even brighter.

“There you are. I missed you...Sheex...” Lila managed to gasp. Sheex smiled softly at her despite the moment. He just had to. Meanwhile, Hannibal just shook his head at the stupidity of the moment.

“Hmph. You don’t attack enough because you’re worried about protecting her then you throw a pissy fit only give up. What, you were afraid you’d kill me? Not likely.” Hannibal said as he raised Lila up, still keeping his arm tightly wrapped around her throat.

“Damn it. Lila...let her go...please...” Sheex begged. What else could he do? He couldn’t beat the man even when he didn’t have a hostage. With his arm around Lila’s throat, Hannibal held all the cards.

“My orders are clear.” Was all Hannibal said.

“Damn your orders! Have mercy!” Sheex shouted back.

“Sheex...it’s okay. Really. Don’t worry about me.” Lila managed to choke out as her face began to change color.

“No! Damn it! It is not okay! It is anything but okay! You...how could you do this?” Sheex asked desperately. Nothing could persuade the man. Not force, Hannibal was too strong. Not sympathy, Hannibal was obsessed with following his orders. Sheex could do nothing as Hannibal strangled Lila.

“You would have made a poor knight.” Was all Hannibal said.

[Sheex]

"You are wrong!" Came a voice. A young voice. A child's voice. Hannibal and Sheex couldn't place it immediately, but Lila could. She had heard that voice almost all her life.

Issac appeared like a hero, tightly clutching Sheex's dagger. His face was filled with determination as he lunged at Hannibal who was too surprised by the boy's sudden appearance to react in time. Hannibal grunted in pain as Issac plunged the dagger deep into his side.

"A knight defends the weak! A knight protects the innocent! Sheex is...more of a knight than you will ever be!” Issac screamed defiantly as Hannibal dropped Lila to free his right arm. Lila collapsed to the ground coughing violently as Hannibal turned and backhanded Issac across the face. Issac fell, but that look of determination never left his eyes for a moment.

Sheex darted towards Hannibal. As he ran Sheex spied the bottle of liquid that had been on the table Hannibal had been sitting at. Sheex still couldn’t place just what the liquid was, but all that mattered was that it was in a glass bottle. As Hannibal turned (much slower than usual due to the wound in his side) Sheex grabbed the bottle by its neck, lifted it up, and smashed it into Hannibal’s face.

Hannibal howled in pain, glass shards tearing into his face. Instantly his hands went up, clawing at the shards in a desperate attempt to remove them. Blood and liquid trickled down from his face onto the floor where Sheex kneeled at, his strength mostly used up. But as the liquid fell, Sheex had a revelation about the strong smell of that liquid.

That liquid was a type of liquid that Sheex was very, very familiar with. It was alcohol. Apparently Hannibal, despite his oath, had to use a bit of liquid courage to follow through with his king's most recent order.

Sheex reached into his pocket and pulled out his book of matches. Hannibal tore the glass from his face, now bloodied and scarred, and glared at Sheex. The wanderer ran the book of matches across the floor; the entire pack into a burst of flame as Hannibal came at him. The flames burned Sheex’s hand, but he endured the pain and met Hannibal head on. Hannibal grabbed him by his throat as Sheex shoved the matches into his face.

The alcohol burst aflame instantly as Hannibal screamed and fell to the ground, desperate to put out the flames. Sheex took a deep breath. It’s now or never. This one’s for you Flower Girl!

Hannibal had barely managed to put out the flames as Sheex tackled him into the wall. Burned flesh stung Sheex’s nostrils, but he ignored the smell. Blood poured from Hannibal’s face and stainned Sheex's coat, but that was of no consequence. He would send his coat to the cleaners later.

With a cry Sheex slammed his fist into Hannibal’s stomach, knocking the wind from the man. Hannibal doubled over, but Sheex slammed him back up against the wall with his forearm pressed against Hannibal’s throat. Sheex glared menacingly at Hannibal who, much to Sheex’s surprise, just chuckled.

“Just a drunk huh?” Hannibal spat through the blood that flowed from his face. It was obvious he was beaten. Most of the time that was enough for Sheex. Not this time. This time Sheex was going to make damn sure Hannibal stayed down.

“I am. I drink. A lot. I drink to enjoy the good times, forget the bad times, and to savor the taste. I drink for a lot of reasons. But you...you drink so you can put up with your king’s orders. So which of us...which of us is the real drunk here?” Not giving Hannibal a chance to answer, Sheex reached back and punched Hannibal as hard as he could across the face. Hannibal’s face spun with the impact of the blow; his body tumbled to the ground. The man did not rise again.

Sheex breathed slowly. His body ached. His head was pounding. Just to move sent a course of pain through all of his limbs. But as he turned to where Lila lay resting her head on he brother’s knees, Sheex just smiled.

It was all worth it.

“Hey. You okay, Flower Girl?” Sheex said as he fell to his knees next to where Lila lay and Issac sat. He smiled at her. She smiled back.

“Better than ever. Is he...” Lila let the words fade. Sheex knew what she was going to ask. He just shook his head.

“Still breathing, but out cold. I don’t like killing, remember?” Sheex said with as much of a laugh as he could muster. Lila chuckled back.

“I do indeed. Thank you Sheex.” Lila said as she ran her hand through Sheex’s sweaty hair and brushed it back away from his eyes. One of his biggest complaints about fighting was that it tended to mess up his hair. He always hated that.

“Hey kid, er, your majesty. You really saved us back there. If it wasn’t for you-” Issac cut Sheex of with a wave of his hand.

“Think nothing of it. I protected my family, that is what Vaine royalty does.” Issac said, then hesitated for a moment. He decided to add in one thing.

“It’s what all those who aspire to be a knight do. Just like you.” Issac said with the first smile Sheex had ever seen direct at him. Sheex just chuckled at the statement. He had no intention of ever becoming a knight, but just hearing the young prince say such a thing was well worth the trip. With a grin and a minor (okay, maybe a major) grunt of pain, he stood up and swept Lila up into his arms.

“Well, what say we go home?”

A short while later...

“Really Sheex, you don’t need to carry me. I’m fine.” Lila said as Sheex woozily trudged down the road away from the fort. He had locked Hannibal up in the same room with Dimitry. With the other agent being kept with the guards, Lila was in no danger now.

“I know, but carrying the girl out in your arms is the finishing touch of being the hero. Right?” Sheex said back. Issac walked ahead of them, smiling as he glanced about the night. For the first time ever, he had nothing bad to say of Sheex’s treatment of his sister. Either that or the boy just chose not to say it.

“Very true. I would not wish to deprive you of that.” Lila said as she rubbed her arms. The night sky was beautiful, but it was also cold. Sheex smiled and set her down softly. Since he was busy playing the hero he figured he may as well play the gentleman at the same time.

“Here. Take this.” Sheex said as he took of his coat and wrapped it around Lila. She made to stop him, but he just smiled at her. With a smile back, she pulled the coat close to her.

“Now that’s my favorite jacket, so I’ll be expecting it back in good condition.” Sheex joked as he suddenly felt light-headed. He took one step, shook a bit, and then fell to the ground. Lila was on her knees next to him in an instant. Even Issac had run over.

“Sheex! Sheex! Are you okay?” Lila gasped, the tone of worry clear in her voice. Sheex just smiled and ran his hands through his hair as Lila rested his head on her knees.

“Sure, just a bit worn. Say, why don’t you go on ahead? I’m sure you family’s waiting for you. You can make it the rest of the way without me. I’m just...so tired....” Sheex said softly as whatever strength he had been drawing on left him. He couldn’t help but sigh. A real hero would have carried Lila all the way home without even stopping for a bathroom break.

The wanderer just wasn’t cut out to be a hero.

“Sister...” Issac began to say. Lila silenced him with a quick shake of her head.

“No. We came this far together, we’re finishing it together. Help me Issac.” Was all Lila said as she lifted Sheex onto her back. Issac grabbed one of Sheex’s arms and wrapped it over his shoulder.

“Hey now. I thought I was suppose to be the hero here.” Sheex muttered as the two slowly began to drag him towards town. Lila smiled and turned to look at Sheex.

“Hush now. I’m here. I shall protect you from all dangers fair maiden.” She joked as Sheex’s face turned red.

“Whoa! This isn’t right at all! I’m suppose to be the knight in shining armor! I’m suppose to carry you!” Sheex shouted as Lila kept walking down the road, smiling at Sheex all the while.

“Fear not! For every danger you face I shall be there with you. Sleep well, for I shall protect you. Always.”

“Now you're just being mean.”

“Any slight to your honor I’ll rectify. If some ruffian should offend you, I shall exact a harsh vengeance!”

“As I recall, a ruffian offending royalty is exactly how we ended up in this situation in the first place.”

“Together we shall go home! You, the fair maiden! I, your humble protector!”

“I believe it goes ‘I, your humble servant.’ Don’t you want to be my servant Lila?”

“Rest now, dream of sweet nothingness. I shall take care of everything.”

“And I shall grab your ass.”

The last comment earned Sheex a very evil glare from Issac. Given the condition he was in, Sheex decided to rephrase his last statement.

“I mean, uh, take me home my prince! Let us remain together, for ever and ever!”

“Yes my princess! Forever and ever!.” The princess said with a smile as the wanderer rested his head, took in a deep breath of her sweet perfume, and fell asleep.

[Sheex]

Sheex slowly opened his eyes and rolled about. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but it was clear he had. Either that or he had been drugged. Still, even if he had been drugged he couldn't complain too much. His head rested on a wonderfully soft pillow and he was tucked tightly underneath several layers of warm blankets. He glanced about and spied a window. Looking out it, he determined it was sometime past the afternoon.

Yawning he threw the covers off and stood up. He wore only sweats at the moment, but he recognized his clothes neatly folded on a nearby table. At least he assumed they were his clothes. They looked the same, except for the fact that they appeared to be brand new (which his clothes were anything but). Still, he wasn't going to complain. He then glanced about the room, taking in what looked to be an average room at an inn.

Well, maybe average wasn't the right word. It was nice. Very nice. Sheex ran his hand across the fine wood of the table, not getting a single splinter for his troubles. That either spoke to the room's quality or to the lack of quality in Sheex's usual accommodations.

He glanced at a nearby mirror conveniently placed on the wall. As he dressed himself he couldn't help but notice the lack of smears on the mirror and the fine rug that wrapped its fur around his feet. Yup. This is definitely out of my price range. I sense the workings of a princess.

He spied a door and opened it slowly, peering out with caution. Lila was clearly talking to someone, but Sheex couldn't tell who. Whoever it was, Lila thanked them and was handed a small brown package in return. She carefully opened and pulled out what was inside. It was a long black coat. Just like Sheex's, only it looked new. He quickly checked his clothing. Blue shirt? Check. Black pants? Check. Socks? Check. Shoes? Check. Totally awesome hair? Double check. Coat? Missing in action.

Lila glanced about the room as she held the coat, causing Sheex to duck back so he wouldn't be seen. Curiosity held him tightly, forcing him to watch events unfold. Thinking she was alone Lila put the coat on and studied herself in a mirror. She frowned and brushed her hair about a bit, letting a few strands hang over her shoulder and a few more over her face. She smiled in satisfaction.

"Looking good Flower Girl." Sheex said as he strolled into what must have been the main room. Two rooms, one of which isn't the bathroom? Yup, Lila definitely choose this place. Lila blushed slightly as Sheex walked in on her dress-up time.

"I...um...got it cleaned up. You were out for a while so I decided to send them all to the cleaners. And the tailors. There were a lot of holes in your clothes." Lila said sheepishly as she handed over the coat. Dressed in a black pants with a matching shirt that was just a little tight, Sheex had to admit she was as pretty as always. He could even smell a hint of her perfume. Sweet as it ever was.

"Thanks. Hey, does that mean you got to see me naked?" Sheex said with a grin as he sat down at a nearby table. Plates were laid out covered with eggs, bacon, fruit, and orange juice. And muffins. Sheex began munching on one of those as he poured himself a glass of juice.

"And if I did?" Lila asked slyly as she grabbed an apple and bit into it. Sheex just grinned at her.

"Fair is fair. Can't get your naked body out of my head. Make that your naked, wet body." Sheex said with a chuckle, fondly remembering Lila's little bathing escapade in the forest. Lila's only response was to toss her apple at him and scoop up a plateful of eggs.

"Seriously though. Thanks for getting me here. I owe you." Sheex said as he finished his muffin and took a long drink of juice. He finished the drink with a very satisfied smile on his face.

"Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you Sheex." Lila said softly as she took a bite of her eggs. Sheex cocked his head to the side and waited for Lila to continue.

"Sheex? Why did you help me?" Lila asked as she looked up from her food and stared at him. Her eyes bore into Sheex and made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Do I need a reason to help someone?" He responded as he grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite out of it. Lila was still staring at him as he chewed rather loudly. After several moments of silence she spoke again.

"Sheex. Thank you. I...I don't know what I would have done without you." Lila said, red in the face as she looked away. She looked up to find Sheex standing next to her with his hand gently patting her shoulder.

"Seriously, don't worry about it. I wanted to help." He said with his usual grin. Lila just smiled at him, something she did now far more than she used to. She then got up and hugged Sheex, something she never used to do.

"Thanks Sheex. I'm so glad I met you." She said softly, squeezing him tightly. Sheex blushed and returned the hug. He wasn't quite use to this treatment, but he certainly preferred it compared to the old Lila's treatment of him.

"Me too Lila. Say, where's the kid anyway?" Sheex asked as Lila released him. Issac was nowhere to be seen and Sheex was rather certain the kid had some sort of mystical ability to instantly detect whenever Sheex was overstepping his station.

“On his way back home. I dropped him off at a nearby guard post while you were sleeping.” Lila responded. Sheex chuckled slightly.

“And you stayed to watch over me? I’m touched. I’m surprised the guards let you.” Sheex said sincerely. Lila blushed slightly.

“Well...well I didn’t actually walk in there with him. They wouldn’t have let me leave if they saw me.” Lila said as she rubbed her hands nervously. Confused, Sheex shrugged and ignored whatever was going on through her mind.

“Still, thanks Lila. That’s awfully nice of you. We’ll head down there after breakfast.” Sheex stated as he grabbed another piece of bacon. As he chewed on it, he couldn’t help but notice Lila looked dismayed.

“Something wrong?” He asked as he swallowed his food. Lila shook her head slightly, but then answered anyway.

“No...not really. It’s just...after all this...the palace will seem so superficial and controlling. People will tell me where to go and how to dress. Nobles will flatter me and tell me stories, not really meaning any of it. It just seems so...confining...” Lila said as she walked over to the window and stared out it. It was a cloudy day, but pretty nonetheless. Sheex walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Always thought the same myself. I never liked being confined. Want to run away with me?” Sheex said grinning. He knew the answer, but he asked anyway.

“A little. But, I have to go back. I’m the princess after all. I’ve a marriage to attend. Political yes, but important.” Lila said softly. Sheex just laughed and pulled her close for a hug.

“So? Royalty sucks, present company excluded.” Sheex said in a manner that bordered between serious and a joke. Lila turned and faced him with a determined look in her eyes.

“That’s exactly it! That’s what I want to change! I want the people of my country to be proud of the royal family! I want them to hold their heads high and think ‘I’m glad the Vaine family is there for me.’ I want to make that change! I will make that change!” Lila said, her voice filled with passion. Sheex had to admire that. He had never been one to dedicate his life to any grand scheme, but Lila certainly seemed dedicated. It made Sheex smile.

“But...before I do...” Lila said softly as she turned to look back out the window. There were children out on the streets playing happily. She couldn’t remember a time were she had other children her age to play with. Her childhood had been filled with servants and proper princess etiquette. Playing in the streets did not qualify as proper.

“Before you do...” Sheex said softly, trying to coax her into finishing the sentence. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Sheex was a firm believer that satisfaction brought him back.

“Sheex? What are they playing?” Lila asked, ignoring Sheex as she pointed to the children. The wanderer leaned his head over her's and looked out the window.

“Marbles.” Sheex answered. He thought the pile of marbles in the middle of the children made that quite obvious, but he didn’t say so.

“I don’t know how to play marbles. I don’t know much about life outside the place. Sheex, how do you play marbles?” Lila asked him, her face filled with the eagerness to learn. Sheex admired that too.

“It’s not too hard. Basically, there’s a bunch of marbles in the middle of a ring. You try to knock them out. He who knocks out the most wins.” Sheex said without an ounce of sarcasm. At the start of his journey he would have been laughing at Lila’s lack of knowledge, but not now. Now it just seemed wrong to do such a thing.

“I want to go back. I want to be a princess. But not yet. For now...for now I just want to...” Lila let her voice fade out as Sheex just looked at her. With a quick turn about she was facing him again with a pleading look in her eyes.

“Sheex! Let’s go back together!” Lila pleaded. Sheex just stared at her.

“I thought you didn’t want to go to the guards yet.” Was all Sheex could say. Lila shook her head at him, making it clear he didn’t understand her (not that Sheex understood most women).

“That’s not what I meant. Sheex, let’s go back the way we came. Just the two of us. Sheex, let’s wander together for a little longer!” Lila begged. She then realized what she was doing and immediately straightened up and put on a serious face.

“Of course, I’ll understand if you don’t want to. You’ve certainly done enough already.” In response, Sheex walked over to where his coat lay. He picked it up and stared at it. Whoever Lila had sent it to had done a great job. The thing looked brand new. He smiled, turned about, and tossed it to Lila.

“It gets cold out there. Wear that until you’ve gotten rid of that case of wanderlust.” Sheex said with a smile as Lila beamed at him. She rushed over and began to grab some of the fruit off the table.

“Great! Let’s get going! There’s so much I want to do! There’s a play in town I want to see. I’ve never seen a play without a hundred guards in attendance. Can we go see the play Sheex?”

“Are you paying for it?”

“Yes, so I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

“Right, so, fondling you in public is out of the question I take it.”

“A proper escort would do no more than hold my hand I’d imagine. Perhaps wrap a hand around my waist as well. Yes, he would definitely wrap a hand around my waist. I‘ll be expecting both of you.”

For all his skill in sarcasm, Sheex couldn’t actually tell if Lila was being serious or not. He didn’t have much time to debate it for Lila quickly grabbed his arm and began to pull him towards the door.

“Let’s go, let’s go! You’re up to it right?” Lila said as she glanced at Sheex. He smiled and ran his hand over his face, rather surprised at the lack of bruises.

“I must say I am. I could have sworn I’d be in worse shape though.” He muttered as he headed over to the door with Lila who turned a deep shade of red.

“Oh...I had some healing tonic tucked away in my bag. Really high grade tonic too. It takes effect after a minute.” Lila said softly. Sheex would have been lying if he said his face didn’t turn a color of irritation.

“Gee Lila, you could have told me that BEFORE I got my ass kicked.” Lila chuckled slightly at Sheex.

“Ummm....well...to tell you the truth...I forgot I had it...” She said with a sheepish smile. Sheex stared at her for a moment.

“You’re such a bimbo princess.” Was all he had to say.

Some time later...

Hyde let out a yawn as he stretched out on the road. Everyday he sold apples and everyday he enjoyed snoozing just a little bit during work. He had almost dozed off when he heard a rather sweet voice bring him back to the world.

“Excuse me? Can I buy an apple?” A young girl in a long black coat asked. A man in a blue shirt stood behind her, grinning widely.

“Sure. Sure.” Hyde managed to say without yawning. He motioned to the basket of apples that lay in front of him. The woman smiled and began rifling through the basket, determined to find the best one.

“Hey, you know what? I got this one.” The man said as he pulled out a coin and flicked it over to Hyde. The woman, having found her apple, laughed loudly. Hyde had to hand it to the man, the girl was cute. Still, there was something about her that made Hyde slightly uneasy.

“Oh! Such the gentleman!” The woman joked as she wrapped her arm around the man’s arm and tugged him along. Hyde continued to stare at the couple, for there was something about the woman that made her stand out in Hyde’s mind. The man must have saw him staring, for his grin grew even wider.

“Bossy ain’t she?” Was all the man said.

“Yes. I...I suppose so.” As soon as he finished speaking Hyde’s mind clicked in recognition of the woman. He use to live in the capital and had more than one seen a member of the royal family being paraded down the streets.

“Excuse me ma’m, but...you look just like her highness Lila Vaine.” Hyde couldn’t help but say. The woman just let out a loud laugh. It was a bright laugh, filled with happiness and joy.

“Hear that? I’m a princess! Treat me better!” She said with a grin as she playfully slapped the man on his arm. The man just chuckled.

“If you’re a princess, does that make me a prince? Cause I’ve had my eye on a twenty year old scotch and that royal treasury is looking mighty fine right about now.” The man said back as Hyde shook his head. He even laughed a bit too.

“I guess it does seem a little ridiculous, a princess wandering about.” Hyde said with a smile. The girl just shrugged and tugged on the man’s arm.

“I get it all the time. It’s a compliment. The princess is cute!” She said as she waved good-bye to Hyde and moved along. The man followed close behind, not that he seemed to have much choice in the matter as he was still being dragged. He certainly wasn't doing much in the way of protesting though.

“Not as cute as you Flower Girl!” Hyde heard the man say. Hyde just shrugged and leaned back. That made more sense after all.

The girl probably sold flowers or something.

[Sheex]

"Hey Lila, tell me something." Sheex whispered as he leaned against a stone wall in an alley. Several soldiers walked by, talking amongst themselves. Sheex pressed his body as close as he could to the moss-covered stone and did his best to stay out of sight.

"Uh, yes Sheex?" Lila, who was crouching behind Sheex at the moment, whispered back.

"Why the bloody HELL is my face on a WANTED POSTER?" Sheex asked, this time in the exact opposite of a whisper. In his hand he held a small piece of paper which had his face on it. It clearly said WANTED: SHEEX DELTIN at the top.

"I'm...not sure really. Done anything illegal lately?" Lila whispered back while she gave the paper a once over. Sheex just raised an eyebrow.

"That depends on what you consider illegal. Still haven't worked out this country's laws." Sheex said as he ducked his head while another guardsmen walked by.

To say he was irritated would be an understatement,.

"I bet mother had something to do with this. It's okay though. I can fix this. Just wait here." Lila said as she began to walk away. The wanderer just laughed.

"Yes, well, do hurry. I may be headless by the time you get back." Sheex muttered as he tried to squeeze himself into a tiny crack in the wall. He failed miserably.

"You're right. We've got to hide you. I know! Follow me!" Lila shouted as she grabbed Sheex and pulled him along (completely defeating the point of telling him to follow her). Through the alleys she weaved, getting lost several times and running into no less than three dead ends. Sheex made his feelings about that particular matter very clear each time they were forced to turn around (suffice to say they, were not very nice feelings).

Eventually, the two emerged from the alleyways onto an open field. Well, it was a mostly open field. Wheat that glimmered like gold in the afternoon sun had risen up, severalpeople were already tending to the field. In the center of the field stood a building made of stone surrounded by a wall made of the same material. It wasn't an imposing building, in fact it looked quite small and harmless. It was certainly well cared for though. The stone (Sheex was pretty sure it was actually marble) glistened underneath the rays of the yellow sun.

"The perfect hiding place! A temple!" Lila shouted, beaming at her own genius. Sheex just began laughing uproariously. Several people tending the field looked over towards him, but apparently they hadn't seen the wanted posters for all they did was shrug and go back to the field.

"HA! That's funny! Okay, what's your real plan?" Sheex said, red in the face with laughter. Lila glared at him furiously as he continued to laugh.

"No one will look for you in the temple! They'll think your making for the border! It's a perfect idea!"

"Except I'd stick out like a sore thumb. Do I look like the religious type to you?" Sheex said as he twirled about like a model. Lila just slapped him on the back of the head.

"It just so happens I am on rather good terms with the priest here! I tell him you're here to contemplate the meaning of life and you keep quiet while I do something about you being a wanted man."

"I like being wanted by you actually."

"GO!" Lila said and she gave him a shove towards the temple. Still, she couldn't help but smile at the man. He gave her a wave as she took off his coat that she had borrowed and tossed it back to him. He caught it gracefully and bowed low.

"Well milady, it sure was fun traveling with you. If you ever feel the need to wander again, I'd love to share the road with you." Sheex said majestically as Lila gave a bit of a mock curtsey in response. She said nothing in response, but the smile on her face told more than words ever could. Then the two went their separate ways, one to the temple and the other to the palace.

A little while later...

"STOP HEATHEN!" An old man in a priest robes screamed as Sheex dashed out of the and onto the grassy field. The priest was not only old, but he was a little on the fat side, making it easy for Sheex to outpace the man. All heads turned towards the wanderer, for at this point Sheex was laughing like a madman as he flung himself over the stone wall and continued to flee.

The old man stumbled to the ground out of breath. A nearby field worker carrying a pitchfork ran over to the priest as Sheex hit the ground, red in the face from the exertion of running and the fact that he was still laughing away. The old priest whispered a few words to the field hand while he pointed an accusing finger and Sheex. Instantly the field hand flung the pitchfork at Sheex, who barely managed to duck in time. The field hand let out a cry and pointed at Sheex.

"STOP THAT BLASPHEMER!" Cried the field hand. Several other men perked up as they heard the cry, each in turn looking at Sheex who darted through the field. One man attempted to tackle Sheex to the ground, but Sheex jerked his body at the last moment and caused the man to catch nothing but a mouthful of dirt. The rest looked over towards the exhausted priest and the still screaming field hand to find out the cause of the disturbance. The second they were informed the whole lot of them were up in arms and chasing after Sheex. The wanderer let out another laugh as he tore through the golden field, not caring just how much of the harvest he wrecked.

Sheex still didn't have a complete grasp over just what was exactly illegal in this country, but he was pretty certain his most recent action had been very, very illegal.

Once he had escaped from the fields and into the city Sheex took a moment to pause and catch his breath. He was pretty certain he had lost his pursuers until a man swung a fist at him. Sheex muttered a curse about the man's mother (it involved a dog too) and dashed away, ducked a vase flung from by angry woman, and ran into three more very angry people. He twirled about to break away from that mob of three people only to run into a mob of five people. He then mused that perhaps it wasn't two mobs, but rather one big mob chasing him throughout the entire city. The wanderer then patted himsef on the back (he had never had a mob chase him before), then picked a direction and sped off.

Off he fled into an alleyway, losing several of his pursuers. Yet the more he lost the more he seemed to gain. For every person he evaded it seemed another two were on his trail. Apparently word of his misdeeds had spread like wildfire throughout the town. More and more joined the chase and it seemed all ages were welcomed to participate in this manhunt.

"Mommy! Mommy! That's the man who-" A child shouted, pointing his finger at Sheex as the wanderer rounded a corner. Instantly the child's mother hushed her son by covering his mouth.

"Don't even mention that blasphemy! HEY! HE'S OVER HERE!" The woman screamed, grabbing the nearest object next to her to fling at Sheex. In this particular case it was a potted plant that shattered upon the wall behind Sheex as the woman missed her target by a few inches. Sheex just chuckled and took off down the main street.

"Not so fast pal!" A guard shouted as he dashed in front of Sheex. The man had a spear pointed directly at Sheex, and it was very clear what the man's intention was. Feeling a little guilty Sheex grabbed the spear and jerked it downwards, catching the guard by surprise. The man stumbled forward and fell to the ground as Sheex tripped him. A bottle flung past Sheex's head as he turned about with an exasperated look on his face (he had long since gotten tired of laughing).

"Oh come on! Give a guy a break!" Sheex shouted as he scurried about what appeared to be the town square. Three rather large men glared at him as Sheex held up his arms in exhaustion. The men just advanced.

"Oh, we'll give you break you sick bastard! We'll break every bone in your body!" Shouted the man in the middle as he charged at Sheex. Sheex made to run away, but found that the guard was back on his feet and rather angry. Not only that but it seemed the mob had caught up to him and more and more people were pouring into the town square crying for his blood.

"Heretic!"

"Pagan!"

"Blasphemer!"

"You guys forgot good-looking!" Sheex cried back as the crowd closed in. It was clear that he was doomed, but he still could not help but smile at the situation. It seemed that the crowd would tear him limb from limb in several moments, but the reason he was dying was too perfect. His latest escapade would no doubt not only get him hung as well as cement him as a hero in many a man's eyes for quite some time to come.

Or would it? Sheex heard the sound of a horse and turned to see a rider speeding towards him. The rider was dressed in black, matching the color of the horse's coal-like skin, and whoever it was had their hand outstretched towards Sheex. The crowd had no choice but to make way for the wild rider lest they be trampled by the speeding animal. Sheex weighed his options.

Stick with the mob or go with the unknown. Mob's sure death so...guess I'm betting on you lady luck! Sheex thought to himself as he bowed to the mob. They charged at him as he took the rider's hand and pulled himself up onto the speeding horse. He was sure he'd fall back to the ground as the horse rose up on its hind legs, but whoever the rider was handled the animal magnificently. In no time at all the rider had the horse charging through the crowd, all of whom were furious but none of whom wanted to tackle the speeding animal.

“Hey! I really owe you for this man!” Sheex shouted as the horse darted through the town. The wind raced across Sheex’s face, blowing his brown hair and black coat all about. The rider said nothing but only pushed the horse faster, endeavoring to outpace the crowd.

Sheex wrapped his arms around the rider’s waist for balance as the horse took a sharp turn to avoid a spear thrown by an enraged guardsman. The rider’s waist was slim. Extremely slim. He could also tell that the clothes the rider wore was extremely fine, and although it was made for riding it still felt smooth and soft to the touch. Sheex cocked an eyebrow and leaned in closer. The rider made a bit of a grunt and said nothing. Sheex squeezed tighter on the rider’s waist.

“You’ve a very feminine waist.” Sheex said to the rider (which was rather stupid considering that the rider could fling him off at anytime), but the rider again said nothing as the two sped past the guards at the town gate. The scene of a city soon changed to green vegetation, stone buildings and wooden roofs were replaced with brown bark and green leaves. Off the two raced into the wilderness as Sheex leaned in close and took in a deep breath of the air around the mysterious rider.

A distinct perfume tickled his nostrils.

“Holy shit! Flower Girl, is that you?” Sheex shouted over the wind that raced across his face. This time the rider reared up the horse, causing Sheex to fall back with a shout as he tumbled to the ground as the rider gracefully descended from the horse. The rider was dressed in baggy black clothing and wore a black cloth mask to cover their face. Yet as Sheex stared at the rider it became very apparent that the rider was indeed a female. He grinned as Lila tore off her mask and glared at him.

“SHEEX DELTIN! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?” Lila screamed, her face red with rage that only increased as Sheex fell onto his back laughing hysterically all the while. Lila reached down and grabbed him by his shirt.

“I was in the palace on my way to work everything out with my father when I hear that some MADMAN was being chased throughout the town. I ask again Sheex Deltin, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?” Lila screamed in a very un-princess like manner. Her time spent wandering with Sheex had made some very apparent changes in her personality.

“Don’t get you panties in a knot Lila. This one’s a good one.” Sheex chuckled as Lila’s face turned a deeper shade of red (if that was even possible) as her grip on Sheex tightened. She pulled Sheex close to her face, her breath seeming to have a very intimidating quality at the moment.

“What. Did. You. DO?” She screamed. Sheex just held his right hand and raised two fingers.

“Interesting choice of words! Well, I’ve got two words for ya Lila! Temple. Maiden.” Lila released her grip in shock as Sheex fell over laughing hysterically.

“You...my God tell me you didn’t...” Lila stammered as Sheex rolled about the ground in a fit of laughter.

“Perfect hiding spot! Genius! Genius! Best idea ever!” Sheex screamed hysterically as Lila nearly pulled her own hair out in anger.

“Do you even realize how big of a crime you committed? No, of course you don’t! Sheex, those women swear a vow of celibacy when they enter that temple. Breaking it...it’s a...sin against all that’s holy!” Lila exclaimed as Sheex just sat up, still chuckling all the while.

“Aw, don’t worry about her Lila. Priest made it very clear who was at fault in this case.” Sheex said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Being chased by a mob really wore him out. The princess just shook her head.

“Of course she’s going to be fine! I’m worried about you, you idiot! You’re a wanted man! Nothing I can do can change that! You’re dead if you set foot in this kingdom again!” Lila screamed as she paced about in rage. Sheex just stood up and grinned.

“Big deal. Outside of you, there really isn’t much for me here. If you need to see me I’ll sneak back in a few months. Your bro is safe and your back home, it’s not like there’s much left for me to do.” Sheex said as he dusted off his coat. Lila said nothing and only gave Sheex a strange look that was filled with an emotion that he couldn’t quite place.

“Wait, there isn’t anything left, right? Right?” Sheex said as he walked over towards her. She quickly shook her head and pointed to the road.

“No. No there’s nothing. Take the horse and go before the mob gets here. They won’t touch me, but you’re a different story.” Lila said as she began to walk away. Sheex gave her a puzzled look.

“Hey Flower Girl, what’s wrong?” Sheex asked as he made a move towards her. She just brushed him away and smiled at him.

It disturbed Sheex just how sad of a smile it was.

“Go. See you around wanderer.” Was all Lila said as she shoved the reins into his hands. He raised an eyebrow as he leapt up on the horse.

“Ummm. Okay. Thanks again, that was some fancy riding.” The wanderer said as he began to move the horse towards the road.

“Riding is actually part of being a princess. Not riding like that per se, but I wanted to learn it anyway. It wasn’t like the instructor could say no. Bye Sheex.” Lila said with a wave. Sheex stared at her one last time.

“You sure there’s nothing wrong?”

“I hear a mob. Get going Sheex.” Was all Lila said as she slapped the horse and caused it to speed off at a fast gallop. When Sheex was out of sight, she took out a small piece of paper she had with her. It wasn’t an ordinary piece of paper; it was designed to show the wealth and nobility of whoever wrote on it and not just convey messages.

Lila crumpled up that paper and tossed it to the ground with a sad sigh.

Several days later...

Sheex whipped around and grabbed a figure out of the corner of his small room at the inn. His dagger was out in his right hand and raised it as he pulled the figure towards the light. His eyes flashed with anger once he realized who it was.

“Our business is finished.” Sheex said softly.

“Not exactly.” Said the mysterious figure.

[Sheex]

"Truly, the tales do you no justice Madam Vaine."

"Yes. The bard's songs all pale in comparison to your beauty."

"Indeed. An inspiration to us all."

Lila thanked each and every noble that applauded her bravery. Ever since her return her father had done his best to make a hero out of her. The young princess who braved all danger to save her beloved brother; it was a fairy tale come true. Her stepmother despised her, but her father saw an opportunity in her. Now she wasn’t just a princess to be married, now she was a hero as well. A fine catch and a political gold mine.

Of course her father had to spice up the tale a bit. With each rendition her enemies grew in number and her deeds became even greater. Never did she falter, never did she have a moment of doubt. Sometimes Sheex became an agent of her father, most of the times he was omitted completely. Some of the more liberal tales even threw in a bit of romance between her and Sheex; a forbidden love that could never be. It would have been a lie to say that Lila didn’t smile everytime she read those particular tales.

Every day nobles from far and wide came to congratulate her and pay her tribute; on her wedding day it was no different. She wore a golden dress of the finest silk, her hair was decorated with many small but beautifully crafted golden-doves. No dove was identical either, each was handcrafted to look different from the rest. It had taken her servants two hours just to do her hair alone. She was still a bit exasperated by that (she had never had to waste time on such formalities when she was with Sheex), but now was not the time to dwell on such things. She had a part to play, and each time a noble thanked her she curtsied and thanked them back; her part played better than any actor. And why should it not be? She was a princess, after all.

The wedding ceremony had already past, the feast was well underway. Night had fallen, but Lila could not see the sky for it was blocked by all the decorations. The celebration was being held at her father's mansion, his home away from the castle. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the rear of the ball room was filled with tables of food as well as tables for guests to sit at. Velvet chairs of red were meticulously placed about, no one could be allowed to be bunched together too tightly. The carpet itself had just been replaced with a brand new one for her wedding. The red and gold fur of the carpet was spotless. Upon a stage an entire orchestra played away. Despite all the tables, there was still plenty of room to dance. That alone spoke to the cost of this mansion. The room seemed to stretch for miles, and yet no matter how much room their really was, Lila felt crowded at all times.

“Milady, would you like anything?” An aged servant asked as he walked up to her while he carried a tray of drinks about. Her husband had been whisked away by her father to a poker game among royalty; no doubt many a political deal had been made in the short time the newlyweds had been apart. In the meantime Lila had played the part of a happy bride.

“It’s George, right?” Lila asked after a few minutes of thought. She was determined to learn the names of every person who served her and, although it had taken time and she still made mistakes occasionally, she was for the most part successful. The servant nodded in response and he smiled just a bit at the recognition.

In fact, many a servant had been surprised as of late. The princess of Dunland was a new person. Not only was she far from the haughty person that had left them, she was down right compassionate and kind to all. Stories abounded about her generosity and kindness; one of the most popular ones was how she had reached into her pockets and given a handful of gold coins to a poor servant girl who could not afford a wedding dress for her own wedding. Many still disliked the royalty of Dunland, but each day more and more became enamored with the beautiful princess who had risked her life to save her brother and who looked upon all with a kind smile.

“I am fine at the moment, thank you. Although I believe it has grown a bit humid in here. I would like to step outside for a breath of air. Would you please tell anyone who is looking for me that they may find me there?” Lila said in a sweet tone. The rest of the royalty treated the servants with disdain at worst, or ignorance at best. But not Princess Lila. She always spoke in a kind tone, always said "please" and "thank you."

George nodded in assent, but knew he would do no such thing. He had served the Vaine family all his life and had become accustomed to their desires. Although Lila’s words were that of one who wished to accommodate anyone, her eyes told George she wished a moment of rest. He bowed low and she curtsied in response. It was an act that made several nobles uncomfortable, but what could they say against the fair Hero Of Dunland?

She longed to undue her hair and let the wind flow through it once more as she stood outside and admired the stars, but that would have been unacceptable. She had to remain perfect in the eyes of everyone. She let out an inaudible sigh as she breathed in the night sky. The silver moon shined upon her and her white skin glistened in its light. Lila swore that the second she was able to, she would have numerous windows installed in her room so she could always gave upon the sky. Its vastness, its never-ending length. There were no limitations placed upon the sky. It was just simply gorgeous. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment of peace.

“I beg your pardon, but you must be her highness Lila Vaine. The stories do you wrong. Your beauty cannot be put into words.” A voice echoed from behind her. Before she turned she had to make sure to suppress a chuckle. The noble had complemented her beauty before he had even seen her face, a sure sign of a man out for political favor. She put on her best smile and turned about.

The man was dressed in the finest of silk. His purple pants and tunic, the current popular color amongst the nobles, matched perfectly. A cape of a darker shade of purple was slung across his right shoulder, a jeweled incrusted sword hung at his right hip. Gold trim ran about his clothes and a brooch adorned with emeralds and sapphires kept his cape on. His hair was a bit out of place, the current style was to wear it combed down the middle. This man wore it combed back for the most part, with the very front of his brown hair parted at the middle. The style looked good, Lila thought he might be able to start a new trend.

Only his eyes were out of place. His brown eyes were alight with mischief. They spoke of a man who had pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes, a man who was not where he was suppose to be. Despite everything else, those eyes gave him away immediately.

“I don’t believe it. Sheex?” Lila whispered as she moved closer to the man before. With a grace that must have been practiced for hours on end, Sheex bowed low with the perfect smile on his face.

“My lady, it does me honor to wish you congratulations on your wedding day. I can see why the night was chosen. The sun itself would hide away, unable to compete with your beauty.” Sheex said as he stood up from his bow. Lila’s first instinct was to curtsey in response, but she just couldn’t. Despite it all, she could not bring herself to perform the functions that society required of her. Not to him, not to Sheex. Instead she just stared blankly at him in his fancy clothes and sparkling jewels; a perfect picture of nobility. For a minute, she said nothing.

“It is rather cold of you to comment on my beauty without seeing my face.” She finally said. Instantly Sheex reverted to the man she knew so well; his stance became slack as he ran a hand through his hair and grinned.

“That’s the problem with this royal flirting, too much damned subtly. If I had just said 'hey babe, you’ve got an ass so fine it’s a shame you have to sit on it' you would have gotten my meaning immediately.” Sheex said with a laugh as Lila forgot all protocol and ran forward to embrace him.

“I can’t believe you made it! SHEEX!” Lila almost screamed as she held him close. The wanderer just let out a laugh as he held her back.

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted me to be at your wedding? I told you I'd sneak back in if you ever needed me!" Sheex said as he squeezed her tightly. Her perfume still smelled as sweet as ever.

"Well, you're to be arrested on sight Sheex! I couldn't very well ask you to come! Come to think of it, how did you get in here?" Lila asked as the two released each other. Each adjusted their clothes back to perfection as they talked.

"A certain old hag who is related to you tracked me down and gave me a crumpled up invitation to a wedding. How could I pass such a thing up? Great food by the way. You nobles sure know how to party. Could use a few more pretty ladies like you though." Sheex said with a chuckle. Lila chuckled back.

"Speaking of nobles, look at you! You could actually pass for a decent person!" Lila joked as Sheex took another bow. A servant then appeared on the balcony with two small glasses with him.

"A whiskey for her highness and a scotch for Sir Reinbach.” The man said as he smiled and handed over the drinks. Sheex took his with a grin, Lila with a look of surprise.

“Forgive me ma’am. I took the liberty.” Sheex said, once more he had assumed his regal stance and attitude. The servamt smiled at the man and bowed, an act that elicited a bow in return from Sheex.

“Thank you Kyle. And thank you as well Sir Reinbach.” Lila said as she and Sheex clinked their glasses together while Kyle smiled at the recognition, bowed politely, and walked back towards the rest of the guests. When he was gone Lila raised an eyebrow.

“Reinbach?”

“I like it. Sounds classy.”

“Scotch?”

“Told you I had my eye on that twenty year bottle. Would've come just for this.”

The top slowly sipped their drinks and grinned at one another. Lila shook her head at Sheex as the alcohol (which was far smoother than the whiskey Sheex had bought) warmed her body.

“I still have trouble seeing you like this. You actually fit in.” Lila whispered as she leaned against the stone rail of the balcony. Sheex just shrugged.

“Wasn’t all me. Your grandmother was quite insistent that I learn the ins and outs of court life. I can assure you, I now know more than I ever wanted to about royalty. Oh, speaking of your grandmother.” Sheex muttered as he reached into on of his pockets. He pulled out a small velvet box and handed it to Lila. With a look of curiosity she opened it.

It was a magnificent flower made of diamond. Or at least it looked like diamond. As she held it underneath the light of the moon, multiple colors magically danced across the flower’s surface. The petals changed from red to blue, from green to yellow. The stem changed from green to clear diamond, and then back again. Her eyes went wide at the beauty of it.

“Obviously that thing is well beyond my price range, so you be sure to thank your grandmother for giving me some gold. Thought it was fitting for you though, Flower Girl.” Sheex said as he sipped his scotch. Lila looked at him and beamed.

“Sheex...you are...amazing.” Lila said as she hugged him once more. She had received many gifts today, but she knew she would treasure this one above all others. He just hugged her back.

“Is there anything I can do for you before you leave? Money for traveling perhaps? That bottle of scotch?” She whispered softly to him, for she knew he could not stay long. His usual grin appeared on his face as he set down his scotch and perked up his ears. Even on the balcony, away from all the festivities, they could still hear the music that played from the halls. Sheex looked at Lila and held out his hand.

“I’ve never actually danced with royalty before. Would you be so kind?” He asked as he held out his hand. The princess grinned widely and set down her present so she could take the wanderer's offered hand.

The two danced about the balcony to the beat of the music. The wanderer led, the princess followed. They swept about the balcony, each with a smile on their face. For the few minutes the song lasted they were together again. The nobles, the court, the royalty, the politics, all of that faded away under the moonlight. For but the briefest of moments, Lila was just a girl and Sheex was just a man, and the two danced away under the light of the moon.

It cannot be put into words just how happy Lila was during those few minutes.

All too soon the song ended and the two parted. The wanderer bowed and the princess curtsied, both reverted back to parts they played, but their smiles never faded. When a man dressed in a glorious white and gold tunic walked up to the two, Sheex played his part flawlessly. He bowed low and Lila walked over to embrace her husband.

“I hope I haven’t left you alone too long.” The man whispered into her ear. Lila just smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Not at all. This is my friend, Sheex.” Lila responded as she motioned towards Sheex. Her husband walked over, returned the bow, and then offered the wanderer his hand.

“The Sheex of the story? I believe I owe you a debt of thanks. I am Lucas Gallant, it is an honor to meet you.” He said as Sheex shook his hand. It was obvious that Lucas did actually care for Lila; Sheex could see it in the man’s eyes.

“I can assure you sir, the stories are exaggerated. Lila did most of the work. And the honor is all mine.” Sheex said cordially. Lila frowned and glanced at the two men. Both followed the rules of etiquette flawlessly, which meant that the two men could never be real friends. That thought irked her, that the two men she loved would never be able to call one another friends.

She would fix that.

“Oh, shut it Sheex. I already told him how you pretty much molested me when we first met.” Lila blurted out. Sheex’s face turned red as Lila reverted to the tone she had only used around him. Lucas’s turned to look at his wife with curiosity. She hadn’t ever told him that.

“I can assure you that...” Sheex began, but Lila quickly cut him off.

“Oh, but I didn’t tell him your wondrous skill at fighting off bandits, did I? Well, Sheex and I were attacked-” Instantly Sheex’s face contorted, his noble grace swept away in an instant. He leaned backwards and ran a hand through his dark brown hair; his hand shoved the front back into alignment with the rest.

“I can assure you that your wife is a freaking bimbo princess who just has a knack for sticking her butt into other people’s business.” Sheex shot back. Lila pretended to be angry as she clung to her husband’s arm.

“Oh ruffian! Did you hear what he said about me Lucas?” Lila chided as Lucas scratched his head, not entirely sure what part he was suppose to play. Then he looked at Lila, who smiled at both him and Sheex with hopeful eyes. Lucas then shrugged his shoulders and went with his instincts.

“At least it’s a nice butt.” Lucas muttered as all three let out a laugh. Once more Sheex and Lucas shook hands, but gone was the cool formality of before. This time, they shook hands as friends.

“I am rather curious. Just who are you?” Lucas asked as they grinned at one another. Lila ran over to Sheex.

“He’s my father’s man says my brother!” Lila shouted.

“A fine swordsman say some of the stories!” Sheex retorted.

“With a forbidden love as I recall!” Lucas chuckled.

“A bit of a troublemaker.” Sheex whispered.

“Not exactly knightly, or so I hear.” Lucas said quietly.

“My dearest friend.” Lila finished as she hugged Sheex who hugged her back. Lucas smiled and kept his distance. He knew a special moment when he saw it. Lila would be his for the rest of her life, he would not deny the two this moment.

“You will visit us, won’t you Sheex?” Lila asked as the two parted and Sheex began to head back into the party.

“Yes, I would love to hear the story of the Hero Of Dunland. The real story.” Lucas said as he shook Sheex’s hand one last time. Sheex just grinned.

“I does make a good story, doesn’t it?” Sheex said with a laugh. Before he disappeared into the crowd he gave one last look to the couple.

“Of course Lucas, you realize as an agent of the king charged with protecting his fair daughter, I must tell you one last thing.” Sheex said as Lila wrapped herself in Lucas’s arms.

“Oh? Well do tell.” Lucas asked with a smile. Sheex bowed low and grinned.

“Break her heart and I’ll break your legs. Catch ya later Flower Girl.” Sheex said as he vanished amidst the crowd. Both Lucas and Lila laughed and kissed one another.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Lucas said as the two began to walk back towards the party. There were still many more political deals to be made after all, and her father would sorely miss her for those.

“Better not. He fights dirty.” Lila said as she snatched up Sheex’s present and cradled in her arms. Lucas chuckled and held her close.

“Well, you’re certainly worth fighting over. Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what is that perfume you wear? It’s lovely.” Lucas asked as the nobles spied them and began to swarm over to them to offer their congratulations. Lila chuckled.

“The Hidden Amaranth. A special blend of flowers from all across Althanas.”

A few towns away...

“Thank you for having her back on time Roger.” Samantha said kindly. Roger just glanced about the house nervously as Amy kissed his cheek.

“No problem ma’am. Well, I best be off.” Roger muttered, his eyes constantly on the look out for something. Or someone. Sheex had really made an impression on the man.

“Bye Roger!” Amy said as she waved him off. Her mother grinned at her and she grinned back.

“So, how were sales today?” Amy asked as she went over to the bakery counter. She had taken the day off to spend it with Roger. Her mother just smiled and said nothing.

“Wha? WHAT IS THIS?” Amy shrieked. The little safe they kept hidden overflowed with gold coins. Not only was it enough to pay rent for the next few months, there was enough to buy a new house and more. Amy could not speak for fear that the dream would disappear before her.

“A rather dashing customer came in right before closing. I had never seen the man before, but he said there was a favor to be repaid here. He thanked me for saving the man who went on to save someone dear to the man’s master. He then bought a loaf of bread; that was his tip.” Samantha said as she walked over and gave her daughter a hug. Amy was still in shock.

“I...but who...you don’t think...Sheex would have...” Amy stuttered. Samantha just laughed.

“It came with this.” Was all Samantha said as she handed her daughter a small book. It was from the Heroes Of Dunland series, an extremely popular collection of as of late. There were many different books in the series, each one contained a different story about a hero of Dunland. Amy knew for a fact that her mother had two of the books, and she herself had another three. But as Amy looked at the words written under the title, she raised her eyebrows in curiosity. She had never heard of this particular tale before. Perhaps it was new? Gently she traced her thin fingers around the words there, and ever so softly she spoke the words as if they kept a secret locked away.

“The Princess And The Wanderer."

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SPOILS
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Hip Flask- A small, stainless steel hip flask. It is decently made, no rust or anything can be found on it. Holds roughly 400ml worth of alcohol. Well, I suppose it could hold other types of liquid, but let's be realistic here. That's not going to happen anytime soon.

HOWEVER! If Sheex holds it at just the right angle and speaks just the right words, the hip flask will instantly slay any PC level 5 or higher. That's right. They can't do shit. Not a thing. Nope. Nadda. Zlich. Zip. Zero.

Ah crap. It's just an ordinary hip flask. Sigh. One of these days Althanas, one of these days...

[Amaril Torrun]

The Princess and the Wanderer


Story

Continuity - 8 -

Setting - 8 - You brought the country of Dunland and its war to life through the interactions of your characters. The pompous royalty, the city-folk suffering for it, and the guards doing their duty with their heads hanging, it all helped to keep your story alive.

Pacing - 8 - I got what I guess I would call a “literary high” from this story, but the prolonged ending brought me too far down from it. It wasn’t thoroughly disappointing, though you still let a little too much air out of the bag. The level of closure you brought to this story would have been more appropriate for a novel length piece.

Character

Dialogue - 8 - It was very fitting for your characters, though at times it was a bit cliché.

Action - 7 - The actions were fitting for your characters throughout the thread and I had no difficulty believing in them. Sheex, only somewhat trained in combat and with a desire to bring people down in non-lethal ways, struggled in his battles and proved his respect for life, time and time again. There were some fight scenes that grew a bit monotonous however, with a kick here and a punch there and kick there and a punch here. Lila’s repetitious slapping of Sheex helped to support both of their roles.

Persona - 10 - I got to know exactly who Sheex and Lila are, and Lila had some immense character growth. Even her brother gained some longstanding perspective on life. You took persona even further. Every character brought to my attention shined with their own personalities, traits, and unique perspectives on the world they lived in. Levin, Dimitry, Hannibal… they weren’t just brain dead thugs, mirror images of each other. They were living, breathing people that I could understand and even associate with. Levin’s death wasn’t just a one bad guy going down, but an experience that shook Lila to the core and even had me wishing he could have lived.

Writing Style

Mechanics - 4 - There’s one error that was constant and took almost half the thread for me to finally ignore. When you write dialogue and end the quotes with a tag, the quotes should end in a comma. Here’s what I mean. “Get out of here,” she muttered. This is how you did it. “Get out of here.” She muttered.

There were also a ton of typos such as misspellings, forgotten words, an extra letter in a word, no space between words, and various things that, as simple accidents, you could have cleared up with some more thorough proofreading.

Technique - 7 -

Clarity - 7 - What happened to Rodger? It seems like you simply omitted the section of writing pertaining to that tiny part of your story by accident.

Wild Card - 7 -


Total: 74

Sheex earns 1330 experience, a hip flask, and 400 gold.

I loved this thread and hope to read a lot more from you. If you have any questions about my commentary, PM me so we can talk about it.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added.