Two Tattlers Who Managed To Escape

1. The Escape of the Tattlers

Pov: Yohi

This damned boy shamed me in front of everyone, and now he's trying to justify why he's right and why lying is bad! As if his tales of cannibals and children drowning in the river don't look like lies to our small town! It was more realistic that she truly did whine, begging all men for /xxxx/, rather than her drowning children in a delusion and crying about it, which is senseless and illogical! It was my first time speaking directly with this lad, and he's already spoiled everything for me!

— Finding pleasure in uncovering people's lies is wonderful, but you, Hio, are hardly going to understand that, you ugly liar! — said the boy with his soft voice, sitting not too far from me and smirking cunningly, happy that he could catch me in a lie and disgrace me, — Your fabrications are very rotten!

"Yes-yes!" — he squeaked even more shrilly, mimicking the voice of a knitted toy bird on his hand. Such toys were usually used in street theaters in bigger towns, where people put the toys on their hands and, controlling their movement with their fingers, performed little scenes.

— My fabrications? — I asked in a gruff tone, shifting my annoyed gaze to the boy's shoulder, as that was all I could see around the corner of the house, — And what about your stories, Oliver? Aren't they absurd? Cannibals and women drowning their own children in the river, in our small town, what nonsense! Perhaps you're a liar too?!

— I never lie, I seek out stories, roaming the town all day, while you just spread baseless rumors! — the boy retorted, stamping his foot and sticking his head out to look me straight in the eye with his one good eye.

Oliver wanted to continue, but at that moment we heard footsteps. At first, we both thought they were just passersby, but then more and more townspeople began to appear, their faces filled with anger and irritation, which was... unusual. We were almost idols in this town! I was considered a gem, given my incredibly handsome appearance, and Oliver, not only blessed with beauty himself, was also seen as the "poor blind child," which he wasn't, but still received affectionate treatment. However, now people looked at us with disdain, it was a new experience for both of us. A group of townsfolk, armed with ropes, knives, and farming tools like shovels, sickles, and pitchforks, surrounded us. Where there was once goodwill and admiration, now there were only angry shouts and threats. Well... we were in trouble...

The townspeople rushed at us, intending to twist our arms and tie us up, but I instantly assessed the situation. Without a moment's hesitation, I grabbed the edge of the roof of the house we had just been sitting by and pulled myself up. I wasn't a strong youth, but my height allowed me to do this, albeit with difficulty. From the roof, I could see the entire town, and I immediately ran towards its outskirts, understanding that the armed people clearly meant me no good.

My interlocutor, shorter than me but more agile, chose a different tactic, as he essentially had no choice. He abruptly darted towards the townspeople, confusing them with his unexpected move. They tried to grab him, but he was too fast. With incredible agility, he slipped between their legs, using his compactness, and dashed through the city streets, creating a small distance between himself and the enraged townspeople.

I ran across the roofs, occasionally looking back to make sure Oliver was managing, but in reality, with every step, the boy was losing speed, or rather, the townspeople were gathering their wits and began to run at him full speed, throwing stones and tools at him. I saw them gradually catching up to him, their angry shouts becoming louder and more insistent. He was so young, and I couldn't allow myself not to help him.

Glancing around, I spotted a low house whose roof was almost as accessible as the one I had managed to climb, and the boy was running towards it. Realizing this was my chance, I slowed down a bit and descended to the very bottom of this roof. My heart pounded in unison with his rapid steps.