The Runaway

Chapter 56

Back on the road again, can't wait to get off the road again. With our hurting knees and sick skin.

Back on the water flooded road we are. The sky above is dark and crying. Why must it rain so much? At home it doesn't rain this much. Yes, it rains a lot but not for days upon days.

"Sylvain."

He hums, facing the ground in front of us. I don't know where this road came from, or where it goes, but it goes along with our path and is better than walking in grass that stabs my shins.

"Why did you- crawl down the wall at the castle when your dad was close like a spider?" I almost started laughing at how funny it sounds. Who climbs down walls?

He instantly frowns. "He came to talk to you. I wasn't having it."

"Talk about what?"

"The attempted runaway. Sorry about that."

I lay my head on his shoulder- actually, nevermind, that hurts. "What was he going to say?"

"I don't know, but you didn't need to see it."

"He's so mean. You poor thing. How did you survive?"

He shrugs.

I walk into a puddle. Puddles aren't fun. Not dirty ones on a mysterious road. The dirt is uneven, I keep falling into holes.

"Everyone loved you," he randomly shares.

"What?"

"Everyone you met fell in love with you. They wanted us to get married so the king couldn't be king anymore."

"Is he mean to everyone?"

"No but he isn't nice to them. Just annoying. Let's never, ever talk about him again. Please?"

"Okay. Do you think the rain will ever go away?"

He shakes his head, the smallest smile on his face. "It should, eventually."

I look up at the sky. "Can you please stop raining? Or not rain so hard? I can hardly see." The rain stays rainy. Awe.

All this walking, too much walking. "When we get home, I'm never walking again. I will roll around the floor to get somewhere."

"How will you get on your bed?"

"Ummm I'll figure it out."

He shakes his head, water from his hair blending in the rain. The water actually makes his horns shine. How did I not notice? They glisten under the gray sky. The clouds' reflections only add more cracks to the broken horn.

"Do you know what you want to do with your future?" 

He is talkative today. "Yea. I'm going to get home, of course. I want to get married and take over the kingdom with my future husband. I'm so excited. So are ma and pa, they're tired. What about you?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No. I don't know nothin'. I want to talk to you forever, though."

I slap my hand on my chest. "I feel flattered. I shall listen to you forever."

The path connects to another. Behind the paths is a cottage. It is made of cobblestone walls, has a hay roof and logs of wood making patterns. They're around the windows, one across the front in the middle, side to side and more make rectangles around another window. Wood makes triangles, connecting to the roofs. It's so pretty. There is a box with charcoal and a pickaxe against the wall. This is so cute. There are bushes and trees around the cottage.

The door in the front opens. My heart quickens, his grip on my hand tightens. A short man with blond hair walks out. The man seems quite happy.

"Well, what are yas waiting for? Come in," he says, grabbing a bucket I didn't notice. He walks back inside, leaving the door open.

We stare at each other, confused. "Do we go...?"

"Who is he?"

"I don't know?" This very short man can talk to us. How weird. "Well, we made it this far. What could go wrong?"

"A lot."

"Oh." It would be quite rude of us to not visit the strange little man. I pull him into the cottage with me.

It's so cute. The walls are cobblestone, the wooden beams are the same on the inside as they are the outside. There is a brown couch in front of a square, dense television. There is an arch opening to a kitchen. The counters are stone, a slab of stone over a fireplace. This is so cool.

"Close the door, will yas? Were ya' born in a barn?" He hobbles to the couch and sits down.

I quickly close the door. Now we all stand here in silence till the short man starts laughing.

"You twos are so awkward. Sit down ya weirdos."

"Who are you?" Sylvian asks, throwing me off guard.

"Introductions. Who has time for those? Anyways, I'm John Cena, named after him."

"Who?" I ask. I think all of Slyvian's bravery went away that quick, he is his silent self.

"Exactly. Now, what were yous doing on my land?"

"Traveling."

"Obviously. Why were you on my trail?"

He makes me so nervous for some reason but he looks young and nice. What is happening right now? "It's hard to walk in wet grass. And it was in the direction we are going."

He shakes his head. "Where are yous goin'?"

"Crysanthia."

"Oh. It's been a while since I've been there. How is it?"

Who is this man? What is his story? I'm so confused. "You have been there?"

He smiles greatly and leans back on the couch, adjusting his shirt. "No. I'm just messing with ya. Sit down, you're making me queasy. I shall not be reliable for yas collapsing. The floor is quite hard there."

I turn to my companion. He is as nervous as he is when we're in a store or on the street, by a bunch of humans. "You're fine," I barely say and sit down, pulling him with me. Now we sit on the ground and my leg is on fire since it's pressed against his.

"I've heard it's very good there. Where yas coming from, eh?"

He talks so differently. "Ravaryn."

"Wow, what a distance."

"Yea."

Some horrible screeching comes from the kitchen. Oh goodness, it's horrible.

"Pardon me," he says before getting up and walking to the kitchen. The screeching stops.

"Hi." My voice is small again. Why does this keep happening?

His beautiful baby face turns towards me. "Hello." He fiddles with my fingers.

"What do you think?"

"About?"

"All this."

"I'm confused."

"Me too."

He shakes his head and leans on my shoulder and closes his eyes. I ruffle his hair. It's wet and broken. Both of our hair is wet and broken.

The strange man comes back, holding a cloth around the handle of a steaming tea pot. "Want to water my plants with me?"

"It is raining outside...?"

"I said, do you want to water my plants with me?"

It would be rude of us not to. But we just sat down. This water has bonded me to the floor. "Do you wanna go?" I ask a very tired man.

He groans and straightens out.

I'll take that as a yes.

A/N: Sorry for the lack of... everything? I write the last chapter tomorrow. I want it perfect. You guys are going to love it SO much.