Sometimes, Anarchy Is Best ~~ Shadows

15.) Rune

Despite Rune's initial hesitancy about telling them her secret, she found it was surprisingly easy to guide them. It was hard for her to focus on where they needed to go next when they were moving, so every couple hours or so – or when they got to a new area – they'd stop for a few minutes so Rune could get her bearings and give them a new general direction – which had yet to be anything but north. Then it was back in the car and trying not to focus on how cramped her wings felt.

However, as the day progressed and the sun moved across the sky and creeped closer to the buildings of Westside, Rune started to realize something. If they kept moving like they were, they'd be there in less time, but still too long to be cramped in this car all day, every day. Dio lived too far away for Rune to spend the whole time with her wings cramped the way they were.

It was a point she'd make sure to bring up later, but she was jolted out of her peaceful thoughts by a certain secret Kiophao - still can't believe that - talking very loudly and pointedly about their encounter with Sienna. Ewe was sitting next to him, seeming shocked and confused by the whole situation. "Wait, so you're tellin' me that the same spider hybrid that kidnapped Rune before came back and wanted her to come wit' her willingly?"

Archer nodded. "And when Al got her to say who she was sent by, she said it was Rune's other uncle and dad." he added, Rune cringing behind him and feeling the feather tufts by her ears puff out. Please don't ask, please don't ask, please, on all that is left good in this world, don't ask-

"Well, if she didn't wanna go wit' her, it must means she likes us better, eh Rune?" Ewe remarked, grinning with a hint of sympathetic knowing behind her eyes.

Rune forced a small smile in return. "Yep!" she chirped, relief and discomfort mingling in her gut.

Archer rolled his eyes. "She must have a pretty shit dad to think Al is better," he teased, reaching toward the front to poke Alastair in the shoulder. Rune's discomfort melted away at the taunting quips, the joking making her feel much more at ease.

"I dunno, you turned out just fine," Alastair remarked, shrugging his hand away.

Archer snickered. "You sure it was you that did that and not the basement?" he quipped back.

Alastair groaned. "Shut up." he grumbled, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror for a moment before back to the road.

Rune turned towards her window, resting her head against the glass. Imagine if I was a real bird and couldn't see glass, she pondered to herself, almost finding the thought amusing as she tuned out the bantering. Outside was the most northern part of Westside. It looked bad, with old buildings that were too tall making it look like anything could fall over, but she knew the insides of said buildings looked much better, and if they were in Eastside there would be no such reassurance. Eastside was for the petty criminals and cat burglars and pedophiles – essentially, it was where you got away with things. No one in Eastside could be trusted, because if they were thriving there, they were some of the worst scum of the nation. At least, according to Rune's father.

He'd told her stories of all this, but Rune had actually seen very little. Maybe it was a good thing to have never gone to pedo town, but that was one of the many things Rune only knew existed from repeated hearsay. She'd also heard of Alastair before, or at least his group. The anarchists that hid in Westside. The only group that could pull it off, the most dangerous and horrible of them all.

But... they weren't horrible. Not at all. The worst of them was Alastair, from what Rune had seen, and he was just protective of his group. His hostility towards her had been justified; when you don't know who someone is or where they come from or what their intentions are, you're going to be suspicious, no matter who it is or their age. In another universe, Carson was the one who let her go to lead him right to them. The thought almost made her shudder, if she wasn't relaxed right now. So, Rune thought as she yawned, I guess I can kinda forgive him. Even if he scared the crap out of me.