Hollow Truth

Zephyr's Fight

The crowd was suffocating. Zephyr struggled to get through the mass of bodies, but he found even pushing his way to the other side of the street near impossible. Elbows bit into his side, the pain spreading from his wound. There went his entire week of trying to heal. Panting, he managed to break free, pressing his back against the building he stood under.

He had to find Mabel. Whatever Ren had done to himself was clearly a result of attempting to find the girl. Zephyr wasn't quite sure as to why Ren felt she was in danger, but the conviction he had shook Zephyr to the core. Ren knew something Zephyr didn't. And that something led Ren to believe she was in danger.

Gathering himself, Zephyr scanned the crowd, examining the many faces that drifted past. He couldn't tell if this was where he had caught sight of her; the buildings all looked the same to him. Even if it was, there was no guarantee that Mabel would even be there. It was possible she was wherever her mother was. It'd take a miracle to find her.

Shoving off the building, Zephyr fought his way toward a large, ornamental fountain, somehow managing to get through the crowd with a little more ease. The street widened to get around the fountain, and few people loitered, all clearly chilled by the frosty air. He watched the people maneuver the square, keeping an eye out for Mabel. They weaved between each other as though part of some kind of amazing system, not one person touching another.

But the system was being interrupted. Zephyr watched as some escorts shoved people aside, making room for a man Ren had been so keen to describe. This noble wore a tasteless suit, brightly colored and much too vibrant for a man that age.

"It's impossible to find her in this crowd!"

"My lord, if you had taken her when you had the chance-"

"Are you ordering me around, Bartholomew?!" Lord Maxton's voice was strained as he stopped a mere twenty feet from Zephyr. The stream of people had returned to its normal flow, moving around the noble as though he was simply a rock in the path. Zephyr attempted to act as though he wasn't listening, nervously fidgeting with the hem of the shirt Ren had bought him.

"My lord, maybe it'd be best if we fanned out to look for her." The servant who had been previously scolded shifted, wringing his hands in a fashion not unlike Blake's. Look for her... It was just a coincidence they were looking for someone as well, wasn't it?

"How hard is it to find a little tramp in this pitiful town? Maybe Lord Baxter already took her into his custody." It wasn't a coincidence, then. Zephyr moved closer to the group, making sure not to look at them as he did so. Lord Maxton was threatening Mabel's life then. The reason still eluded Zephyr, but the fact that Lord Maxton was planning on killing a child was all he really needed to know.

"Sir Zephyr!" Mabel's high-pitched voice sent shivers up and down Zephyr's spine. Whipping around, Zephyr faced the girl, forcing a fake smile to his lips. Her large, brown doe eyes looked up at him, pure elation etched onto her ageless face. Zephyr cast a glance back toward Lord Maxton, relieved to see he hadn't noticed Mabel. Zephyr had to get her away.

"Hi, sweetie. Don't mind this, ok? I just need to go somewhere really quick." Zephyr pulled her onto his back, smiling as Mabel giggled. His heart pounding the beat to his footsteps, Zephyr pushed through the crowd, ducking down an alley and onto another practically empty street. When he felt they had gotten a safe distance away, he knelt down, letting Mabel slide off his back.

"Where's Money Man?"

"Money Man? Oh, Ren. He's resting somewhere. He's not feeling so great." Zephyr watched as Mabel tilted her head, her hands clasped behind her back. How could Lord Maxton kill something so innocent? It terrified Zephyr to think a noble would be willing to do such a thing. Were they all like that? Ren was clearly an exception, but...