Lowell

Chapter 1

It was a moonless night that Yuri's mother met his father. And it was a moonless night that tore Yuri from his parents forever.

In a small cabin at the edge of Zaphias, a woman was holding her newborn. A man with long raven locks looked at the sight in awe. This was his child. "He looks just like you." said the woman as she gazed at her infant.

The man laughed. "I was scared for a while there. But, looks like you both were able to pull through." He ran his hand over the child's head. "He has your eyes."

She kissed her son's forehead. "What will we name him?"

The man leaned back and tapped his foot as he pondered. "Hmm. I don't know." He bit at his upper lip as he tried to think of a good name. "I was so busy trying to keep us alive I didn't have time to think of one."

The woman sighed. She was exhausted. She not only had given birth but had been on the run and in hiding for a week now. But, it wouldn't be much longer. Soon they would go to Myorzo. They'd be safe there. Her son could grow up safe and well taken care of by the Krytian people. They just had to wait. "I want him to have your name."

The man paused and looked at his love questioningly. "You want our son to be named Lowell junior?"

The woman pouted. "I meant for his last name! Who'd be cruel enough to name their child Lowell junior?"

Lowell chuckled. "There are worse things to name a kid. I met a man once named Hunter Yeager."

She grimaced playfully. "Let's not be those kinds of parents." The man laughed and agreed heartily. One more week and they would be free. Just one. Her eyes struggled to stay open and she slowly drifted to sleep. Lowell kept watch through the night.

It was peaceful. Something Lowell had a hard time recognizing as of late. He thought of names. If the child would have a bit of his name he'd want his sire to carrying something of his mother. He spoke her name softly. A thought crossed his mind. Yes, that name would do nicely.

Peace didn't last of course. The next day as the moonless night seeped through the window Lowell heard the loud sounds heavy armor approaching. Hanna turned from the needlework she was putting into a blanket. He stood and readied himself at the door. "Hanna, get ready to run."

She clutched Yuri in the blanket and stood at the ready. She was afraid, but she had to stay strong. She had to.

The door burst forth and imperial knights charge forth. A growl erupted from the man's throat as he threw the knights back and managed to create an opening. She slipped through the men and ran. She could hear him drawing them men out of Zaphias. It was Hanna's job know to make sure that she made it to someplace safe. There had to be somewhere.

She ran and she kept running. And running. And running. The baby clutched to her chest crying. She kept running. At some point, she tripped over a rough patch of cobblestone. She couldn't keep this up. If Hanna kept going like this, they'd be killed. The knights couldn't be that far off her trail. Even if Lowell did his best to throw them off she could feel their bloodlust. Hanna didn't care if she died. She understood her crime, but her child was innocent. As much as wanted to believe she could outrun the imperial knights she knew they'd be caught sooner than later. She cried because this was the only thing she could think to do.

Lowell had said that their son would be safe in towns if nobody knew his parents. And Duke would come help. He promised he would. She had no doubt that the man would come for them. She shushed her child and did the only thing she could think to do.

Hanna stood with pain as she made her way toward an alleyway. She tucked him behind a dumpster and wrapped him tightly. "I'll be back soon." Her legs were sore from the running and her breaths came out heavy and tired, but she kept running. She needed to keep running.

A cry shook the air and Hanna halted in horror. No! It couldn't be!

Just keep running. She stopped as a figure stepped onto the street. She knew this man and that scared her. "Damuron?" Hanna trembled and tried to see another escape. "You too? I thought you would understand."

The man approached a hard-dead look in his eyes. "Hanna Quinn, for your crime against the empire it is my duty to sentence you to death."

She continued to step backward. She didn't want to die. "Please. Damuron, you have to see this is wrong! You know Lowell. He's a good person." He was barely even a foot from her.

"Where's the child Hanna?" He clutched her neck. This was the end. No helping it. "Tell me."

She struggled to breathe and tears spilled down her cheeks. "He's dead. He died in childbirth." She wheezed. "Sorry to disappoint you." This was her last defiance. Lowell was probably dead. And this man would kill her. There was nothing left to do now, but cry and hope her child would be fine.

Damuron's eyes closed in frustration. "I hate it when you lie Hanna." He dug his blade deep into her chest and watched the light fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry Hanna. But, it's better this way. You'll never be hunted again." The child was out there somewhere on the streets. Probably, not far off. The man knew he had to kill the child. It was his job, but the idea of killing a child didn't sit well with him. Maybe it be fine if he let the kid live. Chances were the child would die anyway. Yeah, an abandoned baby in the slums was pretty much guaranteed to die. He could leave that child to die by another's hands.

But, he still had a conscious and, dammit, he still wanted to follow it. The sound of other knights approaching sounded in his ears and he turned to the soldiers. They congratulated him and talked about how much of a pity it was to kill a beautiful woman. When the chance came, he slipped away and looked through the alleys till he heard a tell-tale cry of a baby. She'd stuffed the poor thing right behind a dumpster. A poor choice of hiding spots.

While Damuron's conscious was still there he didn't have it him to take responsibility. He'd told Alexei about the cabin. He'd been the one to mention the child. He'd been the reason they had been on the run for the past nine months. It was his fault, but this was better. The two couldn't hide forever. They were free now. Dead, but free. And it was for the best.

The baby kept wailing and he yelled at the infant in frustration. He couldn't take in the kid. Not under any reason. He went with the only option he could think of. It felt cliché, but it was better than nothing. He dropped the child off on the footsteps of a church.