The Exceptions

New Guests

Lucian

"SHA-!" A shopkeeper yells. She stops once S signals to her to shut up.

"Don't draw any more attention than we already are Mak, we know I'm not well liked." S mumbles. "Kids, meet..."

"Don't you dare call us that!" Dawn protested as Lucian laughed.

"KIDS, meet Makalya. She's a friend of mine. Mak, meet Lucian, Dawn and Mirai."

"Firstly, you're plenty liked around here, don't even bother with that crap. Secondly, howdy! What can I do for y'all today?" Mak is around 5'8", super tan and gives off a super friendly vibe. She didn't look any older than her mid twenties. Her accent was unbelievably southern, given where they were. I guess that goes with the cowboy hat she wears.

"I'm here to cash in that favor you owe me." S replied.

Mak put on a confused face. "Well shoot, what do ya want me to do?"

"I need to have these three outfitted with something more appropriate than their uniforms, and can you supply three cloaks, fitted to them of course." S requested.

Mak breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank heavens. Yes. I will help them immediately. I thought you came around for...mphh." S's hand quickly flew out from under his cloak and covered her mouth. He chuckled a little. He definitely was caucasian, but he was also tan. His arm looked strong, and had a scars up and down it. He wasn't buff however. How does he stay tan under that cloak?

"No need to explain out loud I knew where you were going." Mak smiled as S removed his hand. She made a zipper motion across her lips. She laughed a little before turning to the escapees.

"Alrighty then, follow me!" She took them into a back alley and opened up a massive shipment container, like the ones Lucian saw back at the academy. The inside was lined with many different shirts, pants, skirts, shoes, dresses, hoodies, and much more. "Take a look around and choose what you think you might like. Y'all will have to take turns in the changing room. Unless they had y'all change together back at the academy." Mak winked and turned to leave. Mirai blushed, Dawn started laughing so hard, tears came to her eyes. Lucian called out,

"Hey wait! You know about the academy?"

"Well of course! Everyone here knows about that awful place. Everyone who escapes that place comes here. It has been fifteen years since the last break out though. Seven made it here, but three got caught and were killed. In y'alls uniforms, you must have shocked some of the residents here. Break outs used to happen all the time until the General took charge. When three people died, the break outs stopped. Until you three o' course. Now hurry up and choose!" Mak skipped away whistling a tune Lucian didn't recognize.

"Three people died breaking out? And it was fifteen years ago?" Mirai asked, panic filling her voice.

"Doesn't matter now. What matters is we all got out safe and sound. We have each other and old man S out there. I have a feeling we will be safe." Lucian reassured her. Dawn interjected,

"How can we be so sure he isn't there to harm us?"

"If he wanted to harm us he would have so already. I think we can trust him. I wish I could say this with certainty, but I sense he has a good heart." I hope.

"Well we better know how to defend ourselves out here. Who knows what waits for us."

"That's why I suggest we stay near S. He will prolly protect us." Mirai nodded her head in agreement.

"I say we stick with him until we get more answers. Let's grab some food and drink after this and hopefully he will answer our questions then." Lucian and Dawn nodded.