The Musical Future

[chibi_blue_mouse]

"And then there'd be no reason for you or your sister to be separated. To have to hide." he said, smiling as he pulled her up. It was then that he felt a sharp pain in his thigh and he fell down, an arrow embedded deep into his leg. A group of people, not soldiers, but bandits swarmed from hiding places nearby, three of them made a bee-line for Kyria, grabbing her and holding her fast, pulling her away from Kendall who was being restrained by two others who clearly didn't trust him despite the other being injured

"Hear that boys? She's on the run. Has a sister. Doesn't look like her at the moment, but she must be the one the king and his soldiers have been searching for." said one of them as he sauntered over to Kyria, brushing a hand down her face. "A pretty thing too. Fetch a good price, I'll bet." he said to the chuckles and laughter of his men.

"Don't touch her." Kendall growled, ignoring the pain in his leg to pull against his captors.

The bandit leader frowned and looked at Kendall, his face showing no recognition for the lost prince. "Hm? Oh yes, you're her bodyguard aren't you. Shouldn't have left quite so early from that inn. Draws unwanted attention you know." he said with a grin before pulling a knife and stabbing Kendall in the stomach, causing the prince to drop, the two bandits no longer bothering to hold him. "Leave him boys. He won't last long, and besides . . . we've got our prize." he said, turning back to Kyria.

The bandits produced a rope and tied Kyria's hands behind her back before leading her away, the six of them surrounding her, not wanting to lose their prisoner.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Shade~" Kyria cried struggling against her captors. Where was Pendragon? She thought. She watched in horror as Kendall went down. She saw blood and went limp. She started to chant. Some useless chanting but she knew to bandits it would sound like witch craft. She looked up at the leader a smirk on her lips as she chanted. Gods she hoped this worked.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

The leader just looked back at Kyria with an eyebrow raised before nodding to one of his boys who was right behind her. A cloth came down and was shoved in her mouth before being tied behind her head, gagging her. "Thank you Dimitri. That was getting annoying." he said, smirking, turning back to face front. "Let's go. The trading post isn't too far off." he said, and the hands that were leading Kyria tightened on her, pushing her forward, forcing her to move faster.

Kendall, meanwhile was lying on the ground, in a whole lot of pain. He knew he had to get up. He had to get inside so he could have his wounds healed before going after Kyria . . . He had to go after Kyria. He couldn't let her be sold to his father. He wouldn't have her be a slave in the palace . . . he'd lose her forever if that happened . . . With a groan, he started the painful attempt to get up, his abdomen screaming with pain, his leg a close second as he had to put weight on it to try and get up. Maybe that was a bad idea. He collapsed again and panted, feeling a bit light-headed. He was losing a lot of blood. The wound in his gut was bleeding freely, and he had to keep one hand on it to keep his insides from spilling out. Bandits! He'd been so concerned about ordinary people finding Kyria that he never even thought about bandits! And so close to Pendragon's house too! He hated the man, but he had felt safe to be near the house. He rolled over to be able to put his weight on his good leg, switching hands to keep pressure on his stab wound. With a great amount of effort he pushed himself up. His world was spinning now, but he blinked away the darkness threatening to close in around him. He had to get inside!  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Kyria growled around the gag. She had to go back to that state. A state that would not allow her to break and write music. She would not help them promote their violence. She was not going to submit. And she prayed that Kendall was still alive. If he was still alive, there was hope.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Kendall collapsed, only a couple of feet from the door, but that was too far away. No . . . it couldn't end here. Kyria had said there was hope . . . wasn't there? His head lifted and he thought he saw the door open before he blacked out. But maybe . . . that was just the light of hope . . . going out.

When he woke up, he was in a white room, on a bed with off-white sheets. He began to sit up, only to feel pain shoot through his stomach. He groaned, freezing in place until the pain dulled. Okay. Pain was good. Pain meant he wasn't dead yet. He collapsed back into the bed. "What happened?" he groaned out.

"You, dear boy, nearly got both of us killed, and your lady friend has been captured by bandits." an elderly voice replied.

"Kyria!" Kendall exclaimed, his eyes shooting wide open as he sat up suddenly before groaning again, his face screwing up tight against the pain in his gut.

"Lie down and be still!" the elderly voice commanded him and two wrinkled old hands pushed him back down on the bed.

"But I have to go! Kyria's in trouble! I gotta-" he broke off suddenly as he saw who was tending to him. "Pendragon?" he asked disbelievingly. This was not the wizard Eugene Pendragon who had kidnapped him and cursed him. That was a middle aged adult who still had plenty of youth and vigor. The person standing above him was a withered old man whose face bore the wizard's aged visage.

"Yes. Why do you think I never left my house after I kidnapped you? I aged twenty years from that venture. Saving your sorry hide cost me fifty." Eugene Pendragon responded in short, curt tones.

"What happened to you?" Kendall asked, gaping.

"I found the secret to eternal life. But it comes with a price. I'm a prisoner of this house. My magic made this place, and it keeps me young, but when I leave it . . . and especially when I use magic outside of it . . . my true age begins to catch up with me . . ." Pendragon responded, frowning.

"How . . . how old are you?" Kendall asked, his eyes wide.

"One thousand, two hundred and sixty three years old." the wizard responded after a moments thought. "And eight months." he added after another moment.

"And you aged fifty years to save me?" Kendall asked.

"My body did. Yes. It's now about . . . oh, ninety, I suppose." Pendragon, said, waving a hand dismissively. "I can still live at ninety. Not nearly as easily as I had been living at fourty, but you, dear boy were at death's door. And as much as it pains me to admit it, your life is more important than mine." he said with a sigh.

"What?" Kendall asked, not understanding.

"I'm terrified of death." Pendragon responded, a sad smile coming to the wizened, old face. "Why do you think I want to live forever? That it was the one thing I chose to focus my magic on? But that's not important now. You'll be fit as a fiddle in about an hour. And then you can get up and chase after your damsel in distress." he said, smirking a bit.

"An hour?! Who knows how far they'll have gotten by then!" Kendall exclaimed, not liking that time frame. And then he realized something. "Wait . . . how long have I been out?" he asked.

"Three hours. And your friend is only hm . . . a half-hour away from the market. Don't worry though . . . I'm moving the house. You'll be at least a bit closer. And those bandits are taking a rest." he said, causing Kendall to groan. The next hour would be the longest of his life. Even with Pendragon's magic healing the wounds, he couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't a faster way for him to heal. He had to get to Kyria!

As Pendragon had said, three hours into their journey, the bandits stopped for a rest. Kyria had been tied to a tree and was under watch constantly by at least two of the bandits while the others prepared a meal or sat down and rested their feet. They were laughing and celebrating about how they'd soon be at the market and trading post and how much money they'd get for capturing the little witch. The leader, kept glancing at Kyria and smirking. This was truly a fine prize that his men had captured.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Kyria kept glaring at the men. She kept hope. For Kendall's sake. She'd keep hope. That's what Kendall would want. She kept thinking of Kendall. . . Had she really forgotten her sister? Her sister wouldn't save her, she was running. She was too far away. Kendall would help her, then she would get back to figuring out how to save him.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

The bandits finished eating their food and spent about 10 minutes getting ready to continue. Kyria was released from the tree, but was grabbed up and they made sure she couldn't escape. 15 minutes into the restarted journey, the sound of the market could be heard. The bandits went straight to the slave seller's auction and jumped up on the stage, ignoring the protests as they pushed Kyria up there. The leader pushed the auctioneer aside. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Soldiers take note! What we have here is one of the rarest people in the world. You've heard of that girl that our horrible neighboring kingdom has captured. She can see the future. This is the girl who writes the future! Who wants her?!" he shouted out, pointing out people who were making offers, trying to get the highest bidder. Soldiers were engaging in the auction as well, usually they just stood aside and made sure no riots broke out, but now they were determined to obtain the girl and present her to the king.

Kendall growled as he watched the announcement happen from the shadows of a building. He hadn't gotten there in time to discretely take out the bandits and rescue Kyria. Now, it seemed he would have to make a scene. Donning a mask and hood, he started making his way around the crowd. He had a plan on how to get to Kyria without arousing suspicion.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Kyria's eyes hardened. Anger burned and hatred bubbled. The music promised horrifying deaths for them. That made her feel better. She listened to the music. At first it said the soldier up the back was going to get her, but then it changed to the melody she knew oh so well. . . She smiled with peace and just waited. The music that she'd dubbed "Kendall's Theme" played in her mind. He was here. She knew it. He would rescue her. If he did she'd kiss him.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

"Yes! 1,000 gold pieces from the soldier in the back! Will no one go higher?!" the bandit leader screamed, frenzied with greed.

"I got something for you." came a voice from the back. The bandit leader turned and got a sword through the chest. "How about your life?" Kendall growled. The crowd was in an uproar as soldiers began trying to work through the enraged crowd to the stage. Kendall slayed the rest of the bandits before grabbing Kyria and slicing the ropes that were keeping her bound. "Miss me?" he asked with a smirkish smile. "Come on." he said, grabbing her wrist, ready to run for it.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Shade." She breathed. "I knew you'd come." She said deciding to kiss him later. "Let's go quick!" She said following him when they began running. She gave him directions following the music. The music wanted her to be free.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Kendall grinned. "Well I promised to keep you safe, right?" he teased her slightly. He ran with her, using what he knew of the marketplace that he had learned from trying to stay hidden. He also listened to Kyria when she told him which way to go. "Wait." he hissed as he pushed her up against the wall, watching as guards passed by where they were, not seeing them since they were hidden in the alleyway.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"The music stopped." She breathed when he let up. Mild panic erupted from her chest. One minute it was there, telling them they'd not be free, but then when he pressed her against a wall it just stopped. Not even Kendall's theme played in her mind. No. . . what happened? Where did it go?  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Kendall covered Kyria's mouth with one hand as he turned back to her. "Shh. You don't need the music." he said softly, slowly removing his hand as he was sure she wouldn't just freak out and give away their position. "You don't need it, because I'm here. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." he said, smiling a bit  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Kyria nodded softly and hugged him for a moment. "I trust you." Kyria whispered to him. Now wasn't the right time either. Next time. "Where to now?" She asked pulling back moving a little deeper into the alley. Just for better cover so people wouldn't notice them. She wanted him to take her home, but she didn't know where home was. She didn't know where they could go. But he had a plan. She knew he had a plan. . . She hoped he had a plan.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Kendall smiled and then lifted up the nearby sewer cover. "It's not going to be pleasant, but it's better than being captured." he said with a hesitant smile. "Ladies first." he said teasing her a bit as he gestured to the sewers.