Chapter Text
They’re running. They haven’t stopped running since they left the castle. They’re both panting. He’s leaning on her. He’s injured. She holds him to her body. He’s become a brother to her. She can’t let him get hurt. Trees brush against her body, scraping her. It’s nothing. She knows she can take it.
Footsteps. They’re gaining on them. They’re going to find them. They’re gonna have to go back. She doesn’t want to go back. He doesn’t want to go back. It’ll be worse. They have to get away.
They reach the market. There’s a lady running a stand. It’s brimming with junk. She pulls a key from her hair. She scoffs in confusion. If they weren’t running for their lives, she’d ask if he had a spare snail to buy one of her weird items.
“The Owl Lady,” he explains.
Her eyes widen. He’s mentioned her before, in passing. Apparently, she has a portal. The lady presses the key. A door appears. This might be their only chance. She pushes past the lady, pulling him with her.
“Hey!” she cries. They’re too fast. The Owl Lady never registers their identities.
When they enter, it’s raining. She flinches back. He holds her hand as he exits the building. The rain is cold. Freezing, even. She didn’t know rain could feel like that. Then again, she hasn’t felt the boiling rain before, either. If it weren’t for him, she probably never would.
“Where… are we?” she asks, weakly.
He looks around. “I think… we’re in the human realm…”
“I heard something, Mamá!”
Her eyes grow wide. They have to run. He crumples to the ground. He got hit too hard.
“Go,” he tells her. It’s commanding. He never uses that voice with her.
“I…” She wants to run. She has to run. “You didn’t leave me behind,” she reminds him. “I won’t leave you behind.”
He nods weakly. She knows he’s trying really hard not to cry. She knows he’s learned to hide his emotions.
“Mamá!” There’s a girl. She’s about their age, maybe a little younger. Copper skin and hair in messy braids. “I think there are some kids! They look hurt!” The girl leans over them. “Are you guys- Woah! Cool costumes!”
She grunts. She supposes humans don’t wear cloaks with triangular clasps. He showed her how to make the perfect disguise. To any demon, she’d be an ordinary scout. He groans, looking up at the girl.
“Don’t worry,” the girl tells them. “My mom is coming! She’s got some dinosaur bandaids.”
She doesn’t know what a dinosaur is. She gets the feeling this girl isn’t a threat. She feels warm. He doesn’t want to trust her. He knows he trusts too easily. The girl seems so genuine. He wants to trust her.
The girl smiles. “I’m Luz. What’re your names?”
“I’m N- I’m Vee,” she chokes out.
If she’s compromised her name, he might as well, too. “Hunter.”