The grass reminded him of home, which was silly because all grass looked the same out there.  What was that saying?  The grass is always greener on the other side?  Other side of what?  Back home the grass was green and always growing even in the winter at times.  It was full and rich and smelled like the Earth and he could remember rolling around in it as a child.  The tickling on his face as the wind would roll through like a stranger.  The sounds of nature all around him as he counted clouds in the sky, never knowing where one began and the other ended. 

He would lie out there and wait until the sun kissed the world goodnight and allowed the moon to rise as guardian and watch over the small village he called home.  As the stars begun to dance he would count them instead, wondering if the clouds were jealous because they could no longer be seen.  He would wait until at last his mother called him inside, the promise of dinner on her lips.

This grass was brittle and yellow and crunched when he walked on it though. 

So why did he think of home?

The stoic face didn’t change as these thoughts ran through Cero’s mind.  He’d suppressed so much already and yet he couldn’t seem to let memories such as these go.  There was magic in the mind as far as memories went.  You could forget something for decades and never consider revisiting them and in the blink of an eye something could bring you right back to that day.  A sight, a smell, a touch, a phrase.  Anything could do it without warning and your heart would ache.

Cero’s heart seemed to ache all the time. 

It didn’t matter how many times he’d tried not to think about something.  It didn’t matter because his memories were filled with things like grass and clouds and stars.  Unless he was planning to live in a cave his whole life, there was no avoiding these things.

His feet crunched over the dying grass until it suddenly was silent.  Cero’s eyes scanned the horizon, thankful for the auditory break.  A desert lay in wake before him, beckoning him to join the dunes.  There was no grass out there.  No clouds in the sky, no rivers to chase; only the heat from the sun and promise of death in a wasteland.

Anyone going into the desert would bring a horse or camel with them, maybe something a bit more mystical.  They’d have at least twenty canteens of water and several cases of food since there would be no hunting out there.  Any less and you would be put at risk. 

Cero glanced at his side pouch where his only jug of water dangled.  It had been sloshing as he moved, meaning it was half emptied by now.  He had with him a few strips of dried meat and a couple warm berries that by now were probably mush in his pocket.  He had layers of block on under the chainmail armor he wore to keep himself safe.  A heavy cloak rested on his shoulders, secured by a jade pendant he never removed. 

Were he to attempt to travel through the desert he’d be deemed a fool.  He would hardly last a few hours let alone a day or the week it must take to go through the whole thing.  Even so, the threats of reoccurring memories were at his back.  It was either go forward, or go back.

And Cero never looked back. 

2: Chapter one – Kikuko

Cero thought he was seeing things at first.  He’d been traveling through the desert for several hours now and was regretting every second of it.  It was hot, humid, not even a cactus in sight to steal a bit of shade.  There was no breeze and any that did come was cruel and unwelcomed.  Aside from dried bones, he hadn’t seen anything around.  He hadn’t even seen any buzzards in the sky, which made him question the dried bones even more.  Were they picked clean from some other animal that had long passed on?  Or were they merely dried from the desert itself…

That was why he found it odd to be seeing the small creature sprawled out in the sand like that.  It was a child, six or seven years old from the looks of it.  She was obviously human with her light crème colored skin and rounded ears; quite the opposite to his navy blue skin and pointed appendages.  She had flushed cheeks but other than that she didn’t seem to have much other color.  She must not have been there long or she’d be much pinker. 

Cero looked around trying to see if a caravan had gone by and lost her by chance but he didn’t even see tracks in the sand.  The situation all around seemed quite odd.    He considered walking off and leaving the child but even he wasn’t that heartless.  He knelt down and nudged the girl gently.  When she didn’t wake or react in any way, he went a little harder in his shakes. 

“Hey” Cero hissed under his breath.  It’d been so long since he’d spoken out loud, he’d almost forgotten what his voice even sounded like.  “Hey,” he repeated.

This time the girl made a soft groan and her eyes twitched in response.  Okay, she is alive.  Cero thought to himself as his mouth pursed into a tight frown.  Now if only he could get her up.  Again he considered leaving her, thinking it was more trouble than it was worth.  Instead, he picked her up and placed her on his back.  She was even lighter than he thought she’d be, which was saying something considering he didn’t think she’d weigh much at all.  The girl stirred a bit but was still passed out. 

Cero let out a long sigh and squinted up at the sky.  It must have been high noon because the sun was overhead and there were no shadows under him.  Perfect. 

He started walking again, regretting the second choice he’d made that day.  The girl was light but that didn’t make it any cooler on his back.  She was radiating heat, probably from baking in the sun all day.  She was wearing a large cotton shirt and baggy shorts, both of which were obviously not made for her.  Cero was envious for a brief moment, especially when he considered the heavy garbs he was sporting in.

The sound of his water jug sloshed at his side, the girl hummed and groaned in his ear as he made his way through the desert.  Sweat beaded off his forehead and he considered trying to capture it and save it for later to drink.  If he boiled it then it would at least be sterile but then he thought that no water was better than drinking hot water.  If he got desperate enough maybe.

           

Cero eventually had lost time in all his walking.  The sun was shifting so he knew time must be passing but he could barely think about it.  He felt like his brain was frying in the heat and every once in a while he had to stop and shift the girl on his back to see if she was alive still.  A tiny inner voice told him to drop her and leave her there.  Maybe even chop her up and use her as food to survive out there.  He’d heard stories of night elves eating humans before…

The girl let out a soft groan though, her tiny hand twitched slightly against him and the humanity side of his brain won out.  He did stop though, setting the girl down briefly.  He removed his cloak and lay it down then put her on it so she wouldn’t burn on the sand.  He then dug a small hole just to get rid of some of the hotter layers, not that it did much.  It was a little cooler though and that’s all he wanted.  He took his water jug, popped off the top and took a swig.  He wanted to drink more but he knew better than to drink too much.  It was lukewarm and didn’t quench his thirst anyway.

Cero glanced back at the girl who seemed to be doing a bit better.  With only a moment of hesitation, he shook the girl like before, only this time he meant to wake her.  “Hey,” he said sternly.  His voice was hoarse from the heat. 

When she still didn’t wake his frustration got the better of him.  He grabbed a tuff of her hair and pulled.  The girl screamed out in surprise and opened her eyes startled.  Cero pulled his hand back without an apology.  “Wh-what’d you do that for?”  The girl asked.  He was surprised she could talk at all. 

“Drink,” he said holding out the water jug. 

The girls’ eyes went wide as she looked at him then to the jug in his hand.  She lunged for it, pressing the mouth to her own lips.  Immediately the water rushed down her throat.  Cero jumped up and snatch it away from her but it was too late.  She’d drank it all.  He narrowed his eyes at her as his long elven ears pressed back in annoyance.  “It’s warm,” the girl stated as she wiped her mouth.

“That was all I had,” Cero hissed but the girl didn’t seem to even register what he’d said.

“You’re a night elf huh?”  She asked looking over at him, “I’ve never met a real night elf before.”

Cero thought he was hearing things.  They were in the middle of a godforsaken desert with no water and no shade and the first thing she does was bring up his looks?  Was she an idiot or something?  He shook his head and put the cap back on the canteen, tying it to his waist once more.  He prayed they would find some kind of oasis soon.

“It’s hot,” the girl said when he didn’t respond right away.  Cero raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief.  Maybe she’d been out there longer than he thought.  Her brain must have been fried.  “I’m Kikuko by the way,” she said smiling over at him. 

It was strange but for some reason Cero was just noticing she wasn’t sweating.  The entire time he’d been carrying her, she was hot, but he didn’t notice her perspire.  Meanwhile he was dying from the heat.  He just shook his head and looked up at the sky.  The sun was starting to go down so at least it’d be a little cooler but with no water, they were still toast.  Literally.

“You don’t talk much do you?”  The girl said tilting her head.  Her hair was long and messy and in two odd shaped braids.  It was blue too, which seemed odd for a human but Cero didn’t really question it.  Now he was wondering if the girl was human at all.  He shook his head and rubbed at his temples trying to think of the plan now.  They could move after the sun went down and sleep during the day but it would be risky.  Not only that but there was still the question of where they would get the water to survive…

As Cero pondered that question, the little girl continued to babble on in the background.  When he finally retuned in, she was going on about her family and how they’d apparently been traveling through the desert when she got lost.  “…I just went exploring and the next thing I know, I’m here with you!”  She exclaimed.

“Truly a mystery,” Cero said in exhausted sarcasm.  Who went exploring in a desert anyway?  He would have left her too.  She really was useless to him.  No food or water on her person and too small to be any good at navigating.  Or was she?  “How are your navigating skills?”  He asked almost too hopeful.

“My what?”  She asked tilting her head.

Cero felt himself deflate.  He reached into his side pouch and pulled out a crinkled odd map.  He was careful to unfold it as a faint breeze went by.  He squinted his eyes to keep sand out, waiting for it to pass.  Once it was gone he set the map down and looked it over.  The girl scooted closer to take a look; he almost pulled it away out of spite. 

Instead he rested his finger on a blue dot dragging it across the map and to an obvious wasteland.  Everywhere he’d been had a blue dot and from the looks of it, he’d been a lot of places.  One area was circled in red.  “Is there where you’re going?”  The girl chimed.

Cero ignored her as he mouthed some kind of equation under his breath trying to calculate how long it would take to get through the desert.  If he was doing the math right then it was a three-day journey counting what he’d done thus far.  Honestly, it could be much worse but the fact he was still out of water made it impossible.  “You don’t have water on your do you?”  He wasn’t counting on it but the voice in his head told him to ask her anyway.

Just like he thought, she shook her head.  He let out a groan of frustration and folded the map back up, putting it away.  He looked up at the sky and noticed as the moon came out so did a couple tiny night clouds.  Cero felt his heart skip a beat.  Maybe it would rain and he could gather the water.  At the very least it would be cool for them.  A smile threatened his lips but he pushed it back knowing better than to get excited.

“Hey, clouds!”  The girl exclaimed as noticed them as well.  She laughed like a maniac and got up dancing around.  Cero was baffled by her energy in the heat.  Children sucked.  If only he could bottle that energy and use it for water.  Somehow he doubted it would taste very good anyway. 

As a few more clouds rolled it, he began to relax a little more.  The plan hatching in his mind said to sleep for a couple hours then get up and continue.  If he slept in increments of two hours then maybe he could cut the travel time in half.  It would still be a pain and still be tough but it was that or they died out there.

“I’m going to take a nap,” Cero said starting to lay down in the slightly-cooler-sand.  “You keep watch for a few hours.  If something happens, wake me without hesitation.”    He closed his eyes and folded his hands over his face to keep the sand out.

He heard the girl moving but he ignored it.  “You got it mister!”  She said after long last and exhausted from walking all day, Cero fell asleep.

 

Cero… 

Cero wake up.

Dear, it’s time to get up.

Sleepy head if you sleep all day then you’ll be up all night. 

Cero.

Cero…

 

Cero jolted awake, kicking sand up in the process.  He coughed as he sat up almost forgetting where he had been when he’d passed out.  The taste of sand was in his mouth and he could feel it deep in his ears.  A highly unpleasant feeling.  He rubbed his eyes and looked around, taking in his surroundings. 

The girl, Kikuko, was awake still, which surprised him in itself.  She looked over at him and smiled, “good morning,” she said then laughed, “or rather good night.”  She was right; the sun was gone completely now and even the moon was hiding behind a couple clouds so he couldn’t see it.  It was a little cooler though not by much.  It was still better than nothing. 

Cero yawned and stumbled too his feet; he hated feeling disoriented after waking.  His mouth was dry but with no water there was nothing he could do.  As he stood though, something his against his leg.  The emptied water canteen.  Except it didn’t feel empty.  Confused, Cero grabbed it and held it up. 

It was heavy.  It felt…  Full.

Even more confused, he popped the top off and without a moments hesitated brought it to his lips and tipped his head back.  Sure enough water came out and ran down his throat.  It was lukewarm but better than nothing.  It felt like a pit in his stomach but a full pit nonetheless.  Cero had to force himself to stop drinking before it was gone.  Carefully he put the top back on and looked over at the girl.

“Where did this come from?”  He asked thinking it was some kind of trick. 

The girl smiled with a secret and pointed up at the sky, “one of the clouds.” 

What the hell did that mean?  Cero wanted to ask but he was wasting time.  He shook his head instead and gathered up his belonging.  The girl helped him and in no time they were back on the road. 

The girl seemed right as rain at his side, humming to herself as they went.  She was a mystery to him in more than one ways.  She still had no sweat on her brow, her blue hair tangled around her, and the question of water made him curious to ask.  “Are you a nymph of some kind?”  He finally asked.

That startled the girl.  She physically jumped and paused a second before picking her pace back up, “what makes you say that?”  She asked and there was no doubt in his mind that she was.

“There were forest nymphs near the village I grew up,” he explained “they use to tell me that nymphs didn’t sweat.  Something about the way their bodies are made up.”

The girl carefully nodded, choosing her words, “maybe I’m just not that hot.”

“In a desert?”  Cero said in disbelief.  “Every nymph I’ve known has had brightly colored hair.  Purples, oranges, greens,” he paused as he looked at her, “blue.  Never known a human to have blue hair.”

“I like blue,” she said with a pout.

Cero’s theory seemed solid but then there was the question of her skin.  Most nymphs skin color matched their hair color.  Not only that but they often had elongated ears like he did.  This girl had peach skin and rounded ears like a normal human would.  Maybe she was a normal girl who just had blue hair.

“Never mind,” he said shaking his head.  The girls humming continued and neither of them spoke for a long time.

 

The dungeon was dark and musky like most were.  A dripped persisted in one of the back cells somewhere but no one said anything about it.  The only light came from candles hanging on the walls, most of which seemed to be running out of wax for the night.  A lowly guard paced back and forth through the prison, keeping watch of the criminals. 

Or rather, the criminal.

“You’ll wear a hole through the floor if ya keep pacing like that,” a voice said from the shadows.  The guard ignored it though and kept walking.  That made the voice laugh.  The sound of chains shifting echoed in the dungeon.  The guard tried to be indifferent but anyone could see he was nervous.  “How about you get me somethin’ to eat pal.  I’m pretty hungry.”

“You get fed every morning and every night.  You’ve already eaten for the day.”

“Oh come on,” the voice cooed, “if we were in each others positions, I’d throw you a bone.”

“No,” the guard said more sternly, only glancing to the cell in the back.  The drawl went quite for a long time as the guard continued to pace. 

“Maybe I’ll eat you,” he finally said before letting out a loud laugh.  “Maybe.  Maybe I’ll eat you when I break out of this godforsaken prison.  Would you like that?”  He laughed even louder and chilled the guard to the bone.  He sounded like a mad man.

Then again…  He was. 

3: Chapter two – Pawn

Cero didn't ask about the water after that first night. No more water came anyway so he figured it didn't matter. Like he'd planned, they moved at all times, taking small naps here and there. The girl would get tired too often so he'd ended up carrying her most of the time. In exchange, she kept watch while he slept; not that it mattered. They'd eaten all the food he had within the first day and were still hungry but there was nothing to eat. There wasn't even a sign of desert plants they could use.

They gingerly took turns drinking the water but neither enjoyed it. The water was about as hot as it could be without boiling so they only drank it when they needed the hydration. Two nights came and went and on the third day of non-stop moving Cero began to doubt his map reading skills. Apparently he was wrong about getting out of there soon.

While Kikuko still didn't sweat, she was starting to show exhaustion. Aside from constantly sleeping, she'd stopped talking; partially because Cero wouldn't talk back.

Cero noticed that the desert clouds stayed in the sky now but they produced no shade or water. If anything, they just blacked out the moon at night, which was more hindrance than help. It was the third night when Cero finally decided it was time to just give up. The gnawing in his stomach was growing worse and the warm water wasn't satisfying him in any way. His will power was strong and his feet refused to stop but he was ready to call it quits. Just as he slowed his pace he heard it.

There was a loud screech somewhere not far off. His ears twitched and at first he thought he was hearing things. Then he heard it again. His eyes scanned over the sand dunes but the moon being blocked made it hard to see much. "What was that?" Kikuko asked on his back. She rubbed her eyes and yawned as the screech picked up again.

"Not sure," Cero said licking his lips. They were cracked and bleeding from the heat. He mustered more strength and picked up the pace until he finally saw it. The cut off where sand melted into dirt and opened to a clearing where trees stood tall and proud.

They'd made it.

Cero wasn't one to get emotional but the sight made him choke as he went even faster. Adrenaline burst in his veins and he forgot all about the wasteland as he finally reached it. His feet were instantly glad to be off the hot desert sand, able to finally relax. Without thinking, Cero collapsed to the ground and took a deep breath in the dirt.

Kikuko was shouting something behind him, probably complaining about him dropping her when he fell, but he didn't care. He'd never felt so… Relieved. He closed his eyes and just took in the soil. The coolness of the new scenery. His ears twitched as a bird screeched overhead and flew off. That could have been dinner, Cero thought to himself but honestly he didn't care.

"Cero, do you hear that?" Kikuko asked before going dead silent. Cero reluctantly sat up and listened. At first he heard nothing but the night air and then another sound picked up. It wasn't close but it wasn't far off either. The sound of trickling… "Water!" The girl exclaimed; it seemed her energy was back.

Cero forced himself to stand though he stumbled at first. He looked around but in the dark it was still too hard to see. The girl rushed ahead of him going for the source of the sound. The night elf quickly went after her suddenly realizing how thirsty he was.

It wasn't long before they found it hidden amongst the tall pine-like trees. A stream that dropped into a shallow pool only big enough for the child to fit. Cero wasn't sure where the water was coming from but he assumed there was a river somewhere that the ravine branched from. Without thinking, he dove for it. He cupped his hands together, dipped them into the pool and brought the water up to his lips. As he drank, the water spilled out of his mouth and rolled down his chin but he didn't care. He continued to drink and drink until finally he couldn't anymore.

Cero fell onto his back and stared up at the sky; stomach full and heavy. The girl was still drinking from the sounds of it but he wasn't really paying attention. In all of his travels thus far, that was the hardest he'd had to endear but even so…

He'd survived.

 

After sleeping the rest of the night and drinking more water in the morning, Cero found they'd slept under a honey apple tree. Even though they were about the size of the girls' head, he still ate three of them. Looking over the map, it seemed the nearest village wasn't far from there. While Cero himself had no money, he never worried about how he'd gather supplies.

"I never thought we'd get out of there," Kikuko said contently sitting back. She'd barely eaten one of the apples. "That was horrible!" Cero wanted to point out that he was the one who did most of the work but he didn't. He just shook his head and leaned against one of the trees.

"What were you doing out there anyway?" He asked now that his head was clearer.

"I told you," the girl said sticking her bottom lip out in a pout. "I was traveling with my family and wandered off and they left me."

"Some family," Cero muttered distastefully.

Kikuko frowned but slowly nodded, "they're a lot of performers in our troupe. They probably just didn't notice I was missing." Both Cero and her seemed to know that was an unlikely story but neither said it out loud. "I bet they're in the village though." She said with a faint smile.

Cero wanted to tell her she wasn't invited to go with him but he'd brought her this far. What was a little further going to kill? Besides, she was an idiot. She'd die out there without him. "Cero, what are you traveling so much for?" She suddenly asked.

The night elf tensed a bit not sure if he should answer or not. "I'm looking for someone," he said simply. She stared at him as though expecting him to say more but he didn't. He was going to suggest they continue moving but his body ached. Another few hours of keeping off his feet wouldn't hurt.

"Is it a girlfriend?" Kikuko asked with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Cero narrowed his eyes, as he stared at the ground, "no."

Again Kikuko waited for him to say more but he didn't. She let out an annoyed sigh and stared up at the sky. Neither said anything for a while and then she spoke, "we haven't seen the moon for a few days huh?" She said thoughtfully. Cero raised an eyebrow not sure how to answer that. "I mean… It was there but it was hiding behind the clouds," she said smiling over at him. "Weird."

Cero wanted to point out that the girl was weird herself but he didn't. He wasn't a big talker and he wasn't about to start now. More silence fell between them to which Cero gladly closed his eyes to rest more. The girl, however, was obviously not enjoying it. "I want a boar bun," she said randomly. Cero opened his eyes fairly annoyed looking. She smiled at him, "in the village. If they have them. You know, the big puffy buns with boar meat inside? They're so yummy!"

Even after eating so many honey apples, Cero's stomach still growled at the thought of having meat. He wasn't a big hunter; usually he left that kind of thing to other people. In fact, Cero had never hunted in his life. The dried meat he'd been carrying was something he picked up in another village. His mom was a vegetarian so by proxy he grew up the same way.

Kikuko laughed, "your tummy growled," she pointed out. Cero narrowed his eyes in a half-pout, half-scowl as he covered his stomach. "How much money do you have anyway?"

Cero didn't move for a while after she asked, then shifted and grabbed his pouch. He opened it up and dug around, pulling out three copper coins. He showed them to her to which he got a dissatisfied look. "That's it?" She asked.

"How much do you have?" He asked bitterly as he put the coins back. This girl was seriously starting to piss him off.

"I'm a little girl. You're an adult and you should have money," she said as though it was obvious. He just ignored her as he sat back again. He didn't care about money. He'd never needed to worry about it. "Are we going to go soon?" She said breaking the silence yet again.

Cero let out a long dragged out sigh, "soon." He said just wanting to find her family so he could be on his way again. Just him and no one else.

He didn't need anyone else.

 

The town wasn't very far away and at first Cero wondered how a town could be thriving out there that close to a desert. He imagined dust storms and dry spells hit so often it'd be impossible to get business. While there was that stream and patch of trees along the border, he still couldn't imagine people living that close to the heat. Then they saw it.

The town had a large wall bordering around the front area in a half circle with a small opening for people to go in and out. Cero was actually quite impressed with it. The town could keep out the sand storms and the wall would provide excellent shade for most of the day; and being this close to a desert they must get amazing business from travelers like them who were in dire need of sustenance.

"Whoa," Kikuko breathed out as she looked at the wall. Cero said nothing as they passed through the opening and entered, what the sign said was called, Thunder Desert Town. The town seemed to be made of clay or brick hut-like buildings that circled around a large outdoor market. There were all kinds of noise as people bought and sold various goods. The town itself didn't seem to be that large, just confined. He could looked passed everything and see the exit to the nearby woods.

While most of the building were short, Cero noticed one large building somewhere off towards the West side where the wall vanished. It looked like some kind of official building of some kind. Maybe a small palace stay for when royals visited.

As Cero made his way into the market center, Kikuko's fascination seemed to wear off because the next thing he heard was a loud "I'm hungry! Can we get something to eat? I'm thirsty too. Do we have any more water?"

The night elf wanted to slap the girl as she complained. No one seemed to notice them as they walked through. Or rather, they noticed them, but it was more they noticed their presences. Venders behind crudely set up booths would call out to them to come look at their goods but when they ignored them, they'd simply move onto the next warm body. Cero did notice that most of the people here were humans though he spotted a couple dwarves and half-human creatures mingling in the crowds. A night elf or two also went by which made Cero feel a bit more at ease.

Not everyone welcomed his kind.

"Cerooooo!" Kikuko whined a bit louder. Cero's ears twitched in annoyance but he continued to ignore her as he looked around. It seemed they were in the clothing area of the market. Most of the booths and venders were selling jewelry, desert clothes, heavy boots, wool caps everything in between. He could smell something delicious and followed it until they got to the more edible goods area. There were all sorts of delicacies, which only made the child whine louder.

Fruits, veggies and meats from that area were on display for everyone to see. They were odd but all looked delicious. Then again, a leather shoe would look delicious if you were as hungry as they were. Cero spotted one booth that was selling the boar buns Kikuko had mentioned. He stopped in front of it and stared as though in thought about buying one or not. The girl lit up almost instantly as she stood beside him looking them over. "I want five of them," she exclaimed happily. Cero glared down at her but said nothing as the booth's owner smiled at them.

"Five huh?" He said grinning, "that'll be ten pieces of copper." He said starting to bag them up.

"No," Cero right away before turning and walking off. The owner seemed speechless over this, as did Kikuko. The little girl stood there a moment, expecting him to return but when he didn't she chased after him.

"Cero! I'm hungry!" She cried out. He just ignored her as he made his way through the crowds, weaving around until he slipped into a small nook. He cautiously looked around then sat down, waiting for the child to catch up. Though if she didn't manage, he wouldn't complain. "Ceroooo!" The girl whined as she found him and sat. "I'm hungry! I won't get five, I'll only get four but I'm hun-"

Cero opened his cloak and presented three of the buns to her. Kikuko stared at him in shock. "You get three," he said annoyed, thrusting them onto her lap. "Now shut up and eat." He said taking another bun out for himself. His smelled kind of sweet and turned out to be some kind of pork and yam bun. He ate silently as the girl continued to just stare.

"I didn't see you pay for these," Kikuko said as she picked one of the buns up. She wanted to say more but the gnawing in her stomach got the better of her and she popped the bun into her mouth instead. She said nothing as she happily ate it but the second it was gone she shouted, "you stole them!"

Cero immediately reached over and clamped his hand over her mouth, narrowing his eyes. Thankfully no one seemed to hear them. "Are you an idiot?" He hissed, "do you want to go to jail?" The girl shook her head rapidly. "Then don't say that out loud." He slowly removed his hand and went back to eating.

The girl just stared at him in disbelief, as though he'd just openly admitted he'd murdered someone. Also a crime, but far worse than stealing. "You stole them?" She said quieter this time, "but that's against the law."

"We don't have enough money to waste on food," he shrugged. "Everyone needs to eat. He won't miss them." He said casually as he popped another bun into his mouth. She just kept staring at him like he'd betrayed her. He wasn't about to say another word on the subject though, less someone did start listening in on their conversation.

"But Cero that's wrong," she said sounding ready to cry.

"Eat it or don't. It doesn't matter to me," Cero said feeling much more satisfied. "Why don't you go look for your family," he said a tad more bitterly than intended. The girl looked down at the buns, somewhat hurt, before quietly eating them.

 

"You think I can get some real food in here?" The figure groaned as he tossed his plate against the wall. The grey slop splattered against it and sent even the roaches away in disgust.

"You eat what we give you," the new guard said narrowing his eyes. He carried a spear with him which was a step up from the other guards who usually only had hand swords. Neither weapon would help them though.

"What happened to my friend from last night?" The prisoner grinned like a cheshire.

"You're friend requested a new assignment. Something less life threatening like the front lines." The guard said bitterly.

It only made him smile more, "awe all that because of lil' ol' me?" He mocked in a southern bell kind of accent, batting his eyelashes. The guard pointed the spear towards him and he laughed like usual. They guard stood there a moment before pulling his weapon back before returning to his post.

"Can't wait until they finally execute you… You're nothing but filth."

"Sticks and stone cap'," the figure said leaning back. He talked big but he was starting to get hungry now. Even if he did eat the paste it wouldn't satisfy his hunger for real food. "You know, when I get out of here, none of you are going to be happy. I'd relocate too, if I were you."

"You're not escaping out of here," the guard said sitting down. "No one ever has."

"Then I guess I'll be makin' history won't I?" He said as his red eye glinted in the light.

 

"I didn't see them anywhere," Kikuko said before plopping down somewhere off to the side. "I don't see the caravan anywhere either." Cero knew she wasn't as disappointed as she sounded.

He sighed and massaged his temples. This girl was giving him a headache and he didn't need one of those right now. Maybe he could just leave her there? At least she'd have food and water and she was a little girl, someone would take her in. The people here weren't heartless. "It's possible they already came through here then," he said thoughtfully "we could ask around and see if anyone knows anything."

Cero wasn't a people person, as if that were a shock to anyone. He hated talking to people, he hated interacting with people and yet because of this girl he'd been doing it a lot. But if it meant getting rid of his little problem then he'd talk to the whole city if need be.

The dark elf scanned the market and noticed most of the shops were starting to close for the day. Many of them called out for final sales until the next morning; most of the food stalls advertised half off items. Cero was tempted to steal some more but was too tired to worry about it. Across the way was a shop with no door and a sign that said 'pawn'. Maybe someone in there had seen the troupe of travelers.

Without a word, Cero made his way to the shop with the little girl tagging along behind. Inside the shop was flourished with all kinds of things. Giant ceramic pots and bowls, flower vases made of glass, wooden dolls hung from the ceiling collecting dust, huge wardrobes and dressers made a labyrinth to the front desk where an older woman was taking inventory. Cero was actually quite impressed by how many rare treasures were just sitting out.

"Wow," Kikuko gaped somewhere behind him, gazing up at all the things.

Cero frowned and carefully made his way through the maze. "Don't touch anything," he scolded.

"I won't," Kikuko said still in awe. The night elf continued to weave about when he passed a large portrait painted on canvass. He stopped and stared at it, his eyes suddenly narrowing dangerously. It was of a very familiar man. Cero reached up and clutched the jade broach as he stared back into the eyes of none other than Overlord Jarret.

In the portrait, he was in a large throne room, smiling and seeming pleased with himself. A crown was placed neatly on his head, his deep blue eyes staring back at anyone who caught their attention. He wore royal robes, though Cero knew that was a mistake. The emperor was more a fighter and tended to wear armor rather than silks. He didn't even have his usual sword in the painting.

"Who's that?" Kikuko asked, slicing through Cero's thoughts.

"Overlord Jarret," Cero said without missing a beat. His eyes never strayed from the picture.

"Do you know him?" Kikuko asked looking from the canvass back to Cero.

The night elf seemed to hesitate then shook his head, "no. Not personally."

Kikuko tilted her head looking back at the painting, "what's that mean?" Cero didn't respond though, he simply turned and stalked off. The woman at the front desk didn't pay them any attention as she continued to write things down. Cero was only a few feet away, his mouth slightly ajar to speak up when there was a loud CRASH!

Cero and the lady quickly jerked their heads in the direction of the noise, though he already knew what it was. Sure enough, Kikuko was standing over a broken glass vase. The pieces were shattered all over the floor, the girl looking guiltily up at them with wide terrified eyes. "I didn't do it," she said and Cero paled at the slight.

"Shit," Cero said as he quickly went over and grabbed the girl. He took off for the exit without looking back at the woman stood up and shouted something. In no time there were two bulbous guards skulking after them.

"Cero! We can't just run away!" Kikuko said as the night elf ran with her under his arm like she was a bag of potatoes. More shouting was heard from behind them as Cero picked up his pace, making it out of the shop and onto the streets.

"You broke the stupid vase!" He hissed as he frantically looked around. This would be so much easier without her there. "Do you have the money to pay for it?"

"Well no," she frowned as the guards headed for them. Cero took off down the main strip as people started to look and see what all the commotion was. "But if we explain to them it was an accident, I'm sure they won't punish us."

Cero growled under his breath as he turned the corner looking around some more. The rooftops might work… Maybe an alley way… But he had to lose the girl first and foremost. A few of the shops down this way had large canopies he noticed and an idea popped into his head. "Shut up, duck down and don't move," he said before throwing the girl up in the air. She screamed but landed on one of the top canopies. A second later, the guards came around the corner, pointing and shouted at Cero.

The night elf smirked and took off down an alleyway. Without the extra weight slowing him down it'd be easy to lose them. It was a turn down one way, a quick climb up another, a spin to the side and in no time the voices were gone. Cero ended up stopping down one alleyway, hiding in a barrel, and waited. He counted second by second until five minutes had gone by. When he didn't hear anything he slowly poked his head out and looked around. No sign of the big bad guards anywhere. Now he just had to find Kikuko and get out of the city without them finding him.

As he climbed out of the barrel, brushing himself off, he thought about it. Now would be the perfect chance to leave the girl. She'd be safer there and in the long run so would he. Brushing himself off, Cero started to make his way out of the alley, glancing up at the sky to see how long it would be until the sun went down. Instead of seeing the setting sun, Cero saw something else.

Behind the hues of orange and pink was a flag blowing a top one of the buildings. Somehow he'd made it to the large government building and on the top was a familiar flag. He narrowed his eyes once more, "Jarret…" He muttered staring at it. He shouldn't have been surprised this town belonged to the overlord. He was more surprised he hadn't realized it before. He must be getting close then.

Cero started to walk off when a familiar voice caught his attention. His ears perked a bit as he turned to see none other than Kikuko standing there. "Cero," she smiled. "I found you!" The night elf was stunned. He'd left her in the main street hadn't he? How did she find him so easily?

"Didn't I tell you to wait?" He asked somewhat annoyed.

"Well yeah but-" Cero turned and started walking away, ignoring her excuses. "Cero, wait for me!" She whined, glancing up at the sky. "It'll be dark soon and the moon will be out."

"That's usually what happens at night," Cero said sarcastically.

"Yeah but-"

"Looks like we've found you." Cero froze and turned back around. The entrance of the alley was now being blocked by a small group of guards. The night elf frowned as Kikuko screamed and clung to him. Slowly Cero went for his dagger but the guards were quick and raised their own weapons. Most had swords but two of them had crossbows. Both were aimed, locked and ready to fire. "You're coming with us you filthy night elf. Now drop your weapon!"

Cero hesitated but when one of the guards put his finger to the trigger he knew he had no choice. He grabbed his dagger and dropped it to the ground, his mind racing trying to figure out how to get out of the situation. "It was an accident!" Kikuko screeched at them, "the vase caught onto my clothes and fell. Honest!"

"We don't care about some stupid vase," another guard said with a cruel laugh. "You're the feared night elf Cero. We'd recognize your sorry face anywhere. We've been looking for you."

"Who? Cero?" Kikuko asked looking up at him, "what'd he do to you? If he stole something then he's really really sorry I'm sure." That made the guards laugh.

The head guard cleared his throat and stepped forward, pointing at the two. "Cero, you're under arrest for the attempted assassination of Overlord Jarret!"