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Cobs hit 40,000 reads. Holy hell, you guys are on a roll!

I hope this never gets old, but thank you to my front door and back a million times! (sorry, self-isolating, can't quite get to the moon)

Anyways, to celebrate, here is yet another update!

Three updates in two weeks... the world must truly be ending.

—————

          "Káel."

          Káel rolled his eyes, not even bothering to give Phantom a glance at this point.

          He'd silently slipped from his covers as soon as he heard Truvius' quiet snores, and Phantom had hounded him for the entire twenty minutes it took him to stuff every personal effect in his suitcase.

          "Káel, listen to the voice of reason."

          Káel couldn't help but grace Phantom with a single glance, slowly raising his eyebrows.

          "I get it. You're young, you think you can do anything-"

          Nope.

          Káel blotted out the rest of his speech. Any critique that started with his age wasn't a critique worth listening to. 

           He finished, silently sealing up the zipper and cracking open the drawer of his nightstand to grab the knife Zalius had gifted him, stuffing it in the rim of his pants.

          "Oh yes, stuff Cursimian in your pants, I'm sure he'll love the view."

          Káel scrunched his nose, tossing a look of disgust between Phantom and the blade, before making peace with the ludicrousy of his life and turning to the window.

          "Just- for one second, for one second think about what you're doing right now."

          Káel popped the latches, watching Truvius to make sure he didn't stir. 

          When he was sure he'd gone undetected he looked back at the foot of his bed, the small note still nestled atop a neatly folded uniform and combat suit. There wasn't anything to lose now. He'd made his choice in Samanthra's office, there was no going back even before he decided tonight would be the night he'd leave Cobalt for good.

          "Think of Puff."

          Káel stopped, his heart sinking ever so slightly as his guardian warbled at his feet. 

          Puff was safer in Cobalt.

          He didn't know if he'd even make it to his uncle.

          Káel stared down at Puff, clenching his jaw to keep it from shaking as he pulled through a soft whisper. "I'm not the friend you want Puff." 

          Puff snorted, biting down onto the back of Káel's shoe with a muffled warble.

          The nostalgia struck Káel in the worst way possible, every second he spent lingering on the dragon's misty eyes ripping into his heart as he quickly shoved open the window. Grabbing his suitcase, he kicked Puff off his foot and pulled himself through the thin gap. 

          Every warbling cry of his guardian echoed in his mind as he locked the path back up with insanctious, the panic thrumming in his chest as he knew it would be a matter of minutes before Puff woke up Truvius. 

          And as if nature itself even had something against his actions, the sky growled with the distant crack of thunder.

          Káel could feel a fat drop of water strike his head, the spitting blobs carried by a moaning wind and splattering all around him. 

          "It's not too late," Phantom said, his flattened tone void of the hope in anything he could say working.

          Káel silently grabbed his suitcase, running as fast as his slickening grip could carry him. The spitting drops had turned to a shower within minutes, shards of ice and biting rain striking at his back as another crack of thunder roared, splitting the sky just above his head.

          He was retracing Zalius' path with a spotty memory, the clunking suitcase behind him an obstacle he wished he didn't need. As he reached the edge of the first level of roofing, he took the distance with a single jump, pain zapping up his knees and ripping through his bandaged arm as the cut stretched at his wounded tendons. 

          The water was pooling, running alongside him like a hungry snake, waiting for the opportune moment to snap at his feet and send him toppling to his death. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't slow. Truvius could already be running to Sev's door to report him missing, the school could already be rounding up a pack of Molves to catch him before he even got a foot into the forest.  

          One misstep was all it took, the hungry snake clamping on his ankle as he slammed his foot down on a loose shingle. His legs gave out beneath him, a river of water soaking his arms as he tumbled with the current in a twisting blur. All he could do was keep his arms in front of his face, his body bouncing against edge after edge, unable to catch on the slick and ripping surfaces before he felt his body drift into a free fall.

          The side of the school.

          Káel could feel the wind slapping at his body, the familiar sensation of a suspended death taking over as the setting stilled. He wasn't surprised, and yet he was, sprawled inches above the grass with his eyes to the stars.

          His necklace had caught him, just like it did with Ray's hijinks.

          From the view Káel could see Phantom, slowly peeking over the edge of the roof as the rain fell right through him. "Oh Tesirus have my heart! I thought you were dead for sure!"

          Káel didn't reply, watching Phantom effortlessly leap from the roof.

          There was nothing quite like falling to your death to wake you up. He was grateful that his necklace had caught him a second time, every blur of stress and adrenaline sharpened to a point of reality he could finally grasp. 

          And wonder what the hell he was doing.

          "Come on! Where's that reckless speed gone off to?" Phantom boomed, clapping his hands over Káel's face. "Run out of all that self destructive angst?"

          Káel felt his body drop as the spell faded, pain tapping along his skin at every angle he'd struck the shingles. He felt like he'd dunked his head in ice cold water, and was now left to deal with the consequences of a night spent drunk with fear. 

           Phantom sucked in a wad of air when he saw the bandage on Káel's arm, red seeping through the soaked cloth to drip from his fingertips. "Ouch, you didn't think to bring some bandages, right?"

          "I don't have bandages," Káel growled, clenching his arm to slow the bleeding. "We need to get as much of a head start as we can."

          Káel braced himself against the wall to make it to his feet, taking a few wobbling steps towards his suitcase. 

          "Oh yes, let's smear blood all over the walls, that's gotta spook the teachers in the morning."

          "The rain will get rid of it."

          "It's going the wrong way for that," Phantom mumbled, following Káel as he grabbed his stuff and jogged down the field.

          But something was wrong.

          The wall of trees had already parted to make a path. The very path he had hoped to take to the village.

          Zalius?

          Káel slowed his jog, his necklace was warming, and something sinister was twisting in his gut. Something that screamed this wasn't the spirit helping him. 

          He instinctively felt for his phone before remembering it was dead. The object wasn't in the pocket he'd left it in. It wasn't anywhere.

          "Crap," Káel breathed. Karma was quick to the gun on this one. He'd abandoned his friend, so his phone would pay the price atop Cobalt's crown of deadly shingles.

         He made a quick light, casting its glow on the mouth of the trail to barely outline the rugged path and a pair of piercing lemon gold eyes.

          Phantom spoke Káel's mind as the small creature approached, fluffy tail swaying and eyes narrowed to watch him like a mere mouse to snack on. "Is that Blondie's cat?"

          Káel threw the ball of light down the path, his arms shaking as the rolling sight only illuminated trees and shrubs. But if Ragdoll was here, then Ray had to be close. Somewhere in the path that hadn't stayed opened by mere coincidence.

          Káel stepped away from the feline, making another light to shine up at the net of branches. 

         Empty.

          Káel took another step back, cursing his crunching steps.

          Where was he?

          "Káel!"

          Before he could check what Phantom's was yelling about two arms snatched him from behind, one of them pressing into his neck to cut the circulation. With a breathless gasp he dropped the light, clawing at the arm to loosen its grip as his mind filled with a foggy blur, Ray's voice reaching his ears like the icy droplets coating his clothes. "Just stay still and go to sleep."

          "Quick! Use insanctious!" Phantom yelled, the frustration clear in his body when he realised Káel couldn't talk. "Flip him over your head or something!"

          Káel planted his feet, his whittling strength unable to even budge Ray who weighed him down like a block of metal. He doubted he could lift the elite on a good day regardless, and could feel himself running out of options as his vision spotted.

          He felt like his head was going to burst, his body failing as his arms slipped from trying to pry away Ray's hold. Every sensation was slipping to numbness, aside from the single nipping pain of his fire hot necklace. A fiery warmth that all at once pulsed, its building energy thrashing out with a powerful shockwave that ripped the force off Káel's neck and clogged his ears with a sharp ring. 

          He felt the blood rush back to his head, hunched to the ground coughing while his body violently shook. 

          "God, you're so predictable. Wherever there's a problem you'll run from it!" Ray's voice ripped through the air.

          Everything was still foggy as he wobbled to his feet, watching Ray still cursing as he picked himself up from the dented tree he'd been thrown against.

          Without a clear plan in mind, Káel quickly drew Cursimian, shakily pointing the small knife at Ray while he slowly backed away. 

          Ray brushed a few twigs off his clothes, beholding the sight of Káel with a scoff. "You're not gonna stab me."

           "Well if you can repair yourself then yeah, I will," Káel retorted, taking a few steps back as Ray inched closer. "This knife is possessed, I wouldn't."

          He didn't flinch at the weak threat, smiling as he pulled small cylinder out of his pocket. "Did the voices tell you that?" he mocked, whipping the cylinder through the air to snap out a long baton that crackled with electricity. "Mine's not possessed, but it still hurts. Last chance buddy."

          "Go to hell."

          "Káel... Cursimian is great and all, but you need to know how to actually fight," Phantom muttered, backing up alongside Káel with every step. "You can just use-"

          "I know," Káel growled, focusing on Ray as he muttered insanctious under his breath.

          Ray immediately seized, the familiar spell ripping a growl from his throat. "What did you-"

          "It's called Insanctious," Káel chimed. "Watch. Drop the stick."

          Ray dropped the baton, shooting Káel a death glare and straining to move.

          "Sit."

          Ray dropped to his knees, while Káel looked on in pure amusement.

          "Káel, I think that's enough," Phantom cut in. "We should really run back to Cobalt now."

          Káel ignored Phantom, wincing in pain as he sheathed Cursimian and picked up the crackling stick instead. "So, what's it like to have a taste of your own medicine?"

          Ray stared at the tip of the baton, inches from nipping his face with a painful bite. "I'm trying to help you."

          "Help me..." Káel laughed under his breath. "Okay, how about you help me out and tell me who the hell you are?"

          Ray remained silent, pricking at Káel's irritation as he resisted every urge to shove the baton up a nostril.

          "Why you kidnapped me? Why you're made of metal?"

          Silence.

          Káel grabbed a chunk of Ray's hair, pulling his head up the lock gazes. "Then that settles it. You're not helping me, you never were."

          Ray held the stare, his lips pursed in silent frustration but his eyes filled with a strange glaze of pain. Káel dropped his grip, the press for time pulling his attention to grab his stuff and get out. Never knowing what was going through the blond's mind would have to be a worthy sacrifice for freedom. 

          "You die."

          Káel stopped, his hand just gripping his suitcase when the chilling whisper reached his ears. He looked back at Ray, his gaze drawn to the dirt where he'd pulled out enough strength to move his hand and draw.

          "Slowly. Painfully." He carved his finger through the dirt, the lines slowly forming the petals of a well drawn flower. Every line seemed to double a strange pain gripping his body, his hand completely seizing before he could finish with the center of the drawing. "That's what's waiting for you."

          Káel slipped his fingers along the handle of his suitcase, glued to the intricate half done drawing. 

          It was all a trap. 

          A final mind game Ray was playing to keep him in his hold.

          It had to be.

          "Káel."

          He snapped his attention to Phantom, unable to find a clue in the man's posture aside from shared surprise.

          Phantom pointed out of the trail, straight at the towering grey school that flickered with colours with every flash the sky gave it. "It's not too late."

          "I can't say more." Ray muttered. "Just do-"

          "Shut up," Káel felt a stab of exhaustion hit him, watching Ray as he strained to try and move his mouth. "You're lying. That's all you ever do!"

          "Káel!" Phantom hissed.

          "He is! He's lying!" Káel snapped, pretending to tug his suitcase out of a snag to channel his frustration. 

          This was insane.

          Nothing made sense.

          He had to go back to the one place that did. 

—————

          Káel could feel the sticky mud coating his pants, sitting just off the trail behind the cover of a fattened tree trunk. He was staring vacantly at the intricate details of the tiny whistle in his hand, using its strange fragile beauty as a distraction from the horrible, ugly mess around him. He planned to run all the way to the village, but using insanctious on Ray had done in his stamina completely. 

          He planned on finding a better place to hide too, but fresh scrapes covering his body and the ripped stitches in his arm were bound to attract more than unicorns.

          Ray was probably on his way over now. Running him down without breaking a sweat.

          "I don't think you should use that, the guy didn't exactly look like a nurse."

          He stared at the strange whistle, using it hadn't even been on his mind until Phantom mentioned it.

          Did this count as trouble?

          A sharp crunch came from the trail, Káel immediately pressing his body against the tree with wide eyes. 

          Ray was back.

          He slowly closed his eyes, silently sucking in a deep breath to keep his shivering body as still as it could get. The sounds grew closer, leaves scratching and boots clapping against the soup of mud and sticks all around him. 

          If he didn't know Ray wasn't coming to impale him,  this would have been worse than the queen. 

          The footsteps stopped next to him, but he didn't dare to open his eyes.

          Not until a questioning warble reached his ears.

          Káel stared at the little fluffy white dragon, soaked to the tuft of his tail and utterly exhausted. He'd gotten out somehow, and chased him down even after he'd kicked him off his foot and abandoned him. 

          He reached out to stroke the dragon's head, his voice cracking as his guardian let out a small purr. "How did you-"

          Vera came into view, dressed in a half strapped up combat suit and dragging an exhausted Truvius with, Talli just behind and giving everything around her a meter of dumbstruck distance. The three of them immediately locked onto Káel, nothing but disappointment on their faces when the surprise of his presence subsided. Vera dropped Truvius against a tree like a wet jacket, wringing out the soaked tangles of her hair in calmed silence.

          "Oh thank Tesirus, some brains," Phantom sighed, his relief the exact opposite of the panicked guilt pumping through Káel.

          "Why are you here?!" Káel snapped. "Go back to Cobalt before you get in trouble!"

          "Go back?" Vera scoffed, her voice pitched to hold back a demonic growl. "We rode Puff off the side of the school and placed five more sealing enchantments on Ray, and all your idiotic, ungrateful, scratched up skatbrain can say is go back to school?!" Vera kicked a blob of mud at Káel's leg, her nose scrunching to match Puff's indignant glare as she folded her arms. "Where's the thank you for salvaging my garbage plan, you guys are the best friends I can ask for! How did I live past ten without you guys?"

          Káel blinked. "I didn't-"

          "Where is it?"

          "Just a..." Truvius lifted his finger. "Can we... Take a tinsy break?"

          "No!" Vera snapped. "We're ten minutes from the village, if we don't hurry the Molves and griffins will run us down in five!"

          "Griffins?"

          Vera's fists squeezed with irritation, her eyes darting around the scrapes covering Káel, and the soggy bandage that was practically melting off his bleeding arm. "You didn't even plan this out. You didn't even think," she hissed, ripping the black bag off her shoulder to claw through its contents and pull out a roll of bandages. She snatched Káel's arm, brushing off the beaten rags and winding around a fresh cover of soft linen as she dead eyed Káel's guilty frown. "Tell me, is there a brain in there? I'm actually curious right now."

          "A-are we going back to, to school?" Talli squeaked, her eyes stuck wide as she stood so close to Mi'karu the dog was practically leaning.

          "No Talli, we just assaulted an elite," Vera retorted, tightening the knot with the same ferocity as her tone and pulling Káel to his feet. "That's why I told you not to follow me and Truvius."

          "I-I didn't know you were going outside..." 

          "Well who's fault is that? Let's go!" Vera ordered, throwing Káel against Puff as soon as the dragon grew to his usual size and stomping over to Truvius to pick him up from the tree she'd dropped him at. "It's like you guys have never run away, this is ridiculous!"

          Káel forced his feet to walk with Puff's support, pulling himself onto the dragon's back as he bent down.

          This wasn't ridiculous.

          It was a mistake.

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Quality Quip #46:

'If you build the guts to do something, anything, then you better save enough to face the consequences.'

~ Criss Jami, Killosophy