The Snake, The Dragon, and the Yellow Brick Road

Nero and Frides walked through the woods. Nero looked over at Frides, his head half cocked.

"Why'd she let you go free? And why are you following me?" Nero asked suspiciously.

"Well you see." Frides explained.

Back at the cottage when Nero went out to investigate the noise outside and had a quick smoke.

"So how'd you find us." Criselda tried to get to the bottom of recent events.

"We didn't, your location was given to us with the job." Frides answered honestly seeing no reason to lie if he wanted to get out of here alive. He needed to get out of here alive.

"Do they know what he looks like?" Criselda followed up with another question.

"No just his age and that he's living with a woman deep in this forest. Actually they only have it down to like a 5 mile radius and you have a few neighbors that I had to check first to be sure. That's why you saw me walking about casually." His last phrase was a petty lie. He had been stalling, but he hadn't yet recognized this in himself yet. He had deduced that they were his target days ago. "How'd you know who I was?"

"The first is you hid your presence completely and this area is incredibly dangerous for someone with absolutely no glow. I had noticed a flicker of power, you were probably dealing with some of the forests inhabitants. You were the only one in the area. The second is that the city you said you are from is in the middle of breaking out into a civil war any day now the tension is so thick anyone from there has a clear hate for the other side. If you're from there you'd know the nobles live in the north, that's why they call themselves Northies. And those in the south, are called Southies." As she finished her explanation, a red bird flew in through the window with four wings and a split tail. "Right on time." She exclaimed. She pulled a note from it's leg.

"Who is that from?" Frides asked.

"Well when I saw you and put all of that together I realized that we had been found out. But I know your face." A smirk touched the corner of her mouth.

"How do you know what I look like. You're lucky to be alive. How'd you get a hold of that information?" He demanded to know how she obtained such critical information.

"Yes, in YOUR country, though me having that knowledge is what saved your life today. It's hard to take a hostage when you don't know who to take and who to kill. Anyway like I was saying, so I sent a message so that we could change your contract." She read over the message and flipped it so Frides could read it. "Yup, see I don't have to kill you now. Here you go."

Frides mouth fell open, astonished by how quickly she was able to accomplish stopping him and locating the contract holder. He concluded she wasn't working alone and as he had assumed from they're earlier encounter she was incredibly dangerous and well connected, "Who is she?" He thought, keeping the question to himself.

"You are now contracted as Neros personal bodyguard, you must keep him alive at all costs." Maintaining eye contact with Frides, prepared to combat any protest. Fortunately there was none, and instead he accepted his fate. This only gave Criselda a sense of relief. He would carry out his mission even if it might cost him his life. The same as what he was willing to do in the woods when Nero approached him after she had sent the two of them flying. She saw the look in his eyes, he had given up on leaving with his life and acknowledged the lucky break.

Frides stopped walking and Nero stopped in front of him.

"That woman spared my life. I know she kicked you out and you're generally a pain, but I'm sure she would appreciate it if you arrived somewhere safe. And it's my job now to do that." He locked eyes with Nero. "I'm at your service now, until I am dismissed."

"She's just lazy. The first chance she got she dumped me on someone else. And you, don't make it sound all chivalrous." Nero turned back to the road ahead and casually murmured aloud, "You're just a killer. Whether you were hired to kill me or kill anyone who comes near me, that's all you are."

Frides gives Nero a look. Then he walked off ahead of him.

"Wait. Did I hurt your feelings, hah. I did not mean to...." He stopped, a look of disbelief on his face, "Wow an emotional murderer." Nero chuckled out loud.

Frides stopped regained his composure and gave Nero a cold stare. "Do you even have any money, food, or a plan?"

Nero shook his head "Nope, just the little bit she gave me, you're going to give me food, right? You're now tasked with the job of keeping me alive."

"Yes, but only after your starving and your skin is sticking to your bones." Frides stepped towards Nero. "Only after your stomach starts to eat itself"

Nero smirked and replied in a mischievous tone. "Then you'll give me food?"

Frides took another step forward shaking his head. "No, even after that I'll only give you food if you get on your knees, look up at me, and beg, please have mercy."

"Oh that's just mean." Nero teased.

"You don't have much of a choice." Frides replied not giving an inch.

Nero shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that or I might have to just eat this one." He pointed to one of his bags over his shoulder. The Domaku popped it's head up out of the bag it was being carried in.

"Good luck with that, lets make camp over here." Frides walked out of the tree line to a cliff. There was a small patch of grass just large enough for them to make camp. Frides Jumped into one of the nearby trees.

Nero unslungs his bag and pulled the Domaku from the bag. "She probably has a lot of fat on her. Just how I like em'. Thick." Nero smiled up at Frides and he just rolled his eyes. Frides reached into the trees and pulled the branches aside revealing a bag.

"And somewhere to sleep? Will you help with that?" Nero asked setting the Domaku down to let it roam around.

"Yes if necessary, until we can get you a job." Frides replied as he pulled out a blanket and laid out on it.

Nero did the same and also pulled out some food. The Domaku limped over. Nero put out some food and adjusted her crutch. "I have a job, I'm going to be a Retainer. Before that, we need to return this domaku to its mother."

"Thought you were going to keep it. Did you say a Retainer?" Frides' quickly propped himself up. Nero glanced over at him and laid back down.

"Yeah, I got the letter this morning. It's official. That's where we're going after we drop the Domaku off." he replied in a melancholic tone.

Frides looked at Nero but Nero didn't acknowledge him.

"The Domaku's mother might still be alive. Poachers tend to keep rare game alive as long as possible. We'll head to the coast in the morning." Urs jumped up and bit him on his ear causing him to jump up. "Ow!" He pushed the Domaku cub away and reached into his bag and threw more food distracting the cub.

"Why?" Frides finally caught Nero's attention.

"It feels like the only thing we can do."

"We? Who are you talking about?"

"Have you ever had an out of body experience before?" Frides shook his head. "I was near my body not too far away. There were Peace Corps members with a knee on my neck and one for every arm and leg. Criselda flew in sending them flying in every direction. She was there for me. Not everyone knows someone like Criselda. Me and anyone else who unlike the generation before us that thinks...that thinks things get better when you give in. That the people who rebel are the cause and if they would give in, there would be no more conflict. If you were accused of something you didn't do, what would you do? And if you argued it only made it worse, what would you do? If the person accusing you had all the power and refused to listen, didn't care to listen. Because you don't matter, in their eyes you don't count. If you could show them that they count, would you?"

After a moment of thought Frides looked up, "I've been thinking a lot lately and haven't really been myself. I wanted to get back to, my normal, because I need to. For a lot of reasons. I'm here now and maybe that's for a reason. What you're saying makes a lot of sense to me. Maybe not to a lot of other people, but more than that, it's my job now. Although it may not seem like it, I am very good at completing my mission. I will help you in whatever ways I can, for as long as I can."

"I want to be upfront about this. If you're going to be coming with me I want to be honest. Criselda took great care to keep us safe and I can be pretty blind to danger sometimes. I know this is going to be dangerous but I know I'm ready now, thanks to you."

"Why me?"

"Because I saved the Domaku."

Frides laughed for the first time. Loud and unapologetically, he laughed so hard Nero joined in. Tears streaming down their faces and the Domaku looked between the two and climbed on Nero's lap.

"So, I'm going to ask you to join me, forget about your mission or whatever, it's up to you."

Frides reached out his hand, "There may come a time when those reasons call me back." Nero reached over and they clasped hands. "Until you become a Retainer that lives up to everything you said, I will help in whatever way I can."

Nero tightened his grip, "Thank you."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thanks for reading!