Run, Pierre!

"A horse?"

The guards were baffled, turning their heads towards the animal that stood across the clearing. The lights from the wagons' lanterns made her silvery grey hair glow, and she dragged her front foot on the ground, digging up dirt and rocks. She was ready to charge at her friend's enemies.

Sassy dashed forward.

Neigh!

"The hell!"

"Shoot!"

"Get away!"

Those men cursed, hopping away like scared little rabbits, but Sassy was intended on hitting them, and she did.

Lowering her neck, she crashed into a guard's side with all her might. He went flying across the clearing, and crashed into one of the windows of the house. Glass shattered, and its shards flew away in all directions.

"Good one, Sassy!"

Eren whistled.

Neigh!

The horse cried upon being praised by him, and she galloped around, hitting the guards, and throwing them around as if they were some kind of ragdolls. Eren grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground, and filled his pocket.

"What's your name?"

"Huh? Pierre. It's Pierre."

"Can you ride a horse?"

Pierre nodded.

"Great! Because I cannot!"

Eren got up from the ground, and offered a hand to help Pierre. The boy winced in pain as he got to his feet.

His leg was hurting a lot, but the pain was not too much for him to endure. He had been through things much worse than that.

Eren grabbed his arm, and Pierre looked up at his face.

"I can ride a horse, but I'm afraid that I cannot run."

"Who said that you have to, huh?"

Eren grinned, and wrapped an arm around Pierre's waist.

"Hey!"

Eren was holding him by his waist; his arms and legs dangling like some stuffed toy.

"You are so light, Pierre."

The boy's ears turned red with embarrassment; for Rehala's second prince to be held like a doll.

"I'm a slave! We don't get anything to eat!"

"Really?"

Eren tilted his head to the side.

"Put me down! It's embarrassing!"

"Haha! Sorry! Bear with it for a while."

Eren glanced around at the commotion a mere horse had created. He brought his free hand up to his mouth, and whistled.

The horse instantly turned her head.

"Here we go, Pierre!"

Holding Pierre with one arm, Eren began to run towards Sassy. Pierre's head or rather his whole body was bouncing, and he placed a hand on his mouth.

"I feel like throwing up."

"What! Hold it in!"

"How can I-"

Eren swung his arm, and Pierre shrieked.

"Aah!"

Air rushed past his ears, and he shut his eye tightly when the world started to spin in front of him. He heard the boy laugh behind him.

"You can open your eyes now."

He slowly opened his eye, and saw in front of him a horse's neck covered with grey hair. He was sitting on Sassy's back.

"Let's go, Sassy, Pierre!"

Eren cried from behind his back, and Sassy raised her front feet up in the air.

"Whoa! Calm down a bit!"

Eren cried, holding Pierre's by his sides to keep him from falling off the horse's back.

Neigh!

She began to run towards the forest.

"Stop it!"

"The slave! Don't let him get away!"

"Crap! Marquis will have our heads!"

The boys heard the men curse and yell as they ran after the horse.

"Ee! Run fast, Sassy! Hurry!"

Eren cried near Pierre's ear.

"Jeez! My ear!"

"They'll catch up! Sassyyyy!"

Neigh!

A hand reached out, and clutched the back of Eren's vest. It yanked, and pulled the boy.

"Aah!"

Eren cried, feeling himself slipping off the horse's back, and he looked over his shoulder.

Kumar.

A devilish smirk stretched across his face.

"Got you!"

The next instant Eren was pulled off the horse, and thrown to the ground.

"Ugh!"

"No! Sassy, stop!"

Pierre slapped the horse's neck.

"No! Do not stop!"

Pierre's hand twitched above the horse's neck.

"Don't you dare stop, Pierre! Run away!"

"But...but..."

Neigh!

Sassy had heard him loud and clear. She picked up her pace, and jumped into the shadows of the forest.

With his head turned over his shoulder, Pierre watched as trees began to encroach upon his vision, hiding his view of the boy who saved him.

His face was pale, and his hand was shaking on Sassy's neck.

"Why..."

He whispered in the silence of the forest as the cold air swished past them. The white handkerchief around his eye came lose, and flew away in the wind.

"Fools! I won't let that rascal flee!"

Kumar yelled, and pulled out his sword. He dashed towards the trees.

"Ugh!"

He cried, and jumped back. Specks of gold flickered in his eyes, as he watched golden-red flames going up in air.

The trees had caught fire right before his eyes. He turned around, his dark cloak fluttering in the air.

"Now you can't go after him!"

He found Eren standing beside one of the wagons, and in his hand was a lantern. He swung his arm, and threw it into the flames.

The fire began to roar.

Kumar's face turned dark with anger.

"Curse you!"

He stomped towards the little rascal, and grabbed him by his neck before he could run away.

He lifted him up from the ground with one hand. Eren kicked the air, struggling to get free. His throat was burning as he felt his lungs running out of air to breath.

"Nothing's stopping me from killing you right here, right now!"

"Ugh!"

"Who the hell are you, you rat?"

He pulled the boy closer, and looked closely at his face that was now turning a little blue.

"Hah! It can't be! Hahaha!"

Kumar tilted his head back, and began to laugh loudly.

"Will you believe it? He's Drake's boy!"

Kumar let him go, and he fell down on the ground. His already throbbing ankle twisted once again, and his head hit the hard ground. For a moment, his vision turned black; total darkness surrounded him as he heard the guards' mocking laughter.

"What a joke!"

"He came to save them? That bastard's delusional! Son of a human trafficker? Hahaha!"

Tears began to sting his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"Drake isn't...bad. I don't believe it..."

"The heck is he mumbling?"

"Tch! Who gives a damn? Put this fire out! Catch that filthy slave if you don't wish for your head to be cut off!"

"Shit! This isn't even a joke, Kumar!"

Kumar felt a tug at his ankle, and he looked down to find Eren grabbing his leg with both of his hands.

"I won't let you go after him!"

Kumar kicked him in his side.

"Let go, you scoundrel!"

He kicked him again and again, but Eren refused to let go. His knuckles were turning as white as his face, and his abdomen was on fire.

Kumar cursed, and bent over to grab him by the back of his vest. He yanked Eren away from himself.

The boy was struggling to stay conscious; Kumar could see it in his hazy eyes, and pale face.

"How futile..."

His lips moved a bit, and Kumar leaned closer to hear what he was mumbling.

"I won't let...you catch...him..."

"Your stubbornness will get you killed today. Why do you poke your nose in adult's business?"

Kumar watched as the tip of Eren's lips curled up a little. Eren lifted his head, and looked Kumar into the eyes.

"Why? Because I'm Drake's son."

He whispered, and the hair on Kumar's nape stood on their ends.

"I do what I believe is right."