Damien...
Damien.
DAMIEN!!
"AHH!" Damien bolted out of his makeshift cot. He looked left and right around the campsite but only saw Leon fast asleep on the other side of the bonfire. He gave a huge sigh and slouched his head. "What the heck was that? A strange... voice?"
-_____------______-----
"Are you sure you have everything you need dear?" Leon's mother checked her son's satchel and fretted around the little house. "Prince Damien, do you need anything else as well?"
"Ma!! It's ok," Leon said embarrased. "We'll be ok. I promisee!"
"And please, ma'am, just Damien would do," the young prince said beaming at Leon's mother.
"Now, look here," Leon's father approached them, "this isn't a game for neither of ya. Those Magi are strong... you'll have to move fast. If they come be here again, I'll give 'em a whoopin' they soon won't forget."
"Dad, I know you will. After all, I learned from the best." Leon was looking at his father. He looked back. "............ DADDY!!! MAMA!!!" Leon and his parents embraced in a sobby hug. Damien smirked and turned away. "I'll be back before you know it *sniff*".
Damien turned around. "Oh yes, please give that letter and pendant I gave you to my father. He'll provide you with safe haven and protection." Damien was pretty sure they heard... but it was kind of hard to tell with all of the wailing and crying...
-______------_______------
Damien prepared a hot cup of herbal tea from a packet Leon's mother gave them. It relaxed him to some extent and he became a bit drowsy. So drowsy.. that he began to hear things again.
Damien.... Damien... DAMIEN!!! HEL---Ppphh... But Damien soon blanked out. He passed out and fell into a deep slumber.
The next thing he knew, the sun was shining on his face and the birds' chirping awoke him. He yawned and looked over towards Leon. "G'morning Leon.. Didja sleep well?"
Leon got out of his sleeping bag and bolted right up. "Sure did! I had this amazing dream! It felt kinda real too.... these guys, they were trying to kidnap me... but I fought 'em off with my awesome sword skilss," Leon got up to get some water, "but I think I--ahhhh!" Leon landed face first into the dirt.
"Ahahaha, a little sleepy still, I think?" Damien went up to help his friend.
"No!... Hey! Something's caught in my feet!" Damien took off the blanket that covered Leon's legs. His feet, which were in his brown leggings and socks, were tightly roped together with a cord of rough rope.
"What the-?!" Damien exclaimed. "Uhmm... Leon, do you mind explaining that dream again?"
"Damien, I don't think I was dreaming... And if that's the case... GET ME OUT, WE GOTTA GET MOVING, nOW!"
Damien started to clean up the campsite. "Hey! Unntie me first!" Leon hopped over to Damien. After he was released, the boys packed up and headed towardsthe West. Damien decided that the best course of action was to gain theprotection of the neighboring kingdoms. As long as he had the royal sigil, and his trademark tail, he was instantly be recognized by the nobles and leaders.
The closes kingdom was Crescelia, the land of the nocturnal archers. They were known for having excellent hunters and endearing hospitality towards the other kingdoms. When Sanduria is under siege by barbarians, their aid is always the first to arrive.
"We need to enter the Taral Forests first," Damien told Leon. "Let's stick to the main road, so we can keep an eye out for signs and landmarks."
"Uhm.. Damien... don't you think it'd be safer to, you know, kinda stay OFF the main roads for a while?"
"Ahh, don't be such a worrywart! The enemy knows that we know that they know that we would never try to take the main roads at this time. We'll be safe."
-______-----------____-----
"Alright, young lads, I'll take off your gags, but you must NOT scream. Got it?" Damien and Leon were both tied to wooden chairs inside a thieve's hide-out, in a fashion that their arms were tied to the arms, and legs to legs. They were gagged with tough white rags and blindfolded as well.
"Hehehe," another bandit said. "Imagine running into two noble-boys at the crossroads! I'm pretty sure your mummsys told you that this is bandit territory!"
The gags were taken off. "Yeah, Damien!" Leon shoved the chair so that it hit Damien's. Damien's chair tilted and almost knocked off balance, had not a bandit caught it just in time.
"Hey!" Damien did the same. They began to rock each other back and forth for quite a while.
"Stop it!"
"You quit it!"
"It's you fault we're in this mess!"
The bandits were amused and laughed at the rich boys' predicament. "So, my boys... how much do you think your parents will give us for you both to be back in one piece?"
"Hold on, then fellas," Leon said, "how do you know for sure that we're even worth anything at all?"
"Well now," the head bandit said,taking off their blindfolds "soes THIS ring a bell?" he held up an insignia held by a silver chain.
"My pendant!-- oops..." Damien curtly retreated his gaze.
"I thought so. Well, have at it. Who's the rich snobs we get to plunder?"
"Uhm... they're out of town!" Damien replied. "They didn't say where they were going, so they just left me alone... even took all the maids in the house!"
"What?? I thinkyou're bluffin' boy."
"Well... what can WE do if our parents just left us like the rich snobs they are?" Leon said. "They wouldn't value their childrens' lives even if it cost them a single copper piece!"
"That's a good point... but..." the bandit snapped his fingers. In an instant, the boys chairs were on the ground, their bound feet dangling in the air. One by one, the other bandits peeled off their boots and socks.
"Hey, what're you doing/?" Damien asked. He didn't like where this was going.
"I'm pretty sure you two are keeping something from me..." the lead bandit took out a small quill. "And if you won't tell me right now... well... you will in a few minutes. Go boys." And with that, the bandits all took a foot of both of the defenseless boys and mercilessly tickled their tender, soft, and sensitive soles. The boys laughed as hard as they could and pleaded with the bandits. but after two long hours of tickle torture, they were still unable to go farther than the stray noblemens' sons story.
The lead bandit was still tickling both of them, even after the others had tired of it. "Uhm... boss? Shouldn't we, y'know... stop? I don't think they're richer than you or me..."
"Tickle-tickle-tickle!!! Come on boys, laugh it up!" the lead bandit seemed to enjoy the torture he was inflicting.
'Hey boss, it seems like you're enjoying the torture you're inflicting..."
"Hahahahahaha.... huh.. oh.... yeah, I guess I should stop." He ceased, and the boys took a moment to regain their breathes. They coughed and giggled a bit. Their chests puffed as much as their bindings would allow them.
"I- haha- told you.... we're not... rich!" Leon tried to blurt out.
"Alright, alright, fine." The bandit snapped his fingers again. The others immediately untied the boys from their chairs and gave back their boots and socks.
"Sorry for that. But you both lloked just too adorable, I couldn't pass up that opportunity..."
The boys looked at each other.
"He's weird" Damien whispered to Leon.
"I know, let's get outta here..."
"You know, it's impolite to whisper in front of someone..." the bandit startled the two when they looked forward to see him crouching down. "You know... you two remind me of myself and my young friend when we were growing up. We used to go on adventures all the time... and get into a lot of damn trouble! Well... look at what became of us.... he's off roaming the world.... I'm stuck as a bandit brigadier..." The boys looked on... Damien yawned. "Oh, I guess I should give this back. This pendant looks pretty cheap anyways..."
"Thanks!" Damien smiled. It was that boyish grin that captured the populace's hearts back home.
"Now I feel bad!! You know what? Here, I got something to make up for our misunderstanding. Just do me one favor: promise me that you boys... will remain lifelong companions. Don't ever abandon each other... And always strive to meet your dreams."
"We promise" they said in unison.
"Can we go now?" Leon asked.
--____----____----
The bandit leader saw them off in two fine young horses. They were strong and still early in age; just their sizes.
Along the road, Damien sided next to Leon, "see? Main road's ALWAYS better."
"SHut up," Leon said. "I hate getting tickled... Why didn't you just use magic to cut yourself free??"
"Well uh... because... you know..." Damien scooted back and blushed.
"What?? You don't like being tickled or tortured... do you?"
Damien looked away. Leon grinned and reached over, poking his side.
"Hey!" he did the same.
"Ahh! Haha, quit it!"
"No, you!"
"Stop!"
"Heeya!" Damien slipped his fingers and caused a tingling sensation so strong that Leon fell off his horse.
The two laughed as the sun fell. With their new steeds, the Forests were only a few miles away...
TBC