【 ドレッドノートのマーチ 】

[Light]

The prince leaned over and rested his face in his hands. His fingers threaded through his hair before pulling the the chocolate strands in frustration. Natsuyuki's brain to mouth filter was apparently not operating, just like hers, because answers streamed out of his mouth. "I'm here, aren't I? Yes, I jumped through a window, climbed over the castle wall, and ran away. My brother happens to be a bonafide psychopath!" he spat out, his shoulders shaking. "I just want out, and free. That's all,"

[pipintan]

She shook her head, not wanting to believe this. "No- no- you don't understand, you shouldn't be here, Jeb- He and the others are looking for you," she breathed, her head ducking in embarrassment. "I- I told them that I saw you on the bridge... They're out here looking for you- What if they see you-? Your brother-" She slid down the wall and sat at the ground, pulling her legs closer to her and pressing her forehead to her knees - she was so young. Celeria gulped in breaths of air: never in her life had she ever dreamt of talking to a prince, let alone get wrapped up in all of this.

However a small voice broke through her hazy nervousness and whispered in her ears, The job is to bring back the prince to the king, is that not what Jeb wanted? Well yes, yes it was. But after all she heard, was it the right thing to do? Celeria glanced up, pieces of yellow hair sticking out from the cowl, her green eyes meeting his orange ones. He looked so small...he- he was just like her... When that thought struck her, a small whimper escaped her lips. She couldn't give him back to his brother, she had to help him... But to risk the wrath of her fellow Guildmen and women and Jeb? Was it worth it then, to save this little boy's life, with whom she had never come in contact before and risk the hostility of the people she had called family?

[Light]

Natsuyuki paused, his breath leaving his lungs for a moment, refusing to breathe. When he does, he greedily sucks it back in and closed his eyes. "I... I'll jump off a bridge, before the catch me. G-going back... that's w-worse than death..." he rubbed at his eyes before pulling his goggles back down over his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, for troubling you. I should have... k-known... d-don't worry, if they catch me, I won't say anything about you,"

[pipintan]

"N-no. Please don't leave." She was suddenly on her feet, surprising even herself at her words. They tumbled out again, just like last time, as she said, "I'll help you- I'll help you escape your brother." She didn't know what it was, though a small part of her had been pushing her to say this; it just felt right to say so. Though the much larger part of her, twisted in disgust at what she said; she was going against her family. But, Celeria stoke to what she said, there was no going back now.

"Don't make me regret this," she murmured faintly, looking a bit sick, "don't make me regret taking on your job." She was quiet for a moment, before she slowly started to pull back her cowl. Her bunny ears sprang from her cowl, twitching this way and that at all the noises. It hurt to do so, but like what she said, this felt right to do, to show him who she was. "M- I mean- I-I'm a Taguel, part of the Rabbit Clan. I- Well, I can change to my beast forme-" She broke off, biting her lip, before hesitantly holding out a hand towards him. "I'm Celeria, Celeria Montagral."

[Light]

He faced her, his body frozen in shock. It slowly washed away though, as a smile lit up his face and he nodded his head frantically. "Th-thank you!" he waved his arms at his side like a bird, his cloak pushing back behind his shoulders. He let out a sigh, the weight that had been crushing his sides disappearing. He had been ready to walk out of the building and throw up; his stomach still wasn't feeling too swell in fact, and he put a hand on it and tried to calm down. He had help--someone was going to help him.

"Y-you won't! I-I promise, we reach Caitsiv and home free. I-it shouldn't be that hard, if we keep moving," Natsuyuki tried to sound optimistic, but even with help, escaping was going to be a bumpy ride. He stopped blabbering as her hood dropped, his eyes zeroing in on the ears before he smiles and nods his head nervously. "I-I'm from the Diskus... I-I can't do anything cool, c-cause I'm half, but I have good eyes, a-against illusions and stuff," He puts his hand in hers, "Natsuyuki H-Honda--I d-don't use Diskus, cause... yeah,"

[pipintan]

She gave him a small smile, seeming a bit strained at the end. "Nice to meet you too," she murmured, shaking his hand and dropping it quickly. She had sealed the deal now, now there was no way to worm herself out of this one. Cerelia nodded at what he said, making a mental note of that. Perhaps that's why he could see me... That could come in handy one day, she mused to herself. Though she righted herself up when he finished, growing serious.

"Well, I guess we should start heading towards Caitsiv...?" It wasn't a command, more of an inquiry. She herself had never gotten a large job like this; usually it was the simple "find-this-item-and-bring-it-back," never before had it been this serious.

[Light]

Natsuyuki started to nod before he sneezed; groaning, the boy had managed to smother it in the crook of his arm. "Y-yeah, we should start m-moving. It's past lunch, s-so the speech must have ended awhile ago. T-tokiyomi is probably gathering up t-the guardians," he closed his cloak with a snap. He looked around the inn, and out the windows before heading towards the door, his skittish exterior that of a mouse dodging the cat.

"T-to Caitsiv," he said as he opened the door and walked outside. He knew the direction; his older brother had shown him plenty of maps in history books during the lessons. "The crowds are bigger, so it should be easier to get to the next island," he told her in a small voice.

[pipintan]

She nodded, following after him, before murmuring under her breath, "Evanesco" and pulling her cowl back up, hiding her bright yellow hair and rabbit ears. "I'll be hidden, no one else can see...but apparently you can. It'll be more conspicuous if I stay hidden; after all, I look like a mage, it would be weird for a kid to be talking to one of my kind." Indeed, she appeared to not have changed, except for the cowl hiding her face once more. But as the got out to the crowd, nobody paid attention to the little boy. "Lead the way," she said, nodding to him, "you seem to know where you're going."

[Light]

Natsuyuki gave her a small smile, the corners of his mouth stretching before falling back down. "Alright, Celeria," he said before merging with the crowd slowly. His hair bounced as he walked along, his feet skittishly keeping him near the edge of the crowd so that he wouldn't get run over. "There's so many people," he said, awe dripping on his voice. He resembled a child in front of a bakery or toy store; his head turning left and right to look at all the different figures.

"The islands must be really big," he mused while dodging a tall, burly pair of men with wings and beaks; avians. "I knew that there were a lot... but paper doesn't do it justice..."

[pipintan]

"This is, as some would say, the 'main hub' of these islands. It is more special since your bro- the prince is to be coronated," she said, quickly changing her would-be mishap. Celeria didn't know how touchy Natsuyuki was, so she wanted to step lightly as to what she said.

[Light]

The brunette hummed softly in understanding. "Maybe I can come back, when he isn't looking for me anymore. It feels nice here--crowded, but warm." He scratched at the goggles, pulling the hair that crawled under the band out from under it.

Natsuyuki gave a sigh, his eyes dancing back around. "Wonder what face he's making. He never smiles, or anything. Its scary," his back shivers, and he rubs a hand on his neck to wipe away the unease. "I'm glad I'm not alone," he whispered, sniffing at the end of it.

[pipintan]

She gave a bark of a laugh, a harsh sound. "Please, if what you've told me is true, I highly doubt that he would do that," she said sourly, "he'll have every single gayrdian of his following you; he doesn't seem like the type of guy to just give up." As she spoke, Celeria glanced over her shoulder, like she was expecting him to be right behind them.

[Light]

Natsuyuki grimaced, trying to swallow down the nasty taste of acid that was threatening to come back up. "There are five, he's a-already got one out; p-pink haired wit-with cat ears--Nester. I l-lost him i-in Alitia,"

[pipintan]

Celeria shuddered involuntarily. "I think that since he has pink hair and cat ears, I fear him more," she mumbled, a chill running up and down her spine. She had been trained to never judge somebody based on their appearance; a run in with a handsome dragon Taguel who didn't seem to appreciate her flirting, which ended up with her cloak almost burnt to a crisp.

[Light]

Natsuyuki shows his teeth, and moves his hands over his mouth to make a gesture of fangs, "He b-bites p-people a lot," he told her, his voice dripping with fear as if he had experienced it himself. And he did--"H-he visited once, a-and I t-tripped a-and fell on him... h-he bit my a-arm," he patted a spot near the elbow on the inside.

"N-Nester doesn't li-like p-people... o-other than th-the ki-king, a-and another guardian, Q-Quinke. Q-Quinke i-is d-descended f-from a r-reptile f-family," he hides his arms back under his cloak and seems to brighten as the bridge comes into sight far ahead, over several more heads that were heading in the same direction. "D-do you tr-travel a lot?"

[pipintan]

She watched him, the pit in her stomach growing larger and colder. That didn't surprise her, to what he had said about his brother; the king seemed to be ruthless and what better way then to surround yourself with ruthless guardians? As to his question, she gave him a humorless smile. "No, I've been stuck here," she truthfully responded, "Jeb doesn't like me wandering around outside of Alitia."

[Light]

"W-we're kinda alike then, aren't we?" he tilts his head up as a small shadow passes overhead; a flock of blue and purple birds flying overhead, high up in the sky. His mouth formed an O for a moment, and disappeared as the birds left his line of sight. "N-never leaving... I-I hope he won't be that m-mad, wi-with you." He sucks in a breath and pinches his nose, holding back another sneeze that threatened to come out. "Y-you... r-respect him, do-don't you...? O-or...?"

[pipintan]

"Who, Jeb?" She considered that question, before finally replying, "yeah, I do really respect him. He's my mom's brother and since I was five, I've been living with him. My mom and father were - are traveling minstrels and they're rarely back here..." Celeria was quiet for a moment, either lost in memories or thoughts. Shaking herself out of this, she continued, "So long story short, yes, I respect him very much." Her green eyes locked with his orange ones, before hesitantly asking, "I'm guessing you don't respect the king then? Or...?"

[Light]

"Minstrels," Natsuyuki tasted the word, his mind turning gears before he nodded in understanding, "That sounds fun," he said in a dreamy voice, "T-the king..." he licked his lips before he chewed on the bottom one, "I-I... never...met my dad... T-Tokiyomi was th-the only one... I w-was to-told... my mother r-ran a g-guild, a-and s-she d-died s-somehow," he raised his shoulders up in resigning way, before letting them fall with a sigh, "F-family... is family... T-they scare me, but I d-do... respect th-them, y-you... know?"

[pipintan]

Celeria gave a small nod, she understood that if someone was family, you had to respect them. But to be afraid of that person and still respect them, was that possible? "Sure, I guess you could say that," she murmured in resignation. She forced a small smile, before saying, "I guess you won't need to worry about them anymore; we'll be far away from them."