Dirt sprayed up from Alex’s feet as he stomped down the street trying to flee from the guards.

“What happened?” He called to Slime his breathing fast and heavy.

“I don’t know!” He shouted back.

Alex gave a little hop and pressed his feet hard into the ground causing him to slide to a halt in from of the shop. He rushed to the door and tried to throw it open, but the handle simply rattled in his hands.

“Hurry up kid!” Slime shouted as he looked down the path. The sound of metal armour slamming into the ground grew louder.

“KID THEY’RE ALMOST HERE!” Slime shouted again.

Both hands wrapped the door handled as he was trying to force the door open, but to no avail it didn’t budge.

“I can’t get the door open! Its locked!” His voice squeaked in panic.

“What!?” Slime looked over to see Alex heaving with all his might, but the door refused to budge.

“Here they are!” called out one of the soldiers as he pointed to the pair down the street.

“Run kid!” Slime exclaimed.

Alex abandoned the door as he continued back down the road. He took a hard turn towards the bakery, being the only familiar route for him. He looked behind him to see if the guards were coming, but they hadn’t caught up to him yet. He dashed pass the bakery. Bells began to chime throughout the air. People who were having pleasant conversations stopped to look skyward and worry replaced their happy smiles. People began making their way in doors that quickly locked behind them. Alex took another blind turn when he suddenly bumped into someone.

Slime and Alex fell backwards onto the ground while the figure before them stood firm.

“Ouch, sorry about that!” Alex called out scratching his head as he looked up to see who he ran into. Before him stood a tall woman. She wore a pale blue short-sleeved shirt that was beneath a leather chest piece and shoulder pads. Around her wrist and fingers were bright and ornate jewelry some made of cloth and string, while others were of metal and gems. She wore her hair in a high voluminous ponytail style. Throughout her hair were various colored beads.

She looked down at the boy and offered a hand and the voice that rang into his ears left him feeling at home and ease, which caused him to temporally forget he was running away from castle guards.

“Oh, beg my pardon young man. Are you all right?” She beckoned to him.

Alex took her hand and rose to his feet.

“I’m okay, are you okay though? Sorry about that.” His voice cracked with concern.

“Yes, I am quite all right, thank you.” She smiled and then looked up to the sky.

“Though, what are you doing out and about during the alarm?”

“Oh, we were…” Alex swallowed hard trying to make up an excuse.

“It’s all right little one. Come with me, we don’t want to get in the guard’s way.” And she took Alex’s hand and led him into an alley way, ducking just out of sight as the guards came to the cross street.

“Where did they go?” Shouted one guard.

“Oi, you lot ‘ead that way. Me and ‘im will ‘ead down this way ‘ere. Remembuh, it’s a wee lad and a slime that we’re aft’uh! Danne let their appearance fool you! They’re conspirin’ with the Dark Lord to slay the queen!” The short broad man’s voice boomed loud and deep.

“AYE AYE CAPTAIN!” The guards metal shifted and slide as the guards gave him a salute and off the respective groups went. With the Captain and a guard taking off down the street they passed by the alley way.

The trio stood silent for a moment not saying anything. The bell still filled the air and the sound of the guards soon became far off.

Sweat started to run down Alex’s forehead as he could feel the intense gaze from the maiden upon him. The hair rose on the back of his neck and the sound around him began to muffle as his vision started to blur. His breathing grew heavy and as he was started to grow accustomed to the experience, he thought to himself.

Here we go.

His vision blurred, and a moment later he saw himself, Slime, and the woman in this exact location as they were currently. Suddenly she drew a long narrow blade from her side and pointed it at Alex’s head where he stayed frozen with fear.

Like it had so many times before and in the murky water like state of being he heard an exchange.

“So, you’re here to slay the queen, are you?”

“No, we’re not! Honest!”

Her eyes narrowed and she lunged forward quickly striking Alex’s head causing him to crash into the stone building behind him, where he then collapsed on the floor and laid motionless. Slime lunged at the maiden but in the blink of an eye she slashed at Slime and her blade found its way through him three times when his body popped like a water balloon and splashed to the ground below.

His vision returned and his hearing popped back. He whispered to Slime.

“Quick, slide down into my hand and turn into a sword.”

“What why?” Irritation on his voice.

“Just trust me!” Alex barked back at Slime.

Slime’s eyes widened in shock as the boy had never snapped at him like that before and so without a retort he complied and slide down into his hand and transformed.

“I’m going to swing you in a second, be ready to harden.” Alex warned.

“Okay.” Slime said quietly.

A moment later Alex jumped back off the wall and into the middle of alley extending his arm to block the coming of the Maiden’s blade with Slword.

Her eyes opened with mild surprise.

“Hmm, quick on your toes, are you? I suppose an assassin must be.” She finished as her gaze narrowed again upon the boy.

“We are not here assassinate the queen!” Alex shouted.

“And what reason do I have to believe that?’ The calmness of her voice was off-putting to Alex.

How can she be so calm in a situation like this? He thought to himself.

“This is all just a misunderstanding.” Alex tried to sound confident but there was fear in his voice.

“Oh? Do tell then.”

“I’m not sure what happened. One minute we’re shopping and the next the guards are dragging Slime out of the grocer and claiming we’re planning to overthrow the queen.” His heart was racing and making his speech shaky.

“Hmm. How can I believe you boy?” She asked, not entirely trusting what he had to say. But she could see the honesty in his eyes, or was it just fear? She wasn’t sure yet.

“Here I’ll put my slword down if you put yours down.” He was trying to strike a deal as his off hand went up to show he meant no harm and then removed Slword from the side of her blade.

“See? We mean no harm.” He said as he took a couple small steps backwards.

Her eyes sharpness began to fade a little and seeing that the boy meant what he said she too retracted her sword back into its scabbard.

“Fine. I will believe you for now. But you will accompany me to the castle and set this tale straight?” She framed it as a question, but Alex felt much more like he was being told what he was about to do.

He looked over to Slword to see what Slime thought and he gave off a sort of shrug.

“I don’t think we have much choice kid.” He said to Alex.

He looked back into her eyes and nodded his head.

“Yes, we will.”

Slime released his sword shape and fell from Alex’s hand turning back into his slime form just before landing on the ground with a slurpy squish sound.

She looked down to Slime and gave him an even harder glare.

“And you’ll answer the queen’s questions surrounding your pet here.”

Slime’s face began to furrow when Alex’s foot tapped his body causing his body to wobble like gelatin.

He turned to look at Alex who gave him a hard stare and a look of Keep quiet for now. After seeing his face Slime knew he had to bite his tongue for now and so he didn’t make any remark regarding the pet comment.

The three walked out of the alley and the maiden put her fingers up to her mouth and let out a loud and piercing whistle that seemed to drown out the sound of the bell itself. A second or two later the loud sound of running metal boots flooded the air. Guards bust forth onto the street and ran down towards where they were standing.

The short broad man was leading a pack as he stomped up to the trio

“Oi, there you lot are! We gotchya now!” Giving a stern look at the boy and slime he looked up and took notice of the maiden. His expression of sternness disappeared for a moment and flashed a sign of disapproval. After which the guard’s demeanor returned.

“Guards! Take these enemies oh the kingdom back to the cahastle.” His low raspy voice commanded.

“AYE AYE CAPTAIN!” The guards replied as they restrained the boy and Slime once more.

About 20 guards formed a tight circle around the pair as they were taken back to the castle. A straggler guard looked to the captain.

“What should we do about this interloper?” He called out eyeing the woman up and down. “Could she be an accomplice as well?”

“OI, shove off and get back to work. I’ll ‘andle this mercenary.” He roared to the guard.

The guard jumped backed in line, afraid of upsetting the captain.

“YESSIR!” His voice cracking as he gave the captain a salute and rushed off.

After he made sure all the guards had left and no one was around he let his furrowed expression relax as he turned to the maiden.

He let out a heavy sigh.

“You best get on back lass.” He advised calmly.

She let out a small smile and a little chuckle.

“Thank you, Cedric.” She said laying a hand on his shoulder as a sign of thanks before she ducked back into the alley.

He shrugged his shoulders in a sort of mocking manner as the woman ran off. He closed his eyes as his hand grabbed hold of his heard and stroked it downwards a few times

“Hmph. Royalty I tell ya.” He said as he started his stomp back to the castle.