Two young gentlemen's struggles to be together.

He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. Oblivious to himself, tears was falling down his eyes, mixing with the now heavy rain. Thunder blared and the white rays of lightning shined the area. The train arrived at the train station the same time as him. Without thinking twice, he got on, and dropped on to one of the empty seats, panting, trembling. He rested his head on his hands, still confused with himself.

What is wrong with me? he thought, why did I do that?

His hands tightened and he gripped his hair, frustrated. That was when he noticed that his cheeks were warm with his tears. He covered his face with his hand, closed his eyes, and clenched his teeth, just to suppress his cries to himself from everyone in the train. He could feel people’s eyes were on him, watching and wondering what had happened.

It wasn’t long until the train reached housing district 11. The rain was still heavy and Zacharias’s body was still trembling and wet. He got off and slowly headed home, once again, dispirited and drenched. His steps gradually became smaller and slower, until he just stopped and stood still in place, looking to the wet watery pavement.

“Zach!” exclaimed a familiar voice. Then footsteps were heard.

Zach took his time to raise his head to the voice. It took him a minute, but soon he realized that the voice came from Leon, dressed in a bright yellow hooded rain coat.

“Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!” said Leon, running towards his older brother. From his pocket, he took out a small scroll and threw it in the air above Zach. The scroll rolled open and froze motionless in the air before glowing hot white. A big bright blue sigil appeared above them as a barrier, muffling the rain and covering them from the rain as well as lightning.

For a moment, Zach just looked at his younger brother. He was too lost in his thoughts to care in anything around him.

“Zach!” Leon exclaimed.

The young blonde haired man snapped out of his trance and shook his head. “No… Nothing. I’m just tired from all the running,” he told Leon. “Let’s go home.”

“Why are out running in the rain?” asked Leon with his brows furrowed.

“I just felt like it. Now let’s get going.”


It wasn’t long until they reached home. Zach walked in after Leon.

“Finally, you’re home. Thank god you two are safe,” said Talia and gave her sons each a dry towel. “Now go dry yourselves.”

Without saying anything, Zach walked up the stairs and went to the bathroom. It was only when he saw his reflection in the bathroom’s mirror that he realized that he had been wearing Zayden’s hooded sweater. Recent memories flooded him, causing him to touch his lips. He watched himself through the mirror, looking into his own eyes.

Why did I kiss him?

He looked deeper into himself. It confused himself that such emotions rose in him this late in his life. He was already twenty one years old. What surprised him more was that: he was attracted to a man, sexually.

Am I gay?

After taking a quick hot shower and drying himself, he went straight to bed and covered himself with a thick blanket. He thought of what he had done. He wanted to once again apologize to Zayden. But at the moment, he was too embarrassed and ashamed of himself.

He must hate me now, thought the young blonde haired man, he must hate who I am and what I’ve done.

Tears trickled down the side of his head. Confusion hurt his head and chest. Slowly, he fell into a deep sleep filled with uncomfortable thoughts and confusing nightmare about the Holy Temple, the Priests, and Zayden, causing him to constantly stir in his bed.


Just like every other day, Zach woke up as the sun rise came out of the horizon. His eyes opened, blinking. It was sore under his eyes. When he looked into the mirror, he noticed that it was slightly bruised.

Was I crying all night? he thought as he gently pressed the bruises with his fingers. Then, he held his hands over his eyes and casted a healing spells which he learned from the academy: “Sit industria paulatim universi curare vulnera mea.” Slowly, the bruise decreased and recovered. Then, yawned and got up. After taking the hung towel, he opened the door. And there was Leon. They fought each other for the shower and at last, Leon won again.

Leon didn’t take long with his shower. Zach took over. When the warm droplets of water drenched Zach’s body, he quickly remembered last night. He remembered the rain and he remembered the kiss. The thought stunned him.

Just like any other day, he had breakfast with his family, and then he headed for work. That day, he wore the same long coat over all-black attire. He also had brought along a neat bag containing Zayden’s hooded sweater, already washed and dried.

On that day, his work performance was not great. He kept forgetting to take some part of the body’s measurements and occasionally took wrong measurements. Fortunately, he managed to correct his mistakes before there was any damage done.

All that day, the thoughts of Zayden played in his mind and no decent smile could be seen creased the young blonde haired man’s lips. Zach was still confused with himself, and his confusion was taking a toll on him.

Late that day, someone Zach very much disliked entered the tailor shop. His eyes had a sinister aura to it. Today, Brutus Arson was wearing casual white polo shirt, cream colour khakis, and white shoes. Worn around his wrist is a golden watch decorated with tiny diamonds. His straight red hair was neatly combed and gelled back.

“Good afternoon, Mister Arson,” greeted Mister Taylor with a slight bow.

“It’s Priest Arson now, Mister Taylor,” replied Brutus. Brutus’s eyes quickly averted from the shop owner to the helper. His mouth creased into a wide smirk and his eyes became slightly narrow, stabbing at the young blonde haired man.

The sight of his arch enemy replaced Zach’s thoughts with a feeling of loathe, but he managed to speak and forced himself to bow slightly to Brutus as the Priest was a customer. “Good afternoon, Priest Arson.”

Brutus did not return Zach’s gesture. Instead, he watched Zach with his stabbing eyes. An eerie silence filled the shop.

“Well, we should get started with your measurements,” said Mister Taylor.

“I would like Morrisson to take my measurements,” said Brutus with a smug expression.

“Oh, are you friends with Mister Morrisson?” asked Mister Taylor, curious.

“We are…” There was a short pause before he continued, “acquaintances… from the academy.”

Zach did not comment on the subject.

“Well, of course,” said Mister Taylor. “Mister Morrisson, if you will.”

With a blank expression, Zach started taking Brutus’s measurements. He quickly took Brutus’s measurements one by one. He had to kneel to get the measurement of Brutus’s legs which he knew, would gave the arrogant man pleasure. When Zach was up to his last measurements, Brutus spoke and said: “I know what happened late last night.”

The words shocked Zach. He froze and remained motionless. Sweat rolled down his pale face. The knowledge filled him with fear. Fear for himself, fear for his family, and fear for Zayden.

The Priests of the Holy Temple are known for their wrathful unforgiving ways, but Zach knew Brutus wasn’t like that the normal Priests. Brutus was worse. While the Priests believed what they did are for the goddess Lux, Brutus’s wrath is for his own amusement. From the academy, Zach knows Brutus likes to play with his prey, torturing them before he ends them. Now, Zach was one of Brutus’s preys.

When he saw Zach had frozen, Brutus’s smirk creased even wider. Then he left the shop without a word. Only the jingle of the bell hung above the ceiling could be heard, leaving the future a mystery.

Once again, Mister Taylor broke the silence: “What’s wrong, boy?”

“No… Nothing, Mister Taylor,” answered Zach and continued with work.

A couple of hours later, work was over. Zach said his goodbyes to Mister Taylor and took off.

In the bag carried with his hand contained Zayden’s sweater. He needed to return it. With heavily pounding heart, he headed to Aroma’s Bakery. All the way, his feet felt heavy. He was afraid of what would happen at his destination. He was afraid that Zayden would yell at him and he was afraid that he kicked out or not even allowed to enter the bakery. The closer he got closer to Aroma’s Bakery, the more severe his fright became. His body trembled, demanding him to stop, but somehow the thoughts of seeing the young raven haired man kept him moving.

Finally, he reached Aroma’s Bakery. At that moment, his face was already pale white. His trembling hand pushed the entrance door or the shop. He entered but didn’t dare to look forward. His eyes were on the floor.

“G… good evening,” said Zach.

Zayden laid in his bed for a long time, merely thinking about the events that had happened earlier. As he thought about the kiss and how Zacharias had just left him sitting there alone, he found himself quite angry. He tried then, so very hard to push the anger away from him. He hated being angry with anyone. By nature, Zayden was a kind and caring person that rarely got angered by anything. It was a strange feeling for him to be so angry. As he laid there, Zayden felt his eyes getting heavier. Instead of fighting the pull of sleep, he embraced it and within a few moments he was asleep.

---

Instead of getting out of bed the next morning, Zayden merely remained laying. Now that he'd slept, he'd awoken to feeling rather hurt, sad, and a tad bit angry. In all honesty, he felt like just staying home. After staying in bed for much longer than he normally would, Zayden got up and headed downstairs still in his sleep clothes. His mother was in the kitchen, finishing up with breakfast. She turned to him, slight shock on her face. It was not often that her son came down so under dressed on a work day. "Zayden, why aren't you dressed? Aren't you coming to work today?" Zayden smiled gently at his mother. "No. I think that I need to take the day off. I'm not feeling too good." he said as he sat down at the table and ate.

The older woman simply nodded. They ate in relative silence. When they were finished, Zayden went back upstairs and simply changed into something similar to what he'd worn when meeting with Zacharias. When he was ready he headed back downstairs. He couldn't allow his mother to go to work by herself so he would go with her to make sure that she was okay and then later return to pick her up.

The two adults left the house together and headed to the train station much earlier than they normally did. When they arrived, they did not have to wait long before the train arrived at the station. The two of them boarded and found seats. The ride seemed very long to Zayden. Long enough to let his mind to start wandering again. He was not able to think for long, however, as his mother was gently shaking his shoulder to get his attention. "Are you okay, sweetie? Something seems to be bothering you." she said, looking at Zayden with concern in her eyes. Zayden forced a smile onto his handsome face. "Of course I'm fine. I'm just not feeling myself. I think when I get back home I'm going to try to get some rest. Hopefully that'll help." he said, rising from his seat.

They exited the train together and slowly walked to the bakery. Once there, his mother unlocked the shop and they entered together. Zayden wanted to make sure that she was okay before he left. After all of the opening tasks were done, Zayden found his mother back in the kitchen. "Mom, I'm going to head out. I'll be back before we close to pick you up." he said. His mother smiled kindly at him before telling him that she hoped he would feel better.

Zayden quickly left the bakery and made his way back to the train station. There, he stood for a good few minutes before another train arrived that could take him back to the stop closest to his home. He boarded and sat down. Now, there was hardly anyone on the train and Zayden was glad. He didn't want to deal with anyone or anything right then. He merely wanted to be left alone. This time, the ride did not seem to take very long. Once the train came to a stop, Zayden slowly got off and made the walk to his home.

Once there, Zayden entered into the house and immediately made his way back upstairs and into his bedroom. Once inside the medium sized room, Zayden slid his shoes off and simply crawled into bed. Pulling the covers up around him and snuggling into the lightly colored jacket, Zayden closed his eyes. He did not fall asleep right away, instead he lay allowing all of the sadness and anger to roll over him. He could not understand why he was saddened but the anger he understood. As he lay there, thinking over what all had happened, Zayden suddenly realized that his face was wet. He slowly reached up with one of his hands and touched his face, almost as if he was unsure of why he was crying.

He sighed softly. He realized that he was upset because Zacharias had him so very confused. He knew why the other man had tried to get away. What they had done was forbidden. Yet, Zayden honestly had not cared. Instead he'd pulled the other man closer. He'd been stupid. It was with these thoughts, that the dark haired man fell asleep.

---

Zayden woke up several hours later. He slowly rose from bed and made his way to the bathroom. Once there he quickly got a shower, hoping this would help him to feel better. As he felt the cool water running over his body..he did feel better. Once finished with the shower he got out and dried off. Instead of fixing his hair as he normally did when going out, Zayden merely combed it out, letting the strands hand about his head. He did, however, fix his bangs so that they were off to the side. Today he left off his eyeliner which he almost always wore. He just wan't in the mood for it. He then went to his bedroom to find something a little more suited to wear at this time of day. He dressed in a more relaxed version of what he normally would wear to work. He headed downstairs, grabbed his dark coat and headed out the door, making his way to his mother's bakery.

---

At the bakery, Aleia spent her day keeping her customers happy. Many kept asking about Zayden and she would kindly tell them that he was not feeling well and would hopefully be back the following day. By the evening, the door jingled signaling that there was a customer. The older woman made her way to the register, a smile on her face. She couldn't tell what the young man was doing. He seemed to be looking at the floor. The action confused Aleia. “G… good evening,” said the young man.

When she heard his voice, she instantly knew who he was. "Zacharias, good evening to you. If you've come looking for Zayden I'm afraid that he did not work today. He was not feeling well this morning and stayed home. He is, however, supposed to be by to pick me up soon. You are more than welcome to wait for him." she said, smiling gently at the young man. A few moments passed, allowing for the man to speak if he wished. Then, as if he'd known that they had been speaking of him, Zayden entered into the shop and walked up to the counter. He did not see the other man.

Aleia smiled gently at her son. "Zacharias is here for you. I'm going to go clean up the kitchen and then I'll be ready to go." The woman left the front and went into the back to clean up. The act would take her at least thirty minutes. Zayden had said nothing, merely watching as she left him alone with Zacharias. Zayden walked around to stand behind the counter and near the register. The shop would be open until his mother finished in the back and he needed to make sure that if anyone came in they were taken care of.

Unlike his normal self, Zayden was not smiling as he usually did. Instead he appeared rather tired. Zayden turned his pale eyes to rest on Zacharias. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. "What're you doing here? I didn't figure that I'd see you again." The way he looked at Zacharias was that of someone that had been spurned. Not a look that Zayden normally gave people.

At the counter was not the young raven haired man, but his mother, Aleia. “Zacharias, good evening to you. If you've come looking for Zayden I'm afraid that he did not work today. He was not feeling well this morning and stayed home. He is, however, supposed to be by to pick me up soon. You are more than welcome to wait for him.”

Slowly, Zach raised his head to look at her. Aleia was smiling. Her smile, in some way, reminded him of Zayden’s. A feeling of relief came over him but with that also came the feeling of disappointment as well as guilt. It was raining the night before and Zach had taken Zayden’s sweater. Maybe the cold had made Zayden ill. Or maybe, Zach’s intrusion onto Zayden had made him disgusted enough to fall ill. The thoughts hurt Zach deep inside.

Then the bell hung on top of the entrance door jingled. It was Zayden, but without his usual warm smile on. The sight of him quickly arise the fright and panic in the young blonde haired man. His eyes averted back to the floor.

“Zacharias is here for you. I'm going to go clean up the kitchen and then I'll be ready to go,” said Aleia. Then, she walked through to the back through a door, leaving both the young man to themselves. Zach could hear Zayden’s footsteps, heading towards the back of the counter.

There was short silence before Zayden spoke. "What're you doing here? I didn't figure that I'd see you again."

To Zach, Zayden sounded cold and his words were like sharp daggers stabbing through the young blonde haired man’s soul. Zach was instantly stunned. He felt as if he had been denied from days of sleep, leaving him tired.

With a weary voice, eyes still to the floor, he answered. “I… I’ve come to return your sweater.”

Although he suppressed his emotions as best as he could, tears welled up under his eyes. He felt like a weakling and a lowlife, begging for attention, which he particularly loathes. Gently, he placed the sweater filled bag on the counter, turned around, and walked out the door, once again, leaving the young raven haired man behind. He didn’t look back, but he hoped that Zayden would stop him.

Just as his foot stepped on the pavement outside of Aroma’s Bakery, two men abruptly grabbed him, surprising him. They dragged him to the nearest alleyway and pushed him briskly to a wall, cornering him.

“Wha…”

Before Zach could make out even a word, a heavy fist smashed into the side of his mouth, cutting his lips. He fell but managed to catch himself with his hand, softening the landing. The floor of the alleyway was wet and slimy with rotten smelly substance. When he turned his head up to his attacker, a knee smashed into the side of his head, his vision blurred and darkening. His head fell on the dirty alleyway floor and warm wet sensation was felt where he was hit.

“Homosexual slut!” said one of the attackers before another strike to his ribs was felt.

Zach could only groan in pain.

Zayden watched Zacharias closely. He'd not meant to come across as being angry however he was afraid that he had. Zayden, the night before, had recalled all of the times that he had been picked on as a child. He'd been nearly tormented most of the time. He'd come to the conclusion that perhaps this had fueled his anger towards Zacharias. When the other man had pushed him..that was when the anger had started. “I… I’ve come to return your sweater.” Zacharias said. Zayden immediately noted that his stutter had returned. He said nothing in return, merely still watching the other man.

Zacharias had turned his gaze to the floor, preventing Zayden from seeing his eyes. Something that he found he did not like. Ever so gently, Zacharias placed the bag that he'd been carrying on the counter and then turned, leaving the small shop. Zayden felt terrible. Perhaps he was being a bit harsh towards the other man. He sighed heavily before walking around the corner, meaning to stop the other man.

Zayden quickly made his way to the door just to see two men roughly grabbing Zacharias. He called to his mother, "Mom! Lock the door!" The woman was confused. "Why? What's going on?" she asked, coming out of the back. Zayden opened the door, watching as the two men dragged Zacharias into a alleyway. "Don't ask questions..just do it. Don't let anyone in until I get back." he said.

He was quickly out the door and quickly trying to make his way to where his friend was last seen. From what he could tell, the two men were only trouble. He only hoped that he could help Zacharias. He slowed his pace before he got to the alleyway. He didn't want the thugs to realize that he was there. He remained near the corner and then slowly peered around at what was happening in the darkness.

“Homosexual slut!” One of the men yelled as Zacharias was struck in the ribs. So..someone had found out about their kiss..or had Zacharias been with someone else recently and had been discovered. Either way, Zayden couldn't let this continue. He quickly looked around, on the ground, looking for anything that he could use to get the two men's attention. He found a few decent sized rocks that he was certain would do the job. Zayden quickly picked them up and aimed.

Zayden threw one of the rocks at the man beating Zacharias. It clipped him in the left shoulder. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Zayden yelled to the man. The man turned, eyeing the small man. "Well well. Look what we have here. We'll teach you and then we'll finish with this one." Zayden's pale eyes merely stared the larger man down. He felt like this was partially his fault and he wasn't about to leave Zacharias here by himself. Zayden chucked another of the rocks, nearly hitting the other man. "Let's get him." one of the men said, taking off running towards him. Zayden quickly reacted, taking off running down the street. Since it was later in the evening, there were many people trying to get home, making the streets very packed. Zayden expertly slid past everyone, keeping distance between him and his pursuers. The chase lasted for some time and Zayden knew that he needed to get to Zacharias. He'd not looked like he'd been doing well.

Zayden finally came to a stop in one of the other alleyways and remained there for a few moments. The two oafs finally ran by, still thinking that he was heading in the same direction. He waited a few moments, making sure that they'd left before running back the way that he'd come. At long last he reached where he'd left Zacharias. He fell to his knees and gently touched his friend's shoulder. "Zacharias?" he said, concern lacing his voice. "Zach..I need you to listen to me. We need to make it back to the bakery. So you've got to help me help you." Zayden gently moved Zach's arm, putting it across his shoulders. He then slowly rose, allowing Zach to place his weight on him.

When the young man was finally up, Zayden slowly walked to the end of the alleyway. Before heading out, he checked to make sure no more thugs were about before making his way back to the bakery. Once there, Zayden struggled to keep Zach up. He banged on the door. Not five seconds later his mother opened the door, shock on her face. Zayden entered the building, walking Zach back into the kitchen where they would be hidden from the outside world. He could hear his mother locking the door. She did not come back into the kitchen, however. If Zayden knew her at all, he would be willing to bet that she was watching for any that were after them.

Zayden quickly pulled out a chair that sat around the small table that they used for breaks. He helped Zach to sit before standing straight again. Zayden said nothing but quickly went looking about the kitchen for something to clean the other man up. He rolled up his now dirty sleeves and dug through one of the cabinets. He found a couple of cloths and some alcohol. He made his way over to the man and pulled another chair up. Complete care and concern was written about Zayden's face. He took one of the cloths and poured a decent amount of the alcohol on it. He then, ever so gently, tilted Zach's head to the side. He saw where Zach's head was bleeding and he gently applied pressure to the location with the cloth. "Sorry." he said, flicking his gaze to Zach. "This'll sting for a moment or so. You know..you are lucky that I was trying to stop you from leaving. Otherwise they would have beat you to death..or near it."

He fell silent for a moment, merely concentrating on his actions. He tried to be gentle but knew that Zach was most likely in quite a bit of pain. "Can you hold this for a moment?" he asked, referring to the cloth that was on Zach's head. He then got another cloth and poured a smaller amount of the alcohol on it. He then took Zach's chin in one of his slim hands. Almost tenderly, Zayden turned Zach's face around to face his. Zayden then turned his eyes to Zach's lips. He then began gently dabbing at the wounds on his lips. "You're going to be in pain tomorrow. They sure did a number on you." He fell silent once again, his pale eyes locking with Zach's green ones. "So, why'd they attack you?" Zayden was now tending to Zach's lower lip, allowing the other man to talk if he wished. One of his thumbs was gently resting right below Zach's lower lip, keeping his head from moving too much.

Zach could only groan in pain. At that moment, he could no longer see clearly or hear right. The two men had stopped beating him, but Zach fear that it would not be for long. He prepared himself for another strike.

“Why don't you pick on someone your own size?” exclaimed a male voice.

Zach couldn’t make out who it was but he was sure it was Zayden.

“Well well. Look what we have here. We'll teach you and then we'll finish with this one,” said one of the two men. "Let's get him."

Then, they left. Only the fading off running footsteps could be heard. Zach was left alone, injured and bleeding. He had no strength to get up and felt as if he was going to pass out. Just as he was about to, Zayden came back.

"Zacharias?" he said, concern lacing his voice. "Zach..I need you to listen to me. We need to make it back to the bakery. So you've got to help me help you."

Zayden gently moved Zach's arm, putting it across his shoulders. He then slowly rose, allowing Zach to place his weight on him. The young raven haired man had to force new energy into him and pushed on. The pain was excruciating, especially in the side of his body. Zach could only see blurry silhouettes of people. When they reached Aroma’s Bakery, his sight as well as his energy slowly recovered. He was taken to the back of the shop where the kitchen was and was sat on a chair at a small table. For a moment, he was alone once again. It wasn’t long until he felt the stinging pain at the side of his head. The pain quickly woke him up. Zayden was in front of him, applying pressure to Zach’s wound with the cloth.

“Sorry,” Zayden said, flicking his gaze to Zach. “This'll sting for a moment or so. You know… you are lucky that I was trying to stop you from leaving. Otherwise they would have beat you to death… or near it.”

Zach was speechless.

"Can you hold this for a moment?" asked Zayden, referring to the cloth that was on Zach's head.

Zach gladly complied.

Zayden then took another cloth and pour what seemed to be alcohol on it. He then turned Zach’s face to face him, then dabbed the wound on the young blonde haired man’s lips.

“You're going to be in pain tomorrow. They sure did a number on you.” He fell silent once again, his pale eyes locking with Zach's green ones. “So, why'd they attack you?” Zayden was now tending to Zach's lip. One of his thumbs was gently resting right below Zach's lower lip, keeping his head from moving too much. Zach once again felt the warmth of the young raven haired man.

“I… I’m not sure” said Zach, keeping his eyes onto Zach’s, contemplating whether he should tell the young raven haired man. “I think I saw them yesterday dressed as acolytes.” His brows knitted together. He then sighed and tore his eyes away from Zayden’s. “Someone saw what I did to you last night.” His eyes started to form tears. “I’m sorry that I violated you, Zayden…”

“I… I’m not sure” Zach said, still looking at Zayden. “I think I saw them yesterday dressed as acolytes.” Zayden watched Zacharias closely as he spoke, taking in the other man's facial expressions. When the young man sighed and looked away from him, Zayden frowned slightly. He was not forced to wait long before his friend continued speaking. “Someone saw what I did to you last night. I’m sorry that I violated you, Zayden…” Zayden immediately noted the tears that were forming in Zacharias's eyes. He felt terrible.

"Stop talking nonsense." he said softly, cutting off Zach's apology. He continued to gently wipe and dab at Zach's lips ever so gently. "There is no need for your sadness or tears." he said smiling at the man near him. "I did not feel violated at all. Otherwise, I would not have..returned your affections." Ever so gently Zayden pulled the now dirty cloth and laid it down on the table.

Zayden had looked away from Zach..for but a moment, looking at the cloth that he'd just sat down. He then turned his gaze back to the other man,smiling. "Zacharias.." he said, gently taking hold of the other man's chin, forcing him to look at him. "I like you. Alot. So there is no need for you to apologize for something that I did not mind." He gently released Zach's chin but then immediately placed a gentle hand on Zach's neck, a brilliant smile on his face. He leaned towards Zacharias, his eyes flicking down to his lips. He closed the gap between them, placing a soft and gentle kiss to the side of Zach's mouth that had not been injured.

He lingered for only a few seconds before getting up from his seat and heading over to a cabinet. As e opened the wooden doors and began digging around, Zayden spoke. "I feel that I should apologize to you..I..have a hard time letting people close to me. I've been that way since I was little. I used to get picked on rather badly when I was a child.." He fell silent for a moment before continuing. "At any rate..I should not have been angry with you and in all honesty..I've no idea why I was. I'm sorry." He produced a mug and then began fixing a herbal tea. It only took him a few minutes before he made his way back to Zacharias. "Here.." he said, offering the drink to the other man. "This will help with the pain." He gently took the cloth from Zacharias, the one that had been against his head. Zayden then moved to the side so that he could look at the young man's head more closely. His slim fingers found their way into Zach's hair, gently moving the lightly colored strands so that he could see better.

Zayden turned to the table and took the last cloth, pouring alcohol on it. He tenderly pressed the cloth to Zach's head once again, gently holding it. Zayden's pale eyes flicked to Zacharias. They were rather close right then and all Zayden wanted to do was just simply hold the other man..to let him know that everything would be okay. But that statement would have been a lie. If someone had seen them together..then both of them would suffer. "You do realize that I'm not letting you go home tonight." he said, turning his gaze back to the wound that he was tending. "You're coming home with us. Don't even think about arguing with me. It is the best situation. I'm afraid of what would happen if I let you leave by yourself." Zayden, at last, removed the cloth from Zach's head and sat back down in the other chair. He eyed Zacharias closely, his gaze almost piercing.

“Stop talking nonsense.” he said softly, cutting off Zach's apology. He continued to gently wipe and dab at Zach's lips ever so gently. "There is no need for your sadness or tears." he said smiling at the man near him. “I did not feel violated at all. Otherwise, I would not have… returned your affections.”

Zayden’s words surprised Zach, leaving him speechless. All of the time, their feelings was mutual. Still, Zach was still confused with himself. He did not truly understand what he felt for the man. Never had he felt such way for anyone else, much less a man.

Ever so gently Zayden pulled the now dirty cloth and laid it down on the table. For a moment, Zayden had looked away from Zach, looking at the cloth that he'd just sat down. He then turned his gaze back to the other man, smiling. His smile comforted Zach as he did in the two days they have met each other. Naturally, Although still confused, Zach returned the smile.

"Zacharias…" he said, gently taking hold of the other man's chin, forcing him to look at him. “I like you. Alot. So there is no need for you to apologize for something that I did not mind.” He gently released Zach's chin but then immediately placed a gentle hand on Zach's neck, a brilliant smile on his face. He leaned towards Zacharias, his eyes flicking down to his lips. He closed the gap between them, placing a soft and gentle kiss to the side of Zach's mouth that had not been injured.

Zach’s heart pounded heavily when Zayden kissed him. He was scared but he also wanted it. He wanted to feel the other man’s warm lips on his. Before their lips touch, Zach slowly closed his eyes, embracing what was about to happen. The feeling he felt when they kissed added more confusion in himself as well as satisfied Zach to a degree. The kiss didn’t last long.

Zayden lingered for only a few seconds before getting up from his seat and heading over to a cabinet. As he opened the wooden doors and began digging around, he spoke. “I feel that I should apologize to you… I… have a hard time letting people close to me. I've been that way since I was little. I used to get picked on rather badly when I was a child…” He fell silent for a moment before continuing. “At any rate… I should not have been angry with you and in all honesty… I've no idea why I was. I'm sorry.” He produced a mug and then began fixing an herbal tea. It only took him a few minutes before he made his way back to Zacharias. “Here…” he said, offering the drink to the other man. “This will help with the pain.” He gently took the cloth from Zacharias, the one that had been against his head. Zayden then moved to the side so that he could look at the young man's head more closely. His slim fingers found their way into Zach's hair, gently moving the lightly colored strands so that he could see better.

Zach remained silence all that time, watching Zayden, studying him as he did before. His injury hurt less that he had forgotten about them.

Zayden turned to the table and took the last cloth, pouring alcohol on it. He tenderly pressed the cloth to Zach's head once again, gently holding it. The renewed stinging pain quickly reminded Zach of the injury.

Zayden's pale eyes flicked to Zacharias. “You do realize that I'm not letting you go home tonight.” he said, turning his gaze back to the wound that he was tending. “You're coming home with us. Don't even think about arguing with me. It is the best situation. I'm afraid of what would happen if I let you leave by yourself.” Zayden, at last, removed the cloth from Zach's head and sat back down in the other chair. He eyed Zacharias closely, his gaze almost piercing.

Zayden had reminded Zach of reality. “I apologize, Zayden, but I need to get back home quickly. My family will be looking for me. They need to know what happened. If the acolytes really had something to do with this, I worry that the Priests would take the next action on us and our family as well.” He then placed a hand over his head. “As for these wounds, I can handle them. Same goes for any attackers that I may encounter in the streets. The time I spent in the academy won’t be wasted. They won’t catch me by surprise the second time.”

When he got off the seat, tremendous pain seared into the side of his body. His ribs might be broken. He had to stand motionless for a moment, suppressing himself from showing any sign of pain from showing in his expression. He didn’t want Zayden to worry.

He then clasped the young raven haired man’s hands and looked into his eyes, indicating his guilt. “Once again, Zayden, I apologize for… for everything. But for my family, I must go.”

Zayden continued to watch Zach closely as the young man spoke. “I apologize, Zayden, but I need to get back home quickly. My family will be looking for me. They need to know what happened. If the acolytes really had something to do with this, I worry that the Priests would take the next action on us and our family as well.” The young man then placed a hand over his head. “As for these wounds, I can handle them. Same goes for any attackers that I may encounter in the streets. The time I spent in the academy won’t be wasted. They won’t catch me by surprise the second time.”

The dark haired man made sure to watch Zacharias as he got up from the seat that he'd been sitting in. Zach stood motionless for a moment and Zayden couldn't help but wonder if something else was wrong with him. This did not help him to feel any better about letting Zach leave by himself.

Then, Zacharias clasped Zayden’s hands and looked into his eyes, indicating his guilt. “Once again, Zayden, I apologize for… for everything. But for my family, I must go.” Zayden remained silent for a moment, merely looking up into Zach's eyes. "If you are certain that you are all right..and that you can take care of yourself, then I will not argue with you." he said, his pale eyes eyeing Zach worriedly. "You have to promise me that you'll let me know when you've made it home."

Though he would not say it out loud, Zayden was actually very worried about Zacharias. He could not force him to remain with him and his mother. He only hoped that the young man would make it home without any more problems. If anything happened to him, Zayden would never forgive himself. He was sure that the worry was written all over his face and he didn't even try to hide it.

Zayden gently pulled away from Zach and began cleaning up the kitchen, slowly making sure that the evidence of anyone being hurt was gone. He refused to look at Zacharias as he didn't think that he could without begging him to stay. Zayden did understand, however, how important it was that his friend got to his home. "You should get going, Zacharias." He said at length, his eyes finding his friend momentarily. "The later it gets, the more likely it will be that trouble will find you. Come, I'll see you out."

Zayden led the way back out into the main part of the bakery, finding his mother waiting patiently. When she saw the two youths come out of the kitchen, the older woman walked to them. "Are you two all right? What happened?" she asked, her eyes looking between the two. "Don't worry about that for now, mom. We'll talk about it later. Zacharias insists that he needs to be headed home, so he is leaving us." Aleia looked at Zach with the same look as her son had earlier..worry written all over her. She bid him a good night and told him that if he needed anything to give them a call. Zayden wanted so badly to kiss Zach..really kiss him. Much as he'd done the night before. He knew that was a impossible wish. It would only lead to more trouble. Zayden bid Zach goodnight.

He watched as his friend left, leaving him alone with his mother. They decided that perhaps it would be best to wait until Zach had enough time to get to the station and board before they headed out. Zayden thought that perhaps it would be best for them not to be seen together..at least for that night. Zayden and his mother made their way to the station and boarded a train. Once they were at their stop, they got off and made their way to their home. Zayden did not speak with his mother about what had happened, he merely went up to his room. He got ready for bed, stating that he wasn't hungry. He locked himself in his room and pulled out his phone. He could not relax until he knew that Zacharias had made it home safely.

Through Zayden’s expression, Zach could see that he did not like the idea. Then slowly, he turned and started to clean the kitchen up. “You should get going, Zacharias.” He said at length, his eyes finding his friend momentarily. “The later it gets, the more likely it will be that trouble will find you. Come, I'll see you out.”

Led by Zayden, they both found their way into the main part of the bakery. There was Aleia, waiting patiently.

“Are you two all right? What happened?” she asked, her eyes looking between the two.

“Don't worry about that for now, mom. We'll talk about it later. Zacharias insists that he needs to be headed home, so he is leaving us.” Aleia looked at Zach with the same look as her son had earlier, worry written all over her.

“Thank you, Misses Harwell,” said Zach and bowed the traditional gesture.

Before Zach left, Aleia bid him a good night and told him that if he needed anything to give them a call.

When he was sure that he was out of Zayden and Aleia’s sight, he let out a groan and clenched his teeth. His hand covered the side of his body where the excruciating pain was torturing him. “Num dolor,” he casted a pain numbing spell. Fixing his ribs there was too dangerous since he could be attack at any moment.

To get home, he had to walk a couple of blocks and take the train at the station. Nothing particular happened on the way to the station. He thought that he was safe and that the men were no longer after him. He tried to relax on the train, looking up to the ceiling. It was peaceful and quiet. Not the normal kind of quiet where he could hear some people talking, but a strange kind of quiet where it seemed like everyone had their eyes on him. When he observed, no eyes was on him. Everyone was minding their own business. Zach though that his mind was playing a game on him. He began to relax again. Then, the passenger started to decrease. When he looked on both sides of the carriage, there were the two men who attacked him, persuading people to head on to the next carriage by showing them something. Surprisingly, everyone complied. Zach just watched as everyone left. Then he got a glance at the something. It was a golden medal which is proof stating them as men of the Holy Temple and their authority.

Soon, in the train carriage was only him and the two men. Zach waited for the two men to charge at him, and they didn’t. Instead, they slowly walked towards him, cracking their fist and chuckling.

“Why are you doing this?” asked Zach.

“Because you have broken some strict rules of the Holy Temple,” said one of the men, grinning.

It was obvious to Zach that those two brutes were only interested in beating people up while misusing the name of the Holy Temple. That enraged him and boiled his blood up to his head. All his senses are lost to him, leaving only one thought in mind: revenge.

He dashed towards the one who seemed smaller. Instinctively, the man tried to grab Zach, but the young blonde haired man sled down between his legs and went behind him. Before the man could turn to face Zach, he young blonde haired man swung his hidden fancy cane sideways and whacked the man on the side of his head, giving him the same wound as he had given Zach before. Just like that, the man fell limply down, unconscious. That caused the other man to stop in his track and eyed Zach with awe. With sharp piercing eyes, Zach glared at the man and pointed at him with the cane.

“You’re next,” Zach said.

The man snarled and ran towards Zach like a berserk beast, roaring. Zach simply had to jump on a seat then leap over the man. With nimble movement, he spun once in the air and struck a blow in the man’s face with the tip of his cane, staggering the man. The man’s running momentum prevented him from stopping, thus giving Zach a space on the floor to land. While in the middle of turning to face Zach, the man received a precise kick in the ribs. A muffled cracked noise could be heard overlapping with the thudding sound. The force of the kick threw the man a few feet away and there he lay unconscious.

Zach could see some people watched from the glass mirror of the doors separating the train carriages. They seemed to be in shock, pointing at the men of the Holy Temple and then to Zach. Zach ignored them. Fortunately for Zach, the train reached his stop. He quickly ran out and headed home.

It wasn’t long until he reached home. Everyone was sitting in the dinner table, waiting for him.

“What happened to your lip?” asked Leon.

“I was attacked by a couple of acolytes,” he explained and cupped the wound at the side of his head. That was when they saw the dried blood.

Mouth gaping and eyes surprisingly wide, Talia ran to her older son.

“Where else are you hurt?!” she said. Although she tried to hide it, her voice was filled with fury.

“I think my some of my rib bones are broken,” he told her.

“We should get him to a doctor!” cried Leon, panicking slightly.

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Morris while checking on Zayden. “If acolytes were involved, then the hospital in Grantz Sky Island is not the place to go.”

“We’ll heal him with magic then,” said Talia, still angry.


It wasn’t long until Zach was fully healed. It never ceases to amaze Zach how miraculous magic could work. Then Morris and his family sat down to talk over dinner.

“What is Grantz Sky Island turning to?!” exclaimed Talia, slamming the dinner table with her fist. Food jumped up and landed back on place, scaring Leon and Zach.

“Calm down, dear,” said Morris while gently rubbing her back. Then he turned to his older son. “Now Zach, what actually happened?”

“um…” said Zach.

He didn’t know how to tell his parents. The part of explaining how the acolytes attacked him and how he returned their gesture in the train was easy but explaining why the acolytes attack him was the difficult part. But he needed to share his thoughts with them. He needed their opinion and guidance. For that, he needed to tell them the truth. It took everything to fight his embarrassment. It took him a moment, but finally, everything was out. Everyone was listening attentively throughout his story.

“I… I’m not sure whether I am… homosexual or not. I’m still confused with what I’m feeling but I… I am… I think I am really drawn to him.”

Everyone had a shocked expression on their face. No words came out of their mouth. Then, tears fell from Talia’s eyes and down her cheeks. She got up from her seat, walked to Zach, and hugged him tight. The act frightened Zach. It also added more confusion to him.

Morris also got up from his seat. He walked towards the two and patted Aleia on the back to calm her down. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. For now, go to bed and sleep.”


After a warm shower, Zach laid on his bed wearing nothing but a pair of comfortable boxers. He reached for his cell phone and started typing a text message to Zayden. He told Zayden: I’m safe home. He wanted to tell Zayden about the incident in the train but decided that he should save the story for another day.

As Zayden lay on his bed, he continued to worry about Zacharias. He sat up, grabbing his phone. He'd decided that he'd waited long enough and was going to message him. However, before he was able to do that, he received a message from Zach. I’m safe home. was all that he'd sent. Zayden waited a few moments. He thought over the few words that his friend had sent. He could not tell anything from them. He quickly typed up a few words, Good. I was beginning to worry. and sent them to Zacharias. Suddenly, there was a knock on his bedroom door. His mother entered, looking worriedly at him. She walked over to his bed and sat down next to him. "So, are you ready to talk about what happened today?" she asked softly, her pale eyes on the young man next to her.

Zayden remained silent, thinking about it. He'd not come out to his family yet but was he ready? As he thought about it, he decided that it was probably better to go ahead and talk with his mother about it now, before his father got home. Zayden moved so that he could see his mother better. He gently took her hands in his, his gaze holding hers. "There's something that I need to tell you." he said, pausing for a moment. Aleia looked puzzled. "Of course Zayden. You know that you can tell me anything." she said, gently giving his small hands a squeeze.

"You're not making this any easier on me, mom." he said, smiling. Aleia returned her son's smile though she was beginning to worry. "Does this have anything to do with what happened earlier?" she asked. Zayden merely nodded. "Mom, I'm not really sure of the best way to say this so..I'm just going to come right out with it. I like men." he fell silent, merely watching his mother for her reaction.

Aleia stared at her son for a long moment before a odd look crossed her features. "I..had a feeling. The way you are always dodging our questions about why you won't date anyone. I can't even remember you dating a girl. Sweetheart..are..you with Zacharias?" Zayden had a sad smile on his face. "No. We are not dating, if that's what you are asking. I do have feelings for him, though. I'm not really sure what, if anything he feels for me. Anyway, a couple of acolytes cornered him and beat him pretty good. I was able to lure them away." Aleia gently cupped her son's face, smiling sadly at him. "Your father will be furious when he finds out. You know that. I was prepared for this but I doubt that he was. We'll get through this together. Everything will turn out for the better in the end, you'll see. Now, you should get some rest. It's been a tiring day."

With that, Zayden's mother left him alone. He gently lay back down, pulling the covers up and around him. His mind slowly turned to thoughts of Zacharias. It was true that they'd kissed but Zayden was truly unsure of Zach's actual feelings for him. If he had to guess, the other man was confused by what was going on. Zayden had been allowed almost all of his life to come to terms with the fact that he preferred men. He would allow his friend all the time that he needed. It was with these thoughts running through his mind, that Zayden fell asleep.

---

Zayden woke up the next morning and went about as he normally did. He dressed as he usually did and even fixed his hair and did the eyeliner that he normally wore. He even ate breakfast with his mother though neither really said all that much. It wasn't long before Zayden and his mother made their way to the train station and they did not have to wait all that long before it arrived. They got on and slowly made the trip to the market district.

Once they'd arrived, they got off and made their way to the bakery. When they arrived, Zayden unlocked the door and entered. He waited for his mother to join him before he shut the door and locked it once again. The two Harwells went about their normal routine, getting the shop ready for the day. When they were finished, Zayden unlocked the door and flipped their sign over to 'Open'.

The day passed by rather slowly for Zayden. He kept finding his thoughts drifting to Zacharias. He was still rather worried about the other man. He didn't like the idea of him wondering about by himself but there was nothing that he could do about it. He also wanted to ask him if he was wishing to pursue whatever it was that was going on between them. He, on the other hand, didn't want to push Zach. After all..he'd just been attacked brutally the day before. He would allow him to make the first move. That was how he'd always been. He couldn't help but wonder if his friend would even dare to come by the shop that day..in his heart..Zayden wanted to see him badly but then again it would be best if he did not show. It would only further to enrage the acolytes if they saw his with Zayden.

It wasn’t long until Zayden replied: Good. I was beginning to worry.

A smile creased Zach’s lips. He started typing another reply but was stopped by the sound of a vehicle coming into their driveway. Curious, he went to check. There was a white engine powered caravan with a classic look to it. From the caravan came out the two acolytes along with two more men. They knocked hard on the front door of the house. A moment later, Zach heard the door open.

“What is the matter?” Talia asked in confusion and irritation. “Who are you people?”

“Misses Morrisson, we are from the Holy Temple,” answered the man who seemed to be the leader. “Is Zacharias, your son, home?”

For a moment, there was total silence. Then Talia began speaking once more, asking questions. “Why are people of the Holy Temple here late at night? Don’t you people sleep?”

Zach took that moment to get dressed with anything at his reach. His heart pounded fast out of fear of what he thought was he though was going to happen. He didn’t even manage to button his shirt when the bedroom door slammed open. It was his mother.

“Run!” said Talia with frightful eyes.

Behind her, Zach saw his father blocking the people of the Holy Temple from getting through. Zach was stunned. He didn’t know what whether he should or shouldn’t do as his mother said. He didn’t want to leave his parents. Other than that, he didn’t know where to run.

“Go! Now!” shouted Talia at the top of her lungs before one of the acolytes pulled her.

No, Zach didn’t do as he was told. Before he could reach her, Talia slapped the acolyte on the face. The slap must’ve been powerful since the man span once before laying dazed on her feet. Leon then came out of his room, wearing a simple white T-shirt and boxers.

“What’s happening?” asked the confused teenager.

“Argh!” exclaimed Morris. When Zach turned, he saw that his large beefy father was lying on the floor. The man in front of him had electrified Morris with a thunder palm spell.

“Morris!” exclaimed Talia. In an instant, her knee reached the man’s head. And the man fell.

Zach’s and Leon’s mouth fell open. That was the first time the two brothers saw Talia fought. But then, she was taken by surprise. The man that she slapped before grabbed her legs and then another man electrified her. She screamed before falling beside Morris.

“Mom!” screamed Leon. He then turned to Zach.

It seemed that Leon was waiting for instructions from his older brother. Zach simply looked at him back. He also didn’t know what to tell him. Opening his mouth, he turned to the intruders.

“Stop!” he told them. “Stop hurting them! I’ll go with you!”

But they didn’t stop. One of the men started towards Leon. Zach’s brotherly instinct drove him forward to protect Leon. The man tried to grab Zach, but his hand was parried away.

“Run, Leon!”

That was the last words that came out of Zach’s mouth before he was struck with electric current. Everything went black then.


* * * * * * * *


When he regained consciousness, he was in a circular room with pure white tiles on the wall, ceiling, and floor. There seemed to be no door or windows for him to see where he was. His head hurt and was spinning.

“Whe… where am I?” he asked the white walls, turning to every inch of it. “Where’s my family?” he asked, gently at first. Then, he exclaimed, “Where’s my family?!”

But there was no answer.

Frustrated, Zach tried to cast a spell to blow up the wall. To his surprise, he couldn’t feel any magic building up. That was when he noticed the bracelets on his arm. They were magic nullifying bracelets. Other than preventing magic from being casted, they are also very durable. There was no way of breaking them without help. So, he physically attacked the wall. He punched and kicked until his knuckles cracked, tried to rip seams until his nails were torn from his fingers, but to no avail. He fell to his knees, covering his face in his bloodied hands.

It seemed like days while he waited in the corner of the room, rolled up like a ball. There was no way that he could tell time in that well lit cell. The bright lights also made it difficult to sleep. Not that he could with his worries.

what happened to them? he thought of dreadful things. What will happen to me?

He thought of Zayden. Of all time, he was thinking of Zayden at that moment. Tears rolled down his eyes. He regretted his actions on that drizzly night. If only he had not done what he did, things wouldn’t end up like it had. Still, he missed the young raven haired man.

There was a sound of pressurized air being released before the wall split, revealing a path. Two men in full body silver armour and large shield entered. It took no time for Zach to get up and attempt an escape. One of the knights swung his shield at Zach with incredible speed, bashing him on the face, breaking and bloodying the young man’s nose. He fell to the floor, vision blurred then black once again.


* * * * * * * *




Last night was chaotic. What exactly happened outside of his bedroom, he didn’t know. When Zach was struck with surging electricity, Leon quickly made a run for it. Animal instinct drove him. He ran back into his room and jumped out the window. Thankfully, he had training of jumping from high places.

Without proper clothing and proper shoes, he ran on the pavement. When he glanced back, one of the men was chasing him. Leon couldn’t even scream for help. His throat was jammed shut out of fear and panic. The running brought him to the district observation deck built on a ledge. He glanced back once again; the man was already reaching for him. Reflex took over. He turned and grappled with the man. They rolled on the wooden deck. Leon’s strength wasn’t a match for the man’s larger body, but he still tried. He forced himself off, pushing the man. Surprisingly, he succeeded. He escaped the man’s hands, only to find his back leaning on the railing, stumbling back and falling off. But not all the way down. He managed to grab on a branch and hung there, out of the man’s view. With his heart pounding, he waited until he thought it was safe.

“There’s no way I’m jumping down there…” Leon heard the man above him said.

Footsteps on wood were heard walking away. The sound receded until there was only silence. Until he thought it was safe, he peeked out and gave out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until later that he remembered and realized that the men were using acolytes’ uniform. He carefully made his way home. He made sure to check if the acolytes were already gone before entering.

“Mom?!” he called. “Dad?!”

His family was no longer there.

This must have something to do with Zach, he thought. He started to panic once more. Who will help me help my family from the people of the Holy Temple? How will I save them? he walked back and forth, tugging on his hair, stressed. We should’ve moved when dad proposed the idea.It wasn’t long until he stopped. Zayden Leon remembered the Aroma’s Bakery. He hoped that after what Zach and Zayden went through, Zayden would help. It’s a slim chance but there was still hope.

As he dressed himself, Leon’s eyes drifted outside the window. That was when he saw not one, but two acolytes, not very far away. They probably saw him too because they started running towards him. Leon ran once again.

Leon lost the acolytes. He had to run and hide and run again, following paths through alleyways he never been before, to prevent from being discovered. More acolytes were searching for him that night.

Is homosexuality so much of a sin? Leon wondered why so many acolytes were searching for him.

When he reached Aroma’s Bakery, it was still closed. So, he hid himself in an alleyway where he could see Aroma’s Bakery until it was morning. The Townspeople started coming, but he still hid himself. Minutes later, Zayden and a woman arrived. Leon took a moment to check whether there were any people of the Holy Temple scouting the area. When it seemed that there was none, he made his way to Aroma’s Bakery. When he saw Zayden, Leon quickly grabbed the young raven haired man’s sleeves. His heart pounded. For a minute, he made sure that no one was inside the bakery. When he was sure there was no one else, he spoke.

“I don’t know who else to go to,” he told Zayden. “My family were taken by the people of the Holy Temple. I think it must have something to do with you and Zach.”

When the door bell jingled, signaling that someone was entering into the bakery, Zayden looked to the door. The person that entered was Zachariah's younger brother. Immediately, the darker haired young man felt his heart drop. Something had to be wrong. He could no imagine any other reason for him to stop by the bakery without his brother. He watched as Leon grabbed his sleeves and looking around almost as if to make sure that they were alone. Luckily, that morning had been very slow so far and his mother was back in the kitchen, baking.

“I don’t know who else to go to,” Leon said, “My family were taken by the people of the Holy Temple. I think it must have something to do with you and Zach.” When the words left Leon's lips, Zayden felt as if his heart stopped..and he couldn't breathe. He was silent for a long moment, staring at the younger man..or rather..through him. So the Holy Temple had acted last night. He had not thought that it would happen so quickly. He didn't have many options. His family had barely any social standing and they didn't have much money. He couldn't see how he could possibly help. Suddenly, he realized that he'd been silent for too long. He could only imagine what was going on through the young man's mind.

He went over quickly what Leon had said. So..the other man must have said something to his family about him. He could only imagine what his family thought..or what was said. He couldn't worry about that now. He had other pressing matters. His pale eyes refocused onto Leon..concern and worry written all over his face. "Yes..he was attacked when he was trying to leave here yesterday. Zacharias informed me that someone from the Temple had seen us..together. Though, when were they taken? You must tell me exactly what happened." he asked at last. He waited patiently for the other man to explain what had happened before speaking again. "I'm afraid that there is not much that I can do. Unless..you've got a idea?"

Zayden wanted so badly to help Leon and his family. However, there just wasn't much he could do. Of course, he could always try to barter with those that had taken them. He doubted that would work very well though. He was suddenly very frustrated with himself. He was worried and had no clue how to help. He looked outside, suddenly noticing that acolytes wandering about. He moved from Leon, locking the door and switching their sign to closed. He then gently but firmly took hold of the younger man's wrist, leading him back into the kitchen so that those outside could not see them. When they entered the kitchen, Zayden's mother eyed them oddly. "What's going on?" Zayden merely looked at his mother for a moment before showing Leon to one of the chairs. "This is Leon, Zacharias's brother." He then proceeded to tell his mother what the young man had told him had happened the night before.

After he'd finished speaking, he could see that his mother was very worried. Her eyes flicked to the other man. "Those terrible people. They've no right. You will stay with us.." As his mother spoke, Zayden quickly fixed Leon something to eat and drink. He could only imagine how exhausted the young man was. Hopefully, after they discussed further what they could possibly do to help his family, he could get some rest. He sat down across from Leon, still eyeing him with worry. "So..we need to figure out what to do. We can't let your family stay wit the Temple."

Zayden seemed to freeze from the words spoken. Leon understood that the information must’ve been overwhelming. For that reason, he waited until Zayden picked himself up.

A minute later, Leon’s expression change into a worried one. “Yes… he was attacked when he was trying to leave here yesterday. Zacharias informed me that someone from the Temple had seen us… together. Though, when were they taken? You must tell me exactly what happened.”

“I’m not really sure myself. I was in my room when it happened. I heard my mom screaming outside of my room. Naturally, I went out to look. I saw them, my dad and my mom struggling to block the acolytes from Zach. It was all very confusing. Next thing I know my dad dropped, then my mom, then Zach!” Leon massaged his head, frustration slowly building up once more. “I ran. I left them,” he said, eyebrows furrowing. “I managed to escape and later returned there, but they were gone.” He clenched his fist. “They’re gone and I don’t know where they are!”

"I'm afraid that there is not much that I can do. Unless… You’ve got an idea?" said Zayden.

Leon opened his mouth to speak. Before words could form, Zayden moved away, confusing the teenager. Zayden locked the door and flipped a sign written CLOSED to OPEN, which was opposite if seen from the other side. Leon saw the acolytes wandering outside. He started to panic, eyeing for a place to hide. That was when Zayden firmly took hold of Leon’s wrist, leading him to the kitchen where Aleia was.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Zayden merely looked at his mother for a moment before showing Leon to one of the chairs. Leon then sat and waited quietly. He needed to analyse what was happening and what to do next. If only he knew where his family was, he could make out a plan to save them.

Where can they be? he thought. They must be there. The chance of them being there is very high. They must be at the Holy Temple.

“This is Leon, Zacharias's brother,” said Zayden to his mother, introducing Leon.

He then proceeded to tell his mother what the young man had told him had happened the night before. After he'd finished speaking, he could see that his mother was very worried.

Her eyes flicked to the other man. “Those terrible people. They've no right. You will stay with us.”

As his mother spoke, Zayden quickly fixed Leon something to eat and drink. He could only imagine how exhausted the young man was. Hopefully, after they discussed further what they could possibly do to help his family, he could get some rest. He sat down across from Leon, still eyeing him with worry. “So… we need to figure out what to do. We can't let your family stay with the Temple.”

Leon finished eating in no time at all. Zayden was right. Leon was tired of enduring the night cold air.

“Thank you for the food and drink,” Leon said to the Harwels.

Then, the front entrance jingled. Strangely, not just one pair of footsteps was heard, but a crowd.

* * * * * * *



“What a glorious morning,” said the red haired priest. He took a deep breath, smelling the fresh morning air through his nostrils. “Another day to rid this world of filthy sinners.”

The white caravan had taken him to the centre shopping district. Slowly he walked on the pavement, clacking footsteps was heard every time he took a step forward.

“Aroma’s Bakery,” he read the name of the shop in front of him. When he turned his gaze to the door, he saw the CLOSED sign. He smirked. “No matter if it’s closed. We’re not here to purchase anything,” he told the acolytes who were accompanying him. “Shall we?” he said, more of an order than a proposal.

One of the acolytes opened the door for him and he entered. Everyone else followed after. There was no one in the front hall of the shop.

“Check the kitchen,” ordered Brutus, glaring at his men with sharp piercing eyes. “This time, just arrest them. No dilly dallies. No talking. Just do it.”

“Yes, priest,” said the acolytes. They proceeded to the kitchen.

Just as Leon thanked Zayden and his mother for the food and drink, they heard the jingle of the door bell, signaling that someone had entered the bakery. They only had a few seconds before they would be back in the kitchen. The short man had to think quickly. They would do no one any good if all of them got arrested. There was a back door in the kitchen that led out into one of the rarely used back streets. Most had forgotten it even existed. Zayden quickly pulled Leon up and grabbed his mother's wrist. He quickly threw the two out into the street. "Go!" he said quietly. "You'd better take care of her, do you understand? Now, go!"

He shut the door, locking the door and tossing the key across the floor, it sliding underneath the fridge. The would have to work hard to get out into that street through the bakery. He turned to face the entryway, trying to prepare himself for what was about to happen. At least his mother and Leon would get away..hopefully. He'd done all that he could do.

Suddenly, acolytes filled the kitchen, grabbing him roughly. He didn't need them to tell him why he was being arrested nor who else they were looking for. They quickly tore the shop apart looking for Aleia and Leon. When they were certain that the others were not there, a red haired priest slowly made his way to stand in front of Zayden. The man was speaking but Zayden found it hard to listen. He spoke out, suddenly, however. "I have no idea where they are.." but he knew even before he said it that none of those that were now in his mother's kitchen would believe him.

It was then that they attacked him. He could not fight back as he was being restrained. By the time that they were finished trying to teach him a lesson, his left eyebrow and the right side of his bottom lip as split, his stomach felt like he'd been rammed with a large object several times, and he was beginning to bruise in various other places. He imagined that they wanted to to keep him in good enough health so as to torture him more later on.

The pain that racked through his body was great and he could barely stand. There was only two acolytes now holding him up. The priest spoke again and still he could not pay attention to what was being said. His head hung as he was led out into the street. He could only imagine the stares and what was being said. He was led down the street, through the immense crowd before he passed out.

---

---

As Zayden had literally thrown her and Leon out into the dark street, she watched him with fear in her eyes as the door closed again, leaving them in the dark. She said nothing, trying to keep herself composed in front of Leon. She gently took hold of the young man's hand, leading him. She was silent, fearing that they would be found. She had no idea how long they were in the abandoned street but at last they came out in another district. She waited for a few moments before leaving behind the darkness. There were no acolytes..no one from the Temple. Aleia quickly led the way down another dark street. "We need to get somewhere safe. That means we'll have to stay away from anywhere that is public. The Temple will have people looking for us. We need to hurry."

She was as silent as she could be, walking around in the dark. She was unsure as to how long they were walking but she knew that they still had quite a way to go. After she was certain it would be all right for them to stop for a few minutes, she did so, sitting down on the side. It was then that she broke down, silently crying. "I'm sorry, dear. I just can't believe this is happening. I mean...is it really so wrong for them to have feelings for one another?"

---

---

Zayden was out for some time. He only began awaking when he began hearing voices. The next thing he knew, he was being thrown into a dark room. He couldn't even try to catch himself. He fell to the ground, rolling a bit before his body came to a stop on his side. He remained there, closing his eyes once again. He had no idea if he was alone or not..or even where he was. All that he knew was that his entire body hurt. He was worried about his mother..Leon..Zach..and everyone else that had been hurt because the two men had feelings for one another.

He tried to block out the pain..the sadness. It was not a easy thing to do. All he wanted was to be near Zach though he doubted that he would ever see him again. That one thought upset him more than any others that were running through his mind. Suddenly another spasm of pain racked through his body and Zayden clenched his eyes shut even harder. And then..he thought that someone touched his shoulder. He couldn't move but if it was indeed someone, he hoped with all of his heart that it was someone that would either be kind to him or just simply leave him alone.

Leon thought that the footsteps was only customers or the bakery’s helper, arriving for work. He paid no attention to the upcoming footsteps. Without warning, Leon was pulled by Zayden. The teenager, along with Aleia, was thrown into the streets through the back door. The door then shut, followed by a clicking sound of the lock.

“What the fuck?” said Leon, frowning his eyebrows, clearly displeased.

He felt someone taking his hand. When he turned, he realized it was Aleia, leading him somewhere. Confused and still frowning, Leon allowed her to lead him. After what felt like a while, without trading any words, reaching other districts, following dark streets, Aleia finally spoke.

“We need to get somewhere safe. That means we'll have to stay away from anywhere that is public. The Temple will have people looking for us. We need to hurry.”

Aleia have remained quiet for quite a while, continuing their travels. Where they were going, Leon had no clue. Finally, Aleia stopped and sat on the side. Leon crossed his arms, frowning again. When he turned to Aleia, it surprised him to see the woman crying in silence.

She then spoke. “I'm sorry, dear. I just can't believe this is happening. I mean... is it really so wrong for them to have feelings for one another?”

It took a moment for Leon to answer. “I… I don’t know, ma’am,” he told her. “I… I’m just a boy. This… all this… what is happening now is too overwhelming for me…”



As his men was working in Aroma’s Bakery kitchen, he waited in the front hall, reading a magazine with one leg on top of the other.

“I think I gave them enough time,” he said and placed the magazine on the table, rising from his seat and headed for the kitchen.

When he saw what happened, his eyes immediately widened in shock. His acolyte has beaten a young man with raven hair.

“Morons!” he scolded. “I told you to arrest them! Not this!”

He was infuriated. Still, he managed to control his rage at the moment. With his hand, he grabbed the man by the jaw and examined him.

“Is this him?” Brutus asked the acolytes. “Is this Zayden?”

“We believed so, Priest,” answered one of the acolytes.

“Idiots,” Brutus sighed, “take him to the Holy Temple’s common prison.”




Morris, the son of Gar, was holding Talia, his beloved wife in his hands. Both parents were sitting on the floor, beside the walls, at the corner of the dark room. Just like Zach, magic nullifying bracelets was forced on them and was thrown in the dark cellar located underground of the Holy Temple. They could not break out for they have not the strength at the current moment. Their eyes had adjusted slightly to the darkness, allowing them to see the square shape of the room.

They haven’t been wounded physically but their emotions had been bruised badly with that had happened with their oldest son, especially Talia. It wasn’t something that Zach had done that had hurt them. What hurt them was knowing that Zach’s future would be more complicated and difficult compared to other people. Uncompassionate people would misunderstand Zach and make hell of out his life for what was not his fault. He would be judge and punished by the people of the Holy Temple for orientation and not what kind person he is. It hurt Morris and Talia deeply. There was no one they could blame for how Zach had turned out, except for nature. But for what is going to happen to their child, there was no doubt that they can blame it on the people of the Holy Temple.

For a moment, light could be seen from an opening in the walls. Another person was thrown in, causing his limp body to roll on the sandy floor and setting on his side. The opening in the walls then closed along with the light.

For a second, Morris and Talia eyed each other in surprise. Quickly, Talia crawled to the man. In the darkness, she couldn’t make out how the man looked but she was sure enough that he was alive and breathing. With her gentle hands, she touched his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

She looked to the young man. She had no idea what to do. The only thing that she knew was that they needed to get somewhere safe. Somewhere that those from the Temple wouldn't think to look for them. There was only one place that she could think of. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and then stood. "Come. We should get going. If we stay in one place for too long we risk being found. I know of somewhere we can go. There is a elderly woman who is said to take in those that are running from the Temple. We'll hopefully be able to stay there for a while. At least until we can figure out how to help Zayden and your family."

With that, Aleia began leading the way again. She made sure that the young man was staying close. They traveled for most of the night, dodging any that they came across. After what had seemed like forever, they came to a small building that was located at the outskirts of the city. Aleia quickly made her way up the steps and to the door. She stopped, hesitating for only a moment. She knocked then, watching about them carefully.

After a few short moments, the door opened. In the doorway, a young woman stood. She had blue eyes and curly blonde hair..and appeared to be no older than Aleia's son. She eyed the two that stood on the doorstep. "Can I help you?" the girl asked, looking a bit confused. Aleia smiled. "We're sorry to bother you but would this be the home of Muriel Blackwater?" At hearing the name, the young woman's face became concentrated..more serious. "Come in. Quickly." she said, moving aside to allow the pair to enter the home.

Aleia quickly entered but then stopped near a small table to wait on the girl. The yellow haired girl closed the door and locked it. She then turned to the pair that she'd allowed entrance. "I'm Clara Blackwater. Muriel is my grandmother. I'm afraid she's in bed right now and with her age I won't wake her. I help her now. You can trust me."

Aleia watched the young woman as she spoke. She could easily see that the young woman was telling the truth. "I"m Aleia Harwell. The Temple is looking for us and we need a place to hide." she said, pleading with the woman. Clara looked to the young man, waiting for him to introduce himself before speaking. "Then you have come to the right place. We have saved many from the tyranny of the Temple. Though..it is late and I can see that you are both quite weary. Follow me. I'll show you to your rooms." Clara then led the way through the house, up the stairs to where there were several doors. She stopped at one and informed Aleia this was where she could sleep. After leaving the older woman, Clara led the young man to the room right next to his companions. "This will be your room while you are with us. You should get some rest. In the morning when my grandmother is awake, we'll converse about what has brought you to us." She bowed to him slightly. "If you need anything, my room is on the end. Good evening." With that, the young woman headed to her room and shut the door.

---

---

Suddenly, he heard a voice. “Are you okay?” It was a woman's voice. He slowly opened his eyes and then slowly moved to sit up. He struggled a bit, his body still quite sore. "Yes..I think so. Nothing that won't heal quickly. Thank you. Who are you?" he asked as he turned his gaze to the woman that was near him.

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was. Probably the Temple's way of slowly driving them mad. Quickly, Zayden realized that he'd not introduced himself. "I'm Zayden Harwell. Zacharias wouldn't happen to be related to you..would he?" he asked, trying to stay concentrated on the woman. He fell silent, suddenly feeling like all of this was his fault. If he'd never met Zach..his family wouldn't be in this mess. None of them would.

He couldn't help but wonder where his mother and Leon was. Hopefully, they'd made it to somewhere safe. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to them. "Your other son..Leon..you will be glad to know that he is fine." he said quietly. Zayden knew that his words would only bring minimal comfort to them..but it was all that he could offer.

The young man shifted. “Yes, I think so. Nothing that won’t heal quickly. Thank you.” He turned his gaze to Talia. “Who are you?”

“My name is Talia Clarkdaughter dear,” she answered him. “What is your name, young man.”

“I’m Zayden Harwell,” he answered. “Zacharias wouldn’t happen to be related to you, would he?”

Upon hearing those words, Talia’s eyes widened from shock though Zayden probably couldn’t see it in the dark. “You… You’re Zayden,” She reached for Morris’s hand and tugged on him. “Honey, it’s Zayden. The one Zach told us about.”


Zayden spoke again. “Your other son… Leon… You will be glad to know that he is fine.”

Talia released a breath of relief. “Thank the gods.”

“That a boy,” said Morris.

Talia once again placed her hand on the raven haired young man’s shoulder. “Zayden, do you happen to have a pin of some sort?”




“Come. We should get going. If we stay in one place for too long we risk being found. I know of somewhere we can go. There is an elderly woman who is said to take in those that are running from the Temple. We'll hopefully be able to stay there for a while. At least until we can figure out how to help Zayden and your family.”


With that, Aleia began leading the way again. She made sure that the young man was staying close. They travelled for most of the night, dodging any that they came across. After what had seemed like forever, they came to a small building that was located at the outskirts of the city. Aleia quickly made her way up the steps and to the door. She stopped, hesitating for only a moment. She knocked then, watching about them carefully.

After a few short moments, the door opened. In the doorway, a young woman stood. She had blue eyes and curly blonde hair and appeared to be no older than Aleia's son. She eyed the two that stood on the doorstep. “Can I help you?” the girl asked, looking a bit confused.

Aleia smiled. “We're sorry to bother you but would this be the home of Muriel Blackwater?”

At hearing the name, the young woman's face became concentrated… more serious. “Come in. Quickly.” she said, moving aside to allow the pair to enter the home.

Aleia quickly entered but then stopped near a small table to wait on the girl. The yellow haired girl closed the door and locked it. She then turned to the pair that she'd allowed entrance.

“I’m Clara Blackwater. Muriel is my grandmother. I’m afraid she’s in bed right now and with her age I won't wake her. I help her now. You can trust me.”

“I’m Aleia Harwell. The Temple is looking for us and we need a place to hide.” she said, pleading with the woman.

Clara looked to the young man. It was only a moment later that Leon realized that she was waiting for him to speak. “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologized and bowed as a sign of respect. “My name is Leon Morrisson.”

She then continued. “Then you have come to the right place. We have saved many from the tyranny of the Temple. Though… it is late and I can see that you are both quite weary. Follow me. I'll show you to your rooms.”

Clara then led the way through the house, up the stairs to where there were several doors. She stopped at one and informed Aleia this was where she could sleep. After leaving the older woman, Clara led the young man to the room right next to his companions.

“This will be your room while you are with us. You should get some rest. In the morning when my grandmother is awake, we'll converse about what has brought you to us.” She bowed to him slightly. “If you need anything, my room is on the end. Good evening.” With that, the young woman headed to her room and shut the door.

Leon reached out a hand to stop her. He had questions to ask. It was too late. She was already gone. He dropped on the bed and looked to the ceiling, thinking of what happened.

What else can I do? thought the teenage boy. This was not what I expected would happen

Slowly, he stood up. He looked around the room. A sigh of frustration escaped. He peered out the window and tried to think of a plan.




He woke up in another white room. But this time, he was hung by his wrists with a rope to the ceiling. He tasted blood in his mouth. When he turned his head to check on himself, he saw that blood covered a part of his half naked body. He turned his head to check again. That was when he noticed the person in front of him. His mouth changed shaped into a snarl.

“Brutus, you fucking piece of shit…” he said and spit blood on to the white floor.

“Tsk tsk. No need for that, boy,” said Brutus with his fashioned smirk.

Zach saw the Priest was holding a whip on his hand, flailing it around as he walked around him. But he could only grunt in response. He couldn’t escape.

“You know, if it weren’t for me, you’d be put on a public punishment to be made of an example for the people of Grantz Sky Island.”

“Oh, how kind of you oh mighty priest,” said Zach with sarcasm. Then, he grunts once again from the pain in his wrists.

“I try my best to be,” responded Brutus. “Well, I guess we should get this started then.”

Then, the whipping started.

Aleia Harwell

The night passed rather slowly for Aleia. She found nearly no rest, thinking about her son..what had happened to him. She found herself getting only about four hours of sleep in all, though it had been spread out. She'd woken up several times, fearing that someone was going in for her or Leon. Now, it was around eight in the morning. She'd gotten a shower and had changed into the clothes that Clara had brought for her. She sighed softly. She wanted her son back and she wanted Leon's family freed as well. None of them deserved this.

Aleia quietly exited the room and headed down to the kitchen. Clara was already down there, along with her grandmother. They were both fixing large amounts of food for the morning meal. When the young girl saw Aleia, she smiled. "Good morning, Ms. Harwell. You slept well?" she asked. Aleia answered. "As well as could have been expected. I think I was mainly worrying." The oldest woman smiled sadly at Aleia.

The Harwell woman took a seat at the table, waiting patiently. She was still rather exhausted and she was sure that they could tell. They waited for Leon to join them before beginning the meal. They were all rather silent, though that was expected. When they were about nearly done eating, Clara spoke to them. "Please, will you tell us what has brought you to our home?" she asked. Aleia was silent for a moment before informing the Blackwaters what had happened over the past few days. When she fell silent, Clara looked to Leon. "That..is terrible. I'm so sorry. The Temple took my brother..many years ago for the same reasons. We fled, changed our names and here we are now. Leon, I hate to ask this..but..have you a idea as to what you are going to do?"

They were all silent for a long moment, allowing the young man to speak. Aleia had been wondering the same. Only..she'd not wanted to bother him yet with such things. In all honesty, there was nothing that Aleia could think of that they could do. She felt as if there was much more harshness towards Zacharias than most that had been taken to the Temple for homosexuality and for the life of her she could not figure out why.

---

---

Talia once again placed her hand on the raven haired young man’s shoulder. “Zayden, do you happen to have a pin of some sort?” He hesitated for a moment, thinking. Did he? He began feeling around on his body. After a few short moments, he came across what he was looking for. Inside his vest, a small piece of cloth had been pinned. A lucky charm, or so his mother had said. He pulled both items from his body. He placed the cloth in his pocket before handing Talia the pin. "Here. That's the only one that I've got though." he said.

Zayden was silent for a moment before speaking again. "What do you need it for?" he asked, confusion crossing his handsome features. He could not imagine what the woman possibly wanted the pin for. He was glad that the pain was beginning to subside, he was able to think a bit more clearly now.

Throughout the whipping, there were a lot of times where Zach almost fell unconscious from the excruciating pain. But Brutus’s men made sure he didn’t by casting a waking spell on him. Zach’s vision whirled trying not to succumb to madness.

Finally, the whipping ended.

“Take him back to the white room,” ordered Brutus, panting slightly.

They dragged Zach’s limp body but conscious body back to his special cell. There, the acolytes quickly disinfected and healed his back to prevent him from dying. The pain did not go away. He was a broken man, lying on his side on the cold white floored circular room.





“Here. That's the only one that I've got though,” said Zayden, and Talia took the pin off of his hands. Zayden was silent for a moment before speaking again. “What do you need it for?” he asked, confusion crossing his handsome features.

A clicking sound was heard and Talia’s bracelets fell off. She quickly took off Zayden’s bracelets and then Morris’s.

“Thank you dear,” said Morris. “I see that your skills have not abandoned you.”

Talia placed her hands on each of Morris’s shoulders. “Now dear, right after I heal the boy, break the doors.” She turned to Zayden and started to heal his wounds. She said to Zayden, “We’re getting out of here and rescuing Zach, wherever he is.”

Just as Zayden’s wounds seemed healed enough for him to move freely, Morris dashed towards the closed entrance on the wall and rammed it with his bulky body. Dust and rubble was sent flying everywhere, opening a gaping wide hole. “Let’s go!” he said.

Talia grabbed Zayden’s hand and together, they attempted to escape. She and Morris suspected they were underground for most prisons were built in the basement. They needed to find an elevator or stairs and up they will go.





When morning arrived, Leon headed down to the kitchen. The house was unfamiliar to him but he managed to find his way on his own. The woman from before, Clara, was already with who Leon assumed was her grandmother along with Misses Harwell.

“Good morning,” Leon greeted with a slight bow and joined them on the table. But truly, it wasn’t a good morning for Leon. He was miserable of not knowing what to do to save his family.

They had an awkward silent breakfast. Clara broke the air with a question. “Please, will you tell us what has brought you to our home?”

It took a moment, but Leon remained quiet as Aleia explain what had happened over the past days. When she finished, Clara looked to Leon.

“That… is terrible. I'm so sorry. The Temple took my brother… many years ago for the same reasons. We fled, changed our names and here we are now. Leon, I hate to ask this… but… have you any ideas as to what you are going to do?”

“I… I don’t know,” he looked down.

Once again, the awkward silence filled the kitchen.

Leon couldn’t take it. It was driving him insane. Briskly pushing his seat back, he stood up. “I’m going to the slums. I heard there are rebels there plotting against the Holy Temple. Maybe they will have some ideas on what to do.”

Talia took the pin from him. He had no idea what she was planning to use it for. After only a few moments, the sound of clicking was heard and then Talia's bracelets fell to the ground. She then helped Zayden with his and then her husband.

“Thank you dear,” said Morris. “I see that your skills have not abandoned you.”

Zayden kept his gaze from the pair. He almost felt as if he was in some strange world. The chances of being thrown in with Zach's parents were almost zero to none. “Now dear, right after I heal the boy, break the doors.” Talia said to Morris. She then turned to Zayden and started to heal his wounds. “We’re getting out of here and rescuing Zach, wherever he is.” At hearing this, Zayden looked up at the woman..almost as if he thought she'd lost her mind.

When Morris deemed Zayden's wounds healed enough, he dashed towards the door that held them within the room. Dust and rubble was sent flying everywhere, opening a gaping wide hole. “Let’s go!” Morris said.

Talia grabbed Zayden’s hand and together, they attempted to escape. Zayden allowed the woman to lead him. He couldn't say that he'd ever been inside the Temple. He would be no help at this point. He made sure to keep his eyes open, to watch their surroundings. They didn't need to be ambushed.

After some time of trying to find their way, they came to a hall that only led to a long couple of flights of stairs. Here, they paused for a moment. Zayden, for the first time in a while, spoke. "So we go up from here? What happens if we run into someone? I doubt they will take kindly to us trying to escape.."

---

---

Leon answered Clara. “I… I don’t know,” he said, looking down.

Silence filled the kitchen for a few long moments. Aleia felt terrible for Leon. His entire family had been taken and there was no way of knowing if they would ever see each other again. Suddenly, the young man pushed his seat away from the table and stood up. “I’m going to the slums. I heard there are rebels there plotting against the Holy Temple. Maybe they will have some ideas on what to do.” he said.

Aleia stopped Leon for only a moment. "I can not tell you what to do, dear, but..if you truly think this is the route to take..please be careful. The Temple will still be looking for us. Promise that you will be back before dark." She was not trying to tell him what to do, but simply feared for him. Zayden had saw it more important for the two of them to get away..risking his own safety for theirs.

Clara and her grandmother were silent, merely watching the pair that were currently staying with them. They wanted to help the pair but knew that there was only so much that they could do without raising the spotlight onto them. "She is right, young man. If anyone sees you leaving or entering this house, they could alert the Temple if they know you are wanted. If you are sure this is the right path to take, make sure to cover your head and face. That should be enough to keep any from realizing who you are." The oldest woman said. Clara rose from her seat and then slowly began gathering the empty plates from the table. They could not stop him. If he saw this as the best action, then they would all support him.