On The Run

Southern Loupeta

At night hours, the entire city is lit up by marching guards holding lanterns and torches in search of a wanted man, Benedict. "Check every street, each alley, even civilian houses. If you have, too, that bastard shall not get out of the city," shouts the angered general to his soldiers as the soldiers scatter, a nearby couple watches all this from their house's window. "What's going on out there, my dear?" asks the worried wife, "I am not sure…." replies the husband. "But I heard some guards talking that some assassinated the king". *gasp* "Who could do such a thing?" the wife wonders, "I don't know, but whoever that man was, he's not getting out of this", the husband replies, unaware of the third man listening to them from above, on the roof a wounded Benedict listens all this he looks around scout the city thinking of a way out. "The entire city is on lockdown…. there is no way I am getting out, not alive. At least I need to find a place as soon as possible. Possibly the longer I wait, the harder it gets," as Benedict gets himself to go to a nearby guard. Spots him, "There he is!!!" he shouts, calling in all the other guards, benedict quickly gets up and makes a run for it he jumps over houses and walks over ledges, but the guards just won't let him escape, as he running away from them an archer guard pinpoints his next move and shot an arrow at him with hits him in the leg and benedict falls to the ground, "I got him!!!! I got him," shouts the archer. He rushed towards the place where Benedict was supposed to fall, but upon reaching there, he didn't find it.

Benedict, all the other guards reach therewith. The general asked, "Where the hell is he!!!! He's still out there! Find him!!" all the guards left the scene to continue in search of Benedict, but before leaving the scene, the general made a discovery, "Tire marks!!!" it didn't take him much time to realize where benedict is he quickly rushed to the gates of the castle there a lot of wagons coming and going out the city, the guards are already checking every wagon, but general joins them personally, "Where are you going??" asks the guard to the old wagon driver. "Just returning to my village, good sir. I am a merchant and came here to trade," the old man replies. "And what in the back??" the guard asks. The old man hesitated a bit, "Goods sir…. unsold goods can't sell the damaged goods to the fine people of southern Loupeta… he", the old man replies. "Ok, you can go," the guard replies as he opens the gates and sends the old man away, but before the old man can get out, the general stops him. "What did he say he has in the back solider?" the general asks the soldier. "he said goods sir" the solider replies "and you believed that??" the general asks while circling around the wagon "what do you mean sir?" the soldier stutters "if he had goods in the back then why is blood coming out of the wagon" the guard looks at the back and sees the thin line of blood falling out the wagon "he…he…its…it's not blood good sirs it's red wine" the old man replies hoped to get away, "is that so??" the general replies he rubs his figure on flowing blood and licks it "doesn't taste like any wine I ever had but it does taste like blood" he spits "bastard's blood" the general and the other solider drew their swords "open the wagon" the general order the old man, just as the old man was about to get off the wagon a loud explosion shock the ground "What was that!!!" the solider at the gates asked "could it be him!" the general though for a moment "I have to go check, you! Don't let this man go anywhere," the general order the guard before leaving the scene. Once the general left, the guard came to the old man. "Go!!! Now!! Before he came back! Go!!!", the old man is confused, but he left anyway after getting out of the city he drive the wagon into the forest deep so that no guards will find them once he reach far enough he stops the wagon and get off he walked around the back and open the wagon inside a young women and on her lap wounded benedict "are we there??" the women asks "yes we are you can come out now" the old man replies, the women slowly puts benedict head from her lap to a wagon floor as she proceed to get off benedict opens his eyes and saw here "Catherine….." benedict whispers weakly, Catherine's eyes fills with hope and tears she pats his head and get off the wagon, "why are you doing it??" the old man asked but Catherine didn't reply like she was thinking something else "hey!! I asked you something why are you helping him" the old man asked again, she still didn't replied this time the old hand holds her hand the turns her around and sees that Catherine was cried with a sweet little smile on her face "hey what's wrong!?" the old man asked "he….he remembers me…." She then hugs the old man and continues to weep while repeating, "he remembers me…"

Later, they set up a small camp with a campfire, tents and food. The old man was near the campfire, preparing a meal. Right then, Catherine joins him. "How is he?" the old man asks

 "He will live. The wounds aren't fatal, but so many, I don't know when he'll wake up, Catherine replied.

"Don't worry; he'll be up before we even know he's quite strong. Then he looks at my daughter. I am the best doctor there is," the old man says to comfort Catherine. "Thanks, Dad…. I am sorry I have to blow up your restaurant for that distraction," Catherine apologized "It's ok …at least we are alive, also, that was quite clever," the old man replies. "Thanks, but your restaurant…." The old man cuts her words, "Hey, I told you it's ok…as long as I have you," Catherine smiles, and the old man continues to cook they have a moment of silence, and then the old man asks, "by the way…what happen to him he used to be such a sweet boy…. now he's wanted for the assassination of the king" the old man asks "HE DIDN'T DO IT!" Catherine replies furiously, "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you" apologies "but I know it's not him…something is wrong", she replies, but this time her voice is as confident as before she had fear in her heart the old man sees this in her face and breaks the silence "any way you still remember the times when you two were kids he," the old man asks and a joyful smile runs at her face "How could I forgot…"

Catherin and her father go on a journey on memory lane, remembering the good old days, times when life was peaceful and innocent, just like the children who run around the streets without worry and fear of tomorrow or centered and focused like the adults of the village who goes on their works with wills of iron and came back home to their families and spread love and joy. "Life was good back then" says Catherin to her father, which he replied "ah...yes…it's one of the things I miss nowadays" talking about their old life reminds them of that one time, "ben!!!!!" shouts a little girl on her way down the lane "excuse me sir have you see benedict??" the little girl asked an passing by villager "ah yes I seen him with his fiends just a moment ago" the villager replied "where??" little girl asked "by the lake behind the rocks" the villager replied "thank you sir" the little girl thanked the villager and rushed towards the lake, upon arriving there she didn't seen ben or his friends just before she was about to leave she hears some kids arguing she walks towards the noise there behind the rock she peeks and saw ben and his friends arguing about how to use the spices the took off "I am telling you we should mix them and spread them all over town it will be the best prank ever" says the boy some agree other disagree but before anyone says anything the little girl quickly got up on the big rock "you will not do anything like that !!!" the little girl exclaimed from the top of the rock "oh its Catherine run!!!!!" all the boys dropped the spices and ran from the scene "hey get back here" she shouts as everyone fled the scene except one benedict "why didn't you run?" Catherine asked she jumped off the rock onto the ground. Still standing, Benedict replied, "I am not a coward … Father said only cowards run" Benedict replied firmly, Well, you may not be a coward, but you sure are in trouble."

"For what??" Benedict asked, "For theft, you stupid?" Catherine replied, "You took the spices and now pretending not to didn't know about what you did" Catherine continued to blame him "Hey…. hey…. I didn't steal it, I borrowed it," Ben replied in his defense "I borrowed it!!! Is that what they call it now, huh!! Wait till your father hear this," Catherine said, this worries little Ben he could steal some spices but couldn't let his father know about it "Wait….wait…wait, don't tell my father about this, please!!!" worried Ben requested "oh now you are afraid of your actions" Catherine replied she was a little astonished by this sudden revelation but didn't let that change her decision, "please ….please you can't!..." Ben begged for her forgiveness but all that doesn't faze Catherine one bit right then Ben got an idea "wait…. let me show you something that will change your mind come with me" Ben said before Catherine could decide what to do or say anything Ben runs to a different location with no other choice, she follows him soon they both reach at a hidden cave "what is this place?" Catherine asked, looking around the huge cave, astonished "I found this cave when I came by for fishing last month", Ben replied he picked up a wooden stick and used two stones to light the stick, making a torch "Follow me", he said before getting in the deep end of the cave "Hey!!! Wait," Catherine followed him as they both walked into the cave. She noticed some beautiful paintings on the walls of the cave, and the paints were so beautiful and so bright that they couldn't be ancient or too old filled with curiosity, she asked, "These paintings …" Before she could end her question, Ben replied "not many people know this, but I have a hobby …when I first found this cave it was so dull and empty, I thought I might need some makeover…hold this for me will you" he hands her over the torch "you were asking me what I was going to do with those spices right? Wait and watch" Ben sat on the ground and started mixing the spices in a round bowl and adding some other things, making different colors, Catherine watched in wonder as Ben worked his magic and painted the wall, completing a drawn painting and watching him paint was like a marvelous scene from a fairytale this made her forgot how angry she was at him she just sit there and watched him paint, "there…it's done…what do you think?" Ben asked, astonished by the glimpse of the marvelous portrait she replied "it's beautiful" in a mellow voice she walks towards the painting just staring at it lost in her own mind with wonders "how do you do it ??" she asked ben "well…I got some paint left I can teach you" ben asked with innocence Catherine said nothing she jus smiled at him later they painted together the whole day at night they get of the cave covered in paint and dirt talking and laughing "so that's why you stole all those stuff….to make paint" Catherine asked "well now that you know that's right" he replied "and why haven't you told anyone about it??" she asked "I can't…a boy painting can you imagine my friends will leave no chance to make fun of me for it" he replied, Catherine who now feels for him says "well I can….and I thinking it's really cute" she replied giving hints to him but ben clearly miss it "now you too" he replied "no !! I am serious its nothing to be ashamed of" she said softly "I don't know…" he replied sadly he know that being a painter will be a lot harder then he thought might be impossible but then suddenly Catherine grabs his hands and hold them near her chest "look at me. You will be a great painter I believe in you" they both looked each other in the eye they said nothing just looking at each other under the night sky having a moment but sudden cold wind breaks the moment they leave hands "Ah…we should get back home its late" says ben as they walked back to their place they both have some voice inside them calling each other's name that night they both ignited a passion for each other.

"After that day, we didn't even realize how close we had become. We met, talked, painted, and laughed daily. There was a strange connection between us that even we could not understand at that time. People noticed that we talked, but we never understood what they meant, and when we understood that strange feeling inside us, he came"

A big man in a golden suit of armor on a horse surrounded by guards came into the center of the village. He gathered the villagers around, opened a scroll, and read it out loud: "Villagers, attention!!! Your village comes under the Southern Loupeta kingdom, and thereby, you must help the kingdom in need our kingdom is going through a difficult time, and we need personnel to help the royal armies you will be assigned chores around the castle, barracks and the Armory however despite this help being your responsibility towards your kingdom the king has decided to compensate your efforts all voluntary personal be ready a convoy will come by sunset to take you all to be ready" as he finished ready he wastes no time and leave the village with the guards. However, the villager back was talking about this "why should we listen to that fool and go with him !!!" one man argues "our kingdom needs our help and he said the king will compensate us" other replied these back, and fort argues goes on, but in the crowd, there was teen benedict and Catherine they left the scene and get back to the cave with is now transformed into a little home with handmade stuff "what are you thinking?" Catherine asked, "I think I should go" Ben replied, "What!!! Why!?" Catherine replied, completely shocked "Well, it's just chores, odd jobs I can do that pulse we can use that money, no?" Ben replied his words were sensible, but Catherine wasn't very sure "Well then, I come with you" she replied "no you can't…. they won't tell a lady work among men. Also, you are going to be a doctor soon you don't want to leave that just to be with me," ben said "yet. I know, but I don't have a good feeling about this," Catherine replied, worried and afraid "Hey…. I'll be ok" They hugged each other. Later at night, the convoy came, and Ben, with other villagers, got on it and left the village.

"The last thing he said to me before leaving was that he would come back….but he never did…I tried to find him reach him…but every time, for one reason or another, I failed for years, I have been looking for him, and now I see him as this" Catherine breaks into tears, and her father consoles her "It ok…he's back now ..we will take him back to the village, and we find out what happen it him" he said, Catherine wipes her tears and said, "yes father….whatever they did to him…they will pay for it."

To Be Continued…...