Alura landed hard on top of Marenzo, panting and forced herself to stand. "Tell me now what the hell's going on and why you did that!" she snapped.497Please respect copyright.PENANAUJck3ev8c4
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Marenzo tried to catch his breath, sweat slipping down from his brow as shattered metal rested in the dirt around his middle finger. "...Rings..."497Please respect copyright.PENANAsstY5Lo55J
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"What about them?"497Please respect copyright.PENANAMi1xnrmoPU
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Marenzo gulped and grunted as he started forcing himself to sit up. "...I tried...to explain..." he groaned and paused after lifting his upper body off the cold dirt. "...I use them..." his barely open eyes shifted his blurry gaze to one of his hands. "...I use them to...show off and..." he took a breath before exhaling, "...to look stronger...than I really am..." he tiredly explained before groaning while shifting his body around to get to his knees. "It...let's me be...what my brother...and mother already-gah!" he tried to push up to stand but his right leg gave out, causing him to return to the dirt.497Please respect copyright.PENANAifb6gggYZP
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"Would you stop being an idiot?!" Alura snapped as she moved and caught up to help him stay up.497Please respect copyright.PENANAqUIVzNwo5k
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"...I wanted to be as good as them. So...I used an easy way to do it...and I rely on it." He sadly admitted while avoiding meeting her eyes.497Please respect copyright.PENANAHP9K2Ptgdd
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Alura was silent, her gaze narrowed on him as thunder rumbled above. "...Are you even able to use magic without them?" she finally asked.497Please respect copyright.PENANAq0fbA6wrgV
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Marenzo nodded with a sigh. "Yes, I can but only...only teleporting short distances and mind reading frontal thoughts."497Please respect copyright.PENANADMHmAutZ3v
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"Why didn't you say so when we met?"497Please respect copyright.PENANA7cPkAQU2mV
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"Would you had trusted a guy who saved you and said..." he moved to try standing again but this time he shifted so his weight would be supported by Alura. "That he could only help you because of him having enchanted rings?" Alura opened her mouth to reply but closed it as she gave that more thought. "That's what I thought and why I didn't tell you."497Please respect copyright.PENANA6jKQgscvjF
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Alura shook her head. "Anyways, we should find shelter for the night before we find someway of getting out of here." She looked back to see the city lights and forward down the road to see not much. Best the darkened path than the lit one. She thought and began to slowly head away from the city with Marenzo being almost all dead weight.497Please respect copyright.PENANAnmqg1iTHDM
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They didn't get far down the road before an engine slowed down as a single wheeled vehicle looking cycle came up beside them. "Hey, you two okay?" the woman asked.497Please respect copyright.PENANAY1TubmeaOF
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"We're fine, leave us be." Alura sternly stated without looking at their inquirer.497Please respect copyright.PENANAkwIt7iqZ9t
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"But you two look like you been through hell and back. Sure you don't need a lift?"497Please respect copyright.PENANAFGGee6yHfa
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"...I don't even know where we're going so we can't ask you to take us anywhere...unless you can take us off this land."497Please respect copyright.PENANA7YY17rF71c
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The woman thought before removing her helmet. "Well I can't do that but I can offer you a place to rest in my studio." She sniffed the air as her cycle stayed steady in its slow rolling motion. "And judging by your smells, you won't last long out here once night falls without shelter."497Please respect copyright.PENANAitqaeCZ8tI
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Marenzo looked to the woman, noticing scales dotting around her facial features and her slit eyes. "We might want to take her offer. Better than being mauled by wild demons."497Please respect copyright.PENANAd0WxaqthuS
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"If anyone has been to school they already know that wild demons aren't uncommon here. We're kinda known for our demons outnumbering humans." She laughed lightly with a toothy grin. "How about it?"497Please respect copyright.PENANA6jMWg0YTm2
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Alura stopped and looked at the cycle. "I don't see a spot for us to sit."497Please respect copyright.PENANAXY3oj5XH4b
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"If your friend can change shape or both your shapes then you can ride in my basket." She pointed back to a tall basket with a few grocery bags inside it.497Please respect copyright.PENANABK7lkk3TFv
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Alura was silent as she considered this before looking to Marenzo. "How you feel up to that?"497Please respect copyright.PENANANvx2F4T03l
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Marenzo took a deep breath and sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulled out another ring. "...I'm going to need a very good nap after all this." He muttered and held it closed securely in his hand. His eyes closed and the ring began to glow. Shortly after so did he and Alura. The woman stared with an impressed look as there stood, once the light faded, a little girl holding an orange and silver kitten.497Please respect copyright.PENANAdTMo1DhOud
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Alura looked down and gave a small noise of startlement at seeing her age had been reduced. "...you're...fine. Grab...my bag and...get in there..." Marenzo horsely whispered with his eyes just barely staying open as his body was limp in her arms. "The spell will...only last maybe...an hour."497Please respect copyright.PENANAKFmvSFfWr7
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"Okay, sorry about this." Alura said in her eight year old voice. She picked up the bag, making sure no rings fell out and got into the basket. "Ready!" she confirmed and the woman nodded. She took the controls and they sped off.497Please respect copyright.PENANAMwVmsGnSeL
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They would arrive in a quiet town and be lead up a couple sets of stairs. The door was opened and they were allowed into an apartment that looked to had been a former dance studio. "Welcome to my abode." She greeted warmly as they entered and she set the groceries down on the table. "I've put a lot in to fix it up."497Please respect copyright.PENANAU2GenCvegf
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"It looks good and so neat." Alura complimented as she stepped around the room to take it in.497Please respect copyright.PENANA6SxuIPINza
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"Thanks!" she began to put away the food as Alura wandered towards some back rooms. "If you want any food, I'll fix you something."497Please respect copyright.PENANAjixgGWIGcM
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"Maybe later after a nap!" Alura called back from the bedroom she found.497Please respect copyright.PENANAb4zHO3pRDq
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Out in the main room, the door opened and a middle aged man entered, stretching and yawned. "Welcome home." She greeted in her cheerful tone. "How was work?"497Please respect copyright.PENANA49IewXcvJr
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"Tiering and if you would get an actual job you'd know."497Please respect copyright.PENANAciAUsVoXGU
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"I'm an artist and I spread beauty for money." She stated while striking an elegant pose.497Please respect copyright.PENANA4jENcj4AAf
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He stared at her with a straight eye look. "You paint homes and buildings for commission."497Please respect copyright.PENANAKRCXkM2LWB
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She sighed while folding her arms. "Still spreading beauty." She grumbled.497Please respect copyright.PENANAn1SP16H5yH
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"Uh huh," he answered flatly while making his way to the sofa to remove his shoes.497Please respect copyright.PENANAkVBepTLRmd
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"Oh, by the way, we have company."497Please respect copyright.PENANA1W7xxlAHtf
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"We do?" she nodded as he stood to go look. Soon he returned and made his way over to her. "Cloran...can you explain to me why there are two disheveled people in my bed? Did you give money to the slave market?"497Please respect copyright.PENANAZnLM8NkSeS
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Cloran rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I know how much you hate that market."497Please respect copyright.PENANALLpW9SAY25
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"That's good news." He sighed relieved.497Please respect copyright.PENANAKduKU23Aeu
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"I found them on the side of the road outside the capital."497Please respect copyright.PENANAKlHmSJbn1H
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He pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes. "Never mind, I take back my relief. Please tell me you were dropped as a little one."497Please respect copyright.PENANAeXsZaXcSaC
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"Pfft, of course not Gryble. Tsun wouldn't had been that careless, although I do remember falling off chairs as a child."497Please respect copyright.PENANADGaSQXUhXm
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Gryble took a deep breath, lowering his hand and opening his eyes. "Aren't you worried they will kill us in our sleep?"497Please respect copyright.PENANATDF2OAMNk4
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Cloran shook her head. "No and you need to learn to be more trusting of others."497Please respect copyright.PENANAzSpXGUnN7E
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"And you need to learn to be more cautious." Gryble stated before rubbing the back of his neck. "They can stay but if they try to kill us, I'll kill them."497Please respect copyright.PENANAUsqvrKOTqM
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"Sounds fair enough. So, what do you want for dinner?"497Please respect copyright.PENANAV3vt48db3Y
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"Just my usual sis, you know that." He walked over and relaxed on the sofa, turning the news on with the volume low as she got to making dinner, his eyes starting to droop shut into a light doze.497Please respect copyright.PENANAmkoSQcIY0R