Small content warning - not descriptive and is stopped pretty quickly!71Please respect copyright.PENANA1oQapVIFjP
Dolion glanced around the alleyway he had just entered, hoping for some chance of getting away. The alleyway was unusually silent putting him on edge. Most alleyways he had encountered always had cats or rats scuttling around searching for food. Dolion looked back at the man who had stopped him, pushing down his rising dread. The man grinned once Dolion looked back at him a sharp laugh escaped the man's lips as the man placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, forcing Dolion to stay and listen. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAPzekTJRciM
“So, Boy,” the man laughed joyfully “You’re the child Lucas is after” his words confirmed that he had been recognised as a bad sign for his survival it seemed. The man leaned closer to his face, his breath stunk of alcohol and cigarettes making him cringe away and causing the man to laugh, “You were tricky to find boy” he continued to laugh, Dolion’s situation wasn’t ideal and the man was far stronger than him so escaping his hand would not be easy. “But hey…” the man trailed off leaning in closer to his face, Dolion gritted his teeth and turned away, the man was vile, not that he could compare. Showers were a rarity on the streets. The man seemed annoyed that Dolion shied away from his tiny eyes, his free hand snapped up to grab at his chin, jerking his head back to look at him. The man gave him a wide grin, his eyes shining dangerously. He was unsure what the smile meant but he was unwilling to find out. “Look at that!” the man cried “You look just like that pretty boy from the Red House” Dolion frowned at the claim before responding 71Please respect copyright.PENANAsM0tytgCew
“How could I look like him?” he scoffed hoping it would throw the man off “I am a poor street kid, not some Pretty boy Prostitute.” The man laughed again, giving Dolion a whiff of his disgusting breath. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAF4I7Ob2nL2
“You have the same eyes and face” he hissed lowly, “I bet your hair is just like that Pretty boys” Dolion shuddered, if this thug decided that Dolion would be worth selling to the Red House, he was screwed. Boy prostitutes were a rarity and people loved them, especially old rich businessmen. Dolion forced out a laugh and shook his head 71Please respect copyright.PENANAtKEckw9XPS
“Ever hear of Coincidences?” he asked, reaching his hands into the pockets of his jacket, his hands brushed against cold metal, and his fingers fumbled to let the cold metal fit onto his hand. He would only have one chance of escaping the hold the man had on him. He pulled out his hands from the pockets, not daring to glance down at his hands to check if his brass knuckles were correctly on him. Dolion pulled his left hand into a fist and swung up, his brass knuckles colliding with the man's chin. The force of his punch was enough to cause the man to let him go and clutch his face in pain. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA7qjVha10Sl
“You Bastard!” the man yelled, Dolion had upset him for that stunt that he had pulled. Dolion didn’t bother waiting to see if anyone had heard the man’s cry. He turned and ran deeper into the alley, hoping there would be a place he could duck into and wait it out, there was an exit at the end, hopefully, he could use it to confuse the men. “After him Idiots!” the man cried from behind him. Adrenaline once again coursed through him as he picked up his pace, he couldn’t afford to be caught, not when he had just become part of The Oracle Guild. It seemed that his determination was not enough to escape them. They had easily caught up to him, reminding him of his still aching muscles and dwindling energy. He hadn’t had much of a chance to rest up before running. He knew he was running only on fumes, but he wanted to survive. Dolion didn’t risk glancing back to see where the man he punched was, believing that he was down for the count. The yank at his arm causing him to stumble back startled Dolion. He was an idiot to think the man would not catch him “Gotcha” the man laughed, and instead of keeping a hand on his shoulder, the man brought him into a hug. Dolion was trapped, stuck in the arms of a man who was hired to kill him. His entire body tensed ready for anything that could happen to him. The man laughed again “No one can escape Baze!” he cried victoriously, “The Burning monster of Norside city!” dread once again filled his entire body, Blaze. The 30th monster of the underground. A mercenary with no mercy, hired by his father. Dolion had no chance of escaping it seemed. He had yet to give up, Anything goes to survive. He wants to survive, but he was far weaker than the man who was steadily climbing the ranks of the monsters of the underground. Dolion closed his eyes, I am already dead. The thought brought no sense of relief, in Blaze’s clutches it would be better to accept that he was already dead. No matter how reluctant he was to die. He forced his tense body to relax, to go limp in the man's arms causing him to laugh again. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAWRdGHnClwt
“Weak child” he declared to the men surrounding him. “You may all leave” the men that seemed to be Blaze’s underlings for this job left, he heard their cheers the ‘child was about to die’ their money promised would be a huge reward for them. Everything fell silent. Once again Dolion was put on edge with how devoid of life the Alley was. Blaze seemed to not pay any mind to the still alleyway, he laughed once again, the sound was quickly becoming something he despised. “We are now alone” Blaze spoke, his voice was low, filled with something Dolion was afraid to discover. He felt Blaze move. Dread filled his body for what he thought would be the last time before he died. “I want to have some fun” he whispered, Dolion jerked in surprise, not phasing the large man. Baze had just whispered into his ear, his voice filled with something horrid, something that filled Dolion with fear. “You can help me” Blaze’s voice was oddly strained. Everything clicked. The ‘pretty boy’ at the Red House. A prostitute's house. Disgust filled Dolion. Blaze was going to try something. Something that didn’t sit right with Dolion. Anything goes to survive. The motto that he lived by. Would giving Blaze what he wanted to be a chance to survive? He was truly afraid, of every outcome that could happen in the Alley. “A rugged beauty” Blaze breathed, shudders of aversion ran through Dolion, he wanted to survive and if this were the way for him to survive, he would take it. “So beautiful” Blaze murmured, his lips lingered near Dolions ear, and he held his breath what would happen now? He got his answer sooner than he would’ve liked. Blaze placed a heavy, wet kiss on his neck, he had pulled back the jacket and top that had been covering his neck. Anything goes to survive, anything goes to survive Dolion constantly chanted in his head, no matter how sick he felt if he wanted to live, to survive he would have to put up with it. The hug that Blaze held him in was becoming uncomfortably warm. Blaze’s hands were slowly starting to move. His body froze, his resolve slowly crumbling away. Anything goes to survive. It was too late. No one would be willing to save him, even if there was someone there. Silent tears fell down his face. His resolve was gone, he didn’t want to survive if this was the lengths he would have to go through to survive, he wasn't sure he wanted to survive” he whispered, more silent tears poured out, he hated this feeling, he hated showing his weakness, Blaze only laughed, seemingly spurred on by his misery. He didn’t stop, nothing would stop Blaze. Dolion wouldn’t last. The fear was overpowering now. He didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want to survive. Not while he was with Blaze. His vision blurred and he closed his eyes, hoping that it would end quickly. The alley was no longer silent, he didn’t notice, too wrapped up in trying to block all of his senses. A loud crash sounded startling Blaze and Dolion. They both looked up at the sound, Dolion belatedly noticed that he was now on the grown, Blaze on top, pinning him. A person stood at a door he hadn’t noticed in his attempted escapade. The person stared down at him and Blaze. They gave a small smile as they slowly walked down the stairs. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAOtSwGDfeRg
“Oh, my apologies!” the person spoke, in a light voice. They lifted a bag he hadn’t noticed, “I was just discarding some trash!” their smile was light as they continued walking “Please don’t mind me…” they trailed off before speaking “unless something is going on here that I shouldn’t be seeing?” Blaze snarled at the easy-going person, his rough grip tightening more,
“No” he spat out. The person nodded empathically as if understanding Blaze, another bright smile graced their lips
“That's a relief that I didn’t interrupt anything then!” the person smiled once more before dropping the bag in a trash can and closing the lid with a loud clang. Before they turned to walk inside, barely glancing at Blaze and him. Their eyes locked with his and they froze. “Ariel? Dear,” they spoke softly as they suddenly came closer “I thought you promised to not try to escape til next week?” Dolion frowned and shook his head choking out the words ‘I’m not Ariel’ the person frowned in thought before their face darkened “do you need help sweetie?” they asked surprise flooded Dolion, not many people in Fractus would dare to be that kind to people they saw on the streets. His determination to survive awoke, and he shook his head frantically 71Please respect copyright.PENANAD6gy8cbd57
“I need help” he whispered, turning away from Blaze trying to avoid the murderous gaze directed at him anything goes to survive, using people to help him survive was a better choice than awaiting his death after Blaze was done with him. The person nodded and gave him a reassuring smile as they walked even closer,
“Close your eyes sweetheart” they chirped. Dolion was oddly compelled to do as they asked, his still teary eyes closed with a snap, no sooner than he did the weight of Blaze disappeared and he could hear grunts of pain come from a distance away. It seemed to last forever, starting to make him question why he even listened to that person in the first place. The grunts of pain had faded but he was still afraid to open his eyes to face something he wasn't ready to see. “Open your eyes sweetie,” the voice wasn’t Blaze. Hesitantly he opened his eyes, coming face to face with them, Their eyes brightened when their eyes met and the person moved away from him, allowing Dolion to bring himself to sit upright and fix his clothes. They stayed silent watching him and he scrubbed furiously at the stray tears from his eyes to recompose himself. “Are you okay?’ they asked. Not wanting to show any more weakness to the stranger who had just saved him, Dolion nodded. The estranged gave a soft laugh with a shake of their head as if they knew something he didn’t. “That's good Sweetie” The person stood and held out their hand, to help him get to his feet. He refused the hand and forced his now screaming body to get to his feet. He swayed, a rush of dizziness coming over him. The stranger smiled “You may call me Winney!” they exclaimed. Winney. The name of the person who had saved him from Blaze. They were the only person he had met who was kind enough to offer help. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAVGZHF8FYo9
“You can call me Dolion” he mumbled something flashed in their eyes, too quick for him to recognise what it meant.
“Such a sweet name!” Winney exclaimed “Come, follow me Dandelion” Winney turned away and walked to the door they had come from, Dolion spluttered before he chased after Winney, there was something unexplainable about them. Something made Dolion trust that Winney would not bring him harm. “Welcome to my bakery Dandelion!” Winney smiled as they turned around, their arms spread out wide as if they were showcasing something much more impressive than the small kitchen of the ‘bakery’ that Winney claimed it was. Winney didn’t seem to mind his sceptical look at their reveal as they grinned and turn to grab something off the counter “Please, feel free to try this” they held out a small bun, and his stomach growled as he looked at the bread, he hadn’t had a chance to eat in the last few days, he was starving. “My dear Lily made this” Winney continued as they moved towards Dolion, their arm out. He couldn’t restrain himself any longer, his hands snatched the bread out of their hands, and his stomach growled as he brought the bread up to his lips and took a bite. Overwhelming hunger made itself known and he took quick bites of the bread until it was all gone, he had never eaten something that good before once the bread was gone he wished he had another bun. Dolion looked up to see Winney looking at him with an amused smile, they nodded as if they had just confirmed something they were trying to figure out. He frowned at them before they startled and smiled at him. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA6TBpfVIJus
“You were hungry dear” they laughed as they moved to a doorway and gestured inside, “I know you are quite filthy but I feel you need some rest my dear” Dolion frowned, Winney was overwhelming him, their motherly attitude was something he has never had directed towards him, something he could only ever dream about but now what he was receiving it, it was uncomfortable. At the imploring look that Winney gave Dolion, he conceded and followed Winney into the next room. It was a lounge, a warm room, containing an old but well-loved couch Winney pointed towards the couch and directed a smile at him. “Please feel free to crash here for a few days” Winney turned away and started to close the door to the lounge “If my dear Lily finds you, she might make you take some time to clean yourself!” their eyes shone with mirth “You could use one though.” Winney closed the door to the lounge leaving Dolion alone, blushing at the fact that he was not clean like Winney was and most likely their ‘dear Lily’ would pester him to clean if what Winney said was true. Dolion couldn’t bring himself to relax, while Winney seemed to have good intentions but he come across people that seemed to have good intentions hiding what they truly wanted behind sweet words. While something whispered to trust Winney, his instincts refused to accept that Winney meant no harm. A wave of exhaustion washed over him. It was sudden and Dolion stumbled to the couch hoping to catch himself on it. The couch was comfortable, he realised. It was welcoming whispered promises of good sleep. Dolion couldn’t fight it any longer, he clambered onto the couch, ignoring the mud and soot that he was spreading onto it. The couch was different to what he slept on, soft and relaxing compared to the hard ground of the streets he usually slept on. Dolion could no longer resist the temptations of sleep, it had been a long while since he had the chance to have a sleep that was potentially danger-free. His thoughts were slowly fading away and he found it harder and harder to stay aware and alert for any dangers that could come. His eyes fluttered closed and Dolion sighed in relief, he didn’t have to worry so much about being in danger from his men which had been an ongoing source of paranoia for a few weeks. With that last thought, Dolion finally let himself drift into sleep well deserved.71Please respect copyright.PENANA1y4MtowM2D
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“I must say,” a voice whispered “He doesn't look much like our Ariel” The voice was distinctly female, soft and kind Dolion recognised hazily.
“Cece,” another voice grunted, it sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t remember who the voice belonged to, “He probably hasn’t had a proper meal and shower” Dolion still couldn’t place the voice and his hazy mind refused to make sense of the voices. His foggy mind refused to function as he wanted. There were people in the same room as him and he was not on guard. A mistake on his part. The voice - Cece spoke again
“Our Ariel is much cleaner” she huffed. Embarrassment welled up inside Dolion, but he pushed it down. He had enough of showing or feeling weakness, it is what could get him killed on the streets. “He looks like a street kid” Cece continued, Dolions mind was clearing, allowing him to focus on his surroundings. He hadn’t been moved from the couch he had collapsed on so they hadn’t taken him to any underground facilities. Dolion didn’t want to seem asleep any longer than he was not willing to hear any ‘classified’ information that could do more harm than good to him. His voice didn’t want to work and his body was stiff starting to recover from the adrenaline escapade that he went through the day before. He felt a hand rest on his forehead then it pulled back as the familiar voice spoke to the girl
“He’ll be up soon” they grunted “You can tell him to wash then” the voices fell silent a source of comfort towards Dolion, he didn’t want to hear anything more. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAfIlnwNcwcN
The voice was correct, not a few minutes after they had both fallen silent Dolion felt his body stirring, enough that he could open his eyes and get stock of his surroundings. His eyes blinked rapidly in the harsh light, quickly adjusting to the brightness. There was only one person in the room confusing him, he had heard two voices clearly but now in front of him was a person who looked similar to the one who had stopped Blaze. Their hair was the same shade and the same eye colour, though their hair was far shorter than he remembered. Maybe they were siblings? Dolion forced himself to sit upright and the person smiled
“Take it easy Dolion” they spoke, he flinched, the voice was the same voice as the person from the night before but his brain could not bring anything together, quickly dismissing it as a sibling thing to sound the exact same as one another. They nodded once he fully sat up, he looked around and noticed the chair they were sitting on, a book in their lap. Dolion coughed and bowed his head,
“I thank you for letting me stay the night” he spoke “If you show me the way out, I shall leave” The person shook their head, closing the book and putting it on a small table in front of them.
“I would not ask you to leave in your current situation” they spoke as they stood “My daughter would also like for you to have a chance to bathe” they scrunched up their noses as if they were smelling something foul “And I agree, take the door to your left, there should be a bath filled with warm water and some cleaning supplies for you” Surprise jolted throughout Dolion and suspicion rose, why would someone bother to offer him a chance to clean himself? His desire for a bath outweighs his distrust of the person in front of him. He clambered to his feet, keeping his head up to hide any weakness he could have present. Dolion cast a glance around the room and spotted the door he assumed the person had told him to enter, but with a little hesitation, he stumbled to the door, and slowly pushed it open. It was an empty room, a bath tup sat in the corner of the room, and a bottle of what he assumed was soap sat on the floor by the bath. A sigh escaped Dolions lips, he had unwittingly entered a tiger's den, willingly letting himself be defenceless in a home of someone he was sure was much stronger than they let off. He wasn’t ready to try and challenge someone in their own house and to him, a bath would be bliss, he hadn’t had a chance to have a nice bath or shower for a long time. With one last sight, Dolion closed his eyes and breathed out one last time. Anything goes to survive71Please respect copyright.PENANAvcjZAyofGW