Welcome to Gaia! ::

Leo shivered and closed his eyes as he felt his master's warm arms, but Ipo's voice made him open them again. It still hurt to move, but he reached his hand forward and gently rested in on Ipo's head. he swallowed the water in his mouth, the taste of blood making him a little ill, but he turned his head away from the canteen. "stop-' he whispered, shaking his head, "Ipo-san, please. i am not-not angry..." his voice broke and he had to take another drink. "it wasn't your fault, please? Ipo-san, please lift your head." it felt mortally wrong for iipo to grovel like that in front of him and if Leo had been able to do more than the little he was, he'd be trying to lift the man's head. "please don't"

Leo smiled at the guard, "thank you, you lifted the mark didn't you? thank you." he knew the master was in shock and unable to do much right now, not even stand, but they needed t get moving. Leo took a deep breath and steeled himself before he slowly pushed himself up to his feet. he wavered slightly, catching his balance, but he managed to stay on his feet. "come, my prince. we should get going, we can wash on the road." he soothed Ludwig with a wave of his hand, but the dog was turned away from them. his hackles were raised and he was growling as threateningly as he could back at the direction they had come from. Leo frowned and knelt at the pup's side, "what's wrong-" he touched ludwig's back and his eyes widened, "it seems we've visitors coming." he said softly, looking up at the master. "we should go, quickly. they're coming for me." his already ashen face paled even more and he picked the dog up, struggling to stand with the extra weight, "please, we must go. i've not the strength to hide our location anymore. they were able to sense the mark's activation and removal, if we go now we might be able to beat them to the Falian border."

Leo shook his head, sitting on the bench where he had been placed, but sliding down to lay, being too tired to remain upright anymore. “I don’t know master, I’m sorry.” His eyes closed, but he forced himself to stay awake. “someone-I heard a voice, told me to breathe, then…felt the same as in Loslith…” his voice trailed off and he found he had a hard time putting his thoughts into words. “tired-sorry, sleep…” and he passed out.

Leo didn’t wake again until the next morning when his eyes flew open and he sat up, “they’re here-“ he looked at the master and then out the window, “not close enough-“ they had made it a long distance since the day before. The border was in sight, but they wouldn’t make it. Already whatever was following them had caught up. Leo slumped into the bench, feeling his heart plummet, but he only had a moment to think before the carriage came to a screeching stop. Leo tried to brace himself, but he was too weak to be able to hold his body weight when stopping at that speed and he fell forward, hitting the master.

A man stood in the line of the carriage, appearing at just the right distance where it was impossible to change direction and miss him, but just enough space to come to a stop. He crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow as the old man and bunny eared boy cried out. The guards can riding forward and surrounded him, but the man paid them no attention, his full focus on the carriage. “I’m here for the boy. Don’t think that these pathetic guards can protect you if you deny me him. I am not a patient man, I know what you’ve done with him. Give me him and I will allow you to leave here alive and with all of your limbs-.“ a dark smirk crossed his lips, “Well, at least most of them.”

Leo knew that the man spoke the truth, they didn't stand a chance against the Retian magic when the men who had taken him had been able to breach the Falian borders unharmed. he looked at the dagger in his hand and knew it was useless.

the man growled when the red head said they hadn't done anything to 'Lily'. "don't you dare call him that, bunny-boy." one of the guards lifted his sword and the man snapped. he jumped up and in the blink of an eye and a flash of grey fur, the men fell to the ground and their attacker walked towards the carriage. "give him to me, you filthy b*****d." his eyes were on the one who had come out of the carriage, "I know what you have done to him. that you've used him for your own disgusting pleasures. he blongs with me, give me back my prince!" he launched into an attack, but his eyes widened when a slender form jumped out of the carriage and got between himself and the cat man. he stopped cold, his eyes locked on the new arrival and slowly he fell to his knees, "leo-"

Leo listened to the man, but it wasn't until he heard the word 'prince' that he knew who it was that had been following them. there was only one person in the world who had ever called him their 'prince.' "tsume-" he saw Tsume launch himself forward and quickly moved to stand in front of the prince, "Tsume, no! don't hurt him." tears were streaming down his cheeks and he felt weak kneed himself as he saw Tsume fall. "i-i thought you were..."

Tsume smiled and removed the glasses covering his eyes, revealing that he was crying as well. "i lived. i've been looking for you-all thee years-" he glared at the man standing behind Leo, "why do you defend the ones imprisoning you?"

Leo shook his head, "they aren't. he's been kind tom e, he's taking me home-" he knelt and fell into Tsume's arms, "i thought i'd never see you again-"

Tsume held his friend close, but he was still glaring at the man, "i don't like you, but if you have been protecting him you have my thanks,." he offered a hand and waited for the cat to take it, not letting go of Leo while he waited.

Tsume stood, lifting Leo with the one arm around him easily.he glanced up to the redhead and lifted an eyebrow before looking back at the prince, "you were on your way to Falia, weren't you?" he could smell the jealousy on the other and smirked while Leo wasn't looking, "if you're going to give him up anyways, let me take him now. he is mine and i am his, he belongs with me." he met the cat's eyes challengingly, daring him to deny it.

"Stop it, Tsume," Leo lightly hit the other's chest, but he felt a raised portion of skin and pulled away. "oh-" there was a cross shapped scar on Tsume's chest, "is that from-" he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Tsume nodded, "The sword, it nearly killed me, but i managed to survive." he touched the scar, "this is my shame for not being able to protect you, Leo-my Leo." he pulled Leo against him again and smiled at the prince when Leo pressed his forehead tot he side of Tsume's neck, cuddling close like he had when they were young. Tsume was the perfect height for Leo, the other's head settling just under his chin and he looked down at the shorter cat with a smirk.

"Oh, forgive me." Leo pulled away reluctantly and stepped back, but Tsume's arm remained around his waist. "i should introduce you. Tsume, this is my master, Prince Elliot. Master this is Tsume, my familiar. the redhead is Ipo-san and the older gentleman is Henry-san. you-oh," he say the guards and looked up at Tsume accusingly.

Tsume nodded to the people as he was introduced, "Cat Prince, Bunny Boy, Henry-" but when it came to the guards he looked a little sheepish, "i didn't kill them=-just knocked them out." he sighed and shook his head, "i thought they were hurting you-"

Leo sighed and stepped fully away from the man, "oi'll go and heal them." he was still tired and weak, but he had to do this.

Tsume watched Leo go, frowning before he turned his eyes back on Elliot, sneering, "you make him call you 'master'?" he asked softly, his voice cold as ice.

Leo looked at Ipo curiously, "how is this bad?" hyow could finding out the person he had been closer to than anyone else save his parents was still alive? but when Ipo explained, he looked back at the prince and Tsume and frowned slightly. he could feel the barely held in anger and contempt that Tsume held for the people who had taken him away, "he's just trying to reclaim his territory, he doesn't mean anything by it." he knelt and began to heal the guards, but Tsume had spoken truely, he'd just knocked them out so healing them was easy.

Tsume turned sideways and looked at Leo, "I do not want anything from you kitty-cat. Leo-" his eyes grew pained and he had to look down, "i have to tell him something he isn't going to be happy to hear. right now he's not in the right mind, he-" he shook his head, the boy that stood before him was not the boy he'd once known and loved. the human filth had broken him in a way that Tsume feared he'd never be able to heal. "he trusts you, i don't understand why but i can tell. maybe i should trust you too-" he looked at Elliot and sneered, "you should hear it too, kitty. if you are stupid enough to think you can enter the Falian borders with the kidnapped son of the Council Head and be untouched then I guess you wouldn't mind going a bit deeper into the lands, now would you?" he leaned in closer to Elliot, smirking, "unless you're a scardy cat of course."

Leo finished healing the guards, but he was too dizzy to stand up just yet. he looked at Ipo and then down, "no-the master treats me like i am human, even though i am but a half. he is the first master to treat me like that since i was taken." he sighed and tried to stand, but his vision went a little black so he knelt once more, waiting for it to pass.

Tsume laughed, "I was born there, kitty, i have nothing to fear benieth the shadow of the trees. though i recommend you leave the guards behind. Retians aren't too welcomed in Falia since the attack and the other guards will not be to well received either. bunny boy can come, he'll fit right in, and the old man too. they wont see him as a threat. besides, if you're coming with Leo, even such a large group of-" his eyes widened and he turned sharply. within seconds he was kneeling at Leo's side, his arm round the other. "you pushed yourself too far, Leo." he chastised softly, shaking his head. "they would have woken soon enough, there was no need to heal them." he shook his head again and lifted the smaller man into his arms, carrying him bridal style. "bunny-boy, can you get him some water? it'll help him recover." he carried Leo back to the carriage and sat down in the shadow of it, leaning against one of the wheels. "are you guys going to travel more today, kitty, or are you stopping for the night?"

Leo's eyes widened when Tsume was at his side, he'd forgotten how strong their bond was. the man had sensed he was about to pass out and came to him. he let himself be picked up, but he frowned at the way Tsume addressed the others. "be nice," he said softly, "call them by their names, Tsume."

Tsume frowned, but he sighed, "fine, Elliot, will we be leaving or staying? Leo can handle either, but i'm not leaving his side."

Leo looked up at the master when he was called Leo and then back down, "that's not-" he whispered, but in Tsume's arms, feeling the safest he'd been since he was a child, his fears over a silly name seemed petty. He accepted the water and took a small drink, feeling better from it. "we should get going, master. Tsume, i agree that the guards shouldn't come in. it very easily could get them killed."

Tsume nodded, "the forest was infuriated by what happened, they wont let anyone in they think might be a threat." he looked towards Falia, thinking he should go and send warning that Leo and two others would be coming, as well as the guards needing a place to stay while they were in the forest

"Go," Leo said gently, standing and stepping away from Tsume. he smiled when Tsume stood and worriedly put a hand on his elbow. "i wil be fine, the master wont hurt me and i'm in no condition to ride you right now. go and warn them so we aren't attacked."

Tsume snorted, "you haven't changed so much they would not recodnize you, Leo. no one would dare attack their prince." but he knew that what leo said was right. he glanced at the prince and smirked before lifting Leo's chin and softly kissing his lips. he pulled away, smiling at Leo's blush, "it's been a while, i forgot how good you tasted, my prince." he stroked Leo's bottom lip with a finger before turning and shifting into a grey wolf. without looking behind he ran towards Falia, moving almost faster than the human eye could see.

Leo turned to the master and smiled, "Sorry about that, he's protective of me....." he walked to the man and gently slid his hand into the other's, "now you have met Tsume, master."