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((haha sorry Teufel... I've been waiting for a while... So... I'm gonna... post now... Mmmyes. Kay? OKAY!))

Sword hanging loosely from a hand and Sally cradled in his other arm, Dash ran, the others in tow. Things were starting to from bad to chaotic. The Giant seemed keen on rampaging the village, and unfortunately, there wasn't any time for hero work on this story's part. And honestly... Who WAS supposed to-

A young boy carrying a golden harp and a very upset chicken ran by, obviously upset, but angry and seemingly doing something about their giant problem. He was cursing under his breath, growling about golden eggs and a**l giants.

However, Dash's attention was more focused on the Sorceress. She'd mentioned something... That there was a price to pay for breaking magic? Just what... What did she mean?

Agh. "Lok..." He paused, whistling shrilly through his teeth. A high whinny sounded, and Desdamona came galloping beside them, where Percival took a leap and swung himself into the saddle. Carefully he sat Sally just in front of him and looked to the wolf, "What are we supposed to do?" He felt so... Helpless... He didn't now how things were supposed to go... "And it's scary..." Red was still in pain... His sword hand felt like it was on fire... And he could feel a nasty headache coming on.

He wondered vaguely, if that's how he made the 'evil side' feel when he came... Helpless. Afraid... But sure that they were going to fail.

Heh, maybe this whole new story thing WASN'T such a good idea.

"Lok, Amleth... We need a safe place to go. Do either of you two have an idea?"

((Haha THAR! YAY FOR POSTIES! <3))

((Haha I dunno if I should post or not. I don't really want to, cause I want Bob to first...cause I'm just nice like that.

Just thought I'd post this so you all know I'm not...errr..."sick". Hah...I guess if I don't post in a day I'm deemed sick. XD Wheeee. *goes to buy art stuff in downtown ATLANTA. Ay Tee Ehl. ))

Amleth felt the urge to shrink away from the Sorceress' touch on his head, not because it hurt or scared him, but because something about her simply made him want nothing to do with her. Something to do with that sickly sweet persona she'd turned on when addressing him; it was sort of disgusting, in a way.

But the instant she turned away, her attention broken from the fat man, Amleth became quite aware of the rest of the situation; Dash panting as he snatched up a half-conscious Sally, screams tearing through the air, Lok rushing in to scoop up the Pigman himself, and a eerily large foot thundering down onto the town, a notably short distance away. Amleth gagged a bit as the Wolf snagged his shirt from behind, but had no time to complain as he was rushed forward, towards--towards the Giant?!

"Why are we going this way weshouldn'tgotothebigfeetthosearereallybigfeetIDON'TWANNAGETSQUISHEDOKAY?" He squirmed in horror as Lok carried him closer to the towering man, and Dash called out to them. Dash was scared. The Prince, the Hero was freaked out. That meant things were bad. Amleth tried to gulp, but found his mouth quite dry.

Lok tossed the pig onto his back, and Amleth grasped onto the beasts fur. Someplace safe. That was easy. If there was anywhere in the world that was safe, that no one bad could ever, ever get into...

They were in a field, rather suddenly, and the pig found himself tumbling on the grass as Lok reverted to his normal form. Amleth scrambled upright, gasping, "My--my brother's house! No one can get there, not ever! It's the safest place ever!"

It was true. It was designed by the story to be impenetrable. True, it was a simple brick house, but it was protected by the unchanging world of The Story. No one with ill will could enter. The Sorceress had claimed to have kidnapped the older pig, but this was why Amleth hadn't given that taunt another thought; the woman was a liar, because his big, stupid, obnoxious brother had the best stupid house in the whole world. "If we need somewhere safe," the Pigman insisted, "Somewhere to plan or hide or anything, that's where we need to go."

Dash was pretty sure that he hadn't been so thankful in his entire life as he was to see that wide field full of loud and smelly sheep. He was pretty sure Desdamona had just stepped in a sheep-present.

A slight breeze rustled his hair, which was put back to perfection with a simple hand's swipe through it. "Where ARE we?" At least it was pleasant... And seemed fairly empty. They were safe for the time being. "...Where are we? This place is sorta..." he looked around. There was a very small village in the distance, and what looked like a young boy with a shephard's crook not too far a way's off.

Sally quickly slid from his grasp and onto the ground, where she ran off to puke. While she was doing that, he glanced at Lok. "...This," a dubious look crossed Percy's face, "Is one of YOUR stories, isn't it, Lok?"

Though, Amleth got to his feet, looking thoughtful. And honestly, his words were surprising... Surprising and genius. "Your brother would let us in his house?" There was a glint of excitement in Percy's eyes - a look that replaced the fear and pain in them only moments before. His hand was still on fire, but this brighter outlook (quite unexpected from the pigman) pushed pain aside. "What about Lok?" After all, Amleth's brother was part of the story... he wasn't sure how willing be'd be to break the norm.

But Sally's broken voice called his attention... She looked frightened, sick... Small... "We all need each other, Sally... We do now." Where was THIS coming from? He had no idea what he was talking about. "That Sorceress, she's bad news... And fighting her within her own stories is bad enough... But I don't know... I don't know what I'm supposed to do now that she's out. I was SAFE in the other stories. The only reason we got away was because Lok helped break her spell... We'd be nowhere if it wasn't for Amleth's ideas... And Sally," He propped a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to his own, "No one would hav left if not for you. I think that if we can escape this, we WILL be free.

"Are you alright though? I'm not sure what Sorceress did, and I am not sure if I broke it completely..." He flexed his hand under his glove. He didn't much want to look at it... His sword was in irrepairable shape as it was... "But just so you know, Lok helped. I don't think we could have done it otherwise."

((TAH DAH!))

Sally looked to Dash when he spoke up, eyes still blurry with unshed tears. Her eyes darted away when he talked to her, lips tightening into a line at his honest words. Why was he being so nice to her? It was all her fault they were hurt in the first place. She bit her lower lip and tensed. "She...she seemed so nice at first. I actually spoke to her. I thought I could make a new friend." She winced as she spoke, her throat rough from screaming and the pain. "I was so naive...but that's what I do right? My role is to be naive."

When he took her chin she flinched a bit at the sudden touch. It was strangely warm and when she looked at the prince's eyes they were soft as well. Was this how all those girl's fell for him? Her heart skipped a bit when he told her they'd be free and then asked if she was alright. It took her a minute to get back her voice and she instantly shoved his hand from her chin with a soft pout.

"I just feel sick is all...I never felt sick so I guess it's just so bad because I'm not used to it." She smiled reassuringly before he mentioned the wolf and she looked over to him cautiously. She was about to thank him before he got up and started to yell at her. His loud voice caused her head to pound harder and she clamped her hands over her ears. Still his voice seemed to penetrate her skull and she groaned.

After he took off she let go and watched his back. "Ummm...thanks Dash...I'm just not used to being the...the weak one I guess...you know so used to escaping danger. Heh. But really...thanks." She gave him another smile before moving towards where Lok had gone.

"I'm sorry Amleth too...You got to promise me not to give yourself up for me okay? We're best friends, there's a way to be safe without giving up eachother. Alright? Cause without you with me what would be the point of being saved?" She grinned at him, and pat his head and finally walked off after Lok.

"Err..." She came up behind him and touched his shoulder, careful not to startle him...though she was sure startling him would be near impossible. "I'm sorry...I know I'm stupid...you should know that from the first time we met, right?" She laughed hollowly and glanced to the sheep. "So...you're right...you can yell at me all you want. I just...I feel so guilty...you guys hurt yourself because of me. I..." She stopped and rubbed her throat. With a soft sigh she poked his sides and giggled. "I knew you loved me. We're best friends, best friends always stay with eachother. You're not much different than the rest of us. Admit it, you care about me just as much as I care about you too." She cooed a bit before turning around and laughing gently.

"Thanks, Lok." She said, unused to using his name, however it rolled off her tongue as if she said it in every sentence. "I know it feels really stupid, sounds insane...but with you here, I know I'll be safe...funny how that works. Thank you. Well then...I guess now that I've finished...you'll get flustered and upset and want to kill more sheep...so I should leave you in privacy." She then made to walk off, suddenly feeling a bit better, even if her stomach still was in knots. "Lok...I like that name."

((XD Hahaha...she loves teasing him...sorry...I HAD to post...blah...))

Amleth stuttered a little as Dash furrowed his brow at the pig's idea--the thought had just sort of sprung out, without consideration. He gurgled a little bit. "I-I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries I mean I'm really not all that good at coming up with plans and if you don't like it we can find somewhere else I mean this place looks nice and the sheep aren't evil and I don't think I'm allergic well at least not yet and even if I am if you guys are happy here then that's okay and I shouldn't have said anything really because that's not my job and er uh I mean--"

The Prince wasn't furrowing his brow in irritation. It was in consideration. There was a glint in his eye, that almost maybe looked even pleased. Amleth fell into a confused silence. Finally, a flaw--an obvious one, really--was pointed out. Aha, signs of his incompetence. Now he was on more familiar ground.

"Well--the Wolf, he could--um--and the Dragon, we left her behind, and I dunno... I don't think... I mean. I think..." Amleth scrunched up his face. "Since, uh, or, now that we're, um, not in our stories, he might... I think... be able to, I mean..." He thought hard. He wasn't sure how it worked, really.

But, before he could finish the thought, the other two rushed to their fallen red-clad comrade. Amleth sighed again, comforted. Being ignored. That was familiar, too. He scrabbled over to the young woman. She was already being assured by the other two, but something inside him pained at the sight of her so miserable. His face turned the approximate color of a tomato--whether it was with frustration or sadness, he wasn't entirely sure.

"Don't--don't worry about me, Sally! You're all, something like, the one that everyone likes. Everyone likes you, Sally, and, and, if you got all... all... I dunno, sad and left or something then we'd all just fall apart because you're really great and I don't think I'd be here if you weren't so don't get all gloomy on us I mean..." He faltered, trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to say.

"Don't be upset at yourself, Sally. It's my job." He nodded. That about summed it up. Dash was the one who knew what he was doing (though he quite possibly didn't), Lok was the one who was gloomy and scary and bad (though the others seemed to think maybe otherwise?), Sally was cheery and friendly and everyone liked her (there was no buts for that, it simply was), and Amleth was the down-on-himself, useless one who was in the group for reasons unknown (though in the last few minutes he'd been feeling oddly decisive).

He gulped. "If you don't try to eat anyone," he mumbled--perhaps he was not talking to Sally anymore-- "then I think you can come in. I mean, if we're not in our stories, then you're not a bad guy. And so, it might work, I think. Maybe. And, I mean..." he tried to actually look at the Wolf; it was really hard to offer advice to someone who he'd spent his whole life opposed to. "Y-you... er... I mean, no one likes to sleep outside." He gulped. "You've already spent a lot of time outside that place as it is, y'know?"

((Merr.))

Sally turned her head as the wolf talked back and she giggled with amusement and a strange lightness. It was the type of laugh of tinkling bells and miniature glass clocks. Her eyes brightened even as he said they weren't friends, she knew he would lie to make himself look stronger, more evil. She knew much better, maybe more than he did, that he'd probably be feeling bad if she weren't there.

"Best friends forever! I love you!" She called after him and grinned mischievously before making her way back to Dash and Amleth. Her chest still hurt, pained, as if something had been ripped out. Her heart felt incomplete. It was that strange hollow feeling. She didn't want to think about it though, it pained even more to picture herself without her heart, hollow, lifeless.

As she got back to the other two men she smiled at them with a positive reassurance. "I think he enjoys being teased." She rubbed at her throat again and shifted her weight from foot to foot. She still felt ill, stomach growling not from hunger but from pain, her throat was on fire, and her chest felt hollow. The only thing that kept her from collapsing and passing out was she wasn't alone. Her one true fear, one true horror in her existence was being friendless, no one there to talk to or to even yell at. For now she had to look healthy, strong, able to handle the pressure. She couldn't break down like she was about to before. For her friends' sakes.

"Hey...Dash..." she began awkwardly and scratched the side of her cheek. Her lips pursed in thought and she looked to the side. "While we're at Amleth's big brother's house..." She stumbled over her words before frowning determinedly at him and putting her hands to her hips, eyes flashing. "Can you teach me to use a sword? Or at least fight? I don't want to be useless anymore. I want to be able to protect you guys if I'm the only one left. I mean face it...I only know how to talk my way out of things...won't help if the monster's deaf." She starred at his eyes, the same way she starred at Lok's when he had come back last night. "Okay?"

Before he could disagree she twiddled her way over to Amleth and grinned down to him. "Thanks for letting us stay there. Hopefully your brother won't mind. I hope he's HALF as nice as you are." She pulled the short man into a hug and twisted around a bit as though she was reuniting with her long lost brother. "And I'll cook for you and your brothers, it's a promise! I can cook a mean veal if I say so myself." She let go of him and smiled again. Doubt still lingered in her mind, doubt they'd never be free of their roles, but she clung on to the hope that one day they wouldn't BE in a story, there'd be no stories to write, even their own.

She wanted fate. Any type of story, even if they wrote it...wouldn't be fate.

Amleth nodded to the others, before coming to recognize that he didn't have the slightest as far as where Lok had taken them. He noted a shrieking child on top of the hill, shouting something about wolves and lying. It seemed vaguely familiar, but he knew nothing about it. He scrunched up his face and thought; Just pretend like The Wolf is chasing you, and instincts'll take care of it. Glancing over his shoulder at the creature in question and seeing his face smeared with blood, it wasn't a very far stretch. "AUUUGggghhhokay it's this way." He waddled off in the proper direction, hoping desperately that this was as good an idea as everyone thought.

***

Eventually, Amleth lead the motley group to a small house, bricks bright red and mortar still white, giving the everlasting impression of being newly built. Nothing about it looked particularly magical, but it did indeed appear sturdy. "W-wait a minute," Amleth mumbled to the others. His nerves were coming back, being this close to his story again. "I, uh, I gotta talk to him."

The fat man scurried to the door and knocked. A voice called, "'M comin', 'm comin', hold on." After a moment, the door pulled back to reveal a piggish man who did look quite like Amleth, but carried his weight in a way that made it look less like he was fat and more like he enjoyed eating a bit, and you better not have a problem with that.

The man raised a brow and scanned his brother up and down. "Bro. Whatcha want."

Amleth quavered under his brother's gaze and looked at his feet. "Neils. I. Uh. Just have. Er. Need to. Place where uh. Just. To do er uh. Things and stuff and er your house."

Amleth's older brother--Neils--scowled a bit. "What? S'not another few days 'till you're supposed to show. Wolf's not early, is he?"

The younger one started a weak laugh, which quickly devolved to a breathy sputter. "P'ha... ha... huh... he, uh... phhhh... n-no, n-not exact, I mean, he's not going to, or..."

Neils pursed his lips, before interrupting. "Listen. Bro. Hey. You been noticin' weird stuff goin' on? Like just since yesterday. Rumors 'bout renegades and runaways an' stuff." Amleth winced. "An' the real weird bit. Get this. Some people start actin' like I got 'nother brother or somethin'. Makin' a house of sticks. Dunno anythin' 'bout that, d'you? S'weird."

Amleth gawked a little. Sticks? As in, what he'd been gathering when he'd met the others? "Urm," he managed. He slowly pointed towards the others, standing a bit off. Neils' gaze followed the gesture. The older man scowled, and took a step out, lip twitching a bit. "I, guh, uh, know that he--Lok, I mean-- the Wolf, I mean, that's his name, it's Lok--I know he's there, but, um, I don't think he's gonna... I mean... he's not all that...er...bad... and the others, they need to... er." Neils was fixing him with a dangerous look.

The younger Pigman fell quiet as his brother surveyed the group. "What the hell, bro. Dunno what you're up to, genius, but you just maybe forgot that he, y'know, tries to eat you couple times a month." He shook his head. "The Wolf's not coming near here without a cauldron underneath the chimney." He said nothing about the other two; it almost seemed he hadn't even taken notice of them, with Lok present.

((Note: If you're willing to flatter Neils, he gets a lot more willing. He's not a bad guy, just a bit of a c**k.))