We sit for a while awkwardly waiting for the carriage to arrive. Eventually, it does though by that point it sort of was pointless as I wanted to go back to sleep.
But eventually, it arrives and it finally ends. I don't know why but that felt really off for some reason. Maybe it was because I offered to play a game like we were kids again.
*minutes later*
We arrive in Arcadia again but this time Lara is the one who hasn't been here for a while. Man brings back memories...I remember this one event where she stole my shirt and we got ourselves in a pickle
*Flashback*
"Hahaha!" Lara laughs while running through the streets adorably
I am chasing her down because she stole my shirt and I trip over onto the ground giving me a little scrape but I ignore it.
"Oof! Ow!...H-hey wait up Lara!" I say getting myself back up.
"hahaha gotta catch me if you want your shirt back!"
"I will just *huff* let me *huff* catch my breath...*huff*....
Man, I am unfit...I hope I get a sick six-pack! But that will be hard. But they said since I am a beastman I am stronger than most so I hope I can work out! Maybe I should start now....hmmm
"W-wait for me!" I say as I get myself up from the ground leaving behind a small bit of blood from my scrape.
I trip a couple of times before getting my bearing and continue running after her through the streets of Arcadia near the old tavern we used to live at.
*mintues later*
I corner her into an alley way which is only a couple of meters in width and depth.
"Hehehe you caught me...what will I ever do Cody!" she says while holding my shirt in the air above her head.
I am just a little shorter than her so I can barely reach it and I keep jumping. I just barely grab the shirt but she jerks it out of my grip. My hands are too tiny! Dang, it! I am only 9 years old now while she is 11 years old.
"Hehehe you are so adorable when you get mad Cody!"
"MMMMMM!" I groan in anger. I continue jumping up and down until I finally yank the shirt out of her hands and began putting it on.
"Hmmph!"
"Hehe! You gotta chill out Cody you big baby. I wouldn't mind if you stole my shirt hehe"
Just hearing her say that makes me stop and blush for a moment. Luckily the shirt was over my face when it happened otherwise she would tart laughed at me being flustered. We are just kids and what we say is mostly adorable but for me and my self-awareness it is hard for me not the be flustered.
But I might as well make the most of it while I can. I put on my shirt and jump ontop of her. I stuck lick her face which she often hates because she gets all icky.
"Ew! Get off of me! Eeeewww! Aw man my kimono is sticky now! Why Cody!" she makes a pouty face.
"Because you stole my shirt. Plus you taste good!" I say with a bit of a chuckle.
"Grr...."
"hehehe"
I walk up to Lara and give her a hand and she gets up and slaps me in the face gently. Barely fazing me. I sort of smile at that and laugh while she begins wiping the access mucus off of herself.
We begin walking out of the alleyway when I notice 3 taller kids standing in the alleyway with us. I have an odd feeling about them so I turn to Lara and gives her a sign of my uncomfortably.
She nods and we both hold hands and start walking out of the alley way. As we make out way out it appears to be teenagers. Theya re all males. 1 human, 1 orc, and 1 beastman Wolven. The Wolven seems to be taller with brown fur. Might be the leader of the group I feel.
"Hey check out the couple! Hahaha!" the human says
"Yeah kids these days hehe. Say, the Lil orc girl seems cute. Why she wet though?"
I turn my head and notice she is a bit nervous to walk passed them. I try to comfort her by squeezing her hand a bit showering I am here for her. I smile a bit at her and we stay silent and keep walking.
"Hey kid. Croc kid listen up we ain't letting you leave without payment. This is our turf. Got it?
We both stop in our tracks and turn to one another and I let go of her hand and walk-up to them and get on my knees and bow. I need to show them we have nothing on us. We just want to pass by this was all just a misunderstanding.
"P-please. We have no money on us and we are just kids...let us pass please. We won't come here again we promise!" I say with my head on the ground and my hands out.
"Ha look at this runt...lil kid thinks he can walk all over us!" says the wolven putting his foot on my head. I push up a bit but he pushed me down.
"Did I say you could get up boy?!"
"Please! We have nothing let us pa-" suddenly I get kicks in the head and I fall backward on the ground with a bloody nose beginning to take place on me.
*Gasp* "C-Cody!" she says in shock at the sudden aggression towards us.
"Lara run!" I scream
I get grabbed by the horns and pushed into the ground
"Grab the girl!" one of them says
"No! Let me go!"
"L-Lara!"
Lara gets grabbed by the human while the other orc is standing around watching outside the alleyway. I am pinned down by the wolven by his foot on my back. He doesn't weigh much but he is pushing her on my chest area!
"So how should we punish these kids for tresspassing? Good ol beating?" says the human gripping Lara's arm to tightly.
"Ow! your hurting me"
"Shut up!"
She stay silent while beginning to cry a bit. I can't stand seeing her hurt and crying it makes me almost want to cry...
I try to push myself up but he continues to push me and then grabs the back of my feathers and pulls my head up. It hurts! Let go!
"We will teach this boy a lesson for talking to me like a punk. The girl will watch it. Seems suitable she is already suffering. The boy hasn't yet."
"Oh shit..."
"Oh shit indeed kid."
He drop kicks me a few feet away from him and I do a few rolls on the ground in the dirt.
"Ugh!" I groan out.
"P-please stop hurting Cody!"
"Shut up or your next...Or even worse..." the human says glaring at her with malicious intent. He better not hurt her!
"I try getting myself up but he runs at me and kicks me in the stomach a couple of times causing me to slide right into the wall. My back is literally against the wall now and I have nothing.
I pick up a metal trashcan lid and hold it up to me close. While my other hand is holding my hurt stomach. I try to hold it but it is just a bit to heavy for me and the Wolven grabs it our of my hand.
He takes the lid and looks at it a bit. He then gives me a toothy grin and hits me with the edge of the lid cutting me on the face a bit and causing me to spit blood out.
"Agh!"
I fall backwards and hold my face as it bleeds a bit. I look the wolven in the eyes and all the doe is laugh at my misery...Why...why do they enjoy this torture!
I begin going limp as I begin to cry a bit. A tear goes down the side of my face and he just looks at me with a smile...Why...We were just kids having fun and now this...
*Sniffle* *gasps*
"Oh stop crying....we are doing you a favor by teaching you to pay your dues..."
He picks me up by the head again and slams it into the dirt a couple of times. I am starting to go woozy...I can barely see the ground properly I'm....going black...
Suddenly I stop moving and my eyes are closed now.
He continues to go into a frenzy and hitting Coda's head a few more times until the human starts noticing he goes limp.
"h-hey boss...I think you got him...
"Ha cmon kid you gonna wake up or not?!" he says while throwing Coda against a wall.
"H-hey boss I think you got him!"
He stops for a moment and looks at his friend and then back at Coda. His eyes widen a bit and he lets go of Coda's arm which goes limp to his side.
"Shit...might've gone to far...Cmon lets book it."
"Y-yeah..lets leave before someone spots us."
The two-run off with the orc at the entrance of the alleyway and flee the scene with some pedestrians seeing them run off curiously.
Lara walks over to Coda's limp body and leans in a bit. She whispers something in Cod'a ear and he begins to groan a bit.
"C'cody...Are you okay?! P-please, be okay! I-I....I can't handle this I need help!"
She turns around and begins to runs off but Coda calls out a bit.
"W-wait...don't...don't leave me..."
She turns around and sees Coda's yellow eyes begin to tear up. and his bleeds from his lip a bit and nose. She turns around and sits next to Coda and hugs him.
"My hero..." she says but Coda goes back to sleep before hearing it.
*flashback ends*
Wow...Didn't expect that flashback to end up sad...I stare into the distance as I have been daydreaming for a while remembering.
"Hey you alright Coda?" asked Lara who is holding her Katana closely.