The boys nodded in agreement at the plan of action. Dark looked up as Lilu soared high;<span style="font-style: italic">the orange makes him an easy target, hopefully no hunter will mistake him for dinner</span>, giggling softly to himself at the thought. The incubus pointed in the direction of the next town, both boys stretched in preparation for their travels. As they geared themselves for the journey, Ryo commended Dark on his behavior.<br/>“I’m proud of you,” he whispered, caressing his partner. “Honestly, I thought you were going to screw things up.”<br/>Dark opened his mouth to protest but remained silent and shrugged. Looking to the ground; he examined his boots, they were too big for his feet and encrusted in dirt, with a closer look he noticed that they were beginning to break. He sighed. “I still don’t trust them… but I’m not stupid to waste this opportunity.” he responded calmly, his eyes barely leaving the ground. He wondered if his boots would survive the journey to the safe haven, he looked forward to the possibility of new fitting shoes. An elegant pair of slippers, something delicate for his feet. Even barefoot on the cool earth seemed appealing, he liked to dance barefoot.<br/>Tugging gently at his lover’s wrist, Ryo snapped Dark from his train of thought to being their journey. Ryo became increasingly aware of the local inhabitants watching from a distance, which made him even more eager to leave. With Lilu leading the way, the pair ran to the next village. Dark ran ahead, he was faster, more agile than Ryo due to his history of screaming and running away before he was taught to fight.<br/>It was not long until the town was in their sights as the sky threatened them with darkness. They decreased their pace and collected their breath. Ryo kept an ear out for any followers, he felt a looming presence ever since the previous town but could not make out why. He shrugged his concerns, while maintaining a cautious approach.<br/>“See, made it just in time,” he said to Scyler.