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Arthur

"What?" I questioned, not understanding the full meaning of her words.

She sighed and handed me the backpack and a new set of clothes. "You don't have much time, Arthur, so please listen. What you did to Jupiter was stupid but also very brave, but he is going to kill you tomorrow, but very slowly and in the most painful manner possible. You need to leave the property tonight and get to the Revolution patrol squad close by or else he will make you wish that you joined them just hours ago to the same fate."

"But...I can't just leave them, Washa," I replied, looking at the two graves behind me which were now home to my mother and father.

She sighed and nodded. "I understand how you feel, Arthur, but they wouldn't want you to join them in death and give up like that. You promised them that you would stay strong and fight until your very end, didn't you?"

She shocked me, making me take a step back. "How did you know that?"

"You father and mother told me when you weren't around. They said that you like adventure and learning new things. Arthur, this is your chance to do just that instead of wasting you're the remainder of your life staying her waiting for him to come and kill you." She looked into my eyes and sighed once more. "Please, Arthur, I don't want to see you dead as well, you're just too good of a person for that to happen...just please listen to me, okay?"

She placed her arms on my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. Even though the sky was pitch black I could still feel her intense gaze upon me, forcing me to believe what she was saying was right. It was downright suicide just to stay here and wait for the harbinger of death, Jupiter, to come and get me then torture me to death basically. I did promise mom and dad that I would fight no matter what for them even though they had passed but everything still felt unreal.

This still felt like it wasn't real. I didn't want it to be real but I wasn't the one in control of things. For all I knew, this was really real and I didn't have any choice but to try my best and fight on despite the fact that they're gone. Even though it was hard to believe, I had no other choice but to believe it.

It was real and there was no changing it.

I sighed and looked down. "F-fine...what do I need to do? How am I going to get out anyway? Guards are patrolling the grounds at every angle and eventually someone's going to find me. There are electric gates blocking my escape anyway and what is this about the Revolution."

She sighed then began to explain everything to me. "Okay, let me explain this out. This thunderstorm is going to be so huge that the guards and soldiers will be forced to go inside and wait for it to die down. The grounds will be unoccupied and you won't have anyone watching you make your escape. As for the gate, Jupiter and his advisors get lazy and haven't noticed the northwestern portion of the electric fence is no longer operational. Over time I've made small cuts through the fence without Jupiter or his guards noticing, and that's where you'll escape the property. Now, once you get out you'll need to head completely north--in which I have packed a compass for you--for seven miles. Once you reach the dirt road, you'll need to jog as quick as you possibly can due west for the next twenty or so miles, following the dirt pathway I've made. There you'll find a group of Revolutionary soldiers scouting the perimeter for intel and that's where you join them and get out of here. You need to be gone by eight or else they'll find you and bring you back."

"But it's ten right now...how am I going to get there by eight?" I asked.

"You'll have to go as quickly as you possibly can, Arthur," she replied, pointing me in my direction. "Put these clothes on as well, they'll keep you warm and protected throughout the night, okay?"

"O-okay..." I stammered.

"Right," she went on, taking in a large amount of air. "I've packed a few things for you. Some food, family items that I know you won't be able to leave without, and a note for the Revolution telling them that you are their friend."

She turned around for me while I put on my black camo pants and black shirt and matching hoodie. Washa also gave me a pair of gloves in case I needed to push or pull things out of my way. The clothes were actually very cozy and warm, a perfect fit for me even though I was skinny. She slung the backpack onto my back and buckled it down. It was surprisingly the perfect fit for me. Not too big yet not too small, and it wasn't so tight that it made it unbearable to wear for long periods of time. Wherever she got the pack, I needed to thank her immediately.

"But what if they question the note and think it's a fake?" I asked, wondering if this plan could even work.

She looked at me, finishing the buckling. "They'll know, so don't worry. If they don't, then show them the necklace around your neck."

I was surprised once more, yet I didn't take a step back. "How did you know about that? My parents tell you too?"

Washa nodded. "Yes, its special and if the note fails then show them that. They'll have no other choice but to take you into their fold."

"What does my necklace have to do with anything?" I asked her, trying to get a clear answer from her while she worked like crazy on me. She was in a rush, as was I; there was no doubt about that. I had to be out of here soon apparently and we couldn't waste any time.

She looked at me then finished tightening the last buckle. "They'll know, just show them and they'll get the picture, got it?" I nodded. "Good. Remember, you need to be at that drop off before seven tomorrow morning or else they'll leave you and the soldiers will track you down. If they don't your clothes will burn you up but you should be concealed during the night so you shouldn't have much trouble."

"Won't they realize my signal's gone?" I asked, pointing at the bracelet tracker on the ground.

She shook her head. "The thunder will affect their communications and mask your disappearance. The storm should hold until midday tomorrow, which gives you plenty of time to stay hidden until seven. If they try anything, I'll take down the tracking system myself."

"How're you going to do that?" I asked, already aware of the answer. She had great ties inside the mansion and enough power and authority, not to mention a weapon, to do many things. Maybe I shouldn't question her and maybe I should start questioning my chances of making it.

If the storm really does stay until midday tomorrow, then I should have no trouble blending into my surroundings since everything will be dark. If they don't come to check on me until seven then I should be home free, but if they do then I'll have to run for my life, possibly hide, and wait for them to leave me alone. I had to trust Washa on her part as well since she knew more about the estate than even I did. She was going to try and do everything she could, put her life on the line, and try to get me out of here before they make mincemeat out of me. Wasn't she worried about herself too? Saving me seemed like a great task considering she could've used that key on herself and escape instead of trying to bust me out first. I then had to think about her son and the time and money she was making trying to take care of him.

She was literally stuck here.

It made me sick knowing that she was literally chained to this property like some sort of wild dog. If she decided to try and escape then she also risked the like of her son and herself since they knew everything about her and him. God, why didn't I realize this sooner? She couldn't leave even though she had the key! Unless she wanted her son to join in the bed of graves then she was going to stay here even if she killed herself working every day to protect him.

Personally, I didn't know what her son was like. We were supposed to be about the same age but she never told me his name or why he was taken like some sort of Task Master Trophy or something. All she said was that he was really nice, sometimes very dark and sly but overall a very respectful and honorable guy that held himself up with high standards.

He reminded me of...my dad actually. My dad was honorable and respectful, when it came to people who didn't treat him with disrespect, and he held himself high along with us. But he was still only my age though and he was no father of mine, which was all I was going to say on that. He was dead only a few feet behind me along with my mother not that far away and it still hurt to think about them as...well, dead. It had happened only a few hours ago but yet the pain of losing them still felt so fresh in my mind like it had happened at this second.

Hopefully, I could move on from that with time. For now, Washa directed me in the direction I needed to go and gave me my compass. She faced me north then showed me where the torn gate was. If Jupiter was lazy to fix a gate but active enough to go out and kill a mother and father, it was all I needed to know that he's unpredictable.

I'll need to be careful.

Once she gave me the necessary locations of where I needed to go, she then said "It's time, Arthur. Once you leave, there's no turning back whatsoever. Do you think you're ready?"

We both exchanged looks at one another. Her eyes told me that she would be fine here, sad and alone, but still fine enough to keep working. My eyes told her that I was ready even though I wasn't sure if I could even make it but getting out of here was much better than getting slaughtered. It wasn't like I wanted to stay here either, but there was no telling what was in store for me out there. Hell, even if I made it to the Revolution, how was I going to learn about the things of the world today? My mom and dad only taught me so much math and geography, but nothing on the culture on others or society in general.

I guess I don't really have any other choice though. By putting on the clothes and taking the backpack, I pretty much accepted leaving anyway. Plus, my tracker was offline and if they found me without it then I was in much deeper trouble.

I looked at her and sighed. "I'm ready."

Washa stayed behind, waving goodbye to me as I set off.

The rain should cover the sound while the darkness of the night covered me up like a blanket. The hood over my head, except my ears, kept my face dry enough and the clothes warmed me up even as the night grew colder and colder. All I could hear was the sound of clapping thunder and the pelting raindrops that fell all around me, somewhat covering me up entirely. No one should be able to see or hear me right now, which meant I was in the clear for the time being, yet how long was iffy. Midday tomorrow? I could only hope that it stayed until then or else I was toast.

I stepped into piles of mud and grass, dirtying my feet and pants legs entirely, yet I didn't care. Washa was nice enough to give me these clothes that she knew were going to get dirty not long after I set out. If I ever found the Revolution, I hoped that they had a shower and some soap handy 'cause I was going to need it by the end of the night.

There were times that I looked behind me just to hopefully find Washa waving goodbye, wishing me luck. I still wished this was some sort of dream, but I was already way past floating that boat by now. I still didn't want to believe my parents were dead but the pain that I had felt was undeniable which told me it was all real and it had happened and I was now living it. While I walked through the mud, I could almost feel someone touching my shoulder, only to find out it was just the hammering raindrops just playing with my thoughts and emotions.

"I need to get moving," I said to myself, pressing forward.

Time seemed to go by quickly as I reached the barbed wire fence. I looked around for some sort of hole where Washa said she had made cuts into a small hole big enough for me to get through. Quickly, I searched with reckless abandon. The rain seemed to interfere with my sight, making it very difficult to spot the hole, which was my only means of getting out of here.

After a good five minutes passed of searching, I found the exit. It was small but yet big enough for me to crawl through and the barbed wire around it looked old a rusty, making it easy to move around to my advantage. Without wasting any more time than I already did, I began to pull and tug on the wire, throwing my backpack as hard as I could over the side of the fence so it wouldn't get caught. Once the hole was bigger, I got onto my stomach and began to crawl through, making sure I was careful to not get jabbed or have my clothes torn.

Mud covered my arms and chest, somewhat on my face, but I was fine since the rain helped wash it off. Once I was through the fence I looked for my backpack and grabbed it, re-buckling it up then set out once more.

"Okay...she said go north for seven miles," I said to myself. "Then take a right and go west for twenty more. Easy peasy...easy peasy..."

I didn't wait around for the storm to let up on me, so I set out into the woods close by which was my only route north. As I entered the deep, dark forest, I looked back at the property and thought of Washa and her life there. There was no doubt she wasn't happy there but she knew that this was the only way to free her son from slavery, and I knew that she was going to do everything she could to keep him safe and sound.

The woods seemed to grow thicker and thicker after each five minute period. I could barely see two feet in front of me, which made me bring out my flashlight after a long time or so. Since I was already far enough where I couldn't even see the property, I felt it was a good enough time to use it. With the light I could finally take notice of the tall trees that surrounded me from every angle. They sure did scare me but I carried on and continued to walk forward, hoping that there was no one following me.

Different sounds filled my ears while I drove forward. I could hear the hammer rainfall that went on and on around me, soaking me from top to bottom while making my clothes much heavier. The sound of snapping twigs also broke through the rain and had me shuddering in fear, thinking that there was someone behind me ready to take me back after trying to escape. Clapping thunder was usually the sound-breaker and it sent chills up and down my spine each time, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Even the mushy sound of the mud I stepped in startled me.

"I'm not scared...I'm not scared...I'm not scared..." I muttered to myself, shining my flashlight more towards the ground so I could see where I was stepping.

As if I wanted to believe the words that were coming out of my mouth right now! I was literally losing courage with each minute that went by! The darkness that surrounded me, the creepy and eerie sounds of the night, and the thundering and pounding sound of the rain and thunder. I just wanted all this to stop and go away and leave me alone, really.

This whole adventure was making me tremble in fear, so I forced myself to go a little faster to pick up on the time that I was losing. It was...now eleven thirty. That right there told me that I needed to pick up my pace even more and try to go faster. So I did. I took large steps, few times actually jogging long distances. I continued to look at the compass to make sure I was going the right way but with all the rain around me, I had to wipe it down all the time to make sure I was still right.

Just to keep my sanity, if I even had any, I decided to talk to myself. "It's okay, Arthur. There is...nothing to be scared of out here. No one is going to hurt you right now because...you're all alone now and the soldiers can't find you."

The sound of a cracking twig broke my train of thought. I only then realized it was one that I had stepped on. I clutched my chest and let out a long sigh of relief, thinking that there was actually someone here with me, just watching me from afar while trying to scare me to death.

"There's no one there...there's no one there..." I muttered to myself, repeating myself for the next couple of minutes as I fast walked.

It was probably my nerves that were putting me on edge. God was I easy scared. I think it was because I was all alone now, walking through a forest full of unknown mysteries with just a flashlight as my weapon. I actually hoped that Washa packed a gun just in case, even though I had no idea how to use or hold one, not that I even wanted to in the first place.

Eventually, I began to lose track of time, so I looked to my watch. Twelve fifteen. I was really hoping that I was at least halfway there or something, otherwise there was no chance that I was going to make it to the scouting party. I tried to space out the amount of times that I looked to my watch, trying to reassure myself with positive thinking instead of thinking down on myself. Soon, after I grew tired of walking, I started to jog on ahead just to keep myself up. Better safe than sorry I thought to myself, just in case I was way behind on schedule.

"Wait...hold on..." I said, squinting my eyes as I looked ahead.

There it was! The road! I didn't wait on myself, so I sprinted forward, pushing tree branches aside so I could keep going. The excitement that I felt made me feel so much better about everything. Right now it was...twelve thirty! I could still make it there in six hours, I hope.

Finally, the last set of trees passed by me and I left the dense forest, immediately taking a right, following the directions on my compass. A smile had formed on my face. Though I was still down on the fact that my parents were now gone, I was glad to be out of that property and on my way to freedom. There was no room for mistake right now, I needed to start running as fast and far as I could.

I was home free.

Washa

The hours seemed to go by quickly.

Arthur had to be long gone by now and there was no mistaking that. Even if the soldiers found that he escaped, it would be way too late to catch up to him--at least, that's what I thought in my mind. He was a clever boy though. I knew that if he saw or heard them coming he would think of some way to lose them. He could hide, I gave him the proper clothes to blend in with the night, and flashlights can only distinguish so much from so little.

Yes, he had to be long gone by now, but I couldn't help but feel as though I had just lost three friends in one day. I sat alone in the entertainment room by myself, holding a duster in one hand and in the other I held the wood cleaner. Sure, the other sweet innkeepers were nice and kind to me as I was to them, and we all detested Jupiter and his horrible family, but we were still close to one another. However, when it came to the Wings--Arthur's family--I felt a very friendly bond from the moment when I first met their son. Arthur was always a hard worker, always trying to prove himself to be the best at something, and that was what I admired about him, other than his attitude and adventurous personality. Yet underneath all that fur and skin, he seemed very scared and sad to me, maybe because he had lost all his drive when he lost his parents.

Dear, me. His parents were always the hardest working ones on the property. They worked in unison and never bickered with one another like other couples on this forsaken place. I admired that and their attitude about things. Word had gotten around and I found that Gareth had coaxed Henry into fighting him. Well...perhaps angered Henry would be a better way of putting it. Gareth was getting himself some very hard lashes himself, but what Jupiter did to Henry and Clara was unforgiveable. Sure, they beat up his soldiers but only out of self-defense.

But why did I think that there was more to it than just killing them on purpose? It usually took more than his soldiers getting hurt for him to get all riled up to the point where he decided to kill them both like beasts. Perhaps he knew what Henry was capable of, and that fox was capable of many things but not murder. Maybe they knew each other once, or had met, and it hadn't been on very good terms. But killing the fox's wife too? Something had to be wrong then otherwise Jupiter wouldn't just kill two people out of the blue just for a few beat up soldiers.

There had to be something yet I had no idea about what it was. I just sat there at two o' clock in the morning trying to figure things out. Jupiter was a tough nut to crack and getting information from him without knowing was a task on my brain. Gaining information on this subject as going to take careful planning and decisive moves, that being said if I could get any information from him.

I sighed to myself. It was way too late at night to even try and get any news on him. Mostly everyone inside the mansion was out for the night, save for the few other innkeepers looking to making a few extra bucks cleaning the guest rooms. I just sat in one of the two living rooms by myself, thinking about what must be happening with Arthur right now.

It was two in the morning, which told me that Ryan was very long gone, hopefully. He had to have been out of those woods for some time and onto the main road. It shouldn't be long before he finds the Revolution scouting party.

Why thought did it feel like I was losing someone I cared deeply about? Wait, I take that back. I cared deeply about him as a friend. The wording on that was completely off.

Just a few hours ago, I threw him out there by himself with only a few supplies and items that his family owned. He was going to need mementos to help ease the pain on his mind and emotions of his parents, and that was where the items came in. He now had his father's journal, his mother's golden necklace, and a picture frame that they had both packed with him in the center. Hopefully, that would be enough to help him out.

There wasn't a moment that I didn't regret not following him. He needed a friend to help guide him along forward, and I was ashamed that I couldn't follow him. The only reason I still had staying here was because of the only son that I had left to cherish.

I looked down and began to mutter to myself. "Mason...I pray that you're safe and sound."

Ever since his father passed away due to heart problems, nothing seemed to go very well for us. One day I found that he was taken and sold to a Task Master in the closest town to us, breaking my heart into millions of tiny pieces that never seemed to heal. I promised that I would do anything to keep him safe, and that's exactly what I did by working for another Task Master: Jupiter. There wasn't a moment that didn't go by where I didn't hate this man. He was cruel, heartless, and egocentric to the innkeepers, soldiers, and slaves. When it came to his family, he acted different but they all shared his beliefs and acted almost like him, especially his children.

I huffed. His children were going to be greatly worse than he was. They were already spoiled rotten and were purely harsh and impossible to work with unless you took the time to understand them. Sadly, I didn't have much of a choice to since Jupiter placed me as their "personal" caretaker.

But when you live in times like this, you can't really complain. As long as you make your money and pay your dues for the few people that you can't live without, then you learn to live with it. It was hard work, but the pay was more than what most middle-class workers get in a month. The money I made went to caring for my son but that was it and I didn't care. Above all else, he was the most important person in my life, Arthur being a very close second.

As I got ready to get my things in order, a new presence materialized. I knew it all too well. With a sigh of grief, I turned around to face the man.

"Shouldn't you be tucked in bed, Jupiter?" I asked the panther in a low, hateful tone.

The man, wearing his white night clothes, smirked. "Oh, Washa, you're always so kind when we talk." His smirk made me want to vomit but I held it in. "I just came to talk to you about a few things."

What could he want to talk about? Did it still involve Arthur and his slaughtering in a few hours? If so then he was going to be majorly disappointed in the next couple of hours. The cracking of thunder shook the home slightly but it didn't seem to phase us in the least. The feline continued to give me his stone cold, smug glare that made me want to give him a couple of extra scars on that face.

Oh, I nearly forgot about Arthur's farewell "present". Jupiter was back to his old self but with a few extra scars from a fourteen year-old who was now miles away. White bandages covered his right eye completely with very little stain from the red blood that was now fully dry. To be truly honest, I couldn't wait to see Jupiter's scars just so I could laugh at him whenever he wasn't around. Maybe if I was feeling a little more on the wild side, I would poke fun at it but not take it too far.

Arthur really knew how to change someone's life.

I folded my arms across my chest and looked at his eye. "I see that Arthur gave you some pretty war scars there, Thaulm. Do you feel like a big boy now?"

He chuckled and leaned against the living room doorframe. "Careful now, wolf. I still have a good eye for the moment--"

"Until someone pretties it up too?"

He snickered. "You really are the comedian. I see now why I chose you as one of my innkeepers. You have such a sense of humor, and you're not afraid to speak your mind like the others."

"You're damn right, and don't you forget about it," I responded, frowning at him.

"I don't think that that is going to be possible," he retorted. "But I do hope you enjoy the show in a few hours, it'll surely be a sight that no one will soon ever forget."

I rolled my eyes and turned away from him in disgust. "You are a cruel and horrible man. I'm ashamed people like you were born into this world."

Just as I took a few steps away from him, the sound of his chuckle made me stop in my tracks. It almost sounded like he was mocking me with that laughter. Then again, wasn't all laughter like that? He didn't say a word but something told me that he was holding something back just for me. Whatever it was, curiosity got over me and I turned back around to face him.

"What?" I asked him.

He smirked and looked me right in the eyes. "Oh, I just thought I let you in on some new information regarding your son."

Time seemed to slow down right as he stopped. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I could feel my entire body shuddering with pure fear of what his next words were. He looked completely serious, and something as serious as this topic was not one meant for jokes.

My son? Mason? What could possibly be wrong with him? Did something bad happen to him? Did the Task Master do something to him? Whatever the case was, Jupiter had my full undivided attention for the first time. He wouldn't joke about something like this and now he was going to tell me even if I had to pry it from his head myself.

I took slow, careful steps toward him. "What did you do to my son?"

He chuckled. "Oh, dear Washa, it wasn't me who did anything to your son. It wasn't Ruiz either."

Ruiz...that was the Task Master's name. "Then when happened? Tell me right now!"

The panther turned towards me and gave me his smug smile, making me feel very uncomfortable. "You see, Washa, it seems your son has run away."