Cheshire now carried Al in the front holding him like a child.
He didn't say anything or do anything. His ears were still down and his tails swayed slowly.
The children around them played with them trying to catch them but their reaction time was too slow.
Behind him was Lestia who stayed close. Her eyes narrow and her head lowered staring at the floor.
They walked as they did from the time before but they gradually slowed down their pace.
She glanced at Cheshire who still didn't look back at her or even gave her Al.
He kept him close not once letting him go or letting the kids touch him.
The group of men still followed feet behind them but nowhere in sight. It was a quiet walk.
One of tension and heaviness in the air, Lestia smiled as one of the children handed her a demon flower that snipped at everything it could get its grip on.
Al stirred a little and Cheshire tightened his grip on him.
His hand was under his shirt on his back keeping him from awaking up.
He had put him to sleep using one of the old bedtime story techniques.
Lestia moved the children away who ran back to their mothers after being so far. She walked closer to Cheshire and smiled.
"Would you like me to hold him?" She asked,
Cheshire shook his head not saying a word. She frowned to his silence and looked at Al who's face was hidden by the scarf dove in Cheshire's neck.
She put up the barrier again sensing the men creep closer. Cheshire didn't get angry or even try.
Soon they came upon a small house. A rather large house making it mansion. Lestia knocked on the door while Cheshire kept Al asleep.
They heard things crash and people yell. Glass shatter and a woman stomping down some stairs screaming at someone else.
They waited a moment before the door opened, a maid smile and bowed, "Do come in."
Her voice was calm and she was rather silent the rest of the way.
She led them into a dinning hall where they were fed. Into a room to settle then out to the comfort room where Cheshire lay Al down on the couch and he himself sat down near him on a lounge chair.
Tired and calm he sighed and looked at Lestia who smiled sitting near Al too in a comfy chair.
She moved away some hair from his face and smiled seeing that he moved to her touch.
Cheshire narrowed his eyes unable to help but feel an uneasiness.
The door opened and they looked. A woman in a traditional short kimono walked in.
She had toe socks on and bells at the ends of her sleeves. She had long sleeves and even hair with keen kind gold eyes.
She saw them and stared.
"Ah, this isn't Manelipy!" She yelled at the servant. "TThat's Al, Lestia and Cheshire!-" she paused and stared some more.
He saw Al sleeping on the couch and Cheshire sitting in the lounge chair.
"Cancel everything for today, it seems I have a more important matter on my hands." She closed the fan she had in her hand to fan herself.
The maid bowed and quickly ran to do as told.
".. Daimah, forgive our intrusion." Lestia bowed her head.
"Oh, no, you are always welcomed. But what bring you here today?" She asked sitting in a comfy seat near them all.
"Well you see.." Lestia said and looked at Cheshire who'd fallen asleep.
"A few of your troops thought we were prey," she took the needle out from her hair and showed her, "and so happen to have injected Transparent Liquid in Al."
"I see.." she said nodding in understanding.
"We came here to see if there was a cure, or if we would have to suffer for the time."
"Well, there will be no suffering except for Cheshire at the most, an there is a cure. So fear not of suffrage I always come prepared." She nodded and rang a bell.
A maid ran in quickly with a small bottle. She took it and went to Al opening it and taking the same needle and dipping it in.
She closed it and gently poked Al with the clear liquid and smiled.
"You should feel better soon." She said.
Lestia smiled, "I'm glad."
"For the most part it would have only lasted a moth with this amount, but I do understand that you do not have that time."
"Precisely."
"And I looks as if you all have been walking all day for a long time, so I beg you rest here for tonight."
"Yes, thank you." She nodded.
"I see you have already had dinner, do enjoy yourselves in the bath and rest areas. I will be in my lab if there is anything you need."
Daimah stood and walked to the door looking at Al who stirred some more.
When he opened his eyes he was in a warm bed, Cheshire wasn't with him.
He sat up feeling the entire emptiness, a door in the room opened and Cheshire came in.
"You're awake," he said.
Al's head ached and he couldn't think, he opened his mouth to say something but instead a small sound replaced the one he wanted.
Cheshire sat on the bed and smiled. He handed Al a small pill and some water.
"The maids will bring in some pajamas. We can get in the bathhouse through the garden." He said.
Al drank the pill without questioning anything he said or did.
"Okay." He lay back down seeing that Cheshire was different somehow.
Without asking or saying anything else he turned away from Cheshire who frowned unable to read his thoughts anymore.
He got under the blanket with him and wrapped his arms around Al.
"Are you still not the same Al?" Cheshire whispered.
"I'm me.." He whispered back.
"Why can't I read them anymore?" Cheshire rolled over him so that they now faced each other.
"Here," he wrapped the scarf around him too and got closer to him, "Can you read them?" he thought.
"Perfectly.." Cheshire smiled.
His ears were down and his tail swayed under the blanket. The other tail had gone.
He held Al tightly and smelled the good scent of cologne and shampoo.
The cologne was his and the shampoo was from Al's hair.
The maid came in and Cheshire looked. She bowed quietly and hurried placing some clothes and towels on the tea table.
A butler came in with some cake and Al smelled the goodness along with Cheshire.
They jumped right out the be running toward the tea table jumping in their seats and waiting to be served.
The butler smile being a man of old age, he cut them both a slice and placed it on the plates in front f them.
Both eating they melted in their seats to its sweet taste.
"It's so good.." Al said lovingly,
"So crisp," Cheshire added.
The butler bowed and left them, they drank some tea and realized something.
"Red frosting?" They said together.
They tasted it again and tasted something funny. Now tasting only the frosting they tasted a bitter-sweetness that sent them flying into the air.
Their taste buds were in heaven. They were awe inspired by the taste and ended up eating the whole cat.
They drank the tea together and when finished grabbed the towels, Al grabbed the pajamas and filled Cheshire.
They walked through the enormous halls and out to the sand garden. Al stared in amazement and he went with Cheshire to the bath house.
They went in and to a locker assigned to them. Al stripped facing away from Cheshire who also stripped facing away from Al.
But with a glance Cheshire looked back, he saw Al's thin frail body.
It was small and skinny, Cheshire narrowed his eyes realizing he was the same as he yet taller but a little more thicker.
He wrapped the towel around his waist as did Al.
Al looked back seeing Cheshire who put their clothes in a hamper and held up the towel that almost fell.
Al walked toward the door going in with Cheshire after him.
They sat at the shower and turned on the warm water.
"Al?" someone called from the other side.
"Lestia?" Al said knowing her voice.
"It is good to have you back." She said sitting in the warm spring enjoying her time.
Al smiled feeling like a burden as Cheshire washed his hair.
"Come back more," Cheshire pulled the seat he was on and Al blushed happily feeling Cheshire's warmth.
After that he washed the shampoo out and washed his own hair careful not to get any in his ears.
Once done they both got into the spring sitting and relaxing.
The warm air filled with the sweetness of the shampoo Cheshire used.
It was all intoxicating to the point where Al almost frowned in it. He leaned against the rock he sat near and relaxed at last.
His body ached and he sighed.
-
"How dare you set foot in my land." Daimah grinned.
Black vines shot out from behind her. A man cloaked in black, much like the one Cheshire had had a died with stood before her.
"The likes of you are not welcomed. For taking advantage of a child, your punishment is death!" She jumped into the air.
Her fan grew larger and with a twirl a massive tornado formed.
"I cannot accept that trial." The man was swept in by it and drew his sword making it slash through the tornado.
He jumped out before it got worse. Appearing behind him she hit his abdomen making him jolt back.
She closed her fan slamming it against his back as it grew larger.
She smashed him into the ground, her long ears heard everything.
She jumped away towar her home and smiled.
"Tell your king, if he wants to speak with me, to come in person!" She yelled seeing the man had disappeared.
She stood proudly and grinned as her fan shrunk back to its original size and she stretched.
"I am Daimah! I take no message from a messenger!"
She slammed her fan on her door owning everything around her.