Inhale. Exhale. On a crowed sidewalk a young boy was running as if his life depended on it. That’s because in his mind, it did. Weaving through the many bodies that occupied the area, the boy’s memory of each of their faces and physical features was nothing but a blur. Peering over his shoulder the boy looked behind and found his pursuer still hot on his trail. The sight of this made his heart jump and his blood turn cold.

  With renewed vigor he put more power into his legs. His only thoughts were those only pertaining to escape. That was until he felt an intense pain coming from his tail. The boy gritted his teeth as to not release a bark of shock. Too much noise would bring unwanted attention.

  Turning his entire body to find the source of this hurtful stimulus, he found his tail under the shoe of passing man.

  “E-excuse me!” The boy’s voice was fierce yet polite.

  “Oh! Sorry there beasty.” After the man gave a somewhat sincere apology, he lifted his foot.

  Ignoring the slight slur, the boy once again began his desperate dash for freedom. Though there was still a slight sting felt from his tail, he didn’t let it distract him. If he got distracted again the already shortening distance between him and his pursuer would shorten even quicker.

  The look of desperation was beginning to become visible on the boy’s visage. His stamina was running low and the places to hide for shelter were nowhere in sight. Frantically scanning his surroundings, the boy looked for anything that could help him in this situation.

  On his left were tall buildings made from layered brick and cement. In front of him were people, of varying shapes, sizes, and colors, occupying themselves while they trek to their desired destination. To his right was an asphalt road filled with rushing vehicles. Some of the vehicles that passed the boy had three wheels and others up to sixteen. The cacophony of noise that surrounded the boy did nothing to aid in his concentration.

  It was the sound of a city after all. On most days the boy was used to it, but today it was like a foreign enemy that greeted him at the worst of times.

  Is there really nothing I can do? This sucks! The boy thought to himself.

  Then after a flash of inspiration, or a thought of complete desperation, he leapt onto the street.

  Powerless to prevent the boy’s foolish action, the hooded figure that was pursuing the boy glared in frustration. The hooded figure stood at five feet eleven inches and the hood and cloak that covered his entire body was colored a midnight black.

  The only facial feature that could be seen was his mouth, which at that moment was frowning.

  “Did you lose him?” Breaking from the constantly moving crowd of people was another person wearing a similar hood. Unlike the previous figure, this person was obviously shorter and younger. The voice was of a young boy and haggard from the long chase.

  “No, I didn’t.” The taller hooded figure, whose voice spoke in stern masculine tone, continued to gaze at the fleeting backside of the boy who just jumped into the middle of the road.

  “Then, where is he?” The boy in the hood turned his head fervently in both directions trying to find his target. The hooded young man that stood beside him felt his eyebrow twitch for only second.

  Instead of answering with words the hooded young man pointed to the escapee currently dodging speeding vehicles in the road. If not for the danger of the situation, someone might have thought the tailed boy’s awkward movements to be comical.

  “Oh. Well you only live once. Go get him Allen.” The hooded boy then turned to his companion and motion with hands toward the road.

  “Hell no!” While violently shaking his head within the cover of his hood, Allen denied the sudden order.

  “Huh? Why not? Don’t you want your wallet back?” The boy in the hood tilted his head slightly clockwise. They had been chasing this thief for nearly an hour. Stopping now would render all their effort pointless.

  “Yes, but I value my bones and organs remaining within my body more. Besides I can always make more money.” Allen released a heavy sigh. It was as if he had already resigned to his fate.

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  “Yeah, with that job you don’t have.” The boy’s sudden remark caused Allen to turn towards him. Peering past the hood, revealed the boy’s emerald green and a frustratedly cocky grin.

  “Fine! You’re right. What do you expect me to do?”

  “Follow him obviously.”

  “I’ll die if I get hit!”

  “We’ll die from hunger if you don’t. C’mon we don’t have time to argue all day. Just man up and run into traffic.”

  Moments later the roar of an eighteen wheeler’s engine stormed past them. This caused both them to gulp down an excess of saliva.

  “Ok let’s go then.” Allen once again heaved a heavy sigh. Steeling his resolve, he took one step and then another. Edging closer to the asphalt road, Allen could feel the rushing wind graze his skin as a mobile vehicle flew past him. Each of his breaths became shorter and his back became drenched from cold sweat.

  Focusing his vison in front of him, he saw the figure of the thief still attempting to make his way to the other side. This boy had chestnut brown hair, animalistic ears, and a long furry tail. From his view, Allen could see the fear of possible death within the boy’s eyes and from the paleness of his skin. Then the thief peered in his direction, and the fear was replaced by the desperate look from before.

  With desperation once again becoming his motive, the thief ran forward all while dodging being ran over.

  This goes way beyond the normal determination of a local pickpocket. Allen thought to himself. It was after he had this thought, that he felt a presence missing from his side. Looking back to the sidewalk from whence he came, Allen furrowed his brow.

  “Oh, I’m not going. Running out there seems dangerous. So, I’m going to run to find an intersection where I can cross. That way I can hopefully find a way to cut him off while you chase him from behind.” After those final words escaped from the hooded boy’s lips, he dashed back into the sea of people.

  “…I might actually set him on fire one of these days. Damnit Ryner.” After putting a dangerous mental note in his mind for later, Allen returned his attention back to the thief. Who, at that moment, was nearly at the other end of the street.

  Another vehicle sped behind from where Allen stood. Narrowing his gaze, he tighten every muscle in his body. Since he was already in this situation there was no going back. There was only forward to victory or death.

  So, with this in mind, Allen did something he hadn’t done in years. He threw caution completely out the window and onto the street to be hit by traffic.

  Without looking either direction, he ran with all his might. A wheel grazed his ankle causing him to trip. Intimately kissing the ground beneath him, Allen instinctively raised the upper half of his body. Another wheel then passed where his head used to be.

  Returning to his senses, after padding down his entire upper body, Allen again began his mad dash to the other side of the street. It felt like miles of non-stop sprinting, but in reality, was only 60 feet.

  This domain where vehicles roamed to quickly reach their destination was merciless. And the lives that foolishly crossed it were considered forfeit by the drivers inside.

  Reaching the other side, Allen then released a breath that he unknowingly held in.

  “I’m alive.” He whispered to no one particular. Allen padded his entire body and found that everything was where they were supposed to be. Then he examined the cloak of his hood. There were multiple tears and signs that it had been trampled by something heavy.

  “Well mostly. This was my favorite cloak too. I am going to make this brat pay.” Though whether he meant financially or through blood, not even the gods knew.

  A burning rage consumed Allen’s entire being. Shifting his eyes forward, a fire of determination could be seen in them.

  Inhale. Exhale. Resting within a darken alley was the young thief. His lungs on fire and his legs equally had the strength of putty. The boy’s skin was drenched in sweat, so much so that his ripped grey shirt and brown shorts were sticking to him.

  His mind was racing. He couldn’t believe his luck. On the one hand, he did just survive the perils of an occupied road and managed not becoming roadkill. On the other, he didn’t know whether or not his chaser within the black cloak was still behind him.

  “This makes no sense!” The boy screamed to the heavens. It was foolish to him. What person in their right minds would go so far to recover five silver pieces? This amount wasn’t even enough for a single night at an inn. So, the boy wondered as to why the man in the hood was so desperate for so little.

  The grip of his right hand tighten. In the hand was a small brown pouch. Looking at it caused a bit of guilt and pity to prick at the boy’s heart. Feeling the weight of his sin he leaned harder against the stone wall behind him. Looking up at the grey sky above, it looked as if it would rain at any moment. The image of a teenage girl with long brown hair and similar ears emerged in his mind. In her hair was a cute red ribbon hairpin.

  “Sis, what should I do?” The boy prayed for guidance from the only family he had left. Praying to the gods would be pointless. To the boy, they had abandoned him long ago.

  “I. Found. You.”

  An ominous voice filled the alley where the boy was resting. With his ears and all his hair standing at attention, the boy slowly turned toward the source of the voice. His heart immediately sank.

  What he saw was a demon. A frightening demon in the body of a man. At the entrance of the alley stood a man whose body was almost completely covered by a jet-black cloak.

  All the boy could see was the man’s crimson eyes that showed hints of crazed maddens and his mouth which was curled in the most twisted of smiles.

  He’s pissed! The na?ve boy came to an obvious conclusion.

  The fatigue he felt before vanished in an instant. A little soreness could never compare to whatever hell this crazed man had in store for him. So, he ran, and the chase began anew.