There is a lot about me you don't know -Tales of Arcadia ENG

18- Moths

TRACK 18

Hide away where you're safe

Where your heart doesn't break

You're afraid, it's okay, it's okay

Everybody's scared so dance in the dark

Da-dance in the dark, da-dance in the dark

(Dance in the dark - AU/RA)

********

Claire could not help but throw the balcony window wide open in a rush when she saw a dark silhouette appear not too far in the distance, which flew toward Camelot at great speed, making itself easily recognizable.

Immediately she hurried down the stairs, albeit being careful not to slip because of some wet steps. Aaarrrgh and Blinky were further behind her, but not by much.

Archie landed quietly. The four boys -apparently intact and without even the smallest scratch, thanks the Lord- started to dismount. This allowed him to return to his original appearance in the blink of an eye, letting himself fall back into the arms of his own Wizard -perhaps out of fatigue, perhaps not- confident that he would be taken back on the fly.

"How did it go?" Asked Claire immediately, passing her gaze over everyone while talking.

"We were in danger of being killed because I unintentionally broke Rule ten," replied Toby nervously, slightly sweating. "But since an elderly Vampire with the appearance of a child threatened Jimbo earlier, they decided to let it slide."

Claire paralyzed herself on the spot, taking a couple of steps in her boyfriend's direction.

"You didn't tell me anything," she said, frowning and tense, in part almost offended by the lack of information.

"Another Vampire got in the way before I sent you the signal," Jim replied, barely smiling at her. "Nothing serious happened."

"Well, about that, anyway..." Douxie jumped up, leading them to turn in his direction. He had his arms crossed and his head tilted, while Archie was climbing slowly onto his shoulder, staring at Jim in between. "What exactly happened?"

The question made Claire frown even more, but only for a moment. She fully understood its meaning after it.

'So, they were split up,' she thought, opening and closing her mouth, not letting a single sound escape, returning to stare at her boyfriend, wanting to know the details, too.

"He wanted to know what my blood tasted like... Because I'm a new kind of creature." Jim said, frowning. He looked slightly distraught, to which Claire grabbed his hand, squeezing it in a silent support, and bringing him to do the same in turn as a grateful answer looking at her softly right in the eyes. "But... Yeah, in the end, the Male Guard stopped him."

"I would have stabbed the little guy if the Guard hadn't done so," blurted out Toby, showing irritation. "Oh, he has to be relieved I didn't get to lay my hands on him. He really has to...!"

Jim smiled at him, resting his remaining hand on his shoulder. "I couldn't have had a better defender," he said, then returned to Douxie and Archie with his gaze. "In your case, however? How did it go?"

"The Leader refused," replied the Dragon dryly, The sentence froze everyone in place except Douxie and Steve. One of the two simply nodded, while the other barely moved from one foot to another.

'What?' Claire gasped like a fish out of water. 'All of this work and danger and he said no?'

"Gone badly?" asked Aaarrrgh before the girl could more or less ask the same thing -even if a little more articulated and exasperated. The Troll sounded only a bit worried.