Passing the manor gates and finally escaping the stone walls that Lloyd called home for the past fifteen, going on sixteen years of his life feels so final. He barely looks back when as they leave, just double-checking his pack and giving Zelos a chance to prepare himself, glancing at the redhead with some concern as he spaces out. This is - a lot, Lloyd is aware, to suddenly drop everything you knew at the request of someone you barely know anymore, and Lloyd can't help but worry that maybe he's forcing Zelos into a decision that he truly doesn't want to make.
But then again, Zelos held his hand, too.
Making a silent note to check with Zelos when they finally rest, Lloyd grabs the map and a compass and shoves on his own cloak. Pack checked over and ready, Lloyd softly calls out Zelos' name and smiles at him when he takes his hand, excited to find their way to freedom. As a general rule, Lloyd decides to stick to backroads and merchant's paths, trying to avoid being seen by any passers-by and lower the chance of creating a trail. Every time a guard or knight walks by, Lloyd derails, walking through the forest and merging back onto the path after a few minutes of quiet, careful observation.
Soon enough, they lose sight of any towns and villages, the cobblestone paths turning into dirt roads paved by the footsteps of travelers before them. With the map, compass, and the direction of signs placed by and for wanderers, they end up making quite a bit of distance before sunrise, but they both decide it for the best to continue on, keep up the pace so they have less of a chance of being caught. For the most part, it's rather silent - Lloyd is focused on leading them in the right direction and being on the lookout for anything dangerous, even though he knows realistically that they have a few hours before anybody realizes Zelos is gone, and that it will be several days before they let the information go to the public in order to drum up more eyes. Zelos, for his part, seems lost in thought, holding onto Lloyd's hand with a tight grip yet otherwise staring into the distance, following mindlessly.
As the morning passes on, Lloyd begins to feel weary, even exhausted. The adrenaline from the moment of the escape has long since left him, and without it, he's left with the results of scattered sleep from the past week til now, the soreness in his muscles a consequence for not sleeping a day after knight training at the manor. Though he snacks on some fruit he had packed before leaving - handing Zelos a decent portion too, of course - his energy reserves are low, and soon enough, with a growing headache, through the bright sun shining down on them and the way his legs begin to shake, he begins to see black spots dancing in his eyes. Lloyd stops abruptly, weakly raising a hand to his forehead.
"Zelos, I can't keep -" he mumbles, vision blacking out, leaving him stumbling. Lloyd snaps back to attention for a few seconds enough to right himself, but he's shaky on balance, lightly swaying. Overexertion, seems like, can really take a man out of it. "Gotta stop for now."
i adore you
But then again, Zelos held his hand, too.
Making a silent note to check with Zelos when they finally rest, Lloyd grabs the map and a compass and shoves on his own cloak. Pack checked over and ready, Lloyd softly calls out Zelos' name and smiles at him when he takes his hand, excited to find their way to freedom. As a general rule, Lloyd decides to stick to backroads and merchant's paths, trying to avoid being seen by any passers-by and lower the chance of creating a trail. Every time a guard or knight walks by, Lloyd derails, walking through the forest and merging back onto the path after a few minutes of quiet, careful observation.
Soon enough, they lose sight of any towns and villages, the cobblestone paths turning into dirt roads paved by the footsteps of travelers before them. With the map, compass, and the direction of signs placed by and for wanderers, they end up making quite a bit of distance before sunrise, but they both decide it for the best to continue on, keep up the pace so they have less of a chance of being caught. For the most part, it's rather silent - Lloyd is focused on leading them in the right direction and being on the lookout for anything dangerous, even though he knows realistically that they have a few hours before anybody realizes Zelos is gone, and that it will be several days before they let the information go to the public in order to drum up more eyes. Zelos, for his part, seems lost in thought, holding onto Lloyd's hand with a tight grip yet otherwise staring into the distance, following mindlessly.
As the morning passes on, Lloyd begins to feel weary, even exhausted. The adrenaline from the moment of the escape has long since left him, and without it, he's left with the results of scattered sleep from the past week til now, the soreness in his muscles a consequence for not sleeping a day after knight training at the manor. Though he snacks on some fruit he had packed before leaving - handing Zelos a decent portion too, of course - his energy reserves are low, and soon enough, with a growing headache, through the bright sun shining down on them and the way his legs begin to shake, he begins to see black spots dancing in his eyes. Lloyd stops abruptly, weakly raising a hand to his forehead.
"Zelos, I can't keep -" he mumbles, vision blacking out, leaving him stumbling. Lloyd snaps back to attention for a few seconds enough to right himself, but he's shaky on balance, lightly swaying. Overexertion, seems like, can really take a man out of it. "Gotta stop for now."