Chapter Text
How, on the Gods’ green earth, did River end up running from the guard at 7 in the morning? The sun had barely come up as he was running through the foggy cobblestone streets. His feet hurt from the cold stones harsh against them. He should have probably stolen some shoes by now, but that wasn’t the most pressing matter at the time.
River tugged the cloak tightly around his body as he slinked through the streets. There weren’t very many people out on the streets at this time but the few he had helped aid his escape.
He could hear agents of the guard gaining on him as he slipped into an entrance of an extravagant garden. Or maze, he couldn’t really tell from the entrance. At least, he couldn’t tell until he ran head-first into a neatly trimmed hedge wall.
“Shit!” He hissed, a stick just barely missing his eye as he pulled back from the bush.
He heard a clamor of armor fast approaching and as panic rose in his chest, he could feel electricity gathering around his fingertips. He hadn’t used his magic for combat in a long time, but he was willing to do so to escape- though, that would risk him becoming a wanted man for attacking officers of the law. But if he doesn’t strike first then he’ll be arrested and all of the time he has spent here would have been for nothing.
As he was busy running his options through his head, just out of his view, a familiar shimmer of an illusion sank into place. Instead of focusing on that, however, River took his escape into his own hands. He felt the familiar cold of his cloaking ability dripping down his body. It doesn’t make him invisible, but it makes him translucent enough to help him slip away. His skin began to clear, the only solid color was his clothes. If you were to merely glance at him, you'd see the red of his clothes and the green leaves of the bush behind him.
He watched the entrance of the maze, the electricity gathered in his hands ready to strike. His chest felt tight as the guards came into view. Yet to his surprise, the guards looked dumbfounded. River held his breath, his muscles taught, his magic dancing over his fingers, poised to attack at a moment's notice. But he didn’t need to.
The guards looked right through him like he simply wasn’t there. He heard them muttering to themselves before retreating the way they came. Of course, he expected to be glanced over at first, obviously. He was translucent. But then he had expected them to see him after their eyes adjusted.
But no. The guards took one look at him and turned away confused. He heard them muttering angrily to themselves as they took off in different directions.
River stood there befuddled as the electricity expelled from his hands. He adjusted his cloak over himself before he started for the entrance again. He looked out of the entrance, looking left and right before he began to step out before a voice called out.
“Hey!” a female voice yelled behind him, “Lenin boy!”
River whipped around, searching for the source of the voice. His eyes widened in confusion when there was no one there for the voice to have come from. He looked around the maze hall, behind him, even above. But there was no one.
Suddenly he felt a sharp poke at his chest, and he stumbled back in surprise. Immediately the electricity was gathered at his fingertips again. He didn’t currently have any kind of weapon so it would have to do. Though, he didn’t even really know what he was attacking.
He heard an annoying giggle as the shimmer of illusion dripped away, revealing a short girl with ginger hair and expensive-looking clothes. She tilted her head up at him, her hand still outstretched in the motion to jab at him. Her gesture changes to an outstretched hand like she was waiting for him to shake it.
“You are a Lenin, right? I just guessed since you did the whole cloaking thing,” she smiled at him, her eyes glinting with mischief, or devilry, it was hard to tell at this point.
River dispelled the electricity, watching the girl with suspicion. He turned on his heels, beginning to leave the girl behind before she could get him caught.
The girl's brows furrow slightly, “Hey wait! Please don’t go. Come on, I saved you, didn’t I? I hid you with the illusion, don’t I deserve a thank you?” She dropped her hand back to her side, resting arrogantly on her hip.
River groaned, turning back to face her. “Kid, I’m a little busy. I don’t have time to deal with you.”
Her playful expression dropped, “I’m not a child. I’m an adult, and by the look of you,” she looked him up and down, taking in his disheveled appearance, “I am a higher-ranking member of society than you,”
River scoffed, his opinion of this girl very quickly dipping into the negative. Of course, she was of higher standing than him. Practically everyone was. He was a criminal on the run across the lower regions of the kingdom. This girl, based purely on the golden accents of her clothes, was very obviously not like him.
“Right,” he stared at her, his eyes narrowed slightly. “I honestly couldn’t care less about your standing. Now if you’d excuse me my lady” he mockingly bowed, “I have to get going.”
Once again, he started to exit the maze, stepping past the threshold of the bushes.
The girl's eyes widened, and she rushed forward to stop him from leaving, “Hey stop I need-“ she was cut off by her body slamming into an invisible wall. The blue stone necklace chained around her neck glowed, and the colors in the gem swirled in an aggressive spiral.
River whipped around at the sound, seeing her pale form pressed against the invisible wall.
She groaned angrily, her eyes flashing red with fury. River watched as she pounded her fists against the invisible force keeping her from reaching him. She shoved herself against it, but her expression gave away that she knew that this wouldn’t work.
“What the…” River faced her, reaching his hand out to feel the wall, finding nothing there. “Are you under a prisoner spell?” he looked at her confused.
Her face flushed angrily, and she turned her head away, giving the wall one final hit before giving up.
Prisoner spells aren’t the most well-known kind of spell. It’s mostly known by law enforcement, and of course, prisoners. River, being a person who routinely ignores the law, knows them very well.
The girl took a breath, the air around her growing colder as she calmed herself down.
She looked up at him, her eyes still burning with anger. She huffed, “Yes. That’s why I didn’t want you to leave when I can't follow,”
River tilted his head slightly, “Why? What do you want with me? I don’t even know you,”
She ran her fingers through her bangs, pulling them from her eyes. “No, you’re right. You should at least know my name before we discuss business,”
River gapped at her, opening his mouth to interrupt but she continued before he could jump in.
“This isn’t a place to make a deal anyway,” she shook her head, her attitude drastically changing in the instant.
“What are you ta-“ River tried to stop her rambling but was again interrupted.
“Enough about that,” she held her hands up, stopping herself. “I never introduced myself did I,” she smiled at him, a sugary smile masking a bitter taste below, “I am the Countess Yazmin Adelaide Josephine Griffith. It's nice to meet you,”