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Chapter 14
Escape

Through out her dreams, Lilli only saw Poppy writhing in some sort of horrific pain, the echoes of her cries pulsing through Lilli's mind.  These endless images kept her tossing and turning until she finally fell unconscious simply from exhaustion.

When her eyes finally creaked open into consciousness, a familiar yet unpleasant sight greeted them.  Blaze sat just beyond her prison bars, his feet propped up against them as his hands fumbled with some unknown busywork.  It wasn't until Lilli sat up, her head rolling between her shoulders to ease all the kinks and aches, that his gaze lifted.

"Finally awake, huh?" he remarked, "I can see that you've gained a touch of human laziness as well."  Lilli rounded her back to the redhead with a growl, tucking her knees under her chin.  "What's with the cold shoulder?  You might as well talk to me, since you're not going to have anything better to do for a long time."

"If talking to you is all I'm allowed to do, I'd rather not do anything at all," Lilli replied with a snarled lip.

"Well if you have that kind of attitude, then I wouldn't want to talk to you either."  All that filled the silence for a while was the sound of Blaze's fingers fastening wood and string until he commented "it sure took a lot less effort to shut you up as opposed to that Takkian of yours."  Lilli whipped her body around again, her hair flickered behind her like a flame.

"What did you do to Poppy?"  Her voice came out low and deep, ripping through her throat.  The menacing tone, however, only made a smirk grow on Blaze's face.

"Oh, it wasn't my doing; she's the one who hurt herself.  If she hadn't struggled so much, Glory and the rest of the pack wouldn't have had to get so rough on her."  A burst of energy propelled Lilli right into to wooden bars of her prison.  One clawed hand stretched as far as it could to Blaze.

"You piece of scum!  I won't let you get away with hurting my friend!"

"And how will you get your revenge from behind there, hm?"

"Believe me, I will bite my through here if I have to."

"Well then, if such a day comes, I will gladly take you on.  But until then..." In a furious slash, Blaze's armed hand swiped Lilli's.  She recoiled in pain to find a gash on her palm and a large drop of blood all ready making its descent.  Quickly, she ripped a chunk of fabric off the hem of her dress and wrapped her quivering, crimson hand.  In her frenzy, she failed to notice Blaze slowly crouch down just beside her.

"Let that be a warning."  Lilli flinched away from the sudden dark voice in her ear.  His brown eyes seemed to burn as he glared at her, but the trance ended once he returned to his seat.

Lilli collapsed to the floor once again.  She no longer had the energy to stay angry at Blaze, so she settled on staring at her bandaged hand.  Red smeared her fingertips and stained the wrap.  Suddenly, an image of Poppy returned to her mind: her animal friend lay on the floor, exhausted to the brink of death, with a pool of blood stretching from underneath her cut-riddled body.  With a tremble, Lilli tried to shake the thought away.  She hoped that this was only Blaze's torture on her, that Poppy was safe from any harm.  Then again, this boy seemed bent on making her suffer as much as possible, and hurting Poppy was the best way to accomplish that goal.

Blaze stared at Lilli's shadowed form outside of the cage.  He dared not to relax even for a moment.  He knew the essence of a fighter, and beneath that slender back and scrawny arms lay a true combatant.

"Lunch time, Blaze!"  He jumped at the sound of a voice he knew far too well.  A young woman of his age skipped in with a wrapped lunch in her hands.  She smiled through round, shining eyes.  Her dainty curves were complemented by a dress of yellow tulip petals.

"Willow," Blaze moaned as he stood, "how many times must I ask you to not visit me during work?"

"You're just on guard duty today.  I don't think you need to fret over anything happening."

"You don't have any idea what type of prisoner I'm guarding."  Willow rolled her eyes only for them to fall on the body within the cell.  Her mouth dropped at the tattered form hiding in the shadows.  "What did you do to her, Blaze?"

"Nothing, she did this to herself."  Willow stepped forward and knelt just before the prison.

"Who is she?  I don't recognize her from anyone in our clan..."

"That's exactly why she's here.  She came from the outside, from the human world."

"No, it can't be!  Are you sure?"

"Do you smell the human scent on her?"  Willow took a whiff of the air.

"A little bit...but, how did she survive in the humans' territory?"

"Who knows?  All that matters is that she could pose a great threat to our colony."

"Oh Blaze, you don't know that."

"She could very well lead the humans here, or tell them where we are!  What would we-"

"In order for me to tell anyone about this place, that would mean I would have to escape this place."  Both of the free Korrups jumped as Lilli intruded on their conversation.  Though her back still faced them, she turned her head to reveal one gleaming, green eye and a mocking grin.  "And if that were to happen, I suppose that would mean you aren't very good at your job, Mr. Guard."

Blaze shot a glare at the imprisoned girl as he placed his hands on Willow's shoulders.  "See?  I need to keep my eyes on this one."  He slowly lead Willow out of the room, though she still kept her eyes locked on the prisoner.

Lilli kept the gaze as they exited the room.  Her grin transformed into a scowl once they left her sight.  How dare they talk about her this way, as if she were some sort of exhibit.  Her own kind treated her more like an object than any human she ever met.  Immediately, an image of Ethan flashed into her mind, and her heart clenched.  She never imagined that his absence in her life would cause her so much pain.  But as much as she wished to go back in time, to undo everything she said and did, she knew nothing would be the same.  If she did go back, more than likely, he would probably shut her out.

Regardless of where she would go, Lilli still knew she and Poppy needed to escape.  She rolled over to face the bars.  Squeezing through them was not an option, and there wasn't any space above for her to climb her way out.  Digging almost looked promising if it weren't for the fact that the roots continued on beneath the surface.  If only there were a way to break one of these roots, she thought.  Then, her mind raced, fueled by an epiphany.  She sat up with a jolt and grappled at her belt.  Two metal objects filled her grasp: the whistle and...

My knife!  Blaze never took it, since he never realized what it actually was.  She flopped back to the ground, this time with grin on her face.  In mere hours, she and Poppy would be free once again.  Until then, she needed to gather her strength, and so she finally fell soundly asleep.

~~~

Once Lilli woke, a crippling hunger ripped through her body.  She sat up with shaking arms barely supporting her.  But despite her discomfort, she turned to find the darkened room empty and quiet.  Without a second to waste, she wobbled to her feet and unsheathed the knife from her belt.  Using the knife as a sort of axe, she hacked away at one of the roots.  Thanks to her hunger, she felt weaker and couldn't move as quickly as usual.  But she didn't dare let that stop her; she ignored her hunger in exchange for thoughts of the open sky, the shining sun, and Poppy's blood-free fur sifting through her fingers.  Fueled, she finally chopped a hole large enough for her to crawl through.

As she clawed her way into the tunnel, she could make out the dim, white moonlight clinging to the walls and floor.  Her eyes quickly adjusted and her pace heightened.  It wasn't long until she reached the entrance to another tunnel, the tunnel where Poppy's cries originated.

This is it.  Lilli dashed back into darkness of the smaller passage.  As she traveled deeper, sounds of grunts and snores reverberated off the walls.  As the sound grew louder, she slowed her stride until she was tiptoeing into a large chamber.  Dozens of furry bodies surrounded the floor, their backs rising and falling in time with their labored breaths.  She squinted through the darkness and studied each form as best as she could, but there simply wasn't enough light.  Heart drumming, she crept between the grunting masses as they twitched from fevered dreams.

"Poppy?" Lilli spoke in her softest whisper.  She froze with perked ears but received no response.  She tried once more, and this time with more success; a raspy mew sounded from the farthest side of the room.  Lilli glided her way through the maze of Takkians until she found what could only be Poppy, and her worst fears came to life.  The creature before her breathed desperately, as if trying to keep its head above water.  Even in the near pitch-dark, Lilli could see its fur torn in several places and, beneath those patches, covered in still-glimmering scars.  As Lilli kneeled down, she tried to swallow away the numbness in her throat.  This couldn't be real, she thought.

"Oh please, no...Poppy?"  Another weak whimper forced its way out of the poor animal's lungs.  Lilli needed to take a deep breath before going on.  "Don't you worry girl, I'm here to get you out.  Everything's going to be okay."  As the words left her lips, Lilli knew Poppy's only hope now was if some of the plants in the forest could be used as medicine.

Lilli's legs wobbled as she lifted Poppy off the ground.  When she finally heaved her friend onto her shoulders, the creature gave a pain-filled squeak.  Lilli's eyes darted across the room, but the most response was a small shift in position.  With the same ease as when she entered, she exited the room with Poppy in tow.

As she trudged through the tunnel, her only instinct was to follow the moonlight.  From there, her road should lead her up and out to freedom.  Poppy only needed to wait a few more minutes until she would be out of safety.  That is what Lilli thought, until a familiar tingle traveled up her spine.  It didn't take long for Lilli to register that notorious feeling: something was stalking her.  Just as she was about to go into a dash, her predator let out a strange growl; it was low and clicked like a cough or a strange cackle.  The noise sent a jolt through LilliÕs body and she couldn't help but look back at whatever preyed upon her.  Two luminous orbs stared back, letting out another distinct snarl.  Lilli only recognized the beast when Poppy whimpered: Blaze's Takkian, Glory.

"Sorry about this Poppy, but please bear with it!" Lilli shouted as she began to sprint.  Her knees wobbled with every step.  Now could not be the time for weakness of any kind as the padded sound of four feet echoed from behind her.  As she rounded a corner, a beam of light suddenly appeared, gleaming down from the wall.  Lilli propelled herself into the tunnel with a one-footed leap.  The entirety of the tunnel was lined with roots, providing Lilli with perfect footholds; she hopped herself up the passage in a zig-zag motion.  Each step had to be brisk, however, as she could hear Glory's claws scrape against the wood in his pursuit.  Eventually, the sounds fainted, and the creature let out a howl of frustration.  By this time, Lilli's body washed over with relief as she took her last thrust over the tunnel's edge and landed in the dew-covered grass.  Once she found a tree to hide under, they need only to lay low until Glory gave up his search, then they would finally be free.

Just as Lilli jogged to the closest tree, a shadow leaped down into her peripheral.  A mighty shove knocked her off her feet before she could react, and the duo separated.  Lilli bounced across the grass until she slid to a halt in the dirt, while Poppy sailed off and crashed down several feet away with a shriek of pain.  Lilli rolled over onto her stomach and tried to rise to her knees only to be brought down again by a blow.

"Told you I'd keep my eyes on you, traitor."  Lilli boggled at the unpleasant figure above her.  Now she understood Glory's strangled growl; it wasn't a call of attack, it was a call for help, and the reinforcement was the last person Lilli wanted to see.

"Fine, you've got me," she gasped, "do whatever you want.  Just...don't hurt Poppy!"

"Oh, don't worry," Blaze responded with a sinister grin, "I don't think your little friend will be in pain much longer.  Right, Glory?"  Both Korrups looked to see the male Takkian domineering over Poppy's motionless body.  Glory bared his fangs and sank his head down towards the female's neck.

"No!" Lilli yelled as she jumped to her knees.  Just as she jolted forward, a furious tug pulled her back and sent her screaming.  Blaze tightened his grip on her hair; the mousy-brown bush became his chain.

"You know, you should really think about managing this mess you call hair," he scoffed in her ear.  Though partially blinded by the tears in her eyes, Lilli squinted to see Glory's jaws grasp Poppy's jugular.  The male lifted the smaller Takkian's upper body, only for it to droop like a masterless puppet in his teeth.  In that moment, all of the fury boiling up within Lilli's body erupted.

"I told you to leave her alone!"  In a flash, Lilli pulled the knife off her belt, the blade gleaming in the moonlight.

"Whoa, whoa!  Where did you-?"  Before Blaze could back away, Lilli swung the knife through her target.  In a roaring rip, she sliced through her hair, almost the entire mop clamped in Blaze's hand.  The second she felt his grip relieve her, her leg swung around and kicked him square in the chest.  The redhead now fell floored onto his back.  Now able to freely jump to her feet, Lilli charged ahead straight to Glory.  Letting out a roar, she tackled the male Takkian with her full body weight.  The force freed Poppy from Glory's grip and sent him toppling to the ground.  Lilli crouched down over her wounded friend like a mother bear protecting her cub.

"You still need someone to fight?  Fine!" Lilli snarled as she bore her teeth, "I think I've got enough rage for you!"  A growl unleashed from Lilli's throat, her most animalistic side invading her body.  Glory responded with a growl of his own as he slowly rose to his feet.  His legs remained bent as he approached with bristled fur.

'I knew...you had fight...in you," Blaze wheezed as he sat up, rubbing his chest, "but I don't think...you have enough...to take my Glory!"  Lilli didn't acknowledge the boy, but his words rang with some truth.  If Lilli were to fight Glory, Poppy would be injured somewhere in the scramble.  She needed a way to distract him, something that would throw him off balance.  The only option she had left was...

A roar pierced the air as Glory prepared to pounce.  Lilli swiftly swiped the whistle off her belt, gathered as much air a she could into her lungs, and blew into the thin end.  A high-pitched shriek rang through the air, deafening everything from Glory's growls to the insect chirps in the nearby forest.  Both Glory and Blaze crouched down as if to escape from the ear-splitting sound.  Finally, Lilli caved and dropped to her knees as the whistle popped out of her mouth and fell as well.  The air remained silent and still for a moment longer, until Blaze realized that nothing changed.

"That's it?" he gawked, "what a useless instrument.  And a poor final attempt at escape on your part."  He marched closer to Lilli.  Glory also recovered and returned to stalking his victims.  Lilli swung her head back and forth as she eyed their dual approach, all the while gulping down air.  Though her will still wanted to fight, her body now lay exhausted.  She no longer had the energy to protect herself, much less Poppy.  With no other choice, she bowed her head and waited for the worst.

"W-what's that?"  Blaze's sudden outburst beckoned Lilli's head to spring back up.  Deep in the foliage, a single beam of golden light blazed forth, swinging in various directions.  No animal could produce such a light, and at the height of its source, whatever was controlling it was far larger than any creature native to the woods.  Blaze and Lilli simultaneously realized what the creature had to be, and they both felt chills tingle their bodies.

"So that's it," Blaze spoke first in a threatening whisper, "your plan was to lead us out here so we could be taken by the humans?"

"My only plan was to escape," Lilli snapped, "and it looks like I will now."  Blaze's brow furrowed with anger, but his eyes snapped back to the still-searching light and he finally heaved a sigh.

"Fine, you win.  But I hope that human gives you what's coming to you.  Come on, Glory!"  Blaze raced back to the tree without looking back again.  Glory followed suit, but not before exacting his revenge.  As he passed Lilli, one paw slashed out at her face.  Luckily, Lilli managed to roll away just as he flew by, softening GloryÕs blow to a mere swipe across her face.  Soon, the two figures sank down beneath the tree's roots.

Lilli sighed; the will to stay erect escaped her body with her breath, and she finally collapsed to the ground beside Poppy.  She couldn't dare to hope that her luck would be so good as to send her a friendly human.  Most likely, this new giant would be just as bad as Blaze, if not worse.  But at least she and Poppy were together, and they would go out as a pair.  Lilli stretched her arm straight out and lightly grazed Poppy's head.  The tiny creature's eyes creaked open and her unfocused gaze eventually fell onto Lilli's own stare.

"It's okay girl, I'm right here," she whispered.  Poppy whimpered weakly before shutting her eyes again.  Lilli followed her lead and waited for her fate to be sealed in the comfort of her own darkness.

"..."

A garbled voice appeared, as if calling through water.

"...li!"

Strange, it seemed almost...familiar.

"Lil...!"

A picture began to form in Lilli's mind as the voice grew louder.

"Lilli!"

Lilli's eyes flew open and she sat up onto her elbows.  Of course she knew that voice; it was Ethan's!  Was this the reason he gave her the whistle?

"Lilli!  Where are you?  Blow the whistle again!"  Lilli's eyes fell to the metal pipe at her side.  Her mouth suddenly felt dry and her throat tight.  She couldn't dare face Ethan again after their last encounter.  All of the awful memories swirled within her like a tornado.  But at the center of the animosity, a wounded Poppy lay, whimpering in pain.  Without a second thought, she took the whistle to her mouth again and blew, crisply and clearly.

Description
Chapter 14
Escape

Through out her dreams, Lilli only saw Poppy writhing in some sort of horrific pain, the echoes of her cries pulsing through Lilli's mind.  These endless images kept her tossing and turning until she finally fell unconscious simply from exhaustion.

When her eyes finally creaked open into consciousness, a familiar yet unpleasant sight greeted them.  Blaze sat just beyond her prison bars, his feet propped up against them as his hands fumbled with some unknown busywork.  It wasn't until Lilli sat up, her head rolling between her shoulders to ease all the kinks and aches, that his gaze lifted.

"Finally awake, huh?" he remarked, "I can see that you've gained a touch of human laziness as well."  Lilli rounded her back to the redhead with a growl, tucking her knees under her chin.  "What's with the cold shoulder?  You might as well talk to me, since you're not going to have anything better to do for a long time."

"If talking to you is all I'm allowed to do, I'd rather not do anything at all," Lilli replied with a snarled lip.

"Well if you have that kind of attitude, then I wouldn't want to talk to you either."  All that filled the silence for a while was the sound of Blaze's fingers fastening wood and string until he commented "it sure took a lot less effort to shut you up as opposed to that Takkian of yours."  Lilli whipped her body around again, her hair flickered behind her like a flame.

"What did you do to Poppy?"  Her voice came out low and deep, ripping through her throat.  The menacing tone, however, only made a smirk grow on Blaze's face.

"Oh, it wasn't my doing; she's the one who hurt herself.  If she hadn't struggled so much, Glory and the rest of the pack wouldn't have had to get so rough on her."  A burst of energy propelled Lilli right into to wooden bars of her prison.  One clawed hand stretched as far as it could to Blaze.

"You piece of scum!  I won't let you get away with hurting my friend!"

"And how will you get your revenge from behind there, hm?"

"Believe me, I will bite my through here if I have to."

"Well then, if such a day comes, I will gladly take you on.  But until then..." In a furious slash, Blaze's armed hand swiped Lilli's.  She recoiled in pain to find a gash on her palm and a large drop of blood all ready making its descent.  Quickly, she ripped a chunk of fabric off the hem of her dress and wrapped her quivering, crimson hand.  In her frenzy, she failed to notice Blaze slowly crouch down just beside her.

"Let that be a warning."  Lilli flinched away from the sudden dark voice in her ear.  His brown eyes seemed to burn as he glared at her, but the trance ended once he returned to his seat.

Lilli collapsed to the floor once again.  She no longer had the energy to stay angry at Blaze, so she settled on staring at her bandaged hand.  Red smeared her fingertips and stained the wrap.  Suddenly, an image of Poppy returned to her mind: her animal friend lay on the floor, exhausted to the brink of death, with a pool of blood stretching from underneath her cut-riddled body.  With a tremble, Lilli tried to shake the thought away.  She hoped that this was only Blaze's torture on her, that Poppy was safe from any harm.  Then again, this boy seemed bent on making her suffer as much as possible, and hurting Poppy was the best way to accomplish that goal.

Blaze stared at Lilli's shadowed form outside of the cage.  He dared not to relax even for a moment.  He knew the essence of a fighter, and beneath that slender back and scrawny arms lay a true combatant.

"Lunch time, Blaze!"  He jumped at the sound of a voice he knew far too well.  A young woman of his age skipped in with a wrapped lunch in her hands.  She smiled through round, shining eyes.  Her dainty curves were complemented by a dress of yellow tulip petals.

"Willow," Blaze moaned as he stood, "how many times must I ask you to not visit me during work?"

"You're just on guard duty today.  I don't think you need to fret over anything happening."

"You don't have any idea what type of prisoner I'm guarding."  Willow rolled her eyes only for them to fall on the body within the cell.  Her mouth dropped at the tattered form hiding in the shadows.  "What did you do to her, Blaze?"

"Nothing, she did this to herself."  Willow stepped forward and knelt just before the prison.

"Who is she?  I don't recognize her from anyone in our clan..."

"That's exactly why she's here.  She came from the outside, from the human world."

"No, it can't be!  Are you sure?"

"Do you smell the human scent on her?"  Willow took a whiff of the air.

"A little bit...but, how did she survive in the humans' territory?"

"Who knows?  All that matters is that she could pose a great threat to our colony."

"Oh Blaze, you don't know that."

"She could very well lead the humans here, or tell them where we are!  What would we-"

"In order for me to tell anyone about this place, that would mean I would have to escape this place."  Both of the free Korrups jumped as Lilli intruded on their conversation.  Though her back still faced them, she turned her head to reveal one gleaming, green eye and a mocking grin.  "And if that were to happen, I suppose that would mean you aren't very good at your job, Mr. Guard."

Blaze shot a glare at the imprisoned girl as he placed his hands on Willow's shoulders.  "See?  I need to keep my eyes on this one."  He slowly lead Willow out of the room, though she still kept her eyes locked on the prisoner.

Lilli kept the gaze as they exited the room.  Her grin transformed into a scowl once they left her sight.  How dare they talk about her this way, as if she were some sort of exhibit.  Her own kind treated her more like an object than any human she ever met.  Immediately, an image of Ethan flashed into her mind, and her heart clenched.  She never imagined that his absence in her life would cause her so much pain.  But as much as she wished to go back in time, to undo everything she said and did, she knew nothing would be the same.  If she did go back, more than likely, he would probably shut her out.

Regardless of where she would go, Lilli still knew she and Poppy needed to escape.  She rolled over to face the bars.  Squeezing through them was not an option, and there wasn't any space above for her to climb her way out.  Digging almost looked promising if it weren't for the fact that the roots continued on beneath the surface.  If only there were a way to break one of these roots, she thought.  Then, her mind raced, fueled by an epiphany.  She sat up with a jolt and grappled at her belt.  Two metal objects filled her grasp: the whistle and...

My knife!  Blaze never took it, since he never realized what it actually was.  She flopped back to the ground, this time with grin on her face.  In mere hours, she and Poppy would be free once again.  Until then, she needed to gather her strength, and so she finally fell soundly asleep.

~~~

Once Lilli woke, a crippling hunger ripped through her body.  She sat up with shaking arms barely supporting her.  But despite her discomfort, she turned to find the darkened room empty and quiet.  Without a second to waste, she wobbled to her feet and unsheathed the knife from her belt.  Using the knife as a sort of axe, she hacked away at one of the roots.  Thanks to her hunger, she felt weaker and couldn't move as quickly as usual.  But she didn't dare let that stop her; she ignored her hunger in exchange for thoughts of the open sky, the shining sun, and Poppy's blood-free fur sifting through her fingers.  Fueled, she finally chopped a hole large enough for her to crawl through.

As she clawed her way into the tunnel, she could make out the dim, white moonlight clinging to the walls and floor.  Her eyes quickly adjusted and her pace heightened.  It wasn't long until she reached the entrance to another tunnel, the tunnel where Poppy's cries originated.

This is it.  Lilli dashed back into darkness of the smaller passage.  As she traveled deeper, sounds of grunts and snores reverberated off the walls.  As the sound grew louder, she slowed her stride until she was tiptoeing into a large chamber.  Dozens of furry bodies surrounded the floor, their backs rising and falling in time with their labored breaths.  She squinted through the darkness and studied each form as best as she could, but there simply wasn't enough light.  Heart drumming, she crept between the grunting masses as they twitched from fevered dreams.

"Poppy?" Lilli spoke in her softest whisper.  She froze with perked ears but received no response.  She tried once more, and this time with more success; a raspy mew sounded from the farthest side of the room.  Lilli glided her way through the maze of Takkians until she found what could only be Poppy, and her worst fears came to life.  The creature before her breathed desperately, as if trying to keep its head above water.  Even in the near pitch-dark, Lilli could see its fur torn in several places and, beneath those patches, covered in still-glimmering scars.  As Lilli kneeled down, she tried to swallow away the numbness in her throat.  This couldn't be real, she thought.

"Oh please, no...Poppy?"  Another weak whimper forced its way out of the poor animal's lungs.  Lilli needed to take a deep breath before going on.  "Don't you worry girl, I'm here to get you out.  Everything's going to be okay."  As the words left her lips, Lilli knew Poppy's only hope now was if some of the plants in the forest could be used as medicine.

Lilli's legs wobbled as she lifted Poppy off the ground.  When she finally heaved her friend onto her shoulders, the creature gave a pain-filled squeak.  Lilli's eyes darted across the room, but the most response was a small shift in position.  With the same ease as when she entered, she exited the room with Poppy in tow.

As she trudged through the tunnel, her only instinct was to follow the moonlight.  From there, her road should lead her up and out to freedom.  Poppy only needed to wait a few more minutes until she would be out of safety.  That is what Lilli thought, until a familiar tingle traveled up her spine.  It didn't take long for Lilli to register that notorious feeling: something was stalking her.  Just as she was about to go into a dash, her predator let out a strange growl; it was low and clicked like a cough or a strange cackle.  The noise sent a jolt through LilliÕs body and she couldn't help but look back at whatever preyed upon her.  Two luminous orbs stared back, letting out another distinct snarl.  Lilli only recognized the beast when Poppy whimpered: Blaze's Takkian, Glory.

"Sorry about this Poppy, but please bear with it!" Lilli shouted as she began to sprint.  Her knees wobbled with every step.  Now could not be the time for weakness of any kind as the padded sound of four feet echoed from behind her.  As she rounded a corner, a beam of light suddenly appeared, gleaming down from the wall.  Lilli propelled herself into the tunnel with a one-footed leap.  The entirety of the tunnel was lined with roots, providing Lilli with perfect footholds; she hopped herself up the passage in a zig-zag motion.  Each step had to be brisk, however, as she could hear Glory's claws scrape against the wood in his pursuit.  Eventually, the sounds fainted, and the creature let out a howl of frustration.  By this time, Lilli's body washed over with relief as she took her last thrust over the tunnel's edge and landed in the dew-covered grass.  Once she found a tree to hide under, they need only to lay low until Glory gave up his search, then they would finally be free.

Just as Lilli jogged to the closest tree, a shadow leaped down into her peripheral.  A mighty shove knocked her off her feet before she could react, and the duo separated.  Lilli bounced across the grass until she slid to a halt in the dirt, while Poppy sailed off and crashed down several feet away with a shriek of pain.  Lilli rolled over onto her stomach and tried to rise to her knees only to be brought down again by a blow.

"Told you I'd keep my eyes on you, traitor."  Lilli boggled at the unpleasant figure above her.  Now she understood Glory's strangled growl; it wasn't a call of attack, it was a call for help, and the reinforcement was the last person Lilli wanted to see.

"Fine, you've got me," she gasped, "do whatever you want.  Just...don't hurt Poppy!"

"Oh, don't worry," Blaze responded with a sinister grin, "I don't think your little friend will be in pain much longer.  Right, Glory?"  Both Korrups looked to see the male Takkian domineering over Poppy's motionless body.  Glory bared his fangs and sank his head down towards the female's neck.

"No!" Lilli yelled as she jumped to her knees.  Just as she jolted forward, a furious tug pulled her back and sent her screaming.  Blaze tightened his grip on her hair; the mousy-brown bush became his chain.

"You know, you should really think about managing this mess you call hair," he scoffed in her ear.  Though partially blinded by the tears in her eyes, Lilli squinted to see Glory's jaws grasp Poppy's jugular.  The male lifted the smaller Takkian's upper body, only for it to droop like a masterless puppet in his teeth.  In that moment, all of the fury boiling up within Lilli's body erupted.

"I told you to leave her alone!"  In a flash, Lilli pulled the knife off her belt, the blade gleaming in the moonlight.

"Whoa, whoa!  Where did you-?"  Before Blaze could back away, Lilli swung the knife through her target.  In a roaring rip, she sliced through her hair, almost the entire mop clamped in Blaze's hand.  The second she felt his grip relieve her, her leg swung around and kicked him square in the chest.  The redhead now fell floored onto his back.  Now able to freely jump to her feet, Lilli charged ahead straight to Glory.  Letting out a roar, she tackled the male Takkian with her full body weight.  The force freed Poppy from Glory's grip and sent him toppling to the ground.  Lilli crouched down over her wounded friend like a mother bear protecting her cub.

"You still need someone to fight?  Fine!" Lilli snarled as she bore her teeth, "I think I've got enough rage for you!"  A growl unleashed from Lilli's throat, her most animalistic side invading her body.  Glory responded with a growl of his own as he slowly rose to his feet.  His legs remained bent as he approached with bristled fur.

'I knew...you had fight...in you," Blaze wheezed as he sat up, rubbing his chest, "but I don't think...you have enough...to take my Glory!"  Lilli didn't acknowledge the boy, but his words rang with some truth.  If Lilli were to fight Glory, Poppy would be injured somewhere in the scramble.  She needed a way to distract him, something that would throw him off balance.  The only option she had left was...

A roar pierced the air as Glory prepared to pounce.  Lilli swiftly swiped the whistle off her belt, gathered as much air a she could into her lungs, and blew into the thin end.  A high-pitched shriek rang through the air, deafening everything from Glory's growls to the insect chirps in the nearby forest.  Both Glory and Blaze crouched down as if to escape from the ear-splitting sound.  Finally, Lilli caved and dropped to her knees as the whistle popped out of her mouth and fell as well.  The air remained silent and still for a moment longer, until Blaze realized that nothing changed.

"That's it?" he gawked, "what a useless instrument.  And a poor final attempt at escape on your part."  He marched closer to Lilli.  Glory also recovered and returned to stalking his victims.  Lilli swung her head back and forth as she eyed their dual approach, all the while gulping down air.  Though her will still wanted to fight, her body now lay exhausted.  She no longer had the energy to protect herself, much less Poppy.  With no other choice, she bowed her head and waited for the worst.

"W-what's that?"  Blaze's sudden outburst beckoned Lilli's head to spring back up.  Deep in the foliage, a single beam of golden light blazed forth, swinging in various directions.  No animal could produce such a light, and at the height of its source, whatever was controlling it was far larger than any creature native to the woods.  Blaze and Lilli simultaneously realized what the creature had to be, and they both felt chills tingle their bodies.

"So that's it," Blaze spoke first in a threatening whisper, "your plan was to lead us out here so we could be taken by the humans?"

"My only plan was to escape," Lilli snapped, "and it looks like I will now."  Blaze's brow furrowed with anger, but his eyes snapped back to the still-searching light and he finally heaved a sigh.

"Fine, you win.  But I hope that human gives you what's coming to you.  Come on, Glory!"  Blaze raced back to the tree without looking back again.  Glory followed suit, but not before exacting his revenge.  As he passed Lilli, one paw slashed out at her face.  Luckily, Lilli managed to roll away just as he flew by, softening GloryÕs blow to a mere swipe across her face.  Soon, the two figures sank down beneath the tree's roots.

Lilli sighed; the will to stay erect escaped her body with her breath, and she finally collapsed to the ground beside Poppy.  She couldn't dare to hope that her luck would be so good as to send her a friendly human.  Most likely, this new giant would be just as bad as Blaze, if not worse.  But at least she and Poppy were together, and they would go out as a pair.  Lilli stretched her arm straight out and lightly grazed Poppy's head.  The tiny creature's eyes creaked open and her unfocused gaze eventually fell onto Lilli's own stare.

"It's okay girl, I'm right here," she whispered.  Poppy whimpered weakly before shutting her eyes again.  Lilli followed her lead and waited for her fate to be sealed in the comfort of her own darkness.

"..."

A garbled voice appeared, as if calling through water.

"...li!"

Strange, it seemed almost...familiar.

"Lil...!"

A picture began to form in Lilli's mind as the voice grew louder.

"Lilli!"

Lilli's eyes flew open and she sat up onto her elbows.  Of course she knew that voice; it was Ethan's!  Was this the reason he gave her the whistle?

"Lilli!  Where are you?  Blow the whistle again!"  Lilli's eyes fell to the metal pipe at her side.  Her mouth suddenly felt dry and her throat tight.  She couldn't dare face Ethan again after their last encounter.  All of the awful memories swirled within her like a tornado.  But at the center of the animosity, a wounded Poppy lay, whimpering in pain.  Without a second thought, she took the whistle to her mouth again and blew, crisply and clearly.