It was a quiet and peaceful day in Baron castle. The mage students were having their normal magic classes, but there were no fighting lessons for the knight trainees.

Cecil sat on his bed in the small room that he shared with three other future dark knights. He was checking and cleaning his equipment when his best friend walked in, excited look on his face.

The sixteen-year-old future knight glanced at him, but continued his task. The dragon knight trainee walked to him and sat beside him on the bed.

"Hey. What are you doing?"

Cecil lifted his head a little, still polishing the piece of armor he was holding. "Can't you see? I'm taking care of my armor and stuff. Why?"

Kain smiled. "Did you hear Commander Blackwood is going to have a survival practice again?"

"Survival practice?"

"You know what that is, right?"

Cecil put down the piece of armor. "Well, yeah. But I think King Baron has not given his approval for that kind of training. Nor has Captain West. And he's the Chief Knight. We..."

"We all do what he says? Follow his orders?" Kain grinned.

"What's the matter with you, Kain? Of course. That's our duty. And if you are ever thinking of becoming a knight..."

"A dragon knight," Kain added.

"Well, a dragon knight, you have to..."

"You know, the captain knows about this. He knows what Commander Blackwood is doing, and till this day has never interfered."

Cecil sighed. "Right."

"None of the knights have ever complained. Nor any of the knights-in-training."

"Well. Maybe the captain thinks it's not that bad..."

Kain smiled. "So?"

"You're saying the commander is going to...?"

"Yep. I signed us up already."

"Kain, I don't want to..."

"Shut up." Kain slapped his friend gently. "I wanna go."

"You know what they say about survival practice. It's dangerous."

"I know. I know exactly. That's why I'm going. And you're coming, too. Hey. As the commander put it... You're the most promising knight here. Trained by the king himself. You're going to become the Knight Captain someday... Or something like that."

Cecil looked at him in the eyes. "Kain. Well... I was..."

"Enough of that. That's why we're both going. When you're a Knight Captain, you are gonna thank me for making you do this."

"Alright. You made your point. But still... I don't know about this, Kain... Is it worth it?"

"It is. Trust me."

Cecil shrugged. "Okay. When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

Commander Blackwood walked back and forth in front of the future knights. All six young men who had signed up for this practice looked a bit nervous and anxious. No, not all six. Kain glanced at Cecil, who looked very calm. He was wearing his armor as usual, but no helmet. The light wind caught his white hair, making it dance around his face.

"Glad to see all of you here. Now. I presume that you all know what you are doing?"

"Yes, Sir," all six answered.

"Good. Are you aware that this is not completely official? Now, if anything should happen, I take the full responsibility. So, do you all trust me?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"What are we waiting for, then? Follow me."

The knights-in-training followed the commander. He led them outside Baron, where a Chocobo wagon and a couple of knights were waiting.

"Hop on. I'll tell you some details about this practice while we're on the road."

The young men climbed on the wagon. When they were all sitting more or less comfortably, the wagon started moving. The commander studied each of them carefully. Then he folded his arms and began the explanation.

"Alright then. I call this 'Survival practice' because that's what this is. Now, there are six of you. You all have a pair, right? My list here says: Raim and Glenn, Frank and Ardyan, Kain and Cecil. Is this correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. The goal of this practice is to teach you how to survive with no equipment while being chased. This is good practice for certain situations... A good example is that you are taken prisoner in a war, and you manage to escape. In a case like that, you have to run from the enemy with no idea where you are, trying to avoid anyone who might be pursuing you. All you have is the clothes you were wearing and maybe some dagger you managed to steal from one of the guards."

Cecil turned to look at Kain. He smiled a little.

"We are on our way to a location that will not be revealed to you. It'll take about three days to get there. Starting tomorrow, you will be travelling with your heads covered, so you can't see or hear anything. This is of course because I don't want you to know where you are. Understood?"

All six nodded.

"When we reach our destination, your equipment will be removed. You and your partner will be taken into a random location that will be your starting point. After that, you have one week to return to the south guard station outside Baron, where I will be waiting. Sounds easy, eh?"

The young men looked a bit nervous.

"Well, it's not. All guard stations between your starting point and south station have been informed. They have been ordered to take you in custody if they see you. So, there are soldiers looking for you. And if that doesn't make it hard enough, ten of my knights are chasing you. All the time. They know where you start, it's your job to mislead them. And you'd better lose them, because they are determined to catch you. You don't want to try fighting an armed knight with your bare hands, do you?"

"No, Sir."

"I thought so. Well. This isn't one of the easiest practices. From all of those who have completed this practice... Not many have passed. So if you pass... You will get very high marks from me. If you fail, I will still make a special note on your papers for this. Just because you had the courage the participate." Commander Blackwood smiled.

Kain glanced at his friend. Cecil looked like he was deep in his thoughts.

"That's it. Any questions? No? Well, if you come up with a question later, just ask. You have a few days until it begins. But know this - now that you're here, the one who wants to go back, will never become a knight as long as I have anything to say about it."

The young men looked at each other, but said nothing.

That night, Cecil couldn't sleep. He crawled a little closer to his friend.

"Kain? You awake?"

"Yeah."

"What do you think of all this?"

Kain turned to look at the night sky. "I knew the basics when I signed up, so..."

"What if it gets dangerous?"

"Are you worried? Considering that you're the best there is..."

Cecil sighed. "Well, can't turn back now... Good night."

Kain lifted up a little and gave Cecil a quick kiss on his cheek. "Sweet dreams."

The morning was chilly. Sun had not risen yet, when Commander Blackwood came to wake the young men up.

Cecil opened his eyes slowly. Kain smiled at him.

"Get up, we're leaving already."

The future dark knight stood up. "Uh, I'm freezing..."

"Save that talk for later. You realize that sometime the day after tomorrow we're gonna be left somewhere with no equipment?"

Cecil smiled dryly. "Oh, yes... Can't wait."

They climbed on the wagon. A knight covered their heads with a piece of cloth.

Kain couldn't see a thing. He could feel Cecil who was sitting right next to him, but...
He moved his hand a little and found Cecil's knee.

"Uh. Can you hear me, Cecil?"

"Mmthwhat mdid mtpmyou msay? Mhey mdon't mmtouchmp me mmlikemtp mpthatm."

"Heh heh. Well, apparently not."

"Kain, you're not supposed to be able to talk that much," said Commander Blackwood.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Sir. Will you cover my mouth?"

"Certainly."

They didn't stop to rest that night. Cecil leaned on Kain's shoulder, trying to sleep. They had only stopped three times that day. And he only had a little idea where they were - probably somewhere south from Baron, but that was it. Their eyes had been covered even when they were eating.

Cecil couldn't see it, but knew Kain wasn't sleeping. He knew they should both sleep. Kain was a bit nervous. For some reason, Cecil wasn't. This practice would be hard... but even if they were young, they were both trained soldiers.

They would make it. And they would pass this practice. He was certain of it.

The next day went just like the previous one. Cecil was sure that one of the stops they made was on a guard station. They probably changed the chocobos, he thought.

It was late. He closed his eyes, trying to get some rest before they would reach their destination... Where ever that was.

He awoke when the wagon stopped. Commander Blackwood ordered them to follow. He followed, holding Kain's hand so they wouldn't be separated. Besides, neither of them wanted to tumble down. They still couldn't see anything, and just barely hear what the commander was saying.

"Alright, stop. Stay where you are."

Cecil stopped. Kain let go off his hand. A few minutes passed, then someone removed the cloth from his face.

"Whew. You don't know how glad I am to see you," he said when he saw Kain standing in front of him.

"Oh, but I do. I haven't seen a thing in last few days, either."

The commander was talking to the two knights. He gave them a few more orders, then addressed the young men.

"All set?"

"Yes, Sir," they all answered.

"I am returning to Baron now. These knights here will take care of the rest. It begins later today. Good luck, gentlemen. I'm counting on seeing you all in seven days."

Commander Blackwood mounted his chocobo and rode away.

Kain watched him disappear from sight. "Cecil?"

"Yeah?"

"Ready?"

"Ask me again tonight."

"I will."

The chocobo wagon moved slowly. Cecil sighed. Their heads were covered again, and he was beginning to feel a bit anxious... When would it start?

The wagon stopped. He thought he heard something.

They're leaving one pair here, he thought. Hmm. Well, that's not me and Kain...

The wagon started moving again. Cecil felt a bit sleepy...

What... is this? They... There must have been something... in the food... So, it starts... now. When I wake up, we'll be... somewhere...

He couldn't help it. He fell asleep.

"Cecil!"

"Mmpth... what?" Cecil opened his eyes slowly.

"Come on, wake up." Kain lifted him up to his feet.

It was dark. Cecil looked around. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. In some forest. It's midnight, I think. I just woke up, and..."

"I..." Cecil looked at his clothes. A simple shirt and pants. No shoes. "I'm cold."

Kain shivered a little. "So am I. But can't do much about it."

"Yeah... Well, Mr Survival Practice Expert, what now?"

Kain smiled. "Okay... Equipment check! Not much clothes. Nights are cold... We'll freeze to dead unless we keep moving. And when we aren't moving, we have to warm each other. And, we have no shoes. Be careful and watch your step. No weapons?"

"I guess they didn't want to... ouch." Cecil hit his foot on something cold and sharp. He lifted it up. "I'll take that back. We have... this."

Kain looked at the item Cecil was holding. "A rusty dagger? Hey, it's better than nothing. Alright, that's all I think."

Cecil gave the dagger to him. "So, what next?"

"We find our way out of this forest. And find out where we are. After that... we go to the south station. Well, that comes after we are able to figure out where it is. Anyway, ready?"

"I guess."

"Good. Okay, follow me."

They walked through the dark forest. Kain walked along a small path that eventually led them to the edge of the forest. The sky was partly cloudy, but moonlight cast shadows on the soft grass below his feet.

He turned to face his friend. "So, what do you think?"

Cecil looked at him. "Okay. In theory, we escaped from the enemy and have to get back to the base. We have no equipment, and..."

"Shh." Kain pointed at the road further away. Three men on chocobos.

"I was just coming to that. We're being chased. Those must be the knights who are looking for us. Remember, they know our starting point."

"Back to the forest. We got to stay out of sight... but we'd better keep moving and follow the edge of this forest. If we stay here, they'll surely find us."

They did what Kain had suggested. A few hours passed. Cecil looked around.

"Can you see them?"

Kain shook his head. "No. I guess they didn't see us."

"Good thing." Cecil closed his eyes for a while. "Are you as tired as I am?"

"Yeah... Let's hide near those rocks over there, and rest for a while. Of course, one of us must stay awake and watch all the time."

"I'll do it first."

"Well... Alright. Wake me when you get tired."

They sat next to a large boulder, close to each other. Kain leaned his head on Cecil's shoulder and closed his eyes.

The sun was just about to rise when the two boys left their shelter. They had rested for a couple of hours... Now they were both hungry and thirsty.

"See a stream anywhere? We need water."

Cecil looked around. "No. But I think these leaves here are edible... you hungry?"

"Oh yes. Well, that's all we have, so..."

"You know, it tastes like... grass."

"Who cares. Take some with you, we can't stay here for long."

They walked along the edge of the forest for some time, hiding in the bushed every time they saw someone on the road. Finally, the forest ended, but there was a forest on the other side of the road, too. They made sure that no one saw them and crossed the road.

"Cecil... There's a village. And a guard station."

"Better go around them. Hiding in the forest."

"Yep."

They made they way around the village hastily, hoping that they weren't seen. Kain found some berries they could eat, and they continued their journey... not knowing where they were going.

Couple of hours later they run into a small river.

Cecil knelt down. "Water? Nice and clean."

"Great. You know, we've been walking for the whole day already."

Cecil sat down on the river bank. "Let's rest here for a while."

"Sure."

They rested for some time. Kain looked at the surroundings, thinking.

"Cecil? I think I know where we are... Look at that road we've been following. It must be the one that goes from Baron to the Ocean village down south, right?"

"Maybe... All we have to do is go north, then."

Kain smiled. "Sun rises from the east, eh? It's late in the afternoon, the shadows are getting longer... In that case, that's west. So then that -" Kain pointed to the direction about 100 degrees right from the sun's current position "- should be north."

"Feeling lucky? If that really is the Ocean village road, we're going to the right direction. Let's continue. But as far away from the road as possible."

They continued, staying off the road. Eventually, the sun set below the horizon. The boys felt tired, but stopped only for a half an hour. They continued, keeping an eye on the road.

Kain stopped for a while. "Cecil... Someone's there. Carefully now."

"Soldiers. I don't know if they're really looking for us, but we'd better hide deeper in the forest."

"Okay, follow me."

Cecil followed Kain to the forest. It was dark. He couldn't see the sky if he looked up. There were shadows everywhere... But he was not scared. Only about the thought that there might be someone following them.

It was getting colder. Kain shivered a little and glanced at his friend.

"Cecil? Let's rest."

"Is it safe?"

"Should be." Kain sat down next to few bushes. "Right. Come here, I'll take the first watch."

"Right..." Cecil sat down next to him. "Damn, it's freezing..."

"I know." Kain wrapped his arms around him. "Just stay close to me."

"Hah. Sure... Okay, wake me up later."

Early in the morning, they got up and followed the path that led out the forest. They tried to ignore the fact that they were both freezing. It was still a bit dark, but when they got to the edge of the forest, they saw that sun was shining.

"Nice weather," Kain observed.

Cecil smiled. "I'm hungry, thirsty, tired and cold, and you start talking about the weather?"

"Better get moving if you're cold..."

"Ha."

"So, want to eat some more leaves today?"

Cecil shook his head. "No, but what else do we have?"

"Not much."

"Let's just keep walking."

At noon, Kain stopped and looked at Cecil.

"What, wanna rest?"

"No." Kain motioned to the direction they had been walking. "See? There's a village."

"Ah, you mean, another village to go around."

Kain smiled a little. "Well, now that you put it that way... Nah, let's just go."

They made their way around the village carefully. Some farmers were working on a field nearby, and they could see other people, too. And they had to avoid them at any cost. Finally, they left the village behind.

A little later they stopped by a small fountain.

"Didn't realize I was this thirsty," Kain stated.

"Ha. Hungry, thirsty... whatever. I don't care anymore. After last two days... What next? Oh, why on earth did I agree to come with you?"

Kain shrugged. "Come on Cecil, this is not that bad... Hey, you remember last year when we were..."

"Hey! You!"

They turned around to see a Baron soldier coming to their direction.

"Damn! Cecil, run!!" Kain yelled.

They ran as fast as they could. The soldier pursued, but they were faster. He gave up when the boys were too far away.

They stopped when they reached the woods nearby. Cecil looked behind him.

"Is he still following?" Kain asked.

"No... But the bad thing is, he saw us."

"Let's hide there in the bushes. We can't go anywhere if..."

An hour and a half passed, then they decided it was too dangerous to stay where they were. Kain crawled through some bushes, followed by Cecil.

Suddenly, he stopped.

"See that?"

Cecil crawled closer to see what Kain was talking about. There was a small building about 500 feet away.

"What is that?"

"That must be the local guard station. It's quite near the village we saw earlier."

"Kain, look out. See that? The knights. Probably asking if the soldiers have seen us."

"And they have. One of them was chasing us earlier... Hmm... Wait here."

"What are you doing, Kain? You can't go there, they'll catch you."

"Just watch me."

Cecil shook his head and watched as Kain crawled out of the bush and sneaked behind the small building. He moved to the left side and knelt down. Five men were having a conversation in front of the building.

Cecil was right. It's the knight triad with chocobos... Kain thought, smiling. The chocobos? Ah, there.

He sneaked quietly to the large birds that were tied to the fence near the building. He patted one on the head.

"Shh... Good boy..."

The chocobo was eating. The bird paid no attention to what Kain was doing.

A flask of water and a blanket were tied on the saddle. Kain untied the cord that was holding them carefully, and took the items. Then he sneaked back behind the building, making sure that no one saw him.

He waited a little longer, then returned to the bush. He gave the items to Cecil and crawled next to him.

"Kain? You're crazy."

Kain grinned. "Yep."

"Now they know we're here."

"They knew that already. One of the soldiers saw us. Now start moving, we gotta get away before they realize I took those."

They crawled along the bushes until they reached the small woods, then got up and run quickly along the path. Finally, they stopped to catch their breaths.

"Kain?" Cecil looked at the blanket.

"What?"

"That was stealing."

"Who cares? It was one of our own knights. Don't worry, he'll get them back. We need those more than he does."

"Well, you got that right..." Cecil smiled.

"Let's go. But remember, we have to be extra careful now. They're looking for us."

Later that night, they were following the road again, staying out of sight. It was dark already, but Kain was feeling a bit nervous.

"Cecil... We'd better hide for the night. I just got this feeling the knights are somewhere near..."

"Me too."

Half-running, they made their way through the forest, looking for a place to hide. There was a smaller road which connected to the Ocean village road, and they had to cross it. Kain looked around, more and more nervous.

He had every reason for that. The knights were much closer than he had expected.

"Damn, there they are! Quickly, here!"

Kain grabbed Cecil's hand and dragged him into the bushes.

"Ouch."

"Sorry. Oh, are we in trouble now... If they find us..."

Cecil shook his head. "Well, we fail, it's as simple as that."

"Just keep moving."

They didn't stop until hours later. Kain lay down, exhausted. Cecil lay down next to him.

"It's so cold in here..." he whispered.

"Well, come closer."

"Sure."

Cecil moved closer to Kain. Kain wrapped the blanket around them both.

"Better?"

"Much. Thank you. Wanna sleep first?"

"Okay."

The boys continued their journey early in the morning. Kain smiled. At least they had water with them now. They didn't need to be thirsty...

At noon, they reached another small village.

"Uh oh..."

"Kain? What?"

"Look at that."

There were a dozen of soldiers in the village. Kain shook his head.

"Let's just hide. I don't think it's a good idea to continue past here while those soldiers are around."

Cecil nodded. "I agree..."

"Into the bushes, then. We have time for a good conversation about swords or whatever."

"Quiet conversation," Cecil reminded.

"Hah. But you're right..."

They ended up spending several hours hiding in the woods. Finally, the soldiers left the village. Kain and Cecil went around it, and continued towards home.

They walked along the edge of the forest. It was almost midnight. They kept going, only stopping to rest for a few minutes once in a while. The night was really cold.

Kain glanced behind. He thought he heard something. As if someone was following them... But there was nothing.

"Kain? You look nervous."

"It's nothing... I just thought..."

Suddenly, four imps jumped out from the bushes and attacked them.

"Damn!"

The imps rushed towards them. Kain grabbed the dagger and held it ready. Cecil dropped the flask and the blanket and took a few steps back, focused on one of the imps that was about to attack him.

The imp jumped in front of him. Cecil avoided its attacks skillfully, and killed it by breaking its neck. Kain killed one of the imps and turned to see where the others were.

"Cecil, watch out!!"

Cecil turned around. One of the imps was behind him. The imp jumped on him, and they both fell down and rolled down on some rocks. Cecil fought for some time until he managed to kill the creature. Kain killed the remaining imp and ran to him. Cecil was lying on the ground next to the dead imp.

"Cecil? You alright...?"

"What...?"

"Are you alright? You've got bruises all over you."

"So do you... I'm okay... I think. I hit my head on those rocks, but... No big deal."

"Good. Damn, that was close."

"Yeah..." Cecil tried to get up. "Ouch... My leg hurts..."

"Stay still. Let me see." Kain knelt down and studied Cecil's leg. "I think you twisted your ankle... Can you walk?"

Cecil didn't reply.

"Cecil? Damn! Open your eyes."

Cecil opened his eyes and looked at him. "What? Why are you... looking at me... like that...?"

"It's nothing. Don't talk, save your strength. You hit your head... and that leg..."

Kain wrapped the blanked around his friend, and lifted him up. "I'll take you somewhere... Where it's safe. We'll rest for a while, and then... We'll see."

Kain walked in the forest, carrying his friend. He didn't know where they were anymore, but he didn't care. He would keep walking as long as he had any strength left. He felt tired. So what. He would go on... Just a little further... Somewhere safe.

It was so dark Kain could see where the path was... if there was a path. He almost dropped Cecil. It was after midnight. He was too tired. He looked around. There had to be some place they could rest...

He smiled as he saw some big rocks and a few bushes nearby. He walked over, looked around for the most comfortable place to rest and put Cecil down gently.

"Mmhpt?"

"Hush. Just close your eyes..."

He lay down next to Cecil and wrapped the blanket around both of them.

"Kain?"

"What?"

"Why were you... carrying me... like that...? Hey, I'm not... dead yet..." Cecil tried to smile.

"I know. Sleep now. You need it."

An hour passed. Cecil opened his eyes and looked at Kain. He was half-asleep.

"Kain...?"

"What is it?"

Cecil looked at him in the eyes. "Kain. Go on, run. Run and hide... Until you reach the south station. I'll... There was a village and a guard station near this forest, right? I'll let the guards catch me. They'll take me back to Baron..."

"Don't even think about it."

"Please, Kain. I'm not able to walk. You'd have to carry me if..."

Kain held Cecil tightly. "Never...!"

"Kain."

"Cecil, stop it! Hey, if this was real, and I had hurt myself... Would you just run and leave me to the enemy?"

"Of course not! What kind of a question is that? You're my best friend. I care for you. I'd never leave you anywhere."

"See? I'm not leaving you either."

"But this is just practice..."

Kain smiled sadly. "Who cares. You said you're not able to walk. How do you think you could make it to the guard station, then? And you don't even know where we are. We're lost in the forest. So, like it or not, I'm not leaving you behind."

"Kain..."

"Shhh... We'll rest some more, then go. Together. It's only... two days to Baron, I think..."

"You could make it in one and a half..."

"Don't even try. I'm taking you with me. Try to get some rest now."

Cecil sighed. "Alright... But, you still should..."

"Practice or not, I'm not going to leave you. End of discussion."

Kain held Cecil close to him. He couldn't sleep. Cecil was breathing peacefully, with some of his hair on his face. Kain smiled and moved it away gently.

Damn. Why would he want me to leave him behind, he thought. I know he never would leave me... No, I'm not going on without him. He's my best friend. I... love him...

He looked at Cecil, who was sleeping in his arms.

I'd rather kill myself than let anything happen to you, Cecil.

Some time passed. Cecil awoke from his light sleep. He was cold, and his leg hurt.

"Kain," he whispered.

Kain looked at him. "Yes?"

"I... I can't sleep."

"Does your leg hurt?"

"Just a little... Wish I didn't have to think about it. But it's not that, I'm just... freezing..."

"Cecil... We should both... We have to continue when the morning comes."

"Okay... I'll try to sleep some more."

Kain looked at his friend for a while. He knew Cecil wasn't sleeping. He was cold, too.

"Cecil?"

"What?"

"I... I know a way to make you forget about your leg. And a way to make you feel warm. But promise me two things, okay? First, whatever I do, don't try to stop me. Second, you are not going to kill me afterwards."

"Kain?" Cecil sounded a bit puzzled.

"Promise?"

"Well... I promise."

"Good." The young dragon knight smiled. "You'd better not kill me..." He leaned closer and kissed Cecil.

Cecil swallowed. "Okay, um, yeah, that's working, I actually forgot my that leg hurts now... Kain, what are you doing?"

"You promised you wouldn't try to stop me." Kain drew him closer.

"Uh, alright... Whatever you're doing, then... I... I'll just lie here... mmmmh!"

Kain kissed him again. Then he started taking off Cecil's clothes, and his own soon followed. He spread the garments on top of the blanked and then drew Cecil close to him, wrapping the blanket around them.

"Feeling warmer now?"

"Yeah. This feels actually very nice. But my leg still hurts."

"Well, at least one thing's been taken care of. I'll take care of the other now..." Kain started kissing him again, this time caressing Cecil's back.

"Mm, okay... better... Aah!"

Cecil looked at his friend surprised as he felt how Kain's hand slid between his legs and started stroking gently. He blushed as he realized how hard he already was. "Um, Kain..."

"Hush. Lie still. Let me do this..."

"B-but..." Cecil couldn't continue farther as Kain's lips covered his mouth again. He tried to mumble something, but then just gave up and closed his eyes. Kain was right. He had totally forgotten that his leg was hurting by now.

Kain moved a little away, pushing Cecil to lie down on his back.

"Just relax now... And please, could you spread your legs a little..."

Cecil blushed, but did as ordered. Kain started kissing his neck and shoulders. He moved lower slowly, kissing his friend's skin as he advanced.

"K-Kain... ....!!!!"

"Can't you please just shut up now and relax? Is that really too much to ask?" Kain whispered, face against Cecil's chest.

"N-n-no... I-I... ah!" Cecil's eyes widened as Kain gently took one nipple to his mouth, playfully nibbling with his teeth. The future knight moaned quietly, pushing his hips against Kain's hand.

"Mmm. That's better, good boy Cecil... Now please relax..."

Kain shifted his position, moving between Cecil's outspread legs. He moved his hand lower, carefully starting to stroke the base of the organ as he took the tip into his mouth, starting to suck gently.

Cecil gasped, moaning still silently. He clenched Kain's blond hair, rocking his hips against the pleasing mouth. "Kain... Ahh!". He arched his back, having totally forgotten any pain now.

The future dragon knight smiled to himself, starting to suck harder and taking more of the hard organ into his mouth. Cecil tugged his hair softly, moaning and gasping hard. Kain could feel how close to release his friend was.

Cecil shook his head helplessly, moaning his friend's name. He clenched Kain's hair harder, pulling the young knight closer. His body trembled in ecstasy and he cried out in extreme pleasure as the climax consumed him completely.

Kain continued sucking gently, swallowing the last drops of milky liquid. "Cecil? Better now?"

The only answer he got from the young knight was tired murmuring, then Cecil drifted off into deep sleep. Kain smiled, then carefully wrapped the blanket around them, holding his sleeping friend in his arms. He closed his eyes. Cecil... I love you...

Kain woke up. The sun was shining... He was still naked, holding Cecil. He smiled to himself.

"Cecil, wake up..."

"Kain...?" Cecil opened his eyes. He blushed when he realized what had happened during the night.

"Hey. Feeling better?"

"Uh... I..."

Kain smiled as he helped Cecil to get dressed. He looked around. It was time to continue the journey... But at least he had something nice to think about.

They followed the road again. Kain carried Cecil, who was a bit quiet. He didn't want to eat the berries Kain found, and he wouldn't drink either.

Next time they stopped, Kain offered him some water again.

"Cecil. Are you thinking of dying here, or what? Drink it, or else...!"

"Or else what?"

"You don't want to know. Aren't you thirsty?"

"I... Yeah, but... My throat hurts, too."

Kain looked at him, worried.

"Cecil... Should we give up?"

"No!"

"Then drink it. Please?"

"Alright..." Cecil took the flask from Kain. "You know, you don't need to carry me."

"Shut up. We'll go now. I'll carry you all the way home if I have to." Kain lifted Cecil up.

Later in the afternoon, they reached some fields. There was a forest nearby, so they decided to go around. Someone might see them if they tried to cross the fields.

Cecil insisted on walking, supported by Kain. Kain was too tired to argue with him, so he just helped his friend. Slowly but surely, they continued towards Baron.

Few hours later, they were sitting next to some bushes. Kain was deep in his thoughts, when he was interrupted.

"Kain!"

"What?" Kain glanced at Cecil. He was looking at the road. "Oh great..."

The knights again... and there were four of them now. They were closing up fast.

"Looks like they know that we're here... somewhere. Let's go. I'm not going to let them find us now."

Kain lifted Cecil up. He followed the path for some time, looking back from time to time.

"Damn. Up on the tree."

"I don't think I can climb."

"I'll help."

Kain looked at the trees until he found one they could climb easily. They climbed up, and Kain helped Cecil to find a good spot to hide. Then, they waited.

Half an hour passed. Kain was observing the road, and the paths that crossed the forest. Then he saw what he had been looking for...

One of the knights was in the forest. Kain leaned towards Cecil and whispered, "Stay quiet."

The knight was looking for them. He looked around, searching for any trace of the two boys hiding somewhere. He rode directly under them for a couple of times.

Finally, the knight left. When he as gone, Kain sighed in relief.

"Damn, sometimes I think that we're just too lucky."

"Maybe we just are."

"Let's stay here and rest. We'll continue when it gets dark."

They walked all night, protected by the shadows of the forest. The morning came eventually. No signs of the knights, but Kain was still being cautious. He didn't want to be caught now.

The day was cloudy. Kain feared it would start to rain, but luckily, it didn't.

They followed the road, as they had been doing for days now. Kain supported Cecil, who was feeling a bit better. They talked about random things about their knight training. Cecil was surely better now, but... Kain knew he was getting tired. His leg was hurting, even if he said nothing. He needed to be treated by a healer.

Well, it was too late to give up now. They were almost home. Kain stayed alert, but... He hadn't seen any pursuers for the whole day.

They stopped to rest from time to time. They had no food, but it didn't matter. They were both too tired to think about it.

It was getting dark when they stopped to rest again, on top of a hill. Cecil looked at the distance. He could see city lights far away...

It had to be Baron. He looked around. Between the city and the hill, there was a village, a river, a forest and...

"Kain... Is that the south station?" Cecil nodded at a group of buildings near the forest.

"Yeah, I think it is."

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go. And let go off me, I can walk."

"You sure you wanna walk?"

"Uh... As long as you help me a little."

They headed down the hill, towards the buildings.

It was late. Commander Blackwood had just finished doing some paperwork and was ready to go to bed when someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

Kain and Cecil stumbled in, accompanied by a guard.

"Reporting... in... from the survival practice... Sir," Kain mumbled.

"Look at that. You're the first ones to arrive... If you count out Frank and Ardyan who arrived yesterday. They got caught the second day."

Kain looked at Cecil and smiled. "Truly, Sir?"

"Yes. Haven't seen Raim and Glenn yet, although my knights reported seeing them earlier. They're going to be caught as well, unless they are careful enough..."

"Well, I hope that they are, Sir."

"So do I."

"Anything else, Sir? We ran into some imps early yesterday morning, and Cecil... hurt his leg. I'd like to take him to the healer."

"Cecil?"

Cecil took a deep breath. "I'm... fine, Sir. I just think... I need... rest."

"What, has Kain been carrying you for the last two days?"

"Uh... Something like that... Sir."

"Well, have to mention that when I make my report." The commander smiled.

Kain smiled back nervously. "Er... Thank you, Sir. It was really... Cecil would have done the same thing you know. We're best friends."

"I know. Well, that is all, then. Good night, gentlemen. You two are going to make fine knights someday."

Kain grinned. "Good night... although I think we're both going to sleep for a couple of days. We need some rest after this experience."

The commander laughed. "Go on then. You deserve it."

Next time Cecil opened his eyes, he was is a small room... He remembered arriving to the south station, but... It was all blurry.

He lifted his head a little. He was in bed, naked. And he wasn't alone. Someone was holding him.

"Kain...!?"

Kain opened his eyes. "Hmm? Oh, you're awake..."

"Kain... What are you doing there...?"

"Hey, take it easy. You've been sleeping for two days now."

"What?"

Kain sat up and smiled. "Okay, so, what do you remember?"

"We... Is this the south station?"

"Yes."

"Uh... I... Just tell me."

"We arrived late in the evening. After we reported to Commander Blackwood, I carried you to the healer's office. I think you passed out... Well. The healer took care of your wounds with his white magic, and tied up your leg. He said you should rest for several days, and try avoid walking."

"Oh... right. I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, after that I brought you here, undressed you and... you've been here ever since. So have I, mostly. I slept all yesterday. Well, today I was up a little. Went out for a little walk, ate, talked to a couple of people I know... And tonight, I washed both of us. That's it. Now, want something to eat?"

"That would be nice."

Kain offered him some food. "Here you go."

Cecil took the food and started to eat. "Well...?"

"What?"

"Anything else?"

Kain laughed. "What else is there? Well... Let's see. We got high marks from the practice, of course. Then, I talked to Frank and Ardyan this evening. They said they had fun avoiding the knights, but they were caught by some guards the second day. They also told me they had heard that Raim and Glenn had given themselves up this morning. It's the seventh day, and they were two days journey from here, so... Anyway, they were able to hide for almost a week. The commander was most pleased."

"He should be."

"Now, let's sleep, it's midnight."

"Yeah... sure..."

Kain lay down and put his arms around Cecil.

"Kain...?"

"What?"

"About... what happened in the forest... the night I got hurt..."

"What about it?"

"Nothing. It was... kinda nice."

"Good to hear that. Sleep now."

A few minutes passed.

"Kain?" Cecil whispered. "How am I supposed to sleep while you're holding me like this? Why are you holding me like this, anyway?"

"Because I love you?"

"Oh shut up. I love you too. Good night." Cecil closed his eyes.

"Good night, my love."