He found himself pulled out of slumber, which in and of itself was disturbing. He was used to waking up as soon as anyone got close to him--a necessary sense in his profession. There was a reason "treasure hunter" was synonymous with "thief" to some--it wasn't uncommon for them to steal from their rivals in their sleep, or worse.

His eyes sharpened as though he was ready to fight, but softened as soon as he saw Mayako. Right--the clinic. It was unlikely he'd be attacked here...or rather, was true until last night.

"What's wrong?" he asked after clutching to make sure he still had his necklace. (He did.) This was definitely not in line with her usual behavior nor dress.

"C-can you walk?"

More appropriate would be "can you run?," but she knew the answer to that question. It didn't take much more than a few months of volunteering as a clinic nurse to figure out how to judge a person's healthiness and rate of recovery. At this point, there was no way Fenix was going to be running, but walking? He should have been able to walk. She just needed to be absolutely sure.

Of course, he was probably going to search for an explanation for why she was waking him up so early, why she had a set of keys in hand, and why she was whispering so quietly that a religious man would think she were trying to avoid the ears of God. So, she provided that explanation, perhaps before he even had the chance to ask for it. There was no time to waste, anyways.

"Th-the other villagers will be here soon," she whispered hurriedly, "Th-they're going to take you to Feiyan, a-as a criminal."

She didn't say anything about it, but Fenix did not want to go to Feiyan Penitentiary. He didn't want to go to Feiyan at all. If Emma was right, and Hillcrest was cursed, it would've been for being too close to Feiyan . . .

"I-I need to get you out of here be-before they come."

And if he offered her the shackles that were so kindly placed on his wrists last night, she'd gladly put her (clearly stolen) keys to work.

Fenix regarded her for a moment--if he was surprised by this, his expression didn't show it. He considered simply going along with them--after all, they only had his confession as "proof" and he could potentially turn any kind of court to his favor by refusing to show his powers and acting...well, sane. But that would take time, time that he'd rather not waste.

Plus, he seemed to recall that for some reason Zach always avoided going to Feiyan, and he figured he was probably better off not finding out why for himself.

"I think so," he replied in regards to walking. He hadn't intended to start walking until the doctors suggested it, but he didn't think it was beyond his abilities. His body was mostly fine (aside from the injuries he'd sustained the previous night), he just lacked the energy to do much.

Noticing the keys in her hand, Fenix held out his shackled hands to her. Not that he couldn't get out of them himself if he wished, but that would draw attention and waste more energy than he cared to.

"Thanks for the warning," he said. He'd intended to leave as soon as possible, but the injuries Emma inflicted made it more difficult for him to take care of himself. He'd hoped the villagers would have taken more time before making their decision, time he would have used to gather his strength...

Perhaps I played my part a bit too well, he thought wryly.

"You're more crafty than I thought," he'd comment as she freed his hands.

"U-um . . ." she looked confused, "Th-tha--"

But then Mayako realized what that entailed. Before this, did he not think that she was all that intelligent or something? That was . . . that was . . . that was very off-putting!

"H-hey," she pouted, "Wh-what's that supposed to mean . . .?"

But Fenix wouldn't quite have the chance to respond. Mayako had removed his shackles by then, but she heard a door open in the distance and sprang up and listened closely for that door to close. When it didn't, and she heard the faint sound of multiple footsteps, she knew exactly what happened.

"Sh-shoot!" she exclaimed in a whisper, "Th-they're already here! Come on, w-we have to hide!"

Wasting no time, Mayako grabbed Fenix by the arm and tugged on him slightly, insisting that he get up with her, and if he absolutely needed, let her help him walk. Not that it would do any good, of course; the man was practically two feet taller than her, but she'd do her best to bear his weight if it meant moving quicker.

Fenix remained silent for a few seconds; naturally, they were already here. Either he had poor luck, or he'd given Mayako a little too much credit for whatever she had planned.

"Hide where?" he asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. Only the bruises he was covered in indicated anything was wrong with him; he didn't seem to be struggling at all.

For now, he had enough energy to move around. He wasn't sure how long it would last, but he'd have to at least make it out of the village.

Mayako waited to answer his question when she was actually sure where they were going to hide. She first took him out of his room (which she'd already unlocked) and into the hall. She looked left, right, and back to Fenix. The coast was clear . . . for now. It was still too early for the Tsukimonos to be out carousing the clinic, after all. The sun was just now beginning to come up. They were going to wake up sometime soon, more than likely, but if all went well, Fenix would be gone by the time they did, and Mayako's conscience would be completely clear.

It might take too long to actually leave the clinic. Truth be told, those doors were pad-locked. They were close, but Mayako always remembered locking them up before she went to bed. She didn't last night, but she had no doubt that the Tsukimonos already had. Indeed, it would take far too long--they'd surely be caught if they tried. They couldn't hide outside. Which meant . . .

"Th-there, we'll hide in storage!" Mayako whispered as soon as she saw the storage room.

She dragged Fenix along as quickly as she could; he'd practically need to run, at least for this extremely short jaunt, but it'd be fruitful. Hopefully. Mayako swung the door open as soon as they were there, after which she'd pull Fenix in and quickly but quietly shut the door behind her.

They didn't have many options; it seemed like they were just outside the clinic's doors, and trying to go out the side exit risked them running into the doctors. But Mayako knew the place much better than him, so naturally when she pulled him into a door he didn't object.

Unfortunately, it seemed that when she said storage, that meant storage closet. There wasn't any light at all, and it was very cramped--if Mayako didn't want to knock anything over, she'd have to press against Fenix, who had his back against the door. It was lucky that his size was only large in height and that Mayako was quite slim herself; if either of them were much wider, there wouldn't be room for both of them plus the bag she was carrying.

Well, it was a good hiding spot, at least.

Mayako had stood in the closet with her back (or, rather, the bag) against the wall when she pulled Fenix in, and pressed against him with perhaps uncomfortable closeness in order to reach past him and shut the door behind them. Once she did so, she came to realize that it was pitch black in the storage close, and knowing it was best not to move excessively, lest they risk breaking or smashing something important to clinic work . . .

Mayako had little choice but to stay put.

This was actually easier said than done. Some several days early, or perhaps even a week or longer (much of these days seemed to be flowing into each other, and Mayako progressively lost her sense of time since Fenix woke up), Mayako actually bathed with Fenix, back when he was too weak to move on his own. That, at the very least, did not require this, to be pressed up against him practically as close as she possibly could, with one arm necessary to hold onto the bag and the other practically wrapped around his waist, left in place from when she shut the door behind them.

If only she could have seen herself like this at a different time-- a happier time. Sarah would have jokingly called her a slut, Emma would have commended her aggression, Etsu would have wondered if boys liked that sort of thing, and Mayako would have blushed ten times more than she currently was, which wasn't much. A redness in her cheeks was present, but not overbearing.

Outside, she could hear the footsteps coming closer.

"He's where, again?" one man asked.

"Third room on the left," said another.

"But that one's vacant."

"What?"

"It can't be vacant, the smithy carried him right to that bad! That bed right there!"

It was, of course, impossible to see her blush in the dark, which was fortunate, as Fenix himself was slightly red and therefore she couldn't see him either. It wasn't unpleasant, as given how much Mayako had been involved with his recovery--up to and including helping him bathe--it was impossible not to feel anything with her this close.

His own arms were equally pinned--one was around her waist, to ensure that she didn't back into the shelves, and the other moved to help her hold the bag, resulting in practically holding her hand.

Still, his mind was mostly on the situation at hand. Though he was calm as could be--as she'd be able to tell from his pulse, which she could probably feel--that didn't mean he was certain that they were going to pull this off.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered into her ear, as quiet as he could and still be audible. "If you're caught helping me, you're going to get in trouble." He doubted they'd send her away as a criminal with him, but she might not get the same warm treatment that she currently did from the patients she assisted.

Now, were it Mayako's own position that was embarrassing, this would've been fine. She would've gotten by with just a bit of blushing from proximity, but Fenix wasn't making this any better! He was holding onto her waist with one hand and veritably holding her hand with the other! Mayako blushed with greater intensity than previously expected.

Maybe it was a good thing that she might not see him again, or at least might not see him for a long time-- give them some time to get over all of . . . well . . . this.

"Mm," she hummed quietly and nodded.

Fortunately, though there was likely a whole lynch mob between the storage closet and Fenix's (former) room in the clinic, they had at least three inches of maple between them and the ones seeking Fenix that promised at least some dampening of sound, provided it was quiet enough sound.

Truth be told, though, she had thought about what would happen were she caught helping Fenix get out of Hillcrest, and she knew very well what would happen to her. There were several scenarios that she'd come up with. In the best case scenario, the others traced her religious heritage (of which she was still strongly devout, despite the train the wrecked through her life), and they'd forgive her for being something of a misguided philanthropist. They might be a little put off by her for a few, but they'd get over it. In the worst case scenario, they attributed her as having been an accomplice to the pyromaniac Fenix, perhaps inspired by a pyromaniac that was once in league with a man whose name was simply "the Law," and wanted her to be harshly punished, probably dragged to Feiyan, put in the stocks for a few days, and promptly sent to the worst orphanage available, where she'd be far too old to merit adopting and be volunteered against her will to enter a nunnery.

A slap on the wrist or a life sentence roughly the same as a prison sentence. Mayako already deduced these possibilities, and firmly believed that she hadn't a choice in the matter. If she didn't save Fenix, she'd have to carry that guilt with her for the rest of her life. Due to recent events, the villagers of Hillcrest took these sorts of issues extremely seriously. Fenix wasn't going to be treated nicely in the least.

"Wait a second," one young man spoke.

Mayako recognized this one's voice. His name was Barrigan Kraig, but most people called him Bari. He was about Mayako's age, a blond haired, blue eyed bookworm that she and he were mutually forbidden from speaking to one another, simply due to belonging to two rival religions-- Mayako, of the local Saqinist sect, and Bari with the Kraig family and their private practice of Lucianism. Bari himself wasn't a bad kid, though. He and Mayako actually got along, but hadn't much of a chance to talk much, for obvious reasons. Neither of them were really all that extreme with their beliefs, and didn't mind each other's company. Not to mention, they were both in about the same physical rut, the both of them being the literal runts of their age group.

Yet another social network that had, perhaps, been permanently lost simply due to the trivialities of extremism. If there was one thing Mayako did not miss about her father, it was, regrettably, that.

"Look," Bari said, "His shackles are under the bed. See? They're undone."

"He's right," one man remarked, prompting a collective banter amongst the men.

Bari, no doubt, was investigating the scene. Mayako gulped. She knew he was smart, probably as smart as Rebbecca and Urikuse's son. What if she left something of her's in the room . . .? There'd be no explaining that!

"No dust, either. Nothing's settled much, too," Bari's out-loud thoughts advertised a need for the crowd's quiet, "He's can't be far."

"Alright, then." So long as she was aware of the potential consequences, Fenix wasn't going to object to any help. Still, sitting here could very well get them caught, and there was no chance that they could slip out, either. Was there anything he could do to ensure they overlooked the closet...?

It suddenly hit him, and Mayako would feel the arm around her waist move away, only to have a hand start groping the back and top of her head. It was only a few seconds, though, before it found what it wanted--a hairpin keeping her hair pulled back.

Pulling it out as gently as he could, he reached for the doorknob next. Thankfully, there was a keyhole on this side too--perhaps a precaution against someone trapping themselves in, as no doubt the doctors each had a key for it on them during the day.

Despite being unable to see what he was doing, Mayako would be able to feel Fenix tense up as he concentrated on the task. There were a series of scratching noises, followed by a barely audible click, and then it was done.

"There...they won't find us now," he whispered. They correctly deduced it wasn't that long since he'd left the room, so it would seem impossible for him to be in a locked room he had no key for.

She recognized this. She'd read it in a novel before. A man and a woman, locked in a closet from the inside; the man whispered to the woman that they'd not be found there, and then the kissed. And then they did a lot more than just kiss, and since they were locked in from the inside, there was no chance of them being discovered. Heard, but not discovered. Mayako suddenly felt extremely lightheaded. She remembered now one of the reasons why she stopped reading romance novels.

They just served to fill her with all kinds of fears, apprehensions, and anxieties that she was much better off without. After all, Mayako had a ton more things she should've concerned herself with.

"M-Mister Black," she whispered, "P-please d-don't, um, d-do anything, um . . . w-well, um, you know. Th-this really isn't the time, a-and, um, I don't . . ."

. . . know you very well at all.

But she refrained from saying much more than that, mainly due to feeling a bit silly now that she spoke without thinking beforehand. Oh well. At least he'd know and understand that she had boundaries, even if he hadn't the slightest intentions to try and cross them!

Outside, Bari addressed the group. "He's either . . . still here, or outside. If he's outside, he's not far. He was injured when he was brought here, right?"

"Right," remarked one man, "Okay, we'll look outside."

"Okay," replied Bari, "I'll check around here--maybe ask the Tsukimonos if they've seen him."

Fenix didn't really understand what Mayako was getting at. This certainly wasn't the time to do anything other than be very still and very quiet, especially as it sounded like the searchers had emerged from the room and were in the hall.

He put a finger lightly to her lips (after all, she wouldn't have been able to see him put it to his own lips) and whispered, "Shhh," as lightly as he could.

In truth, he had possibly the opposite problem that she did: he knew very little about romance or how it was supposed to go. His only role models in life had been an elderly priest and his mentor...and he knew better than to follow the latter's example.

Which wasn't to say he was entirely oblivious, but in a situation like this he had other things at the forefront of his mind.

There were few things quite as surprising to Mayako than this. She felt as if her whole body froze at once. She suddenly hadn't the slightest clue how to react to a situation. Here they were, locked in a closet, trying to evade searchers outside of it that could possibly make their lives extremely difficult for them, and Fenix was . . . well . . .

Okay, maybe hiding out from potential doom and despair in a dark and warm closet, pressed up against each other like this, could be exhilarating, especially since they had to rush to get to this closet, and it wasn't like they were dealing with monsters, too. The villagers weren't individually to be scared of, only as a group were they all that intimidating. Well, to someone like Fenix. They all could do a number of Mayako if they really wanted to. But that was besides the point!

Fenix should have been respecting Mayako's boundaries here. She said them all already, and a real man would have acknowledged and understood that!

Unless he was testing her, to see if she really meant that . . .

Well, she didn't know him that much, but he wasn't a terrible person--he went out of his way to effectively save Emma despite what she did to him, and he protected her earlier, too. No, he wasn't a bad man in the least. He wasn't a bad looking man, either.

Stop! No! This is not the time or place! You're never going to see him again anyways, so . . . so that'd just be a fling, and you're better than that! Mayako told herself with the utmost assertion.

"M-Mister Black . . ." Mayako whined as quietly as she could, trying to insist that he not pursue this, but kind of weak kneed at the moment, and suddenly unable to do so with the same assertion that she could with herself. "C-come on, p-please . . . a-at least-- at least . . . a-at least be nice . . ."

Well, if he was going to do anything, she couldn't stop him, so he might as well be nice to her if he was--and maybe she'd be able to not have quite so many apprehensions? Maybe? She had quite a few now, when he wasn't being quite so nice, after all!

Between this statement and the last one, Fenix felt like he was missing something, as what she said didn't really make sense to him. Unless she thought that shushing her was mean? He was tempted to shush her again, but it didn't sound like anyone was right outside anymore, so he let it go.

"Sorry, but we can't make much noise," he whispered, intending it as an explanation for why he might have come off as gruff. He certainly knew by now that he could give that impression, especially with Mayako.

He wondered how long until it would be safe to leave. He was sure the villagers wouldn't stay too long, but soon the Tsukimonos would be out in the clinic, and one of them would be nearby until dark. That was a long time to wait like this.