Lewis and Xeik glanced to each other. What they had been talking about had already been put on the back burner, and now it seemed there was a bigger problem. And it wasn’t as if they didn’t both already know the answer to the question that was posed before Danwe interrupted.

Xeik sighed. He had thought it would come to something like this. He was young, but understood more about the world than he cared to show. “I understand Danwe. I think that…” He paused, trying to choose his words carefully again. “I think that Lewis should take over the guild while I’m gone.”

“What!?” Lewis exclaimed, turning to Xeik. “What do you mean?”

The other boy smiled. “It makes sense. While I’m gone, I want you to lead in my place. While I was captured, you took a swift hold of everyone, and staged a rescue. It was a little rough, but I have no doubt that you can do this.”

“But Xeik, this is….this is yours.” Lewis looked to Danwe.

“Don’t use her as a crutch,” Xeik said suddenly. He gave a quick, almost apologetic look to the celestial. “She was just a catalyst. We did this…all of us together. We’re already organized. Now they just need a leader. And I can’t do it right now.”

Lewis frowned. “I don’t like this. I’m not cut out for this…I’m not like you.”

Xeik shook his head with a soft smile. “No, you’re not. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t a leader. Just…just think of it as a branch of Heaven’s Dawn.” The boy lit up for a moment. “Yeah. That’s it…” He seemed excited. “I have to leave, but that doesn’t mean I have to stop. I can start helping the children across the world.”

The would be assassin looked at Xeik with confusion. “So, you’re still the leader, then?”

“What. Did you think I’d never come back?” Xeik asked.

Lewis sheepishly nodded.

“Not a chance,” Xeik replied. “This is my home. Even if I help others, even if I make more branches of Heaven’s Dawn, this will always be my home.”

"Xeik is right, Lewis. The others respect you. I agree with his decision. Besides, Bat will still be around to help make sure things go smoothly," she reassured him. She rubbed the back of her neck. "I'd rather not leave either, but as it stands we don't have much choice. While Hoja Mesto is a large city, people like the Blood Echoes make it VERY VERY small for the people they want found and dead. But once things quiet down again, we'll be back. If we have to fight the Blood Echoes, I would rather not do it where you youngsters would be the collateral damage," Danwe said. 

She looked at the two boys. "The sooner we get out of this city, the better… Xeik if you are up to it, I would like to get out by dawn…"

Lewis stayed quiet for a moment longer, but slowly nodded. “Fine, I’ll take care of it the best I can. But promise me you both will come back. Or…or at least come to visit. Let me know, any way you can if you are safe. We have so much more we have to do…” He seemed hesitant about the whole thing, but it was his approval.

Xeik smiled. “I knew I could count on you,” he said. The boy jumped off the bed, which surprised Lewis. “It’s okay,” Xeik said with a grin. “I’m a little shaky, but I can handle it.” He reached underneath the bed, and pulled out a pack. “Lewis, go get my normal supplies from my perch in the ceiling.”

The other boy nodded, and rushed out of the room. Xeik packed a few of the things in the room, none of which were really his to take, but he figured the boys would be okay with it if they knew that their leader was leaving for an extended trip. “Now, here comes the important part.” He looked to the door to double check that Lewis had indeed left.

“We need to discuss where we’re going. And….to lie to the rest of them about where it is. But we need to get our story straight.” He seemed to dislike the idea of lying to his brothers and sisters of the guild, but knew very well of the value that it held. He closed his eyes, envisioning the map of the surrounding area.

“Hoja is constantly moving. From what I remember…we should be coming up on Baltil. It sounds plausible for us to go there to escape the Echoes,” Xeik said. He opened his eyes. “Which is why we should avoid it at all costs. It’ll be a longer trek, and probably harder to pull off, but I think it would be safer if we went to the Zets’ki Cradle. Not to mention, I know of several treasure stores that I would love to loot…plenty of merchants have safe houses there. We can definitely steal into a few of them…”