Job Twenty: 
Gone and Lost

    Ahura Mazda rubbed his temples. He needed this like a hole in the head. "You mean Athena was willing to leave on her own?" It made no sense that she would leave in the middle of nowhere when she had no idea of where to go. "Are you sure she wasn't kidnapped?"

    "I'm positive," Anghiari said as she walked besides him. They were in a busy market place, where all sorts had gathered for an annual festival. Having a dragon in a person's arm was probably the least unusual thing.

    *She could of found another chimera.*

    "I doubt that," Ahura said with a sigh.

    *But if Rave could find all of the genetic alters, what's stopping someone in their group from doing the same thing?* Raphael asked from the thief's arms.

    Sindiri had decided to tag along, since this was the first time in years she had bothered to come to a festival. She smirked at the passersby, some of them had never seen this many races in one place. "In a crowd like this, I'm sure she found someone she knew, and that woman can take care of herself."

    "You seem in high spirits," Anghiari said as she desperately tried to rub her swore wings. "I thought you didn't like people."

    "I love them, when they aren't being dimwitted," she snorted, "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be off. Don't get in trouble while I'm off having fun." With that thought off her chest she decided to snake off in the opposite direction of the group.

    The assassin rolled her eyes. "What a wonderful creature to be around--ugh."

    "Need some help?" Ahura asked as he brushed a hand against one of Gi's wings. "They still look pretty bad."

    "Ugh," She said again, as she bated the young man's hand away, "I'll be fine. I just can't get over the fact that Verona did that to my wings."

    *I thought it was pretty neat.*

    "You should magically grow wings, then you'd find out how much it hurts."

    *I doubt it. I work on a different system than you.*

    "All right," Gi said, they continued to walk down the street, "When, and if, you grow a set of legs, we can let Verona give you a pair of fake wings, that'll hurt just as bad as my experience."

    *Again. You assume I work on the same system as you.*

    "Even if you don't. You're going to feel the pain I felt if you don't shut up."

    *Ooooh, scary.*

    "Raphael, just because you're cute, doesn't mean you can get away with making Gi angry." Ahura said shaking his head. "Women are like fire; they burn."

    "Damn straight."

    *Has anyone told you it's bad to curse in front of a child?*

    "You lost your innocence as soon as you hatched," The assassin waved a hand. She looked around at the colorful masks and partying that was going on around them. "How long do you think it'll take for someone to recognize us?"

    "Well, if we play along," The thief was handed a traditional mask from a woman passing by. He slipped it on his face before saying, "I'd say never."

    *Sounds like a fine plan to me.*

    "They let's all be off, to have some fun."

***

    The woman stared into the young man's red eyes. He was quite a looker, she was glad to find out he enjoyed her company. It was a pity they would probably never meet again. Chiara sighed, why did it always have to go this way? She met a nice man, and then he had to leave.

    They danced one more time around the ball room as she wondered if his eyes were really red. Chi leaned into him, "This is a wonderful night. Even if you are a masked man."

    Ahura snorted inwardly. He was now dancing with a lovely lady, who happened to be a woman he had been trying to nab for a long while. Now, he had her totally at his advantage, and she did not even know it was him. It was perfect.

    Raphael amused himself on the sidelines. He found it silly that his bondmate would be so excited about such a silly thing. Then again, Raphael figured he would understand when he was older. He watched Ahura kiss the young woman. No, he would never understand Ahura's escapades with the opposite sex.

    "Now," Ahura whispered softly, "Shall we take this some place private?"

    Chiara always wanted to hear that, "Let's." With that said the two left the room. The young thief nodded to his bond, signaling that he would come back. How long it would take was a different story.

    The wyrm shook his head and looked to Anghiari and her man of the hour. They were having a gay old time flirting and what not. Raphael wondered again about relationships of humans.

    Gi leaned forward and whispered into the man's ear. He seemed to shrink back in surprised before she wrapped and arm around him. She bobbed her head to the right, and Raphael could tell she had a huge smile plastered on her face even if he could not see it. Slowly, the two made their way out of the room.

    Raphael sighed. It was going to be a long night.

***

    "We're gone," Ahura said stiffly as he picked up Raphael. "Gi said she'll catch up."

    *Are you sure this is a good idea?* He watched Sindiri appear from the shadows. It was odd that Ahura Mazda was in such a hurry, he had not been like this since... well ever.

    "I'm positive. We need to leave now," His eyes darted from roof to roof. He could feel something coming, and it was dangerous. If vampires existed in this world, or any other mythological undead,  he would have said they were after him. However, he knew better. These were not supernatural, they were thieves, just like him.

    "Ahura Mazda, we need to hurry," The data translator glared from her corner. The thief inhaled sharply. He nodded to no one in particular, and briskly walked past the translator and to the car they had decided to rent for the evening. Of course they would never return it, but that was far from the point. They had to get lost and they had to do it quickly.

    *Where are we going?*

    "I have no idea."

    *Then why are we in a hurry to go nowhere?*

    "People are after us. It seems that we don't get any more time to rest." The thief said as he slipped into the car. The assassin (who seemingly appeared from thin air) slipped into the passenger's seat, leaving the dragon in between them. The doors slammed as Sindiri climbed into the back seat. The thief absentmindedly checked the mirrors.

    Without warning he slammed on the gas peddle. They were off, and once again they were running from the world.