The Princess of Wrath

Chapter 12 - Part I: Separate Paths

Chalrus's sacrifice achieved its goal, enveloping him, Justine Fontaine and her henchmen on their respective horses in a luminous sea of ​​embracing heat that promised to leave nothing in its wake.

Not even covering her ears Asura could avoid being stunned for a few seconds, plunging the world around her into utter silence and allowing her to see the street conditions behind her as they rode in the opposite direction.

Despite the rain, the carriages on the sides had been turned into amalgam of burnt and embracing wood amid the cloud of black smoke that hid the most likely shattered bodies of the victims, and it was a fact that at least every glass element within a radius of several dozens of meters had been turned into countless shards by the force of the shock wave, from the glass in the windows of the buildings to the lanterns on the street.

By the time the terrified and bewildered neighbors came outside, the group led by Amos was already several streets away, taking shortcuts through narrow, dark alleys, and without any witnesses who could inform on their path to imperial troops approaching the site of the explosion.

Her ears hurt a little, but Asura was even more hurt by the loss of that man who had been her driver since before she had use of her reason.

Seeing him run to his assured death after hearing his last words made her remember when, years ago, Frida told her about Chalrus: he had been rescued by the ancient Empress Nibia from the poorest streets of the city and had placed him in charge of the Keep stables for many decades.

His last request... Asura was aware that she would not be able to fulfill it by being the new public enemy number one of the city, perhaps of the Empire as a whole if the escape was successful. No training, no resolve, and almost no will to continue... It was impossible.

"Let's stop under the overpass," Aurum asked Amos as they exited the alley and entered one of the most uprooted and neglected streets in the district, which thanks to the rain was flooded a few inches.

Hastily, they were approaching one of the old areas of the city, very below the modern civil structures: the buildings did not respect the architectural style of the time, being of lower height and rocky material that was objectively resistant but difficult to reforge, while the streets went from being smooth stone to uneven ground.

There was no better way to see the difference between modern Entrana and ancient Entrana than there, on the border between the two. A new city raised above the corpse of another.

That overpass connected one of the few and small artificial valleys created by the ancient and virtually abandoned city; Aurum seemed to have wanted to stop there because the light coming from the upper streets barely reached the bottom, and because of the absence of inhabitants offered by the uninhabitable and windows covered apartments around.

"I guess I'll bid you all farewell right here, dear people," the gunslinger warned them before handing the reins to Stanislaus and getting off the horse, who, like the others, was very nervous and restless thanks to the explosion. The water was just below his heels and it was racing downhill toward the manholes at the end of the street. "I'll honor the old man's sacrifice and sneak around here for a few hours."

"Any ideas how to get out of Entrana?" Amos asked, with no clear intention of offering his help in his voice.

"Sure yes, but my lips are sealed... just like yours, huh?" he replied, making the knight laugh softly. Then he turned to Asura and their eyes met, causing the man to adjust his handkerchief as if the mystery of his facial appearance was at risk in front of her. "Princess, it has been an honor to meet you and serve you in the middle of this shitty situation. I wish you the best... And don't worry about Antares: I'll take care of it the same way your girlfriend will take care of you. One way or another, I'll return it to you once I have my money."