LES DÉSCENDANTS

~Chapter 4: Cette Même Nuit (That Same Night)~

The labor camp was positioned right in the center of Marseilles, which meant to make it to the Lands Beyond would take over an hour.

All was quiet among the cobblestones of Marseilles.  It was eerie, seeing people frozen in time...the poor sitting in an alleyway, children in rags frozen playing in the streets, and even several soldiers arresting a soon-to-be Unnamed, who we quickly unfroze with a touch of my hand.  We stole another horse from a rich man's stable - he was frozen in time, smoking a cigar while watching his servant boy brush his warhorse.  We quickly unfroze the stable boy and my new friend quickly hopped off the horse we were sharing.

"We figured you'd want a lift," she said.  "Eat the rich!" 

The servant boy burst into a grin.  The new girl hopped atop the new horse and asked the servant boy and the new Unnamed to hop aboard too.  "Onward, Avenir!" she called.

As we made our way through the streets, we sang La Marseillaise and after another half hour, we had added about twenty more people to our crew that we just couldn't leave behind.

"You realize we're going back to liberate everyone, don't you?" I called to the Girl.  I already felt guilty we had to leave so many behind...

"Let's focus on liberating Paris first, honey, then we vanquish Marseilles," she called up to me.

We took the wall at a full-on gallop, our strange army of vagabonds cheering all the way.  We passed through it effortlessly, just as we had the walls of the compound.  

We were free.

With cries of, "For France!  For Freedom and Liberty!" we made our way into the peaceful Lands Beyond.  We came upon a peaceful wood which stretched out over endless acres.  I looked back at the Girl.  "This is the place," she confirmed, looking at a grassy spot beside a still pond.  "We'll set up camp here.  Let's tie up the horses, then Avenir, you can take the first watch, I'll go second.  Any other volunteers?"

Six others volunteered, so we agreed to do hour-long shifts.

"But first, let's grab a drink!" I called to everyone.  "Fresh water from the lake, and I'm sure a lot of you will be wanting some!"  A loud cheer arose from everyone, and there was a mad dash for the water.  They splashed one another and rejoiced in their new freedom.

"Wait!" commanded the girl.  She had some water in her cupped hands.  "Before I drink thee fresh water of freedom, a toast!  Raise a cup to the freedom of France!"

They cheered, and lifted their "cups" - rather, their hands - to their mouths to take the first sip.  Sighs of relief echoed across the pond - some of them hadn't had a drink in days.

"Now you," said the Girl to me.  "You've been awfully quiet.  Give us a toast."  There were cries of agreement from some of those who I was closer to back in the day.

It was true.  I had been awfully quiet since our arrival.  I hadn't had a single sip of water.  Instead, I had sat alone, closed my eyes, and thought of Jehan when they gave their first toast.  Now I thought of another, who I missed terribly.

I stood, a small smile upon my face.  "I've been thinking of someone who should be with us today, had I held on to him - literally.  We were present at The Flash, and he had a way to escape to safety.  I should have gone with him, and come back with him to help.  Instead, I stayed to help.  Now, I'm afraid to leave you to search for him."

The Girl straightened up and spoke what they were all thinking.  "Why didn't you tell me?  We are fine on our own.  If this person means that much to you, you need to use your skills and go!  Find him, and come back!  If all is successful, we'll still be right here, waiting, this very night.  You've done so much for us already.  We need you to win, but you need to do what you feel is right."