Chapter 27: Our pause
We made it... or so I thought. As the world began to shift something changed. A spike of pain drove through my heart and suddenly our move was cut short. All at once we came crashing down. I wasn't able to react in time and hit the paved street first, the others quickly followed. I watched as the carriage appeared bursting from a hole in the sky and plummeted towards me. Pina flapped her wings in panic, tilting it away as metal axle bent on impact causing the wooden frame to crack. I groaned and stood up to see we were definitely not where we should be. Unknown, surprised and shocked faces stared at our own. The city streets of the Empire.
"Ardent what happened?" Ronalt asked while still being held by Earnest.
"Tch," Ardent spat. We were meant to appear back in the slums where we had drawn a relay circuit. "Lara interfered at the last second. Rain can you move?"
"I'm fi-," blood gushed from my mouth as my heart beat heavily inside. I coughed falling to my knees as Taylor jumped to support me.
"Marley!" she called for the girl who came quickly. The light from her hands eased the pain in my chest.
"We need to go," I choked and struggled to stand.
"You're hurt."
"Doesn't matter," my eyes went to the carriage. The front axle and wheel were bent out of place. Pina wouldn't be able to pull it quickly. "Grab everything you need and quickly. We're going on foot." Taylor helped me get to the carriage and I released Pina while pulling out several bags and strapping on my bow. Luckily we had prepared for something like this and it didn't take long for everyone to grab their things, Ronalt taking the longest to equip on a new set of his armour. Though it only took a minute, the amount of bystanders increased rapidly and surely a few would call the guards.
"Taylor lead the way back to the slums," I stepped away from her.
She lingered, "But-."
"I'm fine," I chugged down another potion to settle myself.
She nodded firmly, "We won't make it to the slums from here but I have other places we can hide." As the sun faded and night came, it wasn't hard to disappear. We followed her and left the carriage behind running between the buildings. Although gingerly at first it didn't take long for the bystanders to strip the rest of our belongings bare. Out of everyone I had the most things too.
Caius looked up into the sky and frowned, "She's searching for us."
"At this distance even she won't be able to find us if we try to remain hidden," Ardent replied while holding his hat to his head.
"Are you sure the slums wouldn't be safer?" Marley asked as we stopped to check if the next alley was clear.
"The problem is reaching it. If they know we fell halfway, it's the first place they'll blockade," Taylor answered and climbed up to the nearby rooftop.
"Would she know?" Ronalt questioned Ardent.
"Most likely," he nodded.
Pina nipped at my shoulder confused by our rushing. The large bird practically filled the entire alley with her pink feathers. I stroked her neck to calm her. There weren't many places we could hide her but I refused to leave her behind.
Earnest chuckled, "This isn't exactly how I thought I'd be exploring the Imperial City."
"It's the only way I know how," Taylor descended from the roof. "We're moving."
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A Hero With/Out Time
Fantasy"I'd kill him if it were the last thing I ever did. No matter who's in my way. The Hero or the Queen, I'd get rid of them, no matter how many times it takes." Up until now I had always thought I was normal, a little on the weirder side but at least...
