The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 18 - A Beast Too Pitiful

Arthur's body froze as his eyes landed on the Agelians. The once quiet room filled with shouting again as the prisoners cried out for help in a frenzy.

"How did a kid get out?" One of the men asked.

"He's not wearing a collar." Another pointed out.

"Enough!" The man in crimson robes shouted. "Ponn, grab the kid and bring him here. If that explosion was the imperial forces, then we don't have any time to waste. We'll have to forego the third rite and settle for the second."

Ponn nodded before sauntering over to Arthur. "Hey, kid! Come here."

Arthur backed away, matching the man's pace.

"Damn it, don't make me chase you, kid!" Ponn shouted, picking up his pace until he reached a sprint.

"Ponn! Stop screwing around and grab the damn kid!" The man in crimson yelled in a panic before turning toward the still-idle man. "Gorra, go find out what that explosion was, but stay hidden. I'll begin the second rite just in case."

Gorra nodded before dashing past Arthur toward the tunnel that led to The Cat's Cradle.

Arthur silently cheered as his odds of victory increased by a third. Now facing two men instead of three, Arthur allowed himself to fall before pretending to struggle to get back up.

"Got ya!" Ponn laughed as he grabbed Arthur and effortlessly threw his slim sword over to the altar.

"Let me go! You're a bad man!" Arthur cried out as he carefully maneuvered his arms so Ponn couldn't feel the blades hidden within his sleeves.

Ponn grabbed Arthur's face in a rage, squeezing it as he brought it before his. "It's you and your kind that's bad, kid. You're vermin in human skin that needs to be eradicated from this world."

Ponn strengthened his grip, digging his fingernails into Arthur's cheeks. "You should feel grateful that our god is merciful enough to take you despite the sin of your birth."

"We don't have time for this!" The man in crimson roared. "Bring him! We still need another sacrifice to complete the second rite."

Ponn stared into his eyes momentarily with a level of disgust that he hadn't witnessed in two lifetimes. It was as if just breathing the same air as Arthur brought the man severe discomfort—As if Arthur were a beast so pitiful that the mere sight of it induced a rage against its very existence.

Ponn released Arthur's face and carried him over to the man in crimson robes, who began to chant. Arthur thrashed around frantically but was easily overpowered by the strength of a grown man and placed on the altar.

When he felt the time was right, he glanced at the man in crimson before lifting his right forearm and lining it up with Ponn's chin.

Ponn's brow crumpled. "What are you—"

—The blade shot out from its sheath before Ponn could finish his question, entering his skull from beneath his chin before exiting his crown.

Arthur didn't have time to return the blade to its sheath. Instead, he immediately aimed his left arm at the man in crimson as gravity forced the first blade to hit the ground beside the altar.

However, he didn't account for Ponn's weight. His body collapsed on top of Arthur when it went limp, knocking the wind from his lungs right as he fired the second blade.

After recovering, Arthur glanced toward the target of his second attack as he hastily freed himself from beneath Ponn's corpse. The man in crimson stood a few feet away, lightly clutching his chest with a muddled expression.