Resilience Run

Chapter 25

Baugh would later tell us everything, and Jagos would corroborate it when he was ready to talk about it. While Nalzosi left us behind in the ruins of the Inn, Baugh had carried Jagos through the town and into the woods, until the village was out of sight.

"Baugh!" Jagos yelled, "Put me down now!"

"Mama said we have to run!" said Baugh.

"Put me down or I'll kick you!" Jagos said.

Baugh didn't want to, at least he told me, but he did stop behind a big tree and put him down. Jagos dusted off his black jacket, and looked down at the ground while Baugh peeked around the tree to see if he had been followed.

"Now we have to wait," said Baugh, "Mom and Mama will take care of that weirdo, and then we can go back to adventuring!"

"They won't be able to beat her." Jagos said, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"What do you mean?!" Baugh said, "They're tough!"

"Not tough enough." said Jagos, "Baugh, I need you to go hide, now, before the woman shows up again."

"But Mama said we have to stick together!" said Baugh, "Jagos, if that lady's coming, we have to run!"

"It doesn't matter how far we run!" Jagos shouted, "No matter where we go, she'll always be there, right behind me! This has to end now, or it'll never end at all! Now go hide so that I can do that!"

Baugh did just that. He told me later he could tell that Jagos wasn't going to listen to him either way, so it would be better to just do what he was told. Baugh was a bit scatterbrained sometimes, but he could be insightful when he needed to be.

Baugh rushed away and hid behind a tree just in time, as Nalzosi walked over to the boy.

"You're fast, my dear." Nalzosi said when she caught up to him, "But you'll never be fast enough to get away from me."

"I... I'm not running anymore..." said Jagos, "Not from you."

"What did you say?" Nalzosi asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, "Speak up little boy, you remember what happened when you mumbled around me, correct?"

"I'm not running from you anymore!" Jagos yelled, and then he launched a fireball at the horrible woman. According to Baugh, Nalzosi must not have seen it coming, because the fire landed its mark right on her chest and knocked her back.

"How... you?!" Nalzosi stammered, but that was all she was able to get out before Jagos launched more magical fireballs at her, scream-crying as he did so. Unfortunately, the magic became too predictable, and Nalzosi eventually managed to deflect some magic and return fire.

Jagos was knocked off his feet and fell on his back, the front of his jacket taking the burns and saving his skin. Before the boy could get back to his feet, Nalzosi was back on hers, and a foot to his chest kept the boy down.

"How dare you raise a hand to me, you little shit!" Nalzosi yelled, "I'm going to make you wish you were dead!"

"You... already did..." Jagos muttered as he clawed at the foot, "You've been making me wish I was dead for a long time... but I'm not scared of you anymore!"

That was when Rhys and I finally came running in. I saw that horrible woman standing over my boy with a foot on his chest, and went straight into mama bear mode, pulling my sword and charging before Felice could even take over my body. Nalzosi didn't have time to turn around before I skewered her with my sword.

"Get away from my son, you bitch!" I yelled, and then I ripped my sword out horizontally. Nalzosi staggered and fell off to the side. As soon as her foot left Jagos' chest, he scrambled to his feet and lit a fire in his hand.