The Rise and Fall of Insomnia

Chapter 9: Escaping the City

Waves of heat from the passing flames quickly left and were placed with icy winds as Ayla continued to follow after Libertus. However, it seemed that their quick departure would be interrupted yet again. Glauca suddenly landing in the middle of the road. The ground where he landed left crumbled beneath him. An indent in the asphalt road left underneath his large jet boots. 

It was when the car came to a sudden halt, Ayla made a sharp turn around the car. Estella's grip on the bike tightening at the sudden turn of the bike. Coming to a stop, Estella could only watch with bated breath with Ayla as Glauca tried to reach for Lunafreya in the passenger side window. Seeing Libertus pull Luna into the driver seat was when Estella summoned her daggers after hopping off the bike. 

"Estella-"

"Wait Ayla."

The older female said as she formed an ice chain before throwing one of her daggers into Glauca's armor. Piercing it before she yanked hard on the chain. Causing the armored male to pull back a bit just as Libertus climbed over the roof of the car and stabbed Glauca with the kukri Nyx made him hang onto. 

"Floor it!" 

Libertus yelled to Lunafreya. Doing as instructed, her heeled foot stomping onto the gas pedal on the vehicle, pinning Glauca between the bridge's paralleled running concrete railing and the moving vehicle. 

The statue of the Mystic warped to their location, causing Luna to express her concern. 

"Libertus!"

She called out in a panic.

"Just keep your foot on the gas!"

He yelled to her as Estella's dagger finally broke free from it's embedded spot in Glauca's armor. Yanking her dagger back into her hold, she caught the handle with ease as she dispelled the ice chain. Climbing back onto the back of Ayla's bike. 

The large sword the Mystic wielded swung towards Drautos, the force being enough to knock their enemy back and away from the vehicle. Luna driving the car, with Libertus still on the roof of the car, as she crossed a gap in the road. The gap throwing Libertus off the roof and onto the asphalt road just as Luna pressed her foot firmly against the break. With a grunt, Libertus slowly rose to his feet, stumbling as he approached the driver's side. 

"You alright?"

He asked the princess before glancing back at the battlefield they just barely escaped from and spotted Nyx. 

"I'll be waiting for you, hero."

He says aloud to himself. Ushering Luna to get back into the passenger seat, the injured male climbed into the driver's seat. Looking towards both Ayla and Estella, it was the nod of Ayla's head that signaled they were good to go. Both forms of transportation taking off once again once Ayla jumped the same gap in the road they had. Making another attempt to leave the city. Hopefully, this time, they'd be able to get out without any more interruptions. Only when a sudden shake of the road caused both drivers to regain control over their steering after a small struggle to. The sound of another Imperial airship passing over them. 

When a fork in the road was reached, they began passing more buildings that laid in disarray and ruin. Most fires dimished or faded as the dawn began breaking through the sky. 

It was as they passed a tall apartment building that another next to it began crumbling. 

"Shit."

Ayla mumbled. Libertus sped up, clearing it with ease. Both Estella and Ayla were not so fortunate. Crashing above them, falling debris began falling down. One large chuck of the building landing in front of them, causing Ayla to harshly yank the handlebars to the bike to the right. Only to cause both herself and Estella to fall off the bike, tumbling to the ground. Estella's body rolling until it had slammed against a wall of concrete. Knocking the wind out of the princess as Ayla had rolled to a stop. Her arms and legs now littered in various cuts and bruises that would most likely form soon. Rising to her feet, Estella tried to regain the air in her lungs as she held her side. Her other hand fanning the dust away from her face to see clearly. Coughing as she attempted to speak the first time. Able to find her voice the second time she spoke up as she squinted through the cloud of soot and ash that partially blinded her.