Mr. & Mrs Meropide

Chapter Twenty-Four: To Save a Life

"Where are you right now?" Clorinde asked, her voice urgent.

"I'm waiting for the Aquabus for the Navia line. Why?" Wriothesley replied, already sensing the gravity in her tone.

"I need you to take the Clementine line to the West Slopes of Mont Automnequi. Get off as soon as you reach there," she instructed, her words quick and precise.

There was no hesitation in Wriothesley's response. "On it."

He turned on his heel, immediately heading toward the other Aquabus line, his mind already calculating the fastest way to reach his new destination. He quickened his pace, his usual calm replaced with a sense of urgency. He knew he had to catch the next bus, no matter what.

As he moved through the station, weaving between other passengers, his thoughts centered on Clorinde's tone. She rarely sounded so tense, and whatever was happening, it was serious. There was no time to waste. He had to make it in time.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Wriothesley asked, his tone steady but urgent.

"We need to save the life of a child, and I'm not going to make it in time," Clorinde replied, her voice laced with tension.

"Hold on," Wriothesley said as he spotted the Aquabus just starting to pull away from the dock. Without hesitation, he activated his Cryo vision, creating an icy path beneath his feet. He sprinted across it, barely catching up with the moving Aquabus and leaping aboard. The few passengers already on board stared at him, bewildered, as he caught his breath.

"I'm on the bus. What now?" he asked, still slightly winded.

"I need you to get off at the West Slopes of Mont Automnequi," Clorinde instructed as she maneuvered through the air vent, with Vire trailing behind her.

"But the bus doesn't stop there," Wriothesley replied, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"I know," Clorinde said, her voice firm. "But it's our only chance. If we don't get her out of there before the break of dawn, she'll die."

Wriothesley's mind raced as he tried to piece together the situation. "Out of where? I'm working with very little information here."

Clorinde handed the communication device to Vire. "Tell him what you know," she ordered.

Vire's voice came through, strained with desperation. "It's a big hideout, full of criminals, smugglers, murderers—you name it. You're walking into an armed fortress. Please, Duke, save my daughter."

Wriothesley's grip tightened on the communication device as he processed the gravity of the mission ahead. "I'll do what I can," he said, his voice resolute.

"Where in that mess is your daughter?" Wriothesley asked, his tone urgent.

"The main tent, right in the middle," Vire replied quickly. "There will be tents left and right, but she's in the central one."

Wriothesley took a deep breath. "Just to make sure I've got this straight: I have to jump off the Aquabus, walk right into a massive enemy camp, head to the main tent, grab the kid, and get the hell out of there. I can already see the mountain in the distance. Another minute, and I have to jump off," he said, his voice tense.

"That's right," Clorinde confirmed, her own anxiety barely concealed. "It's our only shot."

Clorinde opened the air vent and jumped out, then reached up to securely help Vire out as well. With quick, determined steps, they rushed toward the infirmary. As they hurried through the corridors, Vire's voice cut through the tense silence. "Do you think there's an actual chance, Claire? And don't you dare lie to me," he asked, his tone deadly serious.