This Is A Time For Running (TC fanfic)

Sky

HELLO!
Sorry.
I've been busy! I work during the summer and I haven't had the time really. It's ok, I'll try harder now.
Also -
WE HAVE HIT 200 READS OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU! This is awesome! Thank you so much guys, and keep it up!!!!
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We were trying to get a few packs stringed together. It wasn't working.

"No, tie it there!" Ty says to Jerome who rolls his eyes and complies. I finish my knots when I hear Mitch yell.

"Mitch?" I ask, padding closer. He suddenly shrieks.

"GUYS!" I run over to the edge and peer down into the mucky hole. It seems to go down farther than I remember.

"Mitch?" I call, Ty and Jerome joining me after the shriek.

"Mitch!!!" Jerome yells, a worried expression on his face. The hole seems darker, emptier.

"Oh, Notch, what if he's hurt?" Jerome says, trying to look farther into the sinkhole. I go to reply, but as I do, the ground seems to move.

"What the-" Ty curses, a word I thought he didn't know, and we all back up to a higher, drier spot. It continues shaking and a small hole appears, growing larger. Then, two shapes emerge, both coated in dust and one coughing heavily. The three of us stand there and stare for a bit, as the one figures coughs and the other lies limp. Then, Jerome yells,

"MITCH!" He runs down, dodging water, and falls to his knees by the unmoving figure, who starts moving. It's Mitch.
Ty and I follow his footsteps, running down and Ty staring in disbelief at Mitch, and I at the hole and person who brought him up.

"Who the Nether are you?" I ask after a minute, my head reeling with questions. Who is he? How did he dig so fast? Why did he grab Mitch? Where did he come from?

He gasps, stumbling over to a pool of cloudy water. The dust coats his appearance, and he gulps from the water, then clears his throat. I look him over, still astounded. My mouth hangs slightly open. He looks at me.

It's as if he forgot we were here, because then he turns and dives into the water, making a splash, and starts to swim off, a dull shape under the water.

"Wait! WAIT!" I yell after a second, but he doesn't turn or surface.

"WAIT! THANK YOU! COME BACK!" His head surfaces for a split second, tilts as if hearing me, then disappears and I loose sight of him.

"Who was that?" Ty asks, coming up next to me. I shrug and say.

"No idea. I just wish I could've thanked him for getting Mitch out." Ty nods.

"Yea well, Mitch's fine. He has a headache and a fear of the dark, but he's fine." I nod, then head back to where Mitch and Jerome are talking quietly. They stop and look up as we approach.

"Let's go." I say, helping Mitch up with a hand.

"Thanks." He says and I nod in reply, throwing him packs. As we start walking again, everyone is more on edge, me included, checking for sinkholes, and trying to shove mystery man from our minds.

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It must be about four in the afternoon when we get to completely solid land again. Jerome  falls and starts kissing it, Mitch, Ty and I cracking up at the dramatics.

"Come on, Romeo. We'll make it to the city by nightfall." Mitch drags Jerome away from the patch of ground, and Jerome yells,

"NO! Juliet!!!!" Then breaks down in fake sobs. Me and Ty are dying of laughter, and Mitch has a smile on his face. We stop really quick, to wash off in a small, clear pool and gulp down some food, then keep walking. We seem to be getting in a better and better mood as the hours pass, especially as we pass farmhouses, then a carriage, and finally the smell of a city wafts by.

"Oh, grooooss." Jerome says, scrunching up his nose.

"That smells naaasty." Ty giggles and I roll my eyes amusedly. Mitch, who is busy looking on the horizon, points suddenly and says,

"Guys, look!" We all turn and look, seeing the outlines of buildings, and the sound of people.

"Woah." Jerome says, and I hustle everyone along. Personally, I want to see this. I don't remember ever coming here, and I can't wait.
The city grows bigger as we approach, and finally the road turns from loose gravel and dirt to hard packed rocks. People start appearing more frequently, dressed in different colors and styles , shades of browns, blacks, greys, and one lady with a big, puffy purple hat. We stare as they pass, then after a few dirty stares stop and take side glances at everyone.

"This is overwhelming." Jerome says, taking a breath as we enter the center city. Buildings tower over us, people crowd the streets, most heading in one direction. We follow the flow, and enter a big square with a platform in the center. People are crowding it, and we push until we're pretty close to it.

"What is that?" I ask, breaking our astonished silence.

"Uh..." Ty replies, not knowing himself. Mitch shrugs and Jerome sniffs the air.

"Guys. There's a weird smell here, like, iron." We look at him. Iron? Why would it smell of iron? The buildings seem to be made of stone, and the platform is a slightly reddish wood.

"Ladies and gentleman!" A voice cries out and the crowd falls somewhat silent. Whispers rush through as a man dressed in yellow and white robes climbs the platform.

"Today, a man will be shown the punishment of not serving the gods with his gift!" The crowd whispers around us as we watch, and then a little bit away from us it parts, letting a cart through.

"This man was caught using his magic for himself, not the gods! He failed to serve Sol and Terra, the gods who give us life!" The cart rolls to a stop and two men drag a third man out of it and throw him up onto the platform. We watch, and something dawns on me.

"He will face punishment for his crimes!" The man raises his arm as the man, the bound man with bruises and cuts, his lip swollen and his eye black, yells in fear.

"No! No! I swear I will chan-" His words are cut off and a strange gurgling noise emits from his throat. The man in robes slices his arm down, and without warning, the beaten man's head falls off, a neat cut through his neck.

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We stare in horror as the crowd cheers around us, celebrating this man's death. Ty makes a horrible breathing noise, and closes his eyes as Jerome mutters,

"Iron, the smell of iron." The smell of blood. Mitch stares at me and I can't take my eyes off the decapitated head. I watch it roll then slow to a stop, and the body falls with a muffled thump. My mouth opens for a minute, the shock getting to me. The crowd cheers louder as the man, priest, smears his blood over his robes.

"You aren't from around here, are you?" A voice asks behind me, and I turn.