Princess of O'Khasis (OFFICIALLY DISCONTINUED)

Running

The next month was difficult to say the least.

The number of guards stationed in and around Nahakra was doubled, and the guild couldn't use their secret entrances for fear they would be discovered. Trainees from the guard camp were even offered extra credit for patrolling the village. It had become nearly impossible to steal anything, and the guild was dangerously low on supplies.

Melody knew why security was so tight. All the thieves knew why, it was an unspoken, unanimous thought. Caleb was still after Melody. And it didn't appear that he would give up soon. However there was nothing that could be done, for turning Melody over was unthinkable. So they didn't do anything, they made do with what they had. Until a young girl, looking to swipe some fruit from the market, was captured and taken in for questioning. Because she was blonde. Even when it was made clear she was not Melody Ro'meave, she was not released. And that is where Melody drew the line. She would not let her thieves be captured because of her.

So the guild devised a plan, they had to make Caleb give up, and withdraw his guards. And he was so stubborn that would only happen if Melody was found, or killed. So Melody Ro'meave was to fake her own death, and flee the guild. Because if she died and they found her again, Caleb would flush out the whole guild to catch her, and escape would be impossible. So in the early morning,  under the cover of the dense fog, Melody made her way into the village alone. It was made extra difficult since she had an arrow protruding from her back. Underneath her shirt, melody was wearing a vest fashioned from leather, it wasn't very comfortable, but it was necessary. The plan was that when the mist cleared, Melody would run through the town, causing a ruckus and attracting the guards. The fake arrow was so multiple people could see that she had been badly injured, and help support the rumor she had been killed. After she had amassed a large enough audience, she would lead them away from the village, into the outskirts of the forest, where they would come across a small cliff. It wasn't a large drop, if one were to jump off they would land in the ocean, mostly unharmed. It was in the water that she would disappear from sight, 'dead.'

It was a sound plan, and before she began, Melody sent a quick prayer to Esmund and the divine warriors that she would not actually die. And with that she was off, bursting out of her hiding spot with a cry of pain, running through the village randomly. The shouts of guards filled the air, and soon she was being chased by about two dozen guards. Melody cried out again when her shoulder grazed the corner of a building, jostling the arrow. She ran into the forest, the trees getting thicker the further away they got from the village. Up ahead, Melody could see open air, the cliff. Acting quickly she took a red pill from the bag at her side and popped it into her mouth, crushing it between her teeth. She winced as the bitter taste of the liquid filled her mouth, but she kept running until she reached the cliff. Skidding to a halt, her breathing raggedy and labored, she turned to face the guards. One of them opened his mouth to speak, but before he did, Melody pulled her scarf away from her mouth and coughed 'blood', spraying the red liquid on the forest floor. Shaking, she tried to use the scarf in her hand to wipe the blood from her chin but she coughed again, falling to her knees. Gasping for breath, Melody looked up at them, giving them a clear view of her face, before rolling onto her side, her weight carrying her off of the side of the cliff, a small bottle in her hand. The guards yelled as she fell, but none tried to jump after her. Melody hit the water feet-first, holding her breath for a moment until she unscrewed the cap of the bottle, allowing the red dye the fill the water. From above, it looked as if a pool of blood had formed, and the girl was nowhere to be seen. The only thing left, was a blue scarf, spotted with red blood.

Needless to say, Prince Caleb was enraged. He demanded that the guard who shot her was imprisoned, but no one would come foreword and say they did it. This did nothing to help his mood, however the extra guards were ordered to leave the next day, and the guard camp trainees did too. No one knew what happened, and it was left to speculation.