Marionette

Chapter 3-Moving

The windy midnight air felt cold against his skin. As he bounced off tree after tree he could barely make out the trunks using the moonlight the shone through the foliage. His metal boots hit the bark with small cracking sounds as Hialur pushed himself forward with Rupture. It had been little over two hours since he left Rifira; the strain was starting to grow, his satchel growing heavier, but he couldn't afford to slow down when running from the Honor Guard. He could coordinate and move his body with surprising ease, but experienced Rupture user would be able to maintain a greater rhythm and for longer than he could, his best advantage was having a head start and not leaving any traces. He'd traveled faster than horses could, but if the Guard caught a single trace of where he headed they could reach him in minutes. He'd have to make it to Cermin and find a place to hide once inside the city.

He felt his energy return a little as he saw the treeline thin out and the torch lights in the city wall appeared in the distance. He shot past the rest of the forest, his feet skidding on the gravel until he came to a stop not far from the main gates. He slowed his breathing and steadied his racing heart. He slid open the compartment in his braces and leggings, letting steam and boiling-hot water pour out. The leather underneath the metal provided some insulation from the heat of the metal, but after extended use it was becoming uncomfortable. Another hour and his arms would start to get scalded as well. Using the armor to propel himself would heat the metal much faster now that he had no water to cool it, and he didn't have much strength left, but he could still make one final push for it.

Going through the main gates is a bad idea, a boy my age coming into the city at this hour would be a dead giveaway when the local Guard comes asking around. He decided he'd go over the wall. The Cermin walls were about ten meters tall, build from dark grey cobblestones. A torch hung on every other battlement, faintly illuminating the ground below with an orange light. The main gate was wooden, with spiky iron bars running along the sides.

Moving away from the main trail and into the grassy clearing, Hialur scurried towards the wall, looking out for sentries. As he came close to the stone barrier he tensed his legs and shot himself up and over it. When his jump peaked, he felt himself starting to lose balance. Conserving energy by using Rupture only on his legs meant he needed to steady himself with his own muscles, and it was proving quite difficult. Now horizontal to the ground, Hialur looked to the sides. It seemed like no one noticed him. Now I just need to not fall on my face. He pulled his body backward as he flew past the wall, trying to regain control. With open arms, he tugged softly on his braces to steady himself, Hialur let himself drop down, his dark cloak fluttering as he descended. One more pull on all four pieces of armor slowed his fall onto the stone blocks that covered the city's streets. A fast scramble towards a nearby tenement let him return to the shadows. He pulled down his hood, removed the braces from his arms and switched the leggings for regular leather boots. It was a hassle to fit everything into his satchel, and carrying it even more so, but a boy his age clad in custom-made armor would be too conspicuous.

The inside of the city was far different from Rifira. The streets were lined with tall buildings, about the stories high, all painted in soft, yet vivid colors. A streetlamp on each corner of the streets shone down onto the irregular sidewalk, built with several small, almost cubic white stones. There wasn't much greenery except for a few potted plants hanging from some of the windowsills. The skies were clear, the moon full. Looking up to the starry sky, Hialur finally found himself a window to think. Well, congratulations, Hialur. You managed to lose everyone you've known and become one of the Guard's most wanted in a span of two days. You're giving grandpa quite a run for his money... He chuckled at that thought.

Dextrin Modul, Hialur's grandfather, was a former Guard general who deserted a few days after his grandson's birth. He told Orion stories about the heinous deeds the Guard committed; the slaughters and extortion that happened in the shadows of their shining glory. He left the Guard, accompanied by a handful of followers, and had been missing ever since. There were rumors on his whereabouts, but none were ever proved. Some said he was hunted down and slain along with his comrades, others claimed he became a mercenary in some faraway land, fighting for whomever paid him the most. What Hialur's grandfather had been doing since he left was a complete mystery.