The Magical Story of Elise

Chapter Eight

I was terrified. Adrenaline completely took over my body, giving me the energy to run faster than I ever had before. It was as if my body was seeing the situation and mass making energy, force feeding it into my muscles in hopes to get away. Well that was exactly what was happening, but I imagined it in a more personified cartoon-like way in my mind.

My thoughts snapped back to the present. I was still pulling Fee along behind me, who was keeping up just fine. Sage and Cedar were a couple of steps ahead. We dashed through the street, buildings all blurred into one grey, green, brown mass of colour. I wished I had gotten a bit more time to take in this town in the daylight, explore a little and see what was different here from the main city.

Cedar tripped suddenly, throwing his hands out to stop the fall. I pulled him up and urged him to keep running. Air burned my throat as I breathed heavily, all the energy I had gained from breakfast was beginning to be used up, my legs ached and my feet started  to hurt again.

I could hear yelling and the thunder of many footsteps, the guards were catching up slowly but surely. We wouldn't escape this, I started to panic. We were going to be killed.

Sage turned abruptly to the left, dashing down a narrow side street between two houses. The ground was less solid here, slightly muddy. I slipped once or twice but continued on, fear fueling my determination. At some point I subconsciously noticed that Fee was no longer behind me, I thought nothing of it, she would appear again later.

"Any chance... you can... summon a portal?" Sage yelled back between sucking air into his lungs.

"I don't know how!" I cried. I attempted to collect my thoughts and imagine the same white circle appearing in front of us, the white smokey swirls lining the edge and fading out into the air, a blurred image of a new city in the center. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, trying to focus on making it appear. Nothing happened.

"I can't do it!"

Sage didn't answer, accelerating forwards with a burst of speed. How on earth would we out run them? I could hear them closer behind us.

"Halt, in the name of King Majalis and Queen Laelia!" A voiced yelled after us.

So those were the names of the King and Queen of Niuk? I mentally kicked myself, focus Elise. Don't get distracted. Think. How can you escape?

The only thing I could think of was using Sage's elemental magic and then outrunning them. It didn't seem too likely as they were catching up already after they had all been knocked off their feet. Maybe we could hide somewhere. However, I knew nothing of this place. Fear tingled down my spine. This was hopeless.

A sharp pain spread from my nose, cheeks and shoulders as I smacked into something solid. I looked up, nothing. I cursed, the Healer had got close enough to use his barrier. Sage and Cedar, being a few steps ahead hadn't been caught in it and hadn't noticed I had stopped, they continued running, slowly getting smaller and smaller.

I spun around quickly, pushing myself back against the wall behind me.

The Healer and Spirit were at the front of the group, running towards me, followed closely by the guards. My mind decided now was a good time to admire the guard's armour. The pale gold and silver metal was cut and bent into perfect swirls, creating a picture of woven ivy and leaves lined with a thick strip around the edge of each piece of armour. The metal glinted in the early morning sun, small green stones dotted various locations, adding a bit of variation in colour. A green cloak trimmed with gold was attached to each guard's shoulder pads, floating behind them. They looked like mythical superheroes.

They slowed to a stop a few feet in front of me. The Spirit calling to half guards behind to continue on and catch the others, the Healer went with them. Unfortunately he made sure to keep the barrier in place as he ran off, just until two of the guards had grabbed my upper arms roughly. I attempted to pull away but was rewarded with a kick to my left knee.