The Rainlands: Grand Delusion

Chapter 55: You've Changed

He checked the man's pulse. It was erratic, weak, and faint, but Levi felt better that he hadn't killed him. Quickly, he unbuckled the man's sword and knife. Leaving him there in the snow, he rushed into the trees, some hundred feet ahead. Then he carefully followed the edge of the forest away from the battle, going to the north side of the castle. Staying in the shadows, he watched as Jasmine's guard became visible, standing right outside her window. His silhouette formed from the light coming out of her room was dark, but Levi could see his sword wasn't drawn. I can't go at him from the front. Jasmine usually has two more guards outside her door. He'll definitely say something before I can reach him. Maybe if I come from the side?

Levi backtracked through the forest, out of sight of the guard. Then he ran for the castle, scanning the turrets above for guards. However, most of them were empty today, their men called out for the battle in the South. When Levi reached the castle wall, he pressed himself against it, feeling awfully exposed with the moonlight shining on his face. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he inched to his right, following the rounded curve of the wall until he could see the guard again, this time from the side. He keeps checking on Jasmine. Levi observed him for several seconds, wanting to see if when the guard turned back to face the forest, if he would turn in his direction or not. He's checking! Which way will he look when he turns back? Wait...something's wrong...

Levi felt an intense sense of unease grip his heart. His palms grew sweaty underneath the gloves. What is it? What am I missing? The silence was too much, it swallowed everything else leaving only the sound of his shaky breath and his beating heart. Wait! That's it! He looked back at the battle and almost gasped. I can't hear them fighting anymore! Is it over? Who won? Levi looked back at the guard who had turned back to face the forest. I can't wait any longer!

Crunch!

Crunch!

Crunch!

He dashed along the wall like a ghost, eating up the distance with explosive steps. Levi stayed low, hunched down, moving his feet as fast as he could. One...two...one...come on, don't look, don't look! He ran so fast that he had eaten up half the distance before the guard saw him coming. Levi watched the man turn, knew he wasn't going to make. A huge bolt of lightning from the storm split the sky in the distance, shattering the silence. My chance!

Kraaaaaang!

Levi focused everything he had into his right hand. Felt the electricity crackle. Saw the guard's mouth open to yell, his hand reaching to draw his sword. From thirty paces, Levi drew first. His hand pointed and lightning obeyed. A blue and yellow dragon of light sprang from his palm and connected with the man's chest. Instantly, he dropped, not even a cry escaping his lips as thunder rumbled from above, covering the sound of the blast. Levi didn't stop. He raced to the window, not even checking if the man was alive or dead. He poked his head through the curtain, almost bumping heads with Jasmine.

"You came!" She cried out quietly, relief on her voice. Levi nodded staring into her grateful eyes behind her mask.

"Hurry!" He shouted. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed her coat and hopped out the window with him. Seeing the guard, his clothes smoking, Jasmine gave Levi a wry look.

"You've changed." She said while taking the man's sword and his knife. Levi tapped her back and she glanced over her shoulder.

"I thought you didn't use swords?" He remarked while offering the other knife he had taken from his own guard. She grabbed it, secreting it somewhere on her sleeve, but continued to undo the man's sword belt.

"They're usually a bit big for me. But I have a feeling we're going to need it..." She said, peeking back over the windowsill. "They still haven't noticed. We need to get out of here! What's the plan? What's happened? No one tells me anything in there." The room was still empty, the guards outside hadn't heard anything over the sound of thunder.

"My sister and her men are fighting Peirce. He's brought his own people up. Whoever wins, you can't be here when they arrive." Levi glanced at the fight, saw the torches getting closer to the castle. I can't tell who won from here. Above, the storm grew closer, the sound of the wind picking up like a Direwolf's howl. "We need to flee to another city, get the hell away from here. Maybe we can go back to Daya?" His words caused Jasmine to stand up sharply.

"I think it'd be better if we flee to another city in the North, that'd be closer." She said. But Levi stopped her there.

"No, my sister controls the North, and the entire House of Yi. We won't last long in any city here." He said. "We could make Daya, I did the trip without provisions last time, it's doable." Jasmine finished buckling on the man's sword-belt.

"I have another idea. They'll be expecting us to return to Daya, but Peirce was waiting for us there. Clearly, one of my siblings has support in the city. I say we cut Southwest instead. Portas is just on the Northern border, it's about the same distance." She suggested. Levi scrunched his head together, thinking.

"We don't have a map. I only made it this far because of your friends, but I don't know the way to Portas." He said. Jasmine cocked her head.

"What friends?" She asked.

"Mist and Illios. They said they owed Anton a favor so they helped guide me here." Levi replied. "I thought you knew them?"

"Uhm...I can't remember, that's weird. But it doesn't matter. See that gap in the trees? That's the trail to Portas, if my memory of the maps is right. It's in the right direction anyways. Should be straight Southwest from here." She shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously. "Also, the tree cover looks better, should make it harder for horses to track us. If we take the other trail, they'll be on us too fast." At that, Levi had to agree. On the way in, there had been plenty of room for horsemen. But this trail was rustic, clearly less well maintained. Just as he was deciding, he saw figures in the distance on the left.

"Jasmine! We have to go!" He pointed and started running for the trees, desperately hoping whoever was coming wouldn't see them before they made the forest. Jasmine fell in behind him, and to Levi's surprise he had to slow down slightly to let her keep up. It was odd, he remembered that she had always been just as fast as he was, if not faster. She must still be tired. He spared a glance to the left, saw the dark figures still going for the castle. They don't see us! Levi sprinted and sprinted, keeping a close watch on Jasmine. They almost made the cover of the trees. Levi watched as the dark line of the waiting shade grew closer and closer, like a finish line. We're going to make it!

"Stop!" A voice came from behind. Levi felt cold sweat break out on his back as he looked over his shoulder. Two dark silhouettes framed in the light from Jasmine's window. The guards, they're onto us!