[REWRITTEN] Wanted for Protagonizin' [a West of Loathing fanfiction]

Chapter 10

''Well, what's next ? Anyone got a plan ?''

''I find that it is best to leave, now. We will escape by the back, where the plants are usually kept.''

''Escapin' by the garden ! But o' course !''

''If anyone has any questions, then we better keep going. Daisy, lead us the way.''

Daisy was the first person to sneak out of the tent. She looked on either side. Outside of the group fire that let its last trails of smokes flying in the air, no one was outside, particularly not at that time of the night. She turned to them and nodded. As she left the tent, she let it open for Coraline and Pete to go out of it. The former looked at the triangular shelter a last time. At the patterns of red drawn on it. At the perfect symmetry formed on top of the sheet with the pillars. And at the surrounding tents, of white, yellow, blue. Now she was called back, she got herself out of her dream before hurrying to them.

''I am hoping here the nightguard will not catch us going...'' Daisy whispered.

They all sneaked to the southern west direction. Here, separated from the business district that was forming the tents, lied a literal secret garden. Coraline, Daisy and Pete followed the narrow path that was forming the vines. Vines of the plants sacred to the practicums of such custodies : beans. Of all colors. But because of the dark shades of the night sky, it was barely possible to make out something. But one thing was affirmative, for sure : the vines were obstructing the view. The trio made their best to spread the vines away, but they were unusually tough, that one night. It was to the point where Daisy had to use her own powers to free themselves from them... maybe a bit too obviously. The impact on the plants was so powerful, actually, that it formed a little crater on the soil. And the sounding explosion that came with it woke up the villagers, that all started to ruffle inside their tents.

''Oh no... this is not good ! Quick, let us hurry up to the exit !'' Daisy warned before abruptly standing up.

''And our steeds !! What about our steeds ?!'' Coraline shouted while running with Pete.

''They must be in the way...! Now hurry up and move forward, I will try and stop them.''

''Daisy ! What about you ?''

''Do not worry. I will make sure to be quick,'' she addressed them a smile. Coraline looked at her a last time before she parted further away. ''The time for me has now come... to leave this tribe, forever !''

She tapped her staff on the floor. Vines grew themselves from the floor, on either side of her. She saw that there were flaming beans coming out of them. Daisy positioned herself, then gestured her magical staff towards the horde of natives form her kind running to her. The beans immediately detached themselves from their roots, before throwing themselves on the foes, burning their clothes and other objects of kind. They rolled down the dirt to clean their ashes. They swirled their bodies, over and over, to stop the torturous pain that was growing, beneath their skin. Some cowered, and returned back. But some others remained. One of them was no other than the tribe's leader. His feathery crown sorted out from the burnt black mess. Daisy shuddered. She slowly stepped back. The chef sorted out his staff and quickly tapped it down the floor. The beans were already sorted out from the dirt, flying towards Daisy's direction. She countered them with her own staff. But one of them hit her shoulder. She flinched, before she could duck another one to the side. Soon enough, a dynamic duet was engaging itself between the flaming, flying beans and her suave moves. She tried sending her own attacks to him, only to see them getting blocked by him. Then, she saw her walking close to him. She kept on stepping back.

''You... you will not get me back !!'' she shouted. ''I have made my choice ! I am getting tired of being forced under your orders, trapped into a routine that has no sense to me ! I want to be dependable of my moves, of my choices, of my words ! Nothing of what you will say next will make me resilient ! I have gotten tired of being forced into this mold that did not belong to me, anyways...!'' she looked behind her. ''I am getting sick of following your orders, after years and years ! Tonight is the night I get out of this place, all by myself ! You will not restrain me tonight, even if you had to fight me !!''

She rose up her staff again. Her bangs flew up from her forehead, reveling her shiner, blackening the brown from her iris. Then, with a warcry, she planted it to the floor, a last time. It cracked to the chef's feet, which got dragged upside down. He made his staff fall down the floor. All of the sudden, a projectile was sent to her direction. She missed it by inches, it hitting her shoulder. She fell to the floor. Daisy exhaled hastily while she saw the tribe leader slowly getting here from his trap. She crawled backwards. Her vision blurred, throughout her messy hair. She now saw him standing up and slowly walking to her. Her breath quivered. Her heartbeat raced up. A sweat broke from her forehead... her that was so close from freeing herself out of her native home... all to be paid by the prize of her life ? Was this the end she deserve ? Perhaps... was it better this way...?

A whistle. She didn't know it yet, but it would probably be this whistle that would save her life. She turned around. A neighing. Galloping. The silhouette of a horse with a mule cleared itself with the moonlight. Her eyes illuminated. Riding the horse was a young woman with short, red hair flying along the wind. She was holding on her Stetson. She approached her.

''DAISY !!'' she called out. ''Hurry and climb on Nicholas ! We're getting out of here !''

She reached her hand. Daisy caught it and mounted on the horse's back. The tribe leader shouted. Both steeds ran to the opposite direction, levitating sand with their hooves. The three people felt great whips of wind against their face.

''We... we made it ! I can't believe we made it !'' Coraline rejoiced. ''I must tell Rudy about this !''

''This is another step in our new life, made of freedom,'' Daisy smiled.

''All this deserved a good'ol night of sleep !'' Pete exclaimed.

''You're right. That was a tremendous trip we had to make. And it is getting dark. We must settle somewhere safer, for now. Our campsite will wait tomorrow.''

With that agreed, everyone directed themselves to a cave that was situated a few yards away. Thankfully, there was a water source near the shelter, so the steeds could drink after hours of running. Meanwhile, their owners were lied down the floor, a fire lit besides them. They were slowly driving themselves to sleep.

''I wonder how he is doing, though...'' Coraline muttered to herself, before she fell asleep.