The loud commotion happening in the inn of course hadn't gone unnoticed by the people outside. The curious onlookers were frightened by the three men jumping out of the window.
Two young men and one older man taking flight and running away from the soldiers aroused waves of exclamations and gasps from the audience who hastily got out of their way, not wanting to be involved.
Scattering to two sides like tides opening a path in the sea, the crowd watched in nervousness and anticipation---both good and bad---of what's to happen. Most of the people in the crowd had gathered around to catch some entertaining gossip for the day they can chat to their friends about. This exciting chase is definitely going to become the number one topic to talk about before the end of the day.
"Hey, hey! I heard that the governor of this town was just killed some hours ago. Do you think maybe this is related to that?"
"Ha! Probably. I mean what else could make these 'esteemed' soldiers make their move? Humph!"
"Hush...Don't talk so loudly like that,...what if they hear you? Don't you want to live?!"
"Tch. Of course I want to live. Who wouldn't want their lives?! You're too paranoid, how can those jerks hear us from there? Especially when they're already so preoccupied with those three escapees."
"That's right. You're too paranoid."
"Hmm, you do make some sense..."
Listening to all the whispering among the surrounding people, Abner was unbothered as he, along with Ash and Arlo, focused solely on escaping out of their chasers' grasp, trying to shake them off their tails.
Seeing as how their pursuers were gaining up on them, Abner gestured for them to move separately to split the enemy's attention and reduce their forces, giving them better chances of escaping successfully.
"Split up!" Abner shouted as he ran, his tone like that of a commander giving an irrefutable order to his soldiers.
And just like disciplined soldiers following their superior's command without an ounce of rebellion, Ash and Arlo split up from Abner and each other right away. The three diverged from one street to three. Each carrying their own tails.
Abner distanced himself more and more from Arlo and Ash as he distanced the soldiers after him. Suddenly, Abner dashed at one of the buildings nearby.
"Ah!" A woman's scream was heard. Her scream was more out of surprise than fright as she, along with other spectators, watched with wide eyes and mouths as Abner skillfully and rapidly climbed up the two-story building with his bare hands.
The shock and amazement they had for such a scene was measureless.
In spite of the awe Abner had unknowingly caused for the people below, even for the soldiers, Abner continued on without a pause. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and sliding across rooftiles, and even gliding from one street to another using the ropes hanging around from house to house people use to dry their clothes and etc.
The out of breath soldiers chasing after him were exhausted and almost without breath in them from this agonizing chase which rewarded them with nothing except for sweat and enervation.
Persistent, and without a choice, the soldiers and guards ran after Abner like worn-out cats pursing a speedy mouse---hungry and tired, can't catch up but also can't give up. They were in a dilemma. If they give up the chase with no results, their captain would surely punish them severely. On the other hand, if they keep on chasing endlessly, they would eventually wound up lagging further and further behind the seemingly having limitless energy and stamina Abner and still be punished for not capturing the target.
However they thought about it, they won't be eating good fruits. This realization arose despair and fear in these fragile soldiers' hearts, resulting in their escalation of speed and closing in on the gap between them and Abner. Their desire and determination of not receiving punishment pushed them onward, hard.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the suddenly full of energy and bursting with morale men chasing after him Abner wasn't very surprised that they were gaining on him fast, he did expect that the fear of punishment would become their driving force sooner or later. Despite this, like blowing and releasing a fully-blown balloon, they would soon or later lose their air---one cannot depend on willpower alone, especially when their body cannot handle it.
Leaping across the roofs, Abner soon spotted a nearby alleyway and without a hint of hesitation, jumped in. Caught a tree branch.
Hanging onto the sturdy tree branch, Abner swung himself onto land from air. The moment his feet touched the ground Abner dashed off into the depths.
The soldiers after him had quickly caught up to where Abner was before he charged into the alleyway, standing in front of the narrow and dark alley opening, they were at a loss as to what to do. It was common knowledge to not enter the alleyways as it was easy to get lost in, one's sense of direction would be dulled from the many paths and entries within to choose and pick from.
Choosing between braving the dangerous possibility or losing their heads, the soldiers could only steel their hearts and minds and head in.
Contrary to their trepid and fearful hearts, Abner was at complete ease in the alleys. Drifting through the complex pathways in the alley like it was his own home, he listened and responded to his enemies' movements and footsteps. Never once losing his sense of direction or going around in circles.
All the while his chasers were lagging farther and farther away from Abner and going into wrong paths to find him. Eventually the soldiers even found themselves separated and divided, with some big and small groups hanging around different parts of the alley.
All the while a young man in his 20s sat in a crisscrossed-apple-sauced style on the stone rooftops of an old house watching amusedly at the mice-resembling men scurrying here and there lost in the, in their perspective, increasingly difficult and complex alley maze the longer they remain inside.
Through this experience---which they will starve to death to pay for---they will learn that alleys are not to be messed with nor is it to be causally trampled on, along with its conniving and dexterous manipulative nature.
The young man's violet-purple eyes glinted with a hint of darkness, too deep to read, and standing up in his spot, he swiftly went off to find his companions. Leaving behind headless soldiers who failed to accomplish their mission and failed to get out.
It wasn't until the sky got dark and the sun halfway beneath the earth that Abner finally reunited with his companions in an alleyway close to the "surface".
Upon arriving at the scene, Abner was alarmed by the stiff looking Ash with an ashamed look on his face. Although he did not know what had happened to cause the usually stone-hearted yet hot-headed Ash to look the way he did, Abner was sure of one thing. A dreadful mishap must have happened.
Ash looked up with tense eyes to look at Abner, his lips opening to form words, even his voice was hard, "He didn't manage to escape." He looked away. His fists clenched. He couldn't believe that they got to him so easily.
Abner was dumbstruck for a moment, not understanding who Ash was talking about. Until he realized that Arlo was nowhere to be seen, and other than Arlo, there was no one else that could be named as the "he".
Rage seemed to be burning in Ash's heart as he looked back at Abner with fiery eyes; a rage containing both self-derision at losing a comrade, even though they were not close, and hatred for those who took him.
"Arlo was captured."