Careth had only one thing in mind, and that was to leave. Of course, it has been the only thing on his mind ever since his encounter with Rian, but right now, he was getting desperate. Very desperate.
Such desperation could be seen when he had argued with one of his servants at night. Careth thought his bribery would work again, but apparently this particular servant was difficult to persuade.
"Young master, no matter how much you give, I will not let you set foot out of this room!" She said, and used her body to block the doorway, trapping Careth inside.
Careth was seething. He had already got all the supplies he needed; all that was left is to get to the infirmary, and he would be free. But his stubborn subordinate had to get in the way.
'You're just a mere servant. What gives you the right to treat me this way?' he thought indignantly. He looked to the side, coming up with another solution.
"Looks like it's not money that you crave. Fine. Tell me, what do you want? I'll give it to you as long as you let me out."
The wilful servant crossed her arms. "You are NOT leaving, and that is final. The master's words are more superior than yours, anyway."
Careth was ticked off. Then, he managed to string an idea together, and a sneer curled up his lips. "Oh? And who do you think my Father will believe? Me, his son, or you, a lowly servant?"
"W-What?"
Careth placed his palm to his cheek, sighing dramatically. "Imagine if I told Father how you treated me tonight. Barging into my room, taking advantage of your night watch, and being all inappropriate—"
"Young master!" The servant yelped, her face red from anger or embarrassment, Careth didn't know. But it seemed to him that he got his point across, so he threatened, "If you want to keep a clean record here, then let me out. Otherwise, I don't know what else might slip through my tongue when I meet Father."
He brushed past her stricken figure, smirking in triumph and raced down the hallway. The female servant watched him go helplessly, and thought in horror at what the previously kind and patient young master had become.
—
The young heir was the last to arrive in the infirmary. When he entered, he saw Nurse Rosetta helping Rian with his disguise, and Merry waiting at the side timidly.
Careth ignored her and greeted the nurse. "Where's mine?"
She pointed to a worktable, where one last piece of clothing sat. He set aside his sack and put it on, worming through the hood and slipping a mask on. The trio were clad in a brown cloak concealing a white uniform underneath, and donned similar surgical masks. The cloak came with a hood, but Nurse Rosetta suggested that only Careth should wear it.
"It's to prevent looking too suspicious. You guys already have a mask; the hood is just an extra." Nurse Rosetta explained as she helped tie Merry's hair so she would look different. "It'll be dark anyway, so don't look nervous and act natural."
They nodded, and followed the nurse out of the infirmary. Rian manipulated the sound of their steps and movements so they were muted, and they managed to leave the manor successfully.
Careth breathed in the air of the night. Even thought he was wearing a mask, he could still taste its freshness. The air was cool and soothed his throat, which was used to the stifling, humid ambience of the manor. His feet pressed against the pebbled, coarse ground, and for a moment Careth missed the manor's smooth and glossy marble floors. But he shook off that thought and instead embraced the town's nature, indulging in this once in a blue moon moment.
The group walked briskly but steadily, aiming to move quick but not too quick that it would attract attention. As they entered the streets, their figures were illuminated by the lampposts, making them inherently more conspicuous. Careth's steps started to become stiff.
Voices floated from the bars, restaurants, and even the street opposite, reaching Careth's ears.
"Place your bets! Those who think the heir is Blessed, place your money in the right bag. Those who think not, in to the left!"
"Say, we've been having Blessed heirs for quite some time now. Wouldn't it be exciting if this one turned out different?"
"Right? I heard the last one was quite dimwitted, but that isn't as exciting since he's probably still alive."
He could sense heads turning to their direction. Passers-by muttering at their appearance. Careth pulled on his hood and increased his pace, almost bumping into the nurse several times.
'Calm down, damn it! Don't screw up this one chance!' He scolded himself.
A warm hand silently enclosed around his shaking one, and Careth knew who it was at an instant. He did not look back, for his pride forbade him to, but he clasped onto her hand tightly, grateful for her comfort.
Merry was relieved he didn't push her away. Hand in hand, they continued down the streets until they reached the gates.
Similar to the Willdyer's manor gates, the town's also had a stone frame, but instead of iron being the foundation, it was thick and solid wood. The gates also stood at an imposing height, connected to cement walls that stretched and surrounded the entirety of Hiraeth. Guards were stationed at the top of the walls in their respective towers, armed with guns to fend off any monsters that dared step over their boundaries. At the bottom, where Nurse Rosetta and her group were, there was another station for coordinating the entry and leaving of citizens.
Nurse Rosetta approached the man in charge, showing her identification and explaining her situation. As the adults conversed, Careth noticed that the man started to slur as he pressed a button, and a few moments later, he fell backwards and never got up again.
A window opened in the middle of the gate, coincidentally large enough to fit a child through. Nurse Rosetta went forward and obtained her medicine, but like before, the dealer started to waver, and he fell out of sight with a thump!
"Quickly, now!" The nurse said urgently, and Rian pushed Careth towards the hole. He squeezed through and popped out on the other end, landing next to the unconscious dealer.
Nurse Rosetta passed him his items, and instructed for Rian and Merry to make a scene. Merry screamed, and thanks to Rian's amplification, the guards' attention turned to them.
"Hurry, before they see you," the nurse said, and Careth nodded one last time before he ran.
He ran, clutching his bags, and never stopped for a breath.
He was out in the open, completely vulnerable, completely exposed. Because of this, although his legs grew sore and his breaths heaved, he didn't stop, and kept running towards the bridge that began to come into view.
He was getting close. The river dazzled under the moonlight, and Careth could make out the entrance of Accruxia at the horizon.
'Once I pass the bridge, I'm out of Hiraeth's bounds,' he thought, and his excitement channeled his adrenaline which made him increase his speed. 'I'm almost there.'
Bang!
Careth fell to the ground face first. He picked himself up and crawled, trying his best before the pain started to kick in.
Bang!
This time it was a few centimeters off. The bullet hit the ground next to him, and Careth could hear thundering footsteps and the clanking of armor.
Bang!
The bullet grazed his cheek. At this, the throbbing in his leg had reached its peak and Careth collapsed, tears leaving his eyes while blood flowed from his calf.
Guards from the gate and the manor alike finally reached the boy, and they placed him on a stretcher, carrying him back. All in a blur, Careth could feel the sensation of cloth wrapping around his injury, his bags being snatched away from him, and the knowing gaze the guards gave to each other and him, as though saying,
We will do anything to uphold the Tradition.
—
Just after the heir had slipped through the hole, Nurse Rosetta commanded Merry and Rian to execute the plan. Merry shouted at the top of her lungs, and Rian manipulated her screams to sound even louder, and it got the guards' attention.
The guards fired, aiming at Rian, who dodged the bullets swiftly like child's play. He kept running and jumping from one place to another, while Merry hurried under the gate's shadows, out of sight from the guards.
Everything was going well until Merry saw a herd coming from uphill. They marched down, and Merry saw they were guards from the manor heading to the gates.
"Rosetta! The manor guards!" She warned, and the nurse clenched her fists as she witnessed the charging group.
"Marylith, go home!" she said, and gestured for Rian to pull up his hood and bail.
Merry rushed to the opening at the gates to check on her friend; Careth was still running, and he still had a distance before he reached the bridge. "I don't think he's going to make it!"
"He won't ever make it if you don't go home!" Nurse Rosetta exclaimed, and held the girl firmly, saying, "Looks like we need to try again some other time. For now, just go home before your parents notice, or you'll never be able to help him again."
"I-" but Merry was interrupted by a cry from Rian, who went ahead and attacked the manor guards. He clobbered a few, resisting from using his Talent as he didn't want to expose his identity.
"They'll notice something if you don't hide. Please, girl, just run." The nurse pleaded. At last, Merry listened and went the other way, returning to her home.
Nurse Rosetta glanced over at Rian, and was relieved to see him gone with the wind. Rian had understood that he needed to keep himself hidden and finally left.
As the guards approached her, she dusted her dress and put on a frown, asking, "Is everything safe at the manor?"
One of the guards answered her. "It's bad. The heir has escaped. We think he might have ran through here. Have you seen him?"
Nurse Rosetta blinked. "No, I don't believe so. However, there was a person attacking me, and they got the station guard as well as my dealer."
"We know. He attacked some of us too, but then he just left." The guard said, momentarily confused. He then waved to instruct the gate guards. "Anyway, we must check the gate. Please excuse us."
"I may be of help. What should I do?" She pulled on his arm, trying to buy more time.
The guard smiled in appreciation. "I saw you guide a girl to safety. You've already done enough."
Bang!
The mob instinctively got into action and opened the gates, charging outside. Nurse Rosetta chased after them, hoping that Careth had at least reached the bridge.
Bang!
Her heart hammered as she gripped on the package of medicines, praying.
Bang!
She came to a slow stop when she saw his limp body on the ground.