Thanks to Heon's incessant urging, the city guard shoved his spear into the quicksand that had already made Sunny prisoner.
It didn't take long for the guard to pull on his spear again. He bet the red-haired manic boy had already freed himself from Azran's earth handcuff.
His guess was correct. Sunny had grabbed onto the guard's spear. Getting himself to the solid ground again, Sunny flicked his eyes to Heon. Then, he sprang and pulled harder on the spear, taking it away from the naïve city guard.
Sunny didn't waste time; he charged with his stolen spear and shoved the blunt end to the remaining guard's stomach and face in quick succession. Knocking the guard back down to his ass, curling on himself with hands clutching his stomach and a bloody, broken nose.
Then, the red-haired manic boy turned around to help Heon. With the same method, Sunny offered the spear to him to take. Lucky, even though the quicksand had pulled him up to his neck, Heon had raised his hands.
Now, safe from the threat of being swallowed by the quicksand, Heon looked at the healer mage with slight panic. "What do we do now?"
"I know a safe place," Sunny replied before he aimed the stolen spear at the grunting naïve city guard again.
"Let him live," Heon said.
"Fine, but we have to run now," the red-haired boy started to move towards the previous direction they came from.
"Wait!" Heon stopped him, "We have to help Azran."
"Forget about that bastard."
"But–"
"Run with me now or I'll just leave you."
Heon didn't like that plan. No matter what, aside from throwing a spear on his back and through his chest, Azran did nothing wrong. But, if he stayed here any longer, there might be reinforcement coming to catch him. He was already on thin ice; no need to lump another problem and bring it along.
With a heavy heart, Heon finally made a decision and ran with Sunny. He didn't even pay another glance at Azran, who had incapacitated one of the guards, and was now fighting hand to hand with the leader of Aldlake City Guards. He just hoped that the green-haired girl survived.
Surely, the city guard would not kill a girl suspected to be a friend of two alleged murderers, right?
They turned right and left. Sunny surprisingly remembered how to get out of the center of that little town. Then, they passed the tunnel Azran made. It was still there. After that, Sunny graciously took another turn and ran further.
Heon was wheezing when they finally reached the forest. "Wait, let me catch a breath!"
The red-haired boy huffed but still stopped for him. It wasn't fair that Sunny didn't gasp for breath. Let alone sweating bullets like him. "You can't run that long and they said you're King Verghan's murderer. That's ridiculous!"
The light brown-haired boy didn't even have the means to glare at the healer mage. Though, he muttered, "Can't you do something with your magic so I can… I can run again? Or… at least replenish my energy fast?"
"You're useless."
This time, Heon managed a glare.
Then, they heard people scream and heavy footsteps at the same time. Sunny narrowed his eyes in the direction of the sudden commotion. Heon didn't feel good about it.
Suddenly, something dark and brown and green covered his vision. "Ack!"
Someone crashed into him, causing both Heon and the unknown person to tumble onto the hard ground.
"Quick! They're coming!"
Heon knew that voice.
"Why do you lead them to us, bastard?!" Sunny snapped at the newcomer, Azran. "You want to die, huh?!"
"We have to run!" Azran hurried to get herself from the ground – and Heon.
Sunny looked as if he wanted to protest, but the footsteps sounded much closer, and he deemed that getting away from Aldlake City Guard's reinforcement was the top priority now.
"Fuck you, bastard! After this, I'm going to skin you alive!" Sunny threatened, but he turned away and ran further inside the forest.
Heon grimaced at the thought of more running when his lungs were still burning, and his legs felt as if they were about to crumble under his body. However, the incoming threat in the shape of many city guards' reinforcements was a good motivation for him to run again.
Also, Azran grabbed his hands and pulled him forward. If he had no dignity left, he'd let the green-haired earth mage drag him.
They ran until Heon was nothing more than a gasping useless bag of sweat. Sunny led them out of the forest, most likely in the opposite direction of Aldlake's little town.
He saw a single building, made of wood, looking a little deserted. A little far away, he spotted some roofs amongst the trees.
"You're crazy if you think we'd be safe in a freaking tavern on the outskirt of Litlebarrow!" Azran exclaimed as she grabbed Sunny's shoulder to stop him from entering.
The red-haired manic boy sneered, "I know the owner."
"That's the reason why we shouldn't hide there."
Sunny scoffed, "You're free to hide by yourself, but me and Heon will go inside and hide there until we lose the reinforcement."
"You're a fool if you believe the owner would stay silent if we bring the king's murderer hunted by the city guards there."
"Unlike you, who was left alone by the city guards to my mercy, the owner knows the price of loyalty."
Instead of countering Sunny immediately, Azran turned to Heon and asked, "You're their main target now."
"Truthfully, I'd like to hide in the tavern for now."
The green-haired earth mage grumbled, "You only say that because you can't run anymore."
Heon gave a smile, but due to his wheezing, his face contorted weirdly. Sunny laughed, "Not that I think your opinion matters, but it's two against one, so we're going in."
Azran looked at the forest over her shoulder, still unsure about this.
"But like I said earlier, you're free to have your own way. I don't care," Sunny muttered and went to the tavern.
He could see the indecision on the girl's face. Heon presented her with an argument, "The city guards already think that we're on the same side here, and I might have mentioned the three of us are friends. I think you better hide with us than be alone anyway."
Azran finally nodded, and they followed Sunny inside the tavern.
The red-haired manic boy was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed and dirty bare feet perched on the table like he actually owned the establishment. He crooked his fingers to call them near and took big gulps of whatever was in the wooden mug – probably beer.
Sunny held out a paper towards Heon and Azran with his left hand, grinning wolfishly. "I never knew you're this famous."
There, on the paper, was a hand drawing of someone amongst the three of them. The big, bold words were self-explanatory enough.
Wanted: Dear or Alive.
Heon Lighwalker – the Kingslayer.
1.000.000.000 Pasai.