Chapter 32: Our pause
We made it… or so I thought. As the world began to shift something changed. A spike of pain drove through my heart and suddenly our move was cut short. All at once we came crashing down. I wasn't able to react in time and hit the paved street first, the others quickly followed. I watched as the carriage appeared bursting from a hole in the sky and plummeted towards me. Pina flapped her wings in panic, tilting it away as metal axle bent on impact causing the wooden frame to crack. I groaned and stood up to see we were definitely not where we should be. Unknown, surprised and shocked faces stared at our own. The city streets of the Empire.
"Ardent what happened?" Ronalt asked while still being held by Earnest.
"Tch," Ardent spat. We were meant to appear back in the slums where we had drawn a relay circuit. "Lara interfered at the last second. Rain can you move?"
"I'm fi-," blood gushed from my mouth as my heart beat heavily inside. I coughed falling to my knees as Taylor jumped to support me.
"Marley!" she called for the girl who came quickly. The light from her hands eased the pain in my chest.
"We need to go," I choked and struggled to stand.
"You're hurt."
"Doesn't matter," my eyes went to the carriage. The front axle and wheel were bent out of place. Pina wouldn't be able to pull it quickly. "Grab everything you need and quickly. We're going on foot." Taylor helped me get to the carriage and I released Pina while pulling out several bags and strapping on my bow. Luckily we had prepared for something like this and it didn't take long for everyone to grab their things, Ronalt taking the longest to equip on a new set of his armour. Though it only took a minute, the amount of bystanders increased rapidly and surely a few would call the guards.
"Taylor lead the way back to the slums," I stepped away from her.
She lingered, "But-."
"I'm fine," I chugged down another potion to settle myself.
She nodded firmly, "We won't make it to the slums from here but I have other places we can hide." As the sun faded and night came, it wasn't hard to disappear. We followed her and left the carriage behind running between the buildings. Although gingerly at first it didn't take long for the bystanders to strip the rest of our belongings bare. Out of everyone I had the most things too.
Caius looked up into the sky and frowned, "She's searching for us."
"At this distance even she won't be able to find us if we try to remain hidden," Ardent replied while holding his hat to his head.
"Are you sure the slums wouldn't be safer?" Marley asked as we stopped to check if the next alley was clear.
"The problem is reaching it. If they know we fell halfway, it's the first place they'll blockade," Taylor answered and climbed up to the nearby rooftop.
"Would she know?" Ronalt questioned Ardent.
"Most likely," he nodded.
Pina nipped at my shoulder confused by our rushing. The large bird practically filled the entire alley with her pink feathers. I stroked her neck to calm her. There weren't many places we could hide her but I refused to leave her behind.
Earnest chuckled, "This isn't exactly how I thought I'd be exploring the Imperial City."
"It's the only way I know how," Taylor descended from the roof. "We're moving."
It was a tight fit and at times I feared Pina would get stuck. The bird however managed to push her way through and remain quiet. It was good that she could read the mood. From what I could tell we had headed south from where we landed and then curved east before heading west. The slums were to the south east and over the river. Taylor's suggestion was spot on as all the guards we spotted rushed in the direction. Luckily or really thanks to Taylor's experience with the City she navigated past the patrols, using their movements against them.
A sting of mana fluctuated through my chest. At the same time Ardent and Caius pushed their hands together. Their barrier formed just as a purple light swept over the city sky, shining over even the darkest ally.
Caius huffed, "She's not holding back."
"More like they're ordering her to," I whispered annoyed. "The Empire won't care if she wastes her mana."
"That may be so but at this rate it's only a matter of time," Ardent frowned. "Taylor are we close?"
"Yes," she stepped lightly into an empty alley and began to rapidly tap the stones on the wall of the nearby warehouse. Her expression became smug as she found whatever she was looking for. The stone pulled loose revealing a small bag, inside of which was a key. "This way." Her steps were quick as we skirted the road and to the back of the large warehouse. She once again began to feel the wall and finding a small hole inserted the key.
With a satisfying click the key merged into place and turned to reveal a small door barely large enough to fit Pina inside. We entered without being told to. It was a reasonably sized backroom hidden within the warehouse. From how it looked, it had been built to blend in as if it didn't exist. Inside were several sealed boxes, a single bed and a table.
"I used this place as a hideout whenever I built up too much heat," Taylor took off her coat calmly, relaxed and used to the space. "The walls are thick and the fact my things haven't been stolen means it hasn't been found yet."
"What are these?" Marley asked innocently while opening a box.
"Well I say my things but technically they're someone else's," she smirked.
Ronalt shook his head, "I don't even want to know."
"Are you sure? I've got some pretty exciting stories and we're not going anywhere soon" Taylor purposefully sat on one of the boxes and took out a golden dagger, pointing it towards him.
"No, what I want to know is why he's hear," Ronalt gestured towards Caius. "You five have a lot of explaining to do." Their eyes turned towards me.
I sighed, "Fine, but I'm getting tired of this. Sit down Ronalt… though there really isn't much space." With Pina inside we were basically shoulder to shoulder. She rubbed into my side, quite comfortable with the situation as I once more began to explain.
*
For a good while Ronalt sat in silence. It wasn't like we had much else to do. The initial plan had been to teleport back to Mama's orphanage and then hunker down in the Magician's guild before we faced Lara. Now however we were seriously stuck. All throughout the night the Empire's soldier's had been searching the city and even the slums. We could see the fire of their torches from here. The only saving grace was that they hadn't made a move on the Magician's Guild yet but that was only a matter of time. With the secret of them using Lara out in the open they no longer had reason to hold back.
The night passed into day as we fitfully rested beside each other. Like Taylor had said, no one found us and by morning the worst we had were stiff muscles. I wasn't the first to wake up as Ronalt sat by the entrance his eyes fixated on the hidden door. Without waking Taylor, who was curled up beside me, I moved over to him. His gaze shifted to me.
"Problem?" I whispered to him.
"Quite a few," he replied with a sigh.
"Tell me about it," I laughed at our dire situation. Hidden in a random warehouse, being searched for by the Empire's entire army, a near invincible killing machine of a Hero waiting for us, not to mention she was my best friend…. Even though it was practically my third chance at this, I still didn't know what to do. My plan had got as far as saving Ronalt and even that had only partially succeeded.
Ronalt shook his head, "You more than anyone know that we can't let Lara stay like this. We never should have brought her to this world."
"Actually I'm glad you did," I smiled wryly. "If you didn't I wouldn't exist."
"I suppose that is true," he let out half a laugh. "Rain… how are you going to save her?"
I closed my eyes and pushed back on the wall, "Great question. First we need to get rid of that artefact controlling her but there's problems with that as well."
"Getting close to the user will be difficult," he frowned.
"No, that I know we can do. The problem is the artefact. I had some time in the Magician's Guild to read about it and I can see why they were trying to keep it hidden. Not that Taylor had much trouble stealing it." I looked to where she slept, her arms quivered searching for the warmth I had provided now gone. It was strange how it all related.
"If the artefact is strong enough to control someone like Lara, it is truly to be feared."
"Any normal person would never use it. Not only does it use incredible amounts of mana but it uses a specific kind, mana linked to suffering. The Empire has more blood on their hands than I want to know… but the worst part is how it works."
"What do you mean?"
"Lara's personality and conscience isn't being suppressed, it was crushed. The artefact cleans the slate, in other words…," I grit my teeth, "Lara might not even exist anymore."
Ronalt's entire body clenched, "That can't be…."
"It gets worse," I pushed my hands into my head. "There is every chance in the world the moment we destroy the artefact she'll go berserk. The Empire knows that…. As much as she is an asset she's also their bargaining chip to prevent calamity."
"Have you thought of stealing it?"
"I wonder if we'll have the chance to. The Empire are wary and the Imperium who control it are crazy fanatics." I pulled out a pouch of powder from my pocket. It was a remixed version of the one I brought back in Citlia. "I do have my own hopes though so don't give up just yet."
"I never planned to. Even if I must die, I promised to return Lara home."
I punched his shoulder lightly, "You're a good man Ronalt."
"I am only doing my duty."
"Yeah…," I smirked. Protective and head strong to a fault. The past where he had killed me and I tried to do the same felt so long ago now.
A gurgling stomach resounded beside us and a bleary eyed Marley sat up. She looked around and rubbed her face.
"I'm hungry," she complained towards me.
"I don't think Taylor has any food in here," I replied apologetically. Unfortunately we had left most our food supplies in the carriage. No doubt by now there would be nothing left of it. Her stomach rumbled again and I sighed, "It's about time we looked outside anyway." I snuck up to Taylor's side and poked her cheek.
She roused with a sharp jump, "Oh, it's just you Rain."
"You okay?" It wasn't like her to wake up so jumpy.
"Sleeping here brings back memories," she stood up and stretched her back.
"I'm going to look outside. Seeing as you're the only one who knows this place, care to join me?"
"Why Rain, asking me out while the others are right here? How brave of you."
I flicked her forehead, "I think we're past that point."
She winced from the finger attack, "I can think of a few things you wouldn't do with everyone here."
I took her hand, "Let's just go. Ronalt we'll be back soon. If we don't return within the hour assume something happened.
"Understood, I'll stay here."
I opened the hidden door and closed it behind us leaving one final message, "And don't pick a fight with Caius, you'll lose."
He waved us away.