"She's over there—quickly!" a raspy voice shouted.
Gwendolyn Dawnmere had been enjoying her first outing, finally free from the suffocating walls of the castle. For the first time, she tasted freedom—the gentle brush of wind against her skin, the sun's warmth on her face. It was exhilarating, a moment she had long dreamed of. Her moment was suddenly shattered when masked men emerged from the crowd like shadows.
Fear gripped her chest; she had never even seen her own blood before, let alone faced the chaos of a real fight.
Panic surged through her veins as her guards clashed with the attackers. Gwen didn't wait to see how it would end. Her instincts screaming at her to run—and she obeyed, bolting the moment she saw an opening. Her feet hammered against the cobblestones, her heart racing. Her body betrayed her too soon—her lungs burned, her breath shortened, and her legs felt like stone slabs. Her sheltered life, behind the comfort of the castle's stone walls and silk dresses, showed her that she was not built for this.
Suddenly, a hand gripped her arm and yanked her into a nearby alley. Gwendolyn felt her body tense, ready to fight back—or at least try, but when she looked up, she found herself staring into a pair of striking blue eyes—.
"Hey, are you okay? Come on—follow me," the boy urged, his voice low but steady. He couldn't have been much older than her, maybe around the same age—.
"Wait—who are you?" she demanded, stumbling to keep up.
"Alexander. Those masked guys are after you, right? Don't worry—I know these streets like the back of my hand."
His hand tightened on hers as he led her deeper into the maze-like alleys weaving through them like he had done it a thousand times before—which he probably had.
"Where the hell is she?!" The same hoarse voice from earlier echoed through the narrow passageways, closer now—too close.
"Come on, hurry," Alexander urged as he pulled her along.
Her heart pounded against her chest as they ran. Adrenaline filled her as the wind blew against her face, each breath searing her lungs. Yet the air had never smelled so good. Her legs, though weak, carried her faster than she thought possible. And for the first time in her life, she felt alive—truly alive. A smile blossomed on her face. 'Is this life outside the castle?'
Alexander stopped abruptly, and pulled her into a dimly lit alleyway, "We should be safe here, for now" he said, while scanning their surroundings seemingly searching for something.
"Huh? Oh—yeah," snapping back to reality she replied breathless as the rush of adrenaline began to fade.
A shadow loomed suddenly at the alley's entrance. "So this is where you were hiding princess," a masked man sneered, stepping forward.
She tensed up, frightened she took a step back when Alexander's firm hand gripped her shoulder, pulling Gwen behind him protectively. He stepped forward, shielding her, his small frame seemingly taller now.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. The certainty in his voice unknowingly reassured her more than she realized.
"Ha! Move, kid. Don't be a hero," the masked man growled, stepping forward—.
*Thwack!*
The man's body jerked forward as a rock smashed into the back of his head. His snarl twisted into confusion as he spun around—only to see another boy standing behind him, almost identical to Alexander, with the same dark brown hair.
"What the—?"
Before he could react, a girl dropped from above, bat swinging in a perfect arc. The wood connected with a sickening crack against the attacker's skull, as he crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
Gwendolyn's eyes widened as she noticed the girl's distinct features—furry ears and a twitching tail. A beastman. The girl turned toward her, eyes narrowing with annoyance.
"How troublesome,"
Alexander
Age - 8
Strength - 35
Magic - 1
PL = (Strength x Magic) / 10 = 3.5
Gwendolyn Dawnmere
Strength - 15
Magic 1
PL = (Strength x Magic) / 10 = 1.5