A crimson bore with long tusks, crimson skin like its name, and most importantly, it’s size, equal to that of an elephant, tramples through a pack of guards like it’s nothing. Arrows flurry, it’s thick skin, spearman with there shield ups resist the wild beast.
Behind it, the walls are covered in red blood, metalic scene is thick in the air. Further back in another corridor— several mercs fend of a group of guards as they run to the stairs.
In the back, watching the commotion take place—- Edric, Aeris , Xantha and Kael follow furthur in the back. Thanks to Kael’s igneous or you could say reckless plan. The entire labyrinth had been tossed into chaos.
They were now on the second floor, and on their way they freed more cages. Letting out more prisoners, creatures and animals. Using their teleportation scroll, which was meant for items, they sent small but dangerous creatures to the surface.
“Hehe,” Kael chuckled with a smug look. “My genius knows no bounds. I can just imagine the chaos on top.” he chuckled evenmore as he reminisced in his mind. “Just a few more minutes, once we're on top , all we have to do is cross the gate… and then we’re scott free.”
“More like wanted criminals, but sure whatever you say.” Aeris replies deadpanned and tiered.
More chaos erupted across the corridor, they squeaked by passing through the guards without being detected. Before them, the set of spiral stairs leading them to the first floor and the hall from which Kael infiltrated.
They reached the hall, a few guards were exiting through the door. They crouched in the shadows, Aeris pointed at a window. After a brief look around, they opened the window, hoping down on the grassy backyard of the gilded lotus.
Edric shook his head, regained his focus, he looked around what he saw was surprising to say the least.
“Over hear sir,”
“Driver step on it,”
“AHH!”
Several nobles with thier masquerade outfit high chance they attended the auction—in droves the guards escorted them to the carriage. There faces screamed in terror. Edric temper started to bubble from their two faced nature.
They scream in fear, but don’t bat an eye when they bid for slaves. Edric clicked his tongue. The smell of smoke and ash filled the air. He look furthur to see multiple spots of fire, screaming and blood.
“Your little plan turned out much worse,” Aeris said, looking at Kael.
A ravenged hawk-like beast tries to spread it’s wings— it’s purple wings shined like jewels in the moonlight. Guards surround it, arched shoot it with roped tries there best to tie it down.;
“What is that?” Edric gasped.
“That’s a scarlet hawk,” Xantha said. “Wow, I have only seen them in books before. But poor thing.” Her eyes frowned.
“There’s nothing we can do.” Aeris trie to comfort her. “ Let’s go, we don’t have much time.”
“Psst” Kael went ahead to scout amidst the chaos. “There’s an alleyway here. If my memory is right, the north gate is this way.”
They followed down the path, keeping to the shadows they slipped by without a soul noticing. They enter a small alleyway between to residence’s, it looks empty without a soul in sight. They went to the back, there’s a small open backyard.
The noise faded in the background, the fragrance of flowers calmed their nerves.
“Let’s rest. We need it.” Edric notices the pale nature of the group. Even Kael looked exhausted behind the wide smile. They nodded, sat down on a quiet corner near the garden.
Kael stretched his legs wide open as he laid flat on the floor.“AHH! My leg.”
Edric rested his back by the wall, looking up at the full moon. The smoke covered the bright source of light like rain clouds, but it was still beautiful. Edric squinted, he has been in this world for a quite a while now, but it was the first time he saw a full moon— a blue one at that. He turned his gaze to the group, Kael closed his eyes and laid on the floor. Xantha and Aeris sat next to each other, using their shoulders as support.
Still they weren't out of danger just yet, Edric took a deep breath thinking of the next step. The gate should be atleast 1 km away, if they do things right they can sneak by in the shadows. The guards should be occupied with the prisoners, mercenaries and beasts.
*WROOM*
The sound of carriages traveling in high speed echoed through.
Some nobles should exit through the gate. If we're lucky we can hitch a ride in the carriage.
Edirc nudged Kael awake. “Go on top, scout the area.”
Kael without a reply , stood up , grabbed his staff and with a single leap hops onto the roof. He squints his eyes to the horizon. Like patches of grass, the chaos were concentrated at a few hotspots. In some places groups of mercenaries and prisoner joined hands to fight back.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
In other spots, the guards scrambled trying to capture different beasts and animals. The small ones were especially deadly, as the guards couldn’t kill the beast– more like they were ordered to capture it unharmed.
He looked further beyond the gate; a barricade. An engraving made out of some glowing blue ruin is marked on the floor, and a garud inserts a stone in the center. A second later a shield surrounds the gate.
“That’s annoying.” he muttered.
He hoped down, and approached Edric. “The good news it the guards are scrambled in pieces.”
“The bad news?”
“Well… there’s a barricade closing the gate. A magic one at that, I spotted some extra security on the walls.”
Extra security was concerning , but it wasn’t too bad.
“Still it ain’t too bad. Quick question, are any carriages leaving?”
“Not that I saw.”
Edric clicked his tongue. Aeris chimed in their conversation. “Let’s scale the wall…”
“In your state?”Kael replied back.
“You aren't in any better state. Besides, more security here means less on the outside. Mustering strength for a minute won't be tough.” Kael opened his lips to reply but Edric interrupted.
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.” He gives a hand to Aeris and Xantha.
“W-What? Can you even climb? And what about her?” Kael pointed at Xantha.
“Oh that, I have a plan for that, and you're strong enough to carry Xantha, right?”
Kael looks bewildered by Edric’s fast paced rapport. “Well.. Yeah so?”
“Let’s talk and walk. Xantha , Aeris you two ok.” He started walking forward taking the lead.
“Yup, I’m all right. Let’s go.” Xantha with new found confidence gets up and follows. She taged along with Aeris sticking close to her.
Kael rubed his temples as the three of them nonchalantly walk. “Ahh fine, I hope it works. Because if I have to fight Cain again, or not to mention the captain guy, I am toast.”
“Relax, we’re all together now—”
A random female voice chimed in.“Where you going-”
“Were– wait” the sudden noise spooked everyone. Edric froze on his tracks, his eyes widened, turning his head slowly to the right— he saw a girl standing next to him. He jerked back to the wall. “WHO are–”
*Boom*
Kael hops in front of Edric with his staff ready for combat, he squinted at the girl—- light blue hair like the night sky, a uniform with a crest at the center, her clothes crisp and clean— in her belt a… paint brush. An abnormally large paint brush at that.
The girls had a wide happy smile on her face like a schoolgirl. “Hello, my name is Scarce, the vice captain of magnus. I heard a few folks had some fun with my captain.”
VICE CAPTAIN!
The girl started walking with her head staring at the moon. “I was taking a walk, wondering who had fun without me. Then I saw a flock of birds. A moment later, I saw you guys weren’t inviting me for some fun—”
*SLASH*
Aeris slash horizontally aiming at the abdomen , thankfully she didn’t react instead— the blade passed through her, and like liquid she… melted.
“HUH?”
“AWW, I didn’t finish TALKING.” The vice captain appeared from the walks behind Aeris. Aeris turned to defend, but she didn’t attack. Instead she just kept smiling, her eyes didn’t lose eye contact.
Crap, Why do I always attract the weird ones?
Without a moment to waste, Edric got up, grabbed Xantha and tossed her to Kael. Nudges Aeris and ran, the vice captain's face became biwildred for a moment.
The plan went to shit in an instant, at least partly. One kilometer away from the gate, only hope is climbing the wall or breaking the gate. Kael took the lead, maneuvering his way through alleyways.
They turned left and right. Maintaining themselves in the shadows, avoiding any guard. Edric glanced back to see if the vice captain was on their tail. But—- no one was following them. Actually it was completely empty, Edric noticed something stranger than that.
“STOP!!” he shouted. Everyone stopped in their tracks.
Kael catching his breath.“WHAT!! She’ll catch us.”
“It’s just that…. Look around.” he gestured to the surrounding area. He pointed at the paint splash mark on the floor, it was obscure. “Haven’t we seen that like 5 times already?”
“SO–”
“He's right.” Aeris interpreted. “ Wait.” She grabed her sword, engulfs it in flame, swirls it into a big tornado and aimed it at the sky. The tornado collided with the sky, then the truth was relized.
Like liquid and paint, the surrounding seemed to fade.
“IT’s an illusion.” Kael muttered.
*HEHEHE*
“You guys are smart. No one has escaped my illusion so quickly before.”
They check their surroundings, the illusions melt to reveal themselves standing in the middle of a road. In fact they had gone the opposite direction to the gate. Crap, things got worse.
The vice captain hops from the rooftop, on her tiptoe she lands on a light pole with grace. “Now meet my little friends,”
Little friend, dont tell what I think it is.
She swung her brush in the air, with a wip and a pan she drew midair. The ink floated in the air like painting on an invisible canvas. The stroke broad and fast reveal to be some sort of lion, and just as Edric expected the 2D drawing magically turned 3D, emerged from the drawing and landed in front of them.
The creature was composed of orange ink, with a hand drawn asthetic to it.
“I call this one Kiba,” she says with a cunning smile. “Now Kiba fetch.”
Kiba thrusts with its backfoot, leaps across the road. Aeries slashes the beast knocking it to the wall, without a moment to waste the group start running before they are trapped in another illusion.
“You think that blob of ink is down,” Edric said.
*ROAR*
“That answers that,” Edric took a deep breath, finger on the trigger, he took a quick turn and fired at the beast. With quick whistle the magic bullet pierced through the beast’s head. A moment later the beast melts to form a puddle of colored ink.
“Nice– Thawk” he slams his face onto Kael's back.
He rubs his head, confused, peeks his head across Kael back. To see five more Kiba’s, all in different colors from blue to orange. They slowly approach , forming a circle around them. On a roof the vice captain sat crossing her legs, head resting on her shoulder and a paintbrush in her hand, she looked like she was seeing a play. Her eyes oddly focused on Edric, on his gun to be exact.
“You guys have a-any idea.” Xantha said in a trembling voice.
They remained silent , then Kael started twirling his staff. “If the roads closed we just goto go on top,” He swung his staff on the ground directly below them, a large stream of gust formed, and a moment later they were lifted through the sky.
Edric swayed his hands in confusion, What the hell! He looked around to and fro , Aeris grabed his hands and with a thrust of her sword. Using the flame burst, jumped onto a rooftop. Kael, holding Xantha land on another roof nearby.
Edric got the jest of it— parkour and run for there life–
*Roar*
A beast jumps vertically towards them, a valiant effort but lacking height. Edric took his shot— his shot now more concentrated and efficient pierced through the beast. Serce the vice captain's interests seemed to peak.
Without a moment to waste they start sprinting on the roof. Taking leaps across one roof to another, vaulting on pipes and wall crawling they made their way to the wall.
Aeris and Kael attacked in wide arcs, launching the beasts in mid air. Edric took this time to shoot them down one after another.
*BANG BANG*
The beasts melted, Edric caught his breath, vaulted onto a window, clinging on to it’s ledge he climbs up. As he climbed up he caught a glimpse of Serce hoping on lamp posts coming in their direction.
Edric focused his gaze forward, the shadow of the Magnus wall began looming over them. They were almost near the wall, they stoped midway onto a building with flat top.
“Look,” Kael said, Xantha on his back opening her eyes. “The walls, only 200m, were almost there.” A small sense of relief formed in everyone’s heart but that didn’t last long.
*WHISTLE*
Serce whistled a musical tone as she appeared on a nearby building. She lifted her brush dramatically pointing towards the sky. “You really think you can leave? pfft.” She laughed like a psychopath.
She stared at them with a cute sad face, then moved her brush horizontally. Spreading puddles of ink everywhere— floor, walls and the road. The group remained cautious as they stared at the puddles.
For a moment there was awkward silence and then–
The puddle elongated vertically, transforming themselves into— humans.
