alarm. He swung his staff in a wide arc, catching the Elitesman that approached from behind. He followed up with a crushing blow to the head, and the Elitesman moved no more.
With a nod to the captain, Aaron drew upon the energy around him and leaped into the air closing the distance between himself and the remaining Elitesman. The crowd began to scatter, and the Elitesman snatched a fleeing child attempting to run past him and turned to face Aaron with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Aaron stopped in his tracks and held his breath. The end of his staff touched the ground next to his feet, and the runes began to glow faintly. The Elitesman held his blade to the child’s throat. Why do they always go after the children? The energy practically crackled down his arms and legs, eager to be released. Aaron saw something move along the crowd’s edge, and the Elitesman’s sword arm jerked away from the child’s throat. Aaron released the energy built up within him and moved so fast that the world stilled around him as he blurred into action. Grabbing the Elitesman by the scruff of his neck, he launched himself into a powerful jump, clearing the buildings around them. Aaron slammed the Elitesman down upon the roof of a small nearby tower. Before Aaron could deliver the final blow, the Elitesman reached inside his pocket and disappeared.
Aaron clenched his teeth, looking toward the dark towers in the distance. Then he slowly leaped down to the street below and headed to where Verona and Roselyn would be waiting.
***
“Who was that?” Anson asked, coming to Nolan’s side.
“I don’t know,” Nolan said, grateful for the help of the stranger. “Release them and help them get to safety,” Nolan said, and the miners disappeared into the crowd.
“What about him?” Anson asked, gesturing toward the dead Elitesman.
“Take the body and burn it,” Nolan said. “I want all evidence of it to be destroyed.”
Nolan said a silent prayer to the Goddess, rubbing his hand in a small circle upon his brow in a customary show of respect. Anson, who had caught the gesture, stepped up to him and handed him a leather pouch pulled from the Elitesman’s pocket, which Nolan stuffed into his own. The crowd, which had been an angry mob before, began to dissipate.
The guards gathered around after carrying out his orders. Most looked shaken by the events that had taken place. Twenty men looked expectantly at him for orders. Nolan looked at them all with a mixture of sympathy and pride. They had stood with him, ready to defy the injustice of the Elitesmen, knowing full well it would bring their wrath. Some, like himself, had families.
“It was an honor to stand by you on this bloody day, my friends,” Nolan said. Friends they were, for from this day forth they could be nothing else. “I fear that the ire of the Elitesmen will be swift. None of us are safe. The Elitesmen will not stop with us. They will visit their retribution where we live. The lives of our families and loved ones are in danger. The city is not safe for us.”
“Where can we go?” one of them asked.
Nolan looked back at them helplessly. Where could any of them go now? He couldn’t answer the question because he didn’t know himself. Anson cleared his throat and gestured to the ground. In the dirt was a sketching of a dragon cradling a rose, with one clawed hand raised before it.
Some of the guards gasped their protests, while others hastily looked around to see if anyone else had seen. Anson quickly brushed away the image.
Nolan looked at Anson, unable to keep the puzzlement from his face.
“The Resistance. We should seek their aide,” Anson said. “You’re new to the city and don't know how widespread they are."
Judging by the men’s reactions, he could tell that more than a few were quite familiar with them.
“We shouldn’t talk about this here out in the open. Let's meet in fifteen minutes,” Anson said and gave them a location to meet. The
With a nod to the captain, Aaron drew upon the energy around him and leaped into the air closing the distance between himself and the remaining Elitesman. The crowd began to scatter, and the Elitesman snatched a fleeing child attempting to run past him and turned to face Aaron with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Aaron stopped in his tracks and held his breath. The end of his staff touched the ground next to his feet, and the runes began to glow faintly. The Elitesman held his blade to the child’s throat. Why do they always go after the children? The energy practically crackled down his arms and legs, eager to be released. Aaron saw something move along the crowd’s edge, and the Elitesman’s sword arm jerked away from the child’s throat. Aaron released the energy built up within him and moved so fast that the world stilled around him as he blurred into action. Grabbing the Elitesman by the scruff of his neck, he launched himself into a powerful jump, clearing the buildings around them. Aaron slammed the Elitesman down upon the roof of a small nearby tower. Before Aaron could deliver the final blow, the Elitesman reached inside his pocket and disappeared.
Aaron clenched his teeth, looking toward the dark towers in the distance. Then he slowly leaped down to the street below and headed to where Verona and Roselyn would be waiting.
***
“Who was that?” Anson asked, coming to Nolan’s side.
“I don’t know,” Nolan said, grateful for the help of the stranger. “Release them and help them get to safety,” Nolan said, and the miners disappeared into the crowd.
“What about him?” Anson asked, gesturing toward the dead Elitesman.
“Take the body and burn it,” Nolan said. “I want all evidence of it to be destroyed.”
Nolan said a silent prayer to the Goddess, rubbing his hand in a small circle upon his brow in a customary show of respect. Anson, who had caught the gesture, stepped up to him and handed him a leather pouch pulled from the Elitesman’s pocket, which Nolan stuffed into his own. The crowd, which had been an angry mob before, began to dissipate.
The guards gathered around after carrying out his orders. Most looked shaken by the events that had taken place. Twenty men looked expectantly at him for orders. Nolan looked at them all with a mixture of sympathy and pride. They had stood with him, ready to defy the injustice of the Elitesmen, knowing full well it would bring their wrath. Some, like himself, had families.
“It was an honor to stand by you on this bloody day, my friends,” Nolan said. Friends they were, for from this day forth they could be nothing else. “I fear that the ire of the Elitesmen will be swift. None of us are safe. The Elitesmen will not stop with us. They will visit their retribution where we live. The lives of our families and loved ones are in danger. The city is not safe for us.”
“Where can we go?” one of them asked.
Nolan looked back at them helplessly. Where could any of them go now? He couldn’t answer the question because he didn’t know himself. Anson cleared his throat and gestured to the ground. In the dirt was a sketching of a dragon cradling a rose, with one clawed hand raised before it.
Some of the guards gasped their protests, while others hastily looked around to see if anyone else had seen. Anson quickly brushed away the image.
Nolan looked at Anson, unable to keep the puzzlement from his face.
“The Resistance. We should seek their aide,” Anson said. “You’re new to the city and don't know how widespread they are."
Judging by the men’s reactions, he could tell that more than a few were quite familiar with them.
“We shouldn’t talk about this here out in the open. Let's meet in fifteen minutes,” Anson said and gave them a location to meet. The
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