Bastial hell was he thinking?
While holding on with one hand, I pulled my wand from my belt. I cast a small fireball about the size of my fist. I didn’t have the concentration in that moment for anything bigger. It struck the guard in the chest. He slammed his head against the open window and retreated back inside with a shout.
“What happened?” the other guard asked.
I heard them starting to run away from the window. “He’s got the Princess! They’re going out the window!” They were coming around to get me.
I needed to hurry, especially because I’d have to flee while carrying Lisanda. I couldn’t outrun them. I had to find a place to hide.
I slid down quickly, navigated around Lisanda, and set my feet on the ground. I frantically tried to untie her but gave up after a breath. The knot was too tight.
It took me about five rapid heartbeats to create a small razor out of SE and another five to cut her loose.
“There!” It was the guards. I hadn’t gotten out of sight quick enough. I looked around desperately, beginning to think it was all over.
There was an alley between houses in front of me. Should I leave Lisanda and run for it? No, not after everything I’d been through. She was my only leverage.
I ran to the alley with my hostage bouncing around on my shoulder.
My shoulder, back, and arm all burned with the excessive strain, and I nearly dropped her twice in the span of a few breaths.
There was a fork in the alley. A cluster of barrels were stacked up neatly to the right, so I went that way. With a strong gust of Bastial wind, I knocked the barrels over behind me and kept going. I turned a corner.
“He went this way.” I could hear the guards kicking the barrels out of their path. One of them fell and cursed.
I was already at the point where I could only jog. I needed another plan besides running. A few turns brought me to a dirt road.
There was a horse tied to a cart. There had to be someone nearby who owned it. I found him pissing on the corner of the house. He swayed back and forth, humming something, clearly drunk.
Good, I thought, rushing over to the cart behind the horse. It was cloaked in a dirty brown cloth. I yanked it off and found a cage had been fashioned to the cart, making it a transport vehicle for live animals. I’d seen one before but never driven one.
Unfortunately for Lisanda, there were about ten chickens clucking around inside of it.
I unlatched the door and guided her inside like putting a piece of meat into an oven. The chickens were startled, jumping around with open wings in an attempt to avoid her limp body.
Even in my panic, I couldn’t help but notice the floor was covered in hay and chicken excrement. She wasn’t going to like this. I threw the cloth back over it.
I took Lisanda’s purse from my pocket, grabbed a few coins, and threw them at the man still pissing.
“For your horse and chickens.” It wasn’t even close to the amount of money needed to make it a fair trade, but it was all I could spare and better than nothing.
He swung his head over his shoulder at the coins dancing around him. With a baffled look, he immediately fell into a dilemma of finishing his piss or reaching for them.
I climbed on the horse. The guards had found me. They shouted for me to stop.
I kicked the horse to speed around the nearest corner, taking another turn as soon as I could.
The shouts quieted, leaving only the sound of panicked chickens flapping around Lisanda in the back.
Chapter 12: Betsa
I had no more dream dust, hardly any money, and no food except Goreng’s crackers.
I had to be more careful than ever. If a guard on horseback found me, that would be it. If a guard on foot was able to stop my horse, that would be it. If someone else recognized me who’d heard of the kidnapping, that could be it.
Everything could be over with the slightest mistake, and here I was so tired I barely could keep myself on the horse. I kept him at a slow pace,
While holding on with one hand, I pulled my wand from my belt. I cast a small fireball about the size of my fist. I didn’t have the concentration in that moment for anything bigger. It struck the guard in the chest. He slammed his head against the open window and retreated back inside with a shout.
“What happened?” the other guard asked.
I heard them starting to run away from the window. “He’s got the Princess! They’re going out the window!” They were coming around to get me.
I needed to hurry, especially because I’d have to flee while carrying Lisanda. I couldn’t outrun them. I had to find a place to hide.
I slid down quickly, navigated around Lisanda, and set my feet on the ground. I frantically tried to untie her but gave up after a breath. The knot was too tight.
It took me about five rapid heartbeats to create a small razor out of SE and another five to cut her loose.
“There!” It was the guards. I hadn’t gotten out of sight quick enough. I looked around desperately, beginning to think it was all over.
There was an alley between houses in front of me. Should I leave Lisanda and run for it? No, not after everything I’d been through. She was my only leverage.
I ran to the alley with my hostage bouncing around on my shoulder.
My shoulder, back, and arm all burned with the excessive strain, and I nearly dropped her twice in the span of a few breaths.
There was a fork in the alley. A cluster of barrels were stacked up neatly to the right, so I went that way. With a strong gust of Bastial wind, I knocked the barrels over behind me and kept going. I turned a corner.
“He went this way.” I could hear the guards kicking the barrels out of their path. One of them fell and cursed.
I was already at the point where I could only jog. I needed another plan besides running. A few turns brought me to a dirt road.
There was a horse tied to a cart. There had to be someone nearby who owned it. I found him pissing on the corner of the house. He swayed back and forth, humming something, clearly drunk.
Good, I thought, rushing over to the cart behind the horse. It was cloaked in a dirty brown cloth. I yanked it off and found a cage had been fashioned to the cart, making it a transport vehicle for live animals. I’d seen one before but never driven one.
Unfortunately for Lisanda, there were about ten chickens clucking around inside of it.
I unlatched the door and guided her inside like putting a piece of meat into an oven. The chickens were startled, jumping around with open wings in an attempt to avoid her limp body.
Even in my panic, I couldn’t help but notice the floor was covered in hay and chicken excrement. She wasn’t going to like this. I threw the cloth back over it.
I took Lisanda’s purse from my pocket, grabbed a few coins, and threw them at the man still pissing.
“For your horse and chickens.” It wasn’t even close to the amount of money needed to make it a fair trade, but it was all I could spare and better than nothing.
He swung his head over his shoulder at the coins dancing around him. With a baffled look, he immediately fell into a dilemma of finishing his piss or reaching for them.
I climbed on the horse. The guards had found me. They shouted for me to stop.
I kicked the horse to speed around the nearest corner, taking another turn as soon as I could.
The shouts quieted, leaving only the sound of panicked chickens flapping around Lisanda in the back.
Chapter 12: Betsa
I had no more dream dust, hardly any money, and no food except Goreng’s crackers.
I had to be more careful than ever. If a guard on horseback found me, that would be it. If a guard on foot was able to stop my horse, that would be it. If someone else recognized me who’d heard of the kidnapping, that could be it.
Everything could be over with the slightest mistake, and here I was so tired I barely could keep myself on the horse. I kept him at a slow pace,
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