“Almost made it,” I muttered while taking a peak around the corner. The tantalising sight of The Emerald Drink beckoned from across the street. After my hectic escape through the countless small alleys of Seran, I was finally confident that my pursuers had lost me. Even Lilith would have been hard-pressed to follow me through the labyrinth that was the city’s underbelly. The only reason I managed to find my way was with the help of Adam. It was a bit disconcerting that they had complete access to all my memories and could use them to perfectly recall the way to the inn. But right now that wasn’t important.

A sharp pain in my shoulder reminded me of a more pressing problem. Mainly the bolt still penetrating me. Taking a peak showed that the blood flow had lessened but not completely subsided. My shirt and leather armour in that region were completely soaked with blood. One saving grace was that the blood wasn’t very noticeable on my dark cloak, making it easier to hide. The problem was that I couldn’t walk around with a bolt sticking out of me without raising suspicion.

Using my claw, I cut off a long strip of my cloak before removing the bolt. That part was a bit tricky since I needed to use my claw but I managed. Afterward, I quickly wrapped the wound up and applied pressure to it. This was the second time I was treating an injury despite having lived for less than two weeks. A concerning thought. After making sure that I wasn’t going to bleed out I examined the projectile. What I previously thought was wood, turned out to be some kind of metal, inscribed with various symbols. Shrugging, I pocketed it. Who was I to judge what other people put on their bolts? Although, these people were hunting me, so it was probably okay to judge.

I glanced back at the inn. It seemed to be almost empty, with few humans present this early in the morning. We had agreed to meet back up at the The Emerald Drink but doubts were starting to plague me. What if my pursuers stopped following me and returned to the hideout? Pecta would be all alone in facing them. Hopefully, my escape had drawn enough of them away but I couldn’t be sure. Maybe I should go back for him?

Turning around, I took a couple of steps before stopping. What could I even do against our enemies? I didn’t know who they were or why they attacked us but a sneaking suspicion told me that they were connected to the Children of the Eye and by extension the horned woman. The attack had been cleverly executed and only the existence of the altar room had saved us. If I went back there I would just be killed or captured.

I leaned against a wall and grabbed my head. My indecision was killing me. I simply wasn’t cut out for these sorts of situations. Leaning back I stared at the rising sun. What would someone else do in this situation? Lilith and Pecta popped into my mind. The female assassin would probably reverse the situation and start hunting the hunters. That… wasn’t possible for me. I lacked her expertise and mindset.

Moving on to Pecta I stopped. What would he do? He knew how to fight but would he start killing his pursuers? Maybe. Unlike me, both of my companions could be cold-hearted. My heart tightened at the thought of the human I had just killed. His head bursting open, painting the street red. That was definitely a new trauma that I didn’t have the time to unpack. But no, Pecta wouldn’t fight them head-on. He was smart enough to realise that the risk was too great. Instead, he would not rely on his emotions and use logic for his next steps.

Talking about logic… I activated Calm Mind. The world sharpened and my mind became clear. ‘I should use this ability more often’ I pondered. Because of how new these abilities were I often forgot to use them. One of the many things I needed to train. Ignoring this stray thought I focused on the problem. Returning to the hideout would be illogical. I would walk straight into the hands of my pursuers. Continuing to the inn would keep their attention on me, allowing Pecta to hopefully escape. It also served as a meeting spot where Pecta could find me.

I pushed myself off the wall while deactivating Calm Mind. With a heavy heart, I walked towards the main street. Knowing what the most logical decision was didn’t make it any easier. Before stepping into the light I made sure my gear was in order. Bandages to cover my face and limbs? Check. Cloak that obscured my figure and hid my demonic arm? Check. Armour and dagger for emergencies? Check.

Taking a deep breath I quickly crossed the street. Some humans gave me passing looks but mostly ignored me. I opened the inn’s door and was greeted by a barely lit room. A bit of sunshine was peeking through the window and illuminated an almost empty room. A couple of humans laid on the green benches and groaned at the creaking of the door. No idea what people did at an inn (except sleep) but these people had overdone it. The only functioning human was a familiar figure standing behind the counter and cleaning a glass.

I approached, taking great care to not bump into anyone. Ophira didn’t look up from the glass in her hand as she said, “What can I get you?” I cleared my throat. “Hello, eh, you are Ophira, right?” Finally, she put down the glass and took a look at me. Her facial expressions revealed nothing but a use of Sense State showed that she was wary.

“Who wants to know?” She replied in a cool tone. I scratched the back of my neck. “Eh, my name is Vindict. We already met.” Ophira continued to study me. I noticed, that one of her hands was moving under the counter. “I think I would remember meeting one of your kind. Now make this quick or get out,” the innkeeper stated.

Quickly making sure that nobody was looking I removed part of the bandages covering my face. Her expression hardened as she realised who I was. “Get out.” Before I could react she reached under the counter and leveled a wooden device at my face. It was similar to the one my pursuer had used to shoot me, an experience I wasn’t willing to repeat.

I took a step back and lifted my arm in an unthreatening gesture. “Whoa, there is no need for that. I just want to hide here for a bit and then I’ll be out of your hair.” Ophira didn’t lower her weapon, as she growled, “Get the hell out or I’ll shoot. I helped Lilith one time, but I’m not risking my neck a second time by hiding the most wanted man in the city.” She glanced around the room before leaning closer and whispered, “You’re lucky I’m not calling the city guard.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Please listen to me,” I hurriedly replied. “There is this organisation hunting me and-“ “Even more of a reason for you to get out,” she retorted. “There is no reason for me to involve myself.” Ophelia was very adamant but this was my only option. It was the perfect place to hide and meet back up with Pecta. Even Lilith might be able to find me after the meeting with her guild was done. She would likely be shocked after finding her hideout abandoned and come looking for us.

“I know that you barely know me, but you’re my only hope, Ophelia. If you throw me out I’m likely dead,” I pleaded with her. Her look softened a bit at my words, but Sense State showed that she still wasn’t happy. Before retorting she glanced around the inn. Some of her patrons were beginning to stir and focus on us. She grumbled angrily but waved for me to follow her. I quickly complied and was led through the kitchen and into a separate room that looked like a storage area. “Wait here.” With that she closed the door, leaving me in the dimly lit chamber, surrounded by crates of whatever supplies an inn needed.

I don’t know how long it took for Ophelia to return but it felt like an eternity. Eternity with my thoughts and worries. Maybe I was being too dramatic but the stress was getting to me. My sense of paranoia that I had developed also started to act up. What if Ophelia sold me out to the city guard? What if the next person to step through this door was a member of the Children of the Eye, here to kidnap me? My shoulder ached at the thought of them.

Luckily, none of these realities came to pass. The next person to open the door to my new hideout wasn’t a guardsman or one of my hunters but Ophelia herself. She motioned me out and closed the door to the storage room behind me. We now stood in the same room where I had met Lilith for the first time. Fond memories…

Ophelia crossed her arms and studied me. “You can’t stay here for long,” she stated. “I can not take that risk. Not just for myself but for all of my employees too. You-“ A knock on the door leading to the kitchen interrupted her. Visibly annoyed she turned around and shouted, “What?!” A human who I had seen working in the kitchen poked his head through. “Uh, somebody wants to talk to you, miss.” Ophelia waved her hand dismissively in his direction. “Tell them to wait.”

She turned back to me and continued talking. “You need to be gone before tomorrow. I will try to contact Lilith, but even if I can’t you’ll-“ The human poked his head back through the door. Ophelia was just about to go off on him when she noticed his alarmed expression. “What is it?!” She hissed. The employee whispered/shouted back at her, “There is a group working for the City Lord here to see you!” Ophelia froze for a second. Then she whipped her head around and glared at me. “Did you let yourself be followed?!”

I raised my hands defensively. “Maybe they aren’t here for me.” But I didn’t truly believe that. Somehow my pursuers had caught up. My paranoia came alive and I activated Calm Mind. What were my escape options? If they knew that I was here then hiding was off the table. Not only would it not be effective, but it would also endanger Lilith’s friend and everyone in the building. I knew basically nothing about Ophelia but risking her life even more than I already had wasn’t right.

What were my escape options? My way back through the inn was blocked by my pursuers. I could use one of the unknown doors but that could just as likely lead to me trapping myself. My only way out was through the garden, just like last time. This whole situation brought back memories and not the good kind.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud. The male human had fallen forward with a bolt sticking out of his back. Before anyone could react a second bolt hit Ophelia in the shoulder. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head before she collapsed.

My shock at the sudden explosion of violence was just short enough that I managed to dodge a third bolt by throwing myself to the floor next to Ophelia’s body. Her eyes were completely empty, with only the white visible. I had never prayed before, but in that moment I hoped for all that was holy that she was still alive. Without time to properly process, I got upright and bolted towards the door leading outside. I got a glimpse of the kitchen, confirming that there were at least three individuals with weapons pointed at me.

I burst into the garden, nearly ripping the door from its hinges and frantically looked around. Suddenly, a pressure descended onto me, making it difficult to move. It felt like the very air was pushing down on me to keep me in one spot. Then came the net. From one moment to the next a weighted net had been thrown over my head, almost making me trip. I managed to stay upright but it was clear that I was going nowhere. Clear Mind also didn’t offer any solutions.

This ambush had been meticulously planned out. They had lured me into the garden where I presented a prime target. The net had come from up above, which meant that my pursuers had someone stationed on the second floor or the roof. Now that I could take a proper look at my surroundings, I saw a fraction of what I was fighting against. At least six humans were standing at the edges of the garden and pointing their weapons at me. Then they fired.

These projectiles were different from the ones I was used to. They were a lot thinner, more like needles than bolts. This meant that some of them simply bounced off my armour or my scaled arm. But not all. I was hit by at least three in my other arm and two in my legs. It didn’t hurt but a numbness started to spread from those spots.

My breathing came out heavy, as I gripped my dagger. There was no other option but to fight. A couple slashes and the broken net fell to pieces. “Don’t engage. Keep your distance and wear the subject down!” A voice called out from above me. Not having enough time to check it out I simply charged at my nearest opponent. I was by no stretch of the imagination an expert at fighting but Lilith’s teachings and my strength made me a dangerous opponent at close range. If I could get to my opponents then I at least had a chance of doing something. But that didn’t happen.

Instead of panicking, my target remained calm as he kept shooting at me. When only a couple of steps separated us, a gust of wind suddenly slammed into my body and pushed it back. I couldn’t help myself as several bad words slipped from my mouth. Another mage! And this time there wouldn’t be a convenient demon to save me. I tried to flee back into the building but my pursuers had already blocked this escape option.

From there on out the battle ceased to be a fight and turned into the creation of a pincushion. Pincushion… a funny word. After another two attempts to break free from the encirclement my mind started to feel sluggish. Whatever those needles were covered in was strong. When I finally collapsed it was almost a relief. Faintly I could hear Adam’s voice warning me that I was about to lose consciousness. I even felt a stirring in my claw but it ceased. A silent laugh escaped my lips. Even the demon was too weak to save me now. Hopefully, Pecta and Lilith would be okay. Now that I was captured there was no reason to continue hunting them. They had already sacrificed so much for me. I didn’t want it to become more. This was my last thought before I passed out.