Dandy stared past her, watching the gunfire hopelessly. Trimble’s men were crawling all over the gate, firing from the walls, pulling wounded of the yard as more men rushed in. There was no chance of sneaking by them. “Now what do we do?”
Maine thought for a moment, then dug through her bag. She had a number of tricks and inventions that she’d been working on, things she’d never been able to try out before, and now might be the perfect time to try. She pulled out her a wooden slingshot and then a packet of small glass beads, so dark they almost seemed to absorb the light. Slipping the beads into her pocket, she nodded at the front gate.
“We’ve got to get the Firstborn out of there! They’ve got the main gates blocked off, but there’s got to be another way out.”
“What if they’ve got that blocked off too?” he asked out.
“I don’t know! Then we’ll make a way out!”
Dandy stared at her, and opened his mouth, but then a bullet, maybe a ricochet, screamed over their heads, striking the alley wall. He yelled as they both ducked their heads, and when he looked up, there were tears in his eyes. “Maine…” He was close to running, Maine could see it. She felt the same way, but they couldn’t leave now. They couldn’t! Not after she’d given her word as a Maierson!
She looked around quickly, trying to come up with an idea. Idly, she noticed that the rat was gone, just when she could’ve used a little guidance too. She glanced at the fence-line, following it around the property. It led into a side-alley that seemed tempting enough; it was dark, and no one seemed to be watching it, or more importantly, shooting at it. Good enough for now.
She grabbed hold of Dandy’s arm. “Follow me!” He gave a yell as she tugged him out of the alleyway. “Keep low” she hissed, running towards the fence-line. The whine of bullets seemed to fill the air, as Maine unconsciously imagined every gun following her position. She reached the fence and didn’t stop, her feet barely seeming to touch the ground. Ifri dashed alongside her, tail nearly horizontal behind him. The fight in the yard flashed by her as she ram, illuminated by gaps in the wooden slats; the Firstborn shooting from the windows as masked men rushed for the main building, Elders and Humans locked in combat, fighting tooth and nail, still bodies lying abandoned in the mud. A wooden plank exploded near her head and she stumbled, nearly falling. There was no stopping now! She ran with all her might, flying around the corner– and right into a group of men that were trying to scale the fence.
The men looked up, frozen in surprise. One man was hanging from the top of the fence, boosted up by two of his comrades, while two more were waiting nearby; and everyone of them was armed. Maine and Dandy yelled, arms pinwheeling, as they tried to stop, but they were going too fast. The men yelled along with them as they crashed together, and the world seemed to go bright.
Maine rolled on the ground, vaguely conscious of a tangle of arms and legs all around her. A familiar voice was shouting something, but it was lost in a high-pitched whine. Something like…
“Run! Run, Maine!” Dandy was screaming, and the world seemed to snap into clarity. The men were lying prone, blinking and stunned just as badly as she was, but they were starting to come around. “Run!” As two started to sit up, Dandy threw himself them, arms flailing wildly. Someone grabbed for Maine blindly and she rolled away. A hand snagged on her bag, but she slipped out of it, crawling for her life. Her slingshot was still in her hands, but there was no time. Suddenly she was jerked backwards, and she heard someone yell.
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“I’ve got her! I’ve got her!”
Maine rolled over, her free hand fumbling for her pocket. The man had her by the boots, tugging her back. He’d slipped his mask off his face, showing off an ugly mug dotted with pockmarks. “I’ve got her!” he yelled again, as her fingers finally found one of the beads in her pocket. She slapped it in the slingshot cup and pulled back till the rubber was straining. He finally saw what she was doing, his eyes going wide. She released.
The little ball hit him square in the cheek and shattered, exploding into a cloud of black ink. He flew back, his face, clothes, and a generous portion of the alley wall looking like they’d been coated in pitch. Kraken Permanent Ink, still a top seller from Maiersons.
As he lay stunned and partially blinded, Maine tried to catch her breath, her hands still shaking. But before she could even think, a bullet struck the cobblestones just a few feet from her. She flinched, ducking away, and the slingshot tumbled from her hands. She dove for it as another bullet zipped past her head, but her fingers knocked wooden frame further away. She could almost feel the next bullet coming for her.
YYYeeeeeOOOWWWWRRR!!!
A man started to yell as Ifri leapt at him, biting and clawing. He swatted at the cat with his hands, trying to knock him away, then his yells suddenly turned to screams. Ifri was glowing red hot, flames spitting from his mouth. He whirled about the man like a torch, biting and clawing with all his worth. Maine stared in shock, watching as the man threw himself down and tried to crawl away as the little kitten continued to savage his backside, then she remember herself and grabbed her slingshot.
One of the men was holding Dandy up by the arms, while another punched him in the gut repeatedly. The young Elf’s head was drooping weakly, he looked barely conscious. Maine fit another ball into the cup and pulled it back. “Hey!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.
The man turned back, one fist raised, just in time to catch a ball straight in his forehead. He fell in a heap as black ink rained down around him, showering Dandy and the other man. He dropped the young Elf, fumbling his gun just as Maine slapped at her pocket for another ball. She had another, she could feel it in there, but it was deep inside and she couldn’t seem to pull it out. Her fingers slipped against it as he pulled his gun, then Maine heard the scratching of claws on stone and something running behind her.
With a howling noise, a gray shape flew over her head in an arcing leap, striking the man directly in the chest. He fell in a tumble, the gray shape rolling with him. They rolled in the alleyway; Maine could hear the sound of screams over angry growls and barking. Then with a horrible shudder, the man went still. Slowly, the shape rose up over the body, blood dripping from his maw.
It was a dog, she realized with a start. Not some huge Pitbull or Doberman, but a sleek looking hunting dog, with a gray-spotted coat and a narrow, dark head that turned to regard her curiously. It padded forwards, sniffing at her, its eyes quick and intelligent. Maine put up her hand, at little surprised at her own fearlessness, and felt the dog’s cold nose. Then his shape seemed to blur, his body twisting and growing, and she suddenly found herself staring into a familiar set of eyes.
“What the hell are you doing here, girl?” Dakota demanded.
“Dakota?? What are you doing here?” Then she gasped and slapped both hands over her eyes. “Naked,” she said flatly.
WILL CONTINUE