16.

Alaric arrived at the edge of Isern. Light peaked through the mountains. Alaric had his hood up to block the light. There had only been a few people within the streets. As early as it had been, it was a surprise to see life within the town. If there had been one word to describe the way he looked, it would be dirty. His clothes as well as his arms and face had been covered in mud. He felt bad as well. His body ached, specifically his chest. He had been famished and dehydrated. The people that loitered on the street eyed him carefully. He hadn't walked very fast, he kept his eyes on the road and focused on putting one step ahead of the other. A man came up to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Alaric walked past him without a glance.

The man called out from behind him.

A shorter figure bumped into him from a nearby alleyway. He had almost lost his balance. He locked eyes with the figure as they crossed him. He saw something that caught his attention. The figure had been around Ashe's height. They wore a tattered grey-brown cloak and hid their hands within the cloak. The cloak's hood had been pulled tight to obscure the face. Alaric began to follow. The cloaked figure walked fast and kept from the centre of the streets, Instead chose to walk through back roads and alleyways. He struggled to keep up and almost lost them on many occasions. Occasionally the figure would look behind themselves to check if anybody was following. Alaric hadn't exactly been stealthy but kept a decent distance. Alaric watched as they turned into another alley. Alaric waited a moment then entered the alley. As he turned he was swiftly shoved into a wall. A dagger was swiftly placed at his neck. In a hushed tone, they spoke. “Who are you and why are you following me?”

Alaric stared at the figure threatening him. Her black eyes stared angrily back at him. Her face told Alaric that she was a beautiful woman around his age.

“Answer me or I will slit your throat.” She barked.

“You have something that belongs to me.” Alaric’s voice came out dry and hoarse.

“That is a lie. I took nothing from you,” She said. “Why are you here?” “Did she send you?”

“Where did you get that pouch?” Alaric asked as he glanced down.

She followed his glance when he suddenly shoved her away from him. The shove lacked power. He attempted to move away but could not get very far. She began chanting. A caster...I am done for. The woman pulled out another dagger and stabbed both daggers into the ground. Alaric watched as spikes began forming from the floor getting closer and closer toward him. He tried his best to get away but the spikes were soon upon him. He cast a barrier around him. He felt the spikes hit his barrier and ran out of stamina. The barrier dissipated and Alaric lost consciousness.

He woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. He woke up feeling much better however his throat had still been dry and he had still been hungry. He had been half-naked, only dressed in his black trousers. The mud had also been cleaned off of him. The Rixa was cool to his skin. Movement to his left caught his attention. She held a wooden mug in one hand and a dagger in the other. She put the mug down next to Alaric, without breaking eye contact, and retreated to a corner of the room. She had been staring at him. Alaric got a good look at her, now that the cloak’s hood was down. She had long, straight brown hair that framed her face. She had been skinny and her clothes were loose on her body. The woman had been beautiful and that is a fact that he couldn’t ignore. The room they had been in had been cramped. It had only one door and one window. The rest of the room was bare, it hadn’t even had a bed. He grabbed the mug and drank whatever it held with haste. Luckily for him, it had been water. She watched him carefully and waited for him to finish the water before speaking.

“Scaev, what do you want from me?” She asked.

“I am not a Scaev,” Alaric replied. His voice had gone back to normal.

She pointed with her dagger at Alaric’s amulet.

Alaric rolled his eyes. “This amulet was forced onto me. I can’t take it off or I’ll die.”

“Why should I believe you?” She quickly retorted.

“You have no reason to. Just like you had no reason to not kill me.”

She flushed. “What did you want from me?”

“The pouch that you stole from me.”

“I stole nothing from you, Scaev.”

“I am not a Scaev!” Alaric sighed. “You stole a pouch from a short blonde woman dressed in all black, right?”

The woman just raised an eyebrow.

“That was my younger sister. Now I need that pouch back.”

“Not gonna happen,” She said.

Alaric stood up and moved.

“You are not going anywhere!” She yelled. Alaric complied and sat back down.

“Do you know how much sentz I will get if I report a Scaev to the empire?” She asked.

“All you casters are the same. You prefer power or sentz over people’s lives. It is disgusting.”

“You scaev’s do not have the right to claim we are disgusting.”

Alaric rolled his eyes. He stood up again, ignoring her protests. He scanned the cramped room for his clothes. He spotted his clothes and went to grab them when he felt a dagger at his throat. She's fast. I did not even hear her.

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"You are not going anywhere." She ordered.

Alaric sighed and raised his hands in defeat. Once she removed the dagger, he used the chance to kick her against the torso. She fell onto her back but got back to her feet by doing an impressive kickflip. She held her daggers ready to strike.

"We do not have to do this," Alaric said. She threw a dagger directly at him. He cast a barrier and the dagger ricocheted off of the barrier. She quickly rushed to grab her dagger and attacked once again. She kept her body low to the ground. Alaric changed his cast and his body suddenly became translucent. Her attack phased right through him. He took the opportunity to dash the door. He reached for the door but something knocked his feet right out from under him. He fell headfirst into the door. He was dazed for a few seconds. She dragged him by the feet back to the centre of the room. She used her knees to pin down his arms to the floor. She also brought a dagger close to his face.

"I called over some blues, they will be here shortly to take you away," She said.

Many possibilities ran through Alaric's mind.

"Fine." He said. "I will not try to run away."

She kept her position firm on him. Not believing him.

He relaxed his body. She didn't move from her position.

"What is a young woman like you, living alone in the city like this? What are you twenty or twenty-one?" He asked.

She did not respond.

Great.

"You do not seem to be having the best living arrangements, not what I would expect from a caster."

No response.

"There has to be something more important to you than sentz. What about your dreams, your family, your well-being?"

Something he had said weakened her grip on him slightly. He took the opportunity to lift himself off the ground. She yelped as she was thrown backwards. Her dagger fell to the ground. Alaric grabbed both her wrists in his hand and pinned her against the wall. The other dagger fell out of her hand and He swiped a foot at it. It slid across the floor. She was angry and she was struggling. Alaric held his grip firm.

"I can't afford to get captured." He said. She threw weak kicks at him. They were weak as she couldn't generate enough power.

"As much as I hate casters, how about we make a deal?" He said.

She spat at him. She braced herself for an incoming strike. Alaric did nothing.

"Look, I am not going to hurt you." He said.

She looked at him unconvinced.

"Why did you come to this town?" She asked.

"We came to free the mysurs under Chapman's rule."

"Impossible."

"Maybe, but I will die trying."

"Why?"

"Simple, the people of Nezzagwyn are counting on me." "So, how about that deal?"

She did not resist anymore.

"You don't hand me over to the soldiers and I will do anything you request, as long as it is within my power."

She did not seem convinced.

Alaric sighed. "You are in some sort of bad circumstances, right? I will fix it, whatever it is."

"Promise..." She whispered.

Alaric could barely hear it. "Promise, if I don't you can kill me and give my head to the soldiers."

She didn't say anything. Alaric released his grip on her. He half expected her to try and kill him, but she did not. She just stood there. Alaric slowly made his way to his clothes and got dressed. He heard her shuffle around behind him. He turned back toward her. She had again sat in the corner of the room with her daggers ready to strike.

"Alaric, that is my name."

He had expected her to introduce herself.

"I know," She said.

Alaric was stunned.

"There is a bounty for a man that fits your description, his name is Alaric and should be brought immediately to Adhu Aqua. Alive." She explained responding to his reaction.

Alaric was about to respond when a knock came at the door.

He watched as she waved for him to hide. He looked around the room for anywhere to hide but it was barren. He decided to hide behind the door. She sheathed her daggers before answering the door. She opened the door slightly.

"We have to come to collect the man you are harbouring." A voice said. Familiar.

Alaric bit hard on his fingertip until it drew blood. He then began smearing the blood on the door.

"I apologise, he has escaped," She said.

"You wasted our time." The door yanked open suddenly as the woman fell to the floor. Alaric saw blood drawing from her nose. His hands started to shake. It is Diable all over again. The blood. The death. He began to hyperventilate.

A familiar large man entered the room. He did not notice Alaric behind the door. Jugz.

"You little bitch, always causing trouble. She ordered us not to kill you, but we can have some fun." Jugz said. He raised his boot to stomp on her. Alaric cast a barrier on the woman. Jugz' foot bounced off of it. Alaric released the barrier and slammed the door shut. He knew there were more. The rune he drew on the door shone a pale yellow. The woman quickly rolled away as the barrier was removed. Jugz turned around to face Alaric. His face burst with anger.

"You!" He yelled. He grabbed his sword. Alaric watched Jugz walk towards him. Jugz was unaware of what was happening behind him. The woman grabbed her daggers and swiped at Jugz' calves. Jugz fell to his knees with a shout of pain. Alaric wasted no time and kicked at Jugz' chest. Jugz groaned. Great, he is still injured. He swiped a kick at Jugz' head causing him to slump to the ground. He turned to the door that was bulging with every bang. Not going to last long. He watched as the woman was about to pounce on Jugz. He swiftly stopped her. He then swept her off her feet as he lifted her. She protested. Alaric jumped out of the window. Glass shattered around them. He prayed that they hadn't been far from the ground. His prayers were answered as the drop was not very far. They ended up in some sort of alleyway. The woman forced her way out of Alaric's grasp. She then motioned for him to follow. He nodded as they ran through alleys. He noticed she tied her hair up as she ran. She then pulled the hood of her cloak on. Alaric did the same with his hooded robe. She led them to a dead-end.

"We should be safe for now," She said.

Alaric sat down against a wall of a nearby building.

"Is there any place to get some food?" Alaric asked.

She didn't respond. She is terrible at communication.

"Do they normally treat you that badly?" He asked.

No response.

After a few minutes, she walked.

"Where are you going?"

"Food. You stay here. You move, I will find you and kill you," She threatened.

"Not like I know where to go." He said as she left.