Surprisingly, the time comes sooner than expected. I can't hear the bells inside this room, but the whistle sounds clear as always. I sit up, distinctly aware of its exact location. "There's the whistle, it's time." I say.
"Wow, I couldn't hear anything," Aiden says. Now that we have our way to navigate, we go back to the door. "Let's do this as fast as we can. We don't know when they'll be back. But they'll probably want to move us after dark, so we have to get out as soon as we can. They could show up at any moment." My heart jumps into my throat, I hadn't thought of that. Unlike before, we're on a really strict time limit now. Aiden boosts me up and I hammer away at the top hinge pin as hard as I can. I don't even bother carefully controlling the tough earth mana and just use a mix of earth and colorless, whatever I can hammer through the nuvrite coin. I imagine Gremory pounding on the iron and try to swing my mana like a hammer the same way. Each hit sends powerful recoil through my hands around the coin, the force heavy enough to make Aiden shudder under my feet.
Working at a furious pace, it doesn't take long for the first hinge pin to fall out. Aiden returns me to the ground and I immediately get to work on the next one. Like he said, now that it's dark, they could come back at any moment. I hit the other hinge so hard it almost makes me stagger. I'm getting a lot better at swinging my mana really hard. I hit it so hard I get the pin out of the hinge in just a dozen swings. As soon as I'm not flailing my mana around wildly, I relight my divine gear so we can see again. My head is spinning from using so much force at once though. I shake it off, collecting the fallen hinges. I have no idea what use these might eventually have, and I clearly need to use anything I can.
"Hinges are done, let's go now," I giggle at how serious I sound. Even after spending time converting it back, I definitely just absorbed too much earth mana again in my haste.
"Jenny, climb up on my back," Aiden says. He quickly picks her up.
"All set, let's get going," Mary says.
"Everyone, follow me," I let out a breath.
Then the door clicks. Really, now?! I feel my senses accelerate, preparing for combat. We're going to have to flee. "Everyone, run!" I whisper. The door begins to open. Without pins in the hinges, it begins to fall inward instead of swinging open. I extinguish my divine gear and coil low, springing up over the door as it falls.
----------------------------------------
On the other side of the falling door, I see a man. Tattered clothes of a peasant. Short black hair, a black, scruffy beard. A big nose and dark eyes.
There's also another child. A small girl in a somewhat oversized dress, patches up and down the entire thing. What are we supposed to do about another child? I have to protect her, but how? My eyes go back to the man. He's a person too, isn't he? A bad person, but he lives in this city. He is someone I'm supposed to protect too, isn't he? Even though he's bad? Even though he's kidnapping children?
Yeah, I do, he's still a person. I freeze in midair. I have to protect people. They never said I could make a distinction between good people and bad people. Time seems to slow to a crawl as my mind races. I can't hurt this person, I have to protect him too? Even though I just remembered hurting Emily, my only friend? I hurt her, but I can't hurt him? Even if I'm trying to stop him from kidnapping children?
It feels like the gears in my head are all grinding together, locked, refusing to turn. Then can I think of him as an enemy? He's hurting children. Enemies want to hurt the people here. So if he's hurting children, I can think of him as an enemy then? I can fight enemies. But... I'm supposed to kill enemies. Visions of death flash through my mind again. Those memories so bad I actually made myself forget. They turn my stomach. I'm not strong enough to kill this man anyway... Probably. So maybe it's safe to think of him as an enemy, at least so I can fight him enough to get everyone away. I can flee from enemies I can't beat alone, right? Retreat and seeking reinforcements in a losing battle was a tactic we were taught. I can do that. I can fight a retreating battle against this man if I consider him an enemy.
That sliver of an instant passes as my thoughts all fall into order. I land on the other side of the door, charging forward. I don't have any weapons, there's only my aching body to use against him. But with my training, I'll do everything I can. I slam into the man, sending him staggering into the wall behind him.
"Run!" I snap at the little girl, pointing down the alley to my right. In the next moment, the door hits the floor and the other children rush out. "Mary, take her," I command when the little girl doesn't move. She flinches under my gaze, but then grabs the little girl's hand and they all begin running down the alley to the right. I need to stop this man here, but I also need to lead them out of this maze of alleys. Turning my attention to the man - no the enemy - in front of me, I see him shrink back at my gaze for a moment, before shaking himself, and drawing a knife.
"Stupid kid!" he shouts, swinging the knife down at me. It's amazingly slow. He's stabbing the point of the knife down toward my left shoulder near my neck. No technique, no steady fighting stance. He just swings at me. I shift automatically, hands grabbing onto his wrist and pulling. However, he is nearly triple my height, maybe six or seven times my weight. My training never accounted for this. I'm not supposed to be so much smaller than my enemy. When I pull on his arm, it doesn't seem like I can move it at all.
So I grit my teeth and pull harder. My arms have been through so much today, I don't think they'll be of any use. I need a new plan. But as I begin to think that, I feel my mana jump into motion automatically. It surges into my arms, The Reeb suddenly seeming to jump with it. This is what happened earlier!
With all of my mana collecting in my arms, I pull, and he loses his balance. One of my hands moves to his chest as he begins to topple toward me. I press against his chest, turning and planting my feet as his weight comes down across my arms and back. He weighs so much more than me, it feels like my legs are going to buckle instantly, but once more, I feel myself automatically transfer my mana down into my legs. So pushing my mana into one part of my body makes it stronger? Have I been doing it reflexively this whole time? I never noticed until The Reeb started moving around whenever it happened.
With a strong push, I throw the man through the collapsed door. He sails into the far wall inside. Even with my body reinforced with mana, I don't think I should be that strong. No time to think about it now. I fight for a moment to unlock my legs from the ground after pushing way over my weight limit, and run to follow the other kids.
Even though they've made it a good way down the alley, I catch up immediately. It feels like I'm jumping with each step rather than running, with so much mana collected in my legs. "Left!" I call as we approach a fork. Everyone goes left as I command. Then I hear a loud whistling sound come from the area we just left. I don't know what it means, but I have a bad feeling. It's definitely going to be a problem. We keep running, and I look behind. Sure enough, I only bought us a little time. The man rounds the corner and quickly starts catching up. He's so much taller and has such long strides, there's no way we can outrun him. "Right!" I call as we approach a four way intersection. They all turn onto another narrow street. I round the corner as well, but immediately stop, turning on my heel as I slide. Then I dash again, back toward the intersection.
Just as he rounds the corner behind us, I leap into the air, turning and planting both of my feet against his chest and kicking off as hard as I can. The force is so jarring that a bite of pain runs all the way up my legs and hips. The man goes careening backward into the other cross street. I have no idea how I can manage so much force, but this is amazing. But can my body take it? I start laughing as I run to catch up with the other kids again. Now isn't the time to be enjoying myself!
I keep calling out turns as we run, using the location of the rail unit building imprinted in my head to keep us going the right way. I'm trying to take us east, but it seems like all of the roads I try to put us on keep running north and south, doubling back so there's no way out to the east. Maybe I should take us out to the north or south side instead? Judging by the location of the rail unit building, we should be closer to the south side. Not to mention, we need an actual destination. It's not like I can just run to the rail unit building after all. I hadn't even considered that earlier.
"Does anyone know how to get to the garrison from the main road?" I ask.
"Yeah," both Mary and Aiden call back.
"I'll take us south, the garrison should be the safest place."
"Sounds good," Aiden responds. Just as he says that, I spot something ahead. Another person moves into our path from a side street. Did that man call others to help catch us? That must be what the whistle earlier was for. Everyone comes to a sudden stop as the path ahead is blocked. I glance back, seeing the bearded man round a corner a pretty long way behind us.
Without breaking stride, I leap sideways. With the unnatural strength provided by my mana, I use one of the traversal maneuvers they taught us, kicking off of the left wall as I pass over the group of kids. This new enemy blocking our path looks up, I'm eye level with him as I close in. This one is a shorter man, with big burly arms. He raises his hands like he's going to catch me. I need to clear the path, and I don't know if I'll be able to escape if someone that big grabs me, even with my strange strength right now. So I kick away from the left wall once more, changing direction to evade his grasping hands, then kick at the right wall, sending a spinning kick into his head. He staggers back into the side-street he came from and the kids don't waste the opportunity to rush past.
I land, sliding sideways across the rough stone ground, losing my footing and rolling a few times before I'm back on my feet, running again. Despite the impressive strength I can bring to bear right now, it feels like I can hardly breathe. I must be pushing myself way over my limits running like this. My legs are already starting to hurt too. I tell myself I just need to keep it up a bit longer. We continue moving, aiming south as we wind through the streets as I direct. Even running normally like this without using my mana, I feel like I'm about to collapse. Maybe there's more to it than just overexerting myself?
I can't focus on that though, because more enemies are joining in the chase. How many of them are there? Besides the bearded man and burly man, a tall man shows up as well. I manage slide low and trip him up, sending him sprawling so the other men fall over him, gaining us just a little more time.
My vision starts going blurry and I'm seeing stars. My breath is coming in gasps. I'm tiring out way too quickly. It's getting harder and harder to even keep pace with the other kids. I push on, making one more turn when Aiden calls out, "I recognize this place, the barracks is that way!"
Great! Then a hand closes on my arm, yanking me sideways. I turn to find the bearded man pulling me toward a blind alley I didn't see as we approached. He swings his knife again, much faster than last time. In my current state, there's no avoiding it. I raise my right arm, concentrating all of my mana into the arm as his knife comes down. It stabs in with a sharp bite of pain, lodging in my forearm. I grit my teeth, pushing everything back down to my feet. Using his hands holding both of my arms for leverage, I swing my foot up into his chin. His whole head snaps back and he staggers a number of steps away, barely holding himself up on one of the nearby walls. I fall to the ground, scrambling unsteadily to my feet as I continue to run. It takes everything I have to catch up with the other kids.
But this knife! Through the pain, I can tell it's another thing I can push mana through. Unlike the nuvrite, it feels incredibly dense. I yank the blade from my arm so it won't cause any more damage as I run. But the blade just breaks off, the tip left stuck in my flesh. What kind of weak knife is this? Even so, I keep running, blood running down over my hand, trying to catch up. I push some mana through the handle of the knife, hardly any coming out the other side. I guess it uses more mana than nuvrite, so it probably has a stronger effect. I tuck that thought away in case I'll need it later.
We follow Aiden now as he leads us through increasingly larger streets. It seems like we've made it out of the maze-like area in the northwest district. "It's just a little further down this street!" he calls as we turn onto a road that actually looks like a proper road after all the alleys and tiny back streets.
However, they must have guessed where we were headed, because the three men all come out on the street ahead of us. We skid to a stop. "Is there any other way around?" I ask, glancing into the streets and side alleys.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"Not with them cutting us off," Aiden grimaces. So if we try to go around, they can just keep between us and the guard barracks.
"Can we backtrack to the West Gate?" Mary suggests. The men slowly move forward as we slide back bit by bit.
"Come on little ones, just come with us quietly," says the black bearded man in front. Behind him, the other two men draw knives. I glance side to side. Everyone is exhausted. Aiden is still carrying Jenny and Mary is carrying the other little girl. I don't think I could run all the way there either. My legs feel like they're on fire from all the mana strengthened moves earlier.
"I don't think I can make it that far, but I'll clear a path here, no matter what." I step out in front of the kids.
----------------------------------------
It's hard to see straight, and I can't seem to get any air. Even though I said that, looking at the three adult men, I don't think I can do it. I grip the knife in my hand. If I strike to kill, I can probably take out at least two before they surround me, but... Even if I'm forcing myself to see them as enemies, I can't stomach the idea of killing. Not people... I need some way to stun one of them. Wait, stun?
I grab a hinge pin from inside my robe. I can clear a path like this. I start walking forward and push mana through the knife in my hand. I rub it past the hinge pin to set Up away from me and Down near me. The attraction is much stronger than with the coin, and I hardly feel any earth mana return after going through the knife.
Then I hold the hinge in one hand, and the knife in the other, and begin to step more quickly. I lock eyes with the bearded man, but he's the only one unarmed, so I glance left and right. The burly man seems more dangerous than the tall one, so I turn, pressing the hinge in one hand up to the knife in the other. I swing my mana hard, blasting it through from my palm as hard as I can. The recoil is unlike anything before. My arm flies backward with so much force it sends me spinning off my feet. The blood flowing from my wound sprays out from the sudden movement. I crash and roll on the ground a few times, kicking up gravel and scraping up my arms and legs before scrambling back to my feet again. All of the joints in my arm and shoulder hurt after that. I didn't think the recoil would be so strong.
Looking back up, the men are backing away a little. The burly one is holding his arm. The hinge pin is actually embedded in his shoulder. I had no idea it would be that powerful, but I can't let this chance pass by. I dash forward while they're stunned. I have to make a path for everyone while I have this opportunity.
I dive into the legs of the bearded man in the middle, kicking one shin with both feet to knock him down. Then I turn on my side, sliding on the ground through his legs, and turn to the tall man on the left. He looks startled, but swings his knife quickly anyway. I turn to avoid the blade, grabbing his arm and pulling with all my might. I throw him off balance, sending him over into the still stunned burly man. That opens up a path for everyone, but the bearded man is already coming at me again, scrambling to his feet. As long as he has his back to the other kids, they have a chance to get past.
So I back up, circling around the burly man and tall man who are stumbling after crashing into each other. The bearded one aggressively follows, growling. "Stupid kid!" He keeps chasing me, trying to grab me, but I just keep running around the other two men while they recover their balance. It's only a few moments time, but it's enough for the other kids to pass. As soon as the other two men recover, I move to dash after the other kids, then glance back at the men.
I don't see the movement fast enough. A metal bar catches me across the head,
sending me toppling. I slide along the ground, gravel tearing into my skin and my mind going fuzzy.
Looking up, there's the burly man.
I think he ripped the metal pin out of his shoulder and threw it at me.
Frantically pushing back to my feet, I stagger back
to get some distance as the men spread out.
I'm almost out of energy to keep going. After I force back the fog in my brain, I still can't focus well. It feels like all the cuts on my side are starting to bleed too.
The men spread out in the street around me, pushing toward the wall of a building. Rasping, I glance one way and the other.
"You damn brat. We're not going back empty handed. Even if we just get you, you'll sell very well..." the bearded man taunts as they close in.
Squinting, I painfully kick myself into making a plan. I'm out of options, aren't I? I glance down the road at the small backs of the escaping children, then shake some more of the fog from my head. I don't know if I have enough strength left to dodge all of them to get away. I can hardly move my arms and legs anymore, even with mana, and my throat feels raw from panting for air. Is there anything I can do with this knife? I don't think I could even kill them with it if I tried in my current state. I have one hinge pin left, but that trick won't work again. Maybe I can bluff them with my divine gear? They should run if I show them I'm a rail unit, right? But it's way too public here. I can't reveal that I'm a rail unit, that would also destroy my life.
Since I can't think of anything, I just swing the knife in my hand threateningly to keep them back for now. I gives me some time to clear my head and slow my breathing, at least a little. But I need to think of something... They press forward more. They're still being careful, but I'm obviously so tired that I won't last much longer.
Then they attack. I dodge past the tall man on the left as he moves in, stumbling when my legs don't want to obey, and the burly one grabs my arm, squeezing so hard on my wounded wrist that I drop my knife as he lifts me off my feet. Shit!
The knife clatters to the ground and I grit my teeth. I don't have nearly enough strength to break away from his grip. He punches me hard in the stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs. At a flash of light on my side, I raise my other arm, blocking a knife stab with my left forearm.
"Hey, don't damage the merchandise too much!" the bearded man shouts from behind. With my lungs collapsed, I can't breathe at all.
Everything starts to go dark, but I kick upward at full power into the elbow of the tall man. I hear a crack as his arm bends the wrong way and he cries out, releasing the knife in my arm as he recoils. But the bearded man rushes in to plant his boot heavily in my stomach again. The burly man flings me, crashing straight back into the wall behind. My vision flashes as my entire body slams into the wooden boards.
I fall heavily to the ground on hands and knees, barely keeping my head up so I don't lose sight of them as the darkness closes in.
"Ahh! My arm!" the tall man cries, staggering away and holding the arm I just broke.
"How much fight does this kid have?" the burly man asks incredulously. I can't breathe after those hits. It's happened so many times in sparring, I automatically work to fix it. Leaning down, I forcefully exhale to completely collapse my lungs, then take a big breath to get air back in again. The darkness recedes, but I'm in no better condition than before. Still pinned against the wall, knife wounds in both arms now. My small cuts are bleeding everywhere, the effects of blood loss will probably begin soon.
I barely stagger up again. Even with my legs reinforced with mana, I can hardly hold myself standing, a hand on the blood splattered wall behind me for support. I've never stayed standing like this during sparring. Never tried this hard. But those were fights against rail units. They hit harder and faster than anything these people can do.
But then... this means I'm not even strong enough to fight regular people. I've decided they're enemies, but they're still normal humans.
And I can't beat them.
I start to sink to the ground, the last of my strength fading as I watch my blood run freely away into the loose stones below. At least I protected those children. Even though I'm too broken to win here, I did my duty and I protected them.
I just... I wanted to live... I wanted to do what Francis said and try living like a person does... I still want to...
I don't want to be taken!
I plant a bloody hand against the ground to keep myself from going down. Through clenched teeth, I growl. "I only have a little longer before I leave, I want to live my own life until then." I still have to apologize. I glare up at the men around me and my mana flares through me. With a last burst of frenzied strength, I rip the knife from my left arm, breaking it like the other.
My shaking hands fly to swipe at the burly man, cutting into his leg. Then I rush forward to slip between the angry shouting men and cut into the side of the bearded one before swaying badly, so he swings down and hammers me in the face with his big fist. I stagger from the blow but swipe the knife across his arm three times as I reel.
He grabs me while I'm off balance and slams my face into the ground. Everything goes white, or black, or something,
I can't really tell anymore.
My brain is rattling.
I can't think.
I reach behind me
stab down into his hand with
the jagged tip of the knife and he howls while reeling back.
Somehow, I push myself back up, but I can't really see with the blood in my eyes.
I stagger,
vaguely watch their movement, wiping off my face to see better.
I grab a handful of the rocky gravel and throw it at the men to stun them.
Seeing my only opportunity, I turn and try to dash down the road, but
my legs will hardly work. I can't move right.
They block me, so I dive forward one more time, putting more shallow cuts into the men's arms and legs as I go. But my hands are shaking too much and I cut too deep.
The knife blade snaps off in the burly man's hip. I take a kick and roll, frantically throwing up more gravel everywhere to make them back off for just a moment as I tumble away.
When I pass near the knife I dropped earlier I immediately grab it up. Both knives are broken, one at the tip, and one near the handle.
I hold them in each hand as I press one to the ground, needing a hand to keep myself upright at this point.
They're hard to grip, and slick with blood.
I can hardly see or hear, I don't even know how I'm still breathing, I can't tell over my hammering heartbeat. But force my feet to stay under me.
I refuse to go down. I have no idea what this will do to my body, but my only goal in life is living for myself until I go into combat.
I will not allow them to take me.
I will tear myself apart fighting first.
I think that, but everything is going sideways, even as I use every bit of my willpower.
While I begin to tilt over, the men turn to look at something.
"Shit, let's get out of here," one says.
I can't tell which. I can't really see them clearly.
The blood is flowing over my eyes again.
I can barely raise my arm to wipe it away. It's covered in so much blood that it doesn't really help.
And then the men run away. I scramble forward
on hands and knees, grabbing up the fallen hinge pin still on the ground while I have the chance.
I turn, searching for the enemies, but only see some lights
coming toward me quickly. They're bright and blinding, and I brace myself.
But the men are wearing armor. I glare at them as they start talking.
What are they saying? I shake my head.
Who are these people? They aren't the men from before.
They aren't enemies?
No, they're wearing armor. They're guards?
Guards.
They can help me.
I'm safe.
The moment I think that,
the moment I relax,
I fall.