“The filth,” Dominus smirked.

“Whatever! Stop calling him filth!” Nina squeezed onto Minos’ hand trying to get her emotions in check.

“The rendezvous point is in the city of Impes. We must meet with one of the old masters there. If your filth can keep up then he may accompany you. I cannot guarantee his safety from those in my order,” Dominus said smugly, crossing his arms.

“I can handle myself,” Minos growled at the insult. The sound of the thunder cackled and none of them flinched. The tension in the air was strong.

“I will tend to his wounds properly and then we will follow you away from the storm: we can handle ourselves in the chaos.,” Nina spoke firmly to Dominus and began to re-wrap Minos’s wound. Looking at the bite in his neck made her furious. “What a beast,” thought Nina, angrily but carefully adjusting the makeshift dressing.

Dominus looked on from the shadows. He could see Nina and Minos in the darkness quite well. He could feel her anger from a distance and he knew her magic would attract the desperate as soon as they left the barrier he had constructed. He sighed , “We’re going to the city of Impes in the land of Rubeus. Before we leave, you must calm down. You will be a target the moment we step into the open,” He adjusted his dark robes and said with little emotion, “ I would like to deliver you in one piece if possible.”

Nina did not like the sound of delivering her. Neither did Minos. “How could they trust this stranger,” she thought. Collecting what little of their things they could find, Nina and Minos stood silently, waiting for Dominus to speak again.

Just as Dominus took a step towards them, the old roof of the inn began to fall in. Sounds of the Desperate began to get louder. They must have sensed the magical energy despite Dominus’ barrier. “This way, “ Dominus reacted instantly, rushing down the corridor that Nina and Minos initially tried to escape to. Without hesitating, they all ran into the darkness. They could hear the sound of the roof caving completely in as they ran further down the hallway. Nina was too familiar with this feeling. They could die right now. She was horrified.

One extreme to the next, she thought as she ran as fast as she could, not knowing where the dark hallway would lead them.

Minos could sense that the group of Desperate that had gotten into the building was not an organized group. It would be easier for them to escape. In the past, there had been times where he had encounters with groups who hunted together. Those were the deadliest to come across because they would share the capture. He could tell from the chaotic movements that they were Desperate who happened to sense their magic simultaneously. As they ran down the corridor, he knew that they had an enormous probability of encountering a desperate in the direction that they were already running. Nina was trained sufficiently to fight most Desperate that they had come across in the past. He hoped that she was not too weak to fight if they had too.

Dominus was farther ahead than them but he made sure not to leave their sight. Nina could tell that he was only running at that speed for their sake. Suddenly Dominus stopped. “What are you doing,” Nina asked startled, continuing to run in his direction.

“Don’t stop running,” Minos called to her. “If you do, they will overtake us. GO,” Nina ran past Dominus who she swore had a smirk on his face but it was dark so she didn’t know for sure.

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Once past Dominus, Minos grabbed Nina’s hand and began to run forward with her. “Let’s go,” he whispered. They disappeared into the darkness, leaving both Dominus and the Desperate behind.

Dominus could feel the energy of the Desperate. It was always weak, sad, and tormented. He hated it. Under his cloak, he reached for Atalis, his guardian sword. I will make this quick. His stance changed as he gripped his sword, his legs were apart and he was low, waiting like a predator in the wild. He listens. The desperate were not in sync so they were coming at him from different directions at different speeds. He preferred to take them in one slice but after listening intently, he estimated that it would take him two. The sound of rain dripping into the wide passage was loud but it was soon overshadowed by the rushing sound of chaos. The Desperate loudly entered the corridor and he stood firm in his stance, unafraid of the growls and shouts of the group. In an instant, they were upon him and before they could grasp him, his stance had changed.

Swwwsh Swsssh.

His Atalis glimmered twice in the darkness and returned to its sheath. The desperate began to scream in agony, ignoring them, Dominus ran down the corridor to reach Minos and Nina.

Minos ran swiftly through the darkness holding Nina’s hand. Struggling to keep up, Nina ran somehow keeping Minos’ rhythm. At the end of the hall, the gray light from a window allowed them to see a collapsed floor obstructing them from running farther down the corridor. Unsure of which direction they should take, Nina decided towards the window. Minos followed without faltering. The rain and wind bolstered through the uncovered window. The wall was high but the window was short and wide. About a foot from the ground, they jumped through the window and into the rain. The storm was moving but not very quickly. There was no way to tell how long the storm would stay in Tarmini. They could sense that most of the Desperates that were near the building were inside.

They continued to run through the deserted outskirts of town, avoiding the Desperates who were busy fighting over the different charms that they discovered. The sight was grueling but they were both numb to it. Instinctively they found another place to hide in an old deserted building near another entrance to the city. In the rain, the town appeared to transform.

I wonder how many people will be missing after this.? Nina thought grimly as she sat huddled next to Minos, who was tending to his neck wound again. They had found a good place to wait out the storm this time. It was probably a bandits keep or a safe house judging from the light storage of food they helped themselves to. It wasn’t the best tasting but it was made by the charm company, Restore, and was enriched with the restorative charms that they are known for. They sat in the darkness waiting for the storm to lighten up. Minos’s long silver hair was in a wild knot as he re-wrapped his neck. He was thin but strong but the image of Dominus slinging him around so effortlessly made her furious. They had always fought together but Dominus was so powerful.

He’ll be back. Minos thought to himself as he finished cleaning and dressing his neck. He replayed the earlier conversation and he knew that a member of the Royal Magic Family would not be there if they were not serious. He sighed. He knew Nina was probably more frustrated than him. “All that I can do is make sure she gets to her location,” He thought as he remembered the things Dominus said they must do.

“Do you think we should go to Impes?” Nina asked suddenly.

“Of course you’ll go to Impes,” Dominus said entering the space from the darkness behind them, his black garments flowing around him. “We’re leaving this instant. I have no time to waste with this came of chase. Quickly. Should another hoard of Desperate souls find their way to you, I will leave your dear friend behind and escape with just you.”

Nina and Minos stood and faced Dominus. Not startled that he had caught up with them, just surprised at how he found them. Minos sighed and began to pack all that he could determine was worth taking with them. He knew that this man was not joking around with them. He wanted only to ensure that Nina would be okay.

“So are we going with him?” Nina asked Minos as she noticed him gathering things together. “But he…,”

“I know, “ Minos said as he finished gathering what little items they had with them. He stood adjusting his clothing. They were more dirty than usual thanks to Dominus but he managed to repair most of the damage, all that was left was a good wash.

Nina stared blankly at Minos. She never understood his choices. The screaming sound of the night interrupted her thoughts. She turned sharply to Dominus, “ We’ll come along with you, but I am not your prisoner.”

He scoffed. “ I am nothing but an escort, fra misi” the sound of the old language made her shudder. “Follow me into the darkness. I’ll be your light.” He said as he stepped into the storm with little warning.

She glanced at Minos and his eyes gave her a look of reassurance. She pulled her cloak over her head and stepped into the hard wind. She ran after Dominus as she could. She could hear the sound of Minos footsteps behind her. She pushed her body to keep up with Dominus. She grit her teeth in frustration.

We’ll follow him.

For now.