The barrel Alex carries on his back fidgets. He freezes, looking around to make sure no one notices. Everyone’s attention is on Don Sinven and his ungrateful guest who can’t seem to get away fast enough.

Barbara yanks her hand away from the man, noticing his ring with a golden emblem of a longhorn cattle. Looking around at the other people gathered under the gazebo, she notices many of them have jewelry with a similar iconography.

“I left home early to get to work. I didn’t hear anything.”

“Where is it you work, exactly?” Asks Soren.

“A tortilla shop, not far from here, we need to get this maiz over there as soon as possible.” Replies Alex.

Don Sinven opens Barbara’s barrel to peer inside, he grabs a handful then lets the grain fall back down before closing the barrel.

“I can respect two young citizens doing their part to help keep this fine city running smoothly.” He gives them a wide grin. “I was also hoping you would know something about the screaming, the last thing we would want is an untreated afflicted in our midst.”

Again, Alex’s barrel fidgets, this time he can hear a low groan come from inside. In a panic, he takes Barbara’s barrel off of her, lifting it on his shoulders. “You should enjoy the party.” He says to her. “I’ll go take these, and get out of your hands.”

The barrel on his back fidgets again, a muffled noise is heard, this time, it is noticed by those around. Sweating, he keeps on moving as if nothing happened, before he can reach the stairs of the high rising gazebo, a muffled scream coming from his direction is heard over the music.

“Fire. The fire will burn us all.”

Don Sinven’s eyes widen, he looks at Barbara, at Alex, then at the pair of officers that escorted them there. “See what’s inside that barrel.”

Alex widens his stance, both hands on the barrel he took from Barbara, he throws it at the approaching officers, breaking it on impact, scattering the grains everywhere, and dropping the officers to the floor.

“The fire will burn us all!” Continue the screams coming from Alex’s barrel.

The crowd's attention is drawn towards the scene being made under the gazebo.

“An afflicted.” Booms Don Sinven’s voice, pointing at the boy with a barrel on his back.

“Get over here, you idiots.” Soren yells over at officers to quickly make their way to them.

Alex and Barbara push their way back into the crowd, with no way to lose themselves amongst the multitude, Alex brushes past bystanders as he attempts to lead them both away from the plaza.

“Fire. Fire. Fire.” Azucena’s yelling inside the barrel continues.

“This is really bad.” Says Alex, careful not to bump into a lady walking past with her child in hand.

Barbara stops, hand on her hilt, she assumes her quickdraw stance. “Go. I’ll hold them b-”

Before she can finish, Alex grabs her arm and pulls her along as he continues to run. “None of that hero shit. In two blocks, just up there, we’ll run into that alley.”

“Right.”

Barbara makes a hard right as instructed. She looks back, realizing this is the same alleyway they stumbled across Soren Sinven. The alley Alex had chosen was great for getting lost, like a maze of houses, and businesses, they make seemingly random twists and turns. They eventually find themselves in a small plaza within the alleys, at the center a fountain encircled by a couple of flowery bushes, and tall, shade-providing trees. The silence of the place is interrupted by Azucena’s muffled screams within the barrel.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“I was hoping it would last longer, she seems to be getting a tolerance to the medicine.” Alex removes the lid from the barrel, lifting the pan that covered the girl underneath. “Put your hand in the grain, you’ll find a clay cup inside, fill it with water, please.”

Barbara does as she’s told, getting water from the fountain, she hands it over to Alex who takes out a tin box, taking from inside an already prepared syringe. Barbara rests Azucena’s head on her lap, looking down at the girl’s pale, sweaty face.

“Where’d you get that?” Asks Barbara, as Alex sticks the needle in Azucena’s arm.

“There’s a doctor on the north side of the river that sympathizes with the afflicted. He is a good man, we owe him a lot.”

Azucena’s shaking and screaming slowly subside. Alex and Barbara let out a sigh of relief.

“What now?” She asks.

“We continue with the plan. Make haste, and hope to all the gods above and below we aren’t recognized.”

Barbara grumbles, uneasy with relying on chance to make it to their new base safely without notice.After pouring the water on Azucena’s hair, to help keep her cool, Alex gently lifts the little girl, putting her back in the barrel, and lifting it up on his back.

“I can distract the police, have them follow me and give you an easier time to get Azucena somewhere safe.”

“You don’t know your way around the city well enough.” He gives her a modest smile. “Thanks, anyway, but we need to stick together. If we run into trouble, I know you could do your part.”

Before Barbara can respond, a loud crash is heard, they look up to see flocks of birds flying away from the source of the noise. Barbara jumps from one wall to another up to the rooftops, a few blocks down she sees that a guard tower has been taken down. Looking around, she notices a slew of police officers in hot pursuit of the likely culprit.

“Looks like Ruth took down a tower.” She yells down at Alex.

“Damnit, Ruth.” He says under his breath. “We’re not far from the new place.” He says to Barbara. “We can drop off Azucena and see how we can help Ruth.”

Barbara watches how the number of police chasing after Ruth keeps increasing. The image of Ruth standing up for her yesterday when she was getting publicly flogged burns inside her skull.

“I’m going to back her up.” She states.

Alex looks up at her, determination in her eyes, he simply nods in approval, slowly backpedaling before completely turning and running in the opposite direction.

Barbara cracks her knuckles, getting a quick stretch of her legs, she feels a pulling sensation down her spine, her wounds from yesterday have not completely healed. Ignoring her current state, she quickly picks up speed jumping from one rooftop to another, closing the gap between her and the mob of heavy boot officers chasing after Ruth. Three stragglers are taken out with hard knocks on their heads, using her wooden scabbard, she takes another one down, this one falling down to the alley below, crashing on wooden crates and drawing the attention of the two nearby officers.

“You’re the girl that was with Don Sinven.” They both change course and charge towards Barbara.

Barbara stands her ground at the edge of a building, waiting for her assailants to get close. They lunge towards her, jumping from one side of a busy street to another. Barbara ducks under them, letting their momentum get the best of them, they stumble across the rooftop, towards the end of the building. Losing their barings, they too fall down to the alley below.

Looking back at Ruth’s direction, watching the girl toy with the grown men struggling to keep up with her. Barbara continues moving forward in their direction, still unnoticed by the police chasing Ruth down, she knocks out another three stragglers until only five officers remain, keeping up rather well with Ruth.

“Hey!” Barbara yells, successfully getting the attention of the reimagining pursuing officers.

“You three, after her!” Orders the officer in charge.

Barbara assumes her quickdraw stance, waiting for them to get near, they jump in unison from one building to another. They don’t make it. Stones are hurled directly at the men’s groins while in midair, with great precision.

Confused, but willing to take advantage of the opportunity, Barbara circles around them, looking down at the last alley they managed to jump over, she sees below the short muscled boy, the husky boy, and leader of the Alley Coyotes. They look up at her from the shade of the buildings, each bouncing a rock in their hand, giving her an affirming nod before disappearing around the corner.

“How about that?” Says Barbara.

She turns her head in Ruth’s direction, no longer being chased by any officers, Ruth stands on top a vacant flag pole, looking back at her. Blood dripping down her back, a gentle breeze cooling her sweat ridden body, Barbara awkwardly waves at the fiery eyed blonde. For the first time since they first met a few days ago, Ruth gives a genuine smile. They both turn south east, a fresh group of officers making their way towards them in the distance. Ruth motions with her head, inviting Barbara to follow. They descend from the rooftops, down to the alleyways, and back into the multitudes of the busy Pillotlan streets.