Freedom's daughter

"In front..." I whisper.

We hide behind a barrel in a dark alley, few guards pass in the street right in front of us.

The entire city is looking for us. After the fight with Dante and her knights, a spell has been cast, communicating an order to kill us to every guard; I'm trying my best to avoid getting found.

The plan is to exit the walls and hide in a carriage.

With my back in this condition is impossible to walk somewhere distant and we can't risk Lyet using the wrong spell while trying to heal me.

All that hoping they didn't close the city, of course.

We keep moving through the rainy alleys. I use the sound of the metallic footsteps of the guards to perceive where they are; for now, it seems to work.

We eventually managed to arrive at one of the gates of the city.

As expected, it's patrolled.

"Lyet... Look out the gate."

"Horses..."

There's a small stable holding four horses. They might be blocking the city, but if we manage to slip out, we might take one horse and escape.

"There are five guards, though..." She notices.

"I could try something, but it takes me time, and we have no idea if Dante has already started to look for you with her spell."

"Do you want me to try and cast something?"

"It would be the quickest way. But first, let's move closer; we must be ready to run out as soon as they are distracted."

"Ok..."

We are a few meters from the gate; it's hard to see us because of the rain and darkness.

A few seconds later, Lyet casts a spell, and a bolt of fire travels in their direction at incredible speed.

"Yes! I wanted it to be electricity, but it's close enough." She whispers.

Fortunately, we were close enough, so the rain didn't put out the fire in time. It hits the stomach of one of the guards, but it doesn't pass through the armor. 

"What was that?"

"I believe it came from there. I'll go check."

Shit, he is getting closer. I hoped the spell would have done more.

I take a small rock and throw it meters away from us, in the direction opposite to the gate. 

It hits a small stand, and the gaze of guard changes there.

I take advantage of it and make him slip, pulling one of his legs.

The other guards'll come here now, but it was just a matter of time before getting seen anyway.

Once he falls on the ground, I quickly remove his helmet while he is still stunned, and punch her throat several times. Each collision takes away air from him, leaving him on the ground, grasping for air with teary eyes.

The guards are already coming to our position.

"Lyet, sneak away, I'll distract her. Then go out the gate and prepare a horse, I'll be quick."

"I trust you..."

And so she sneaks behind, where they won't see her, ready to circle.

I stand up, and all four look at me—

One is preparing a spell?! 

All the guards and knights I saw until now never used one, so I assumed either they didn't study how to do it, or the spells they could cast were weak compared to their martial arts abilities.

Or... It's teamwork. Since there are a lot of them it would be dumb for all to get close. The caster prevents me from running away; if I take distance, he'll shoot. But if I move closer, the other three will attack me.

I fucked up, I have no clue what spell he might cast so I can't prepare an evasion prior, I didn't see it coming, like an idiot.

"Sorry kid, everyone was ordered to kill you. You did well arriving all the way here, but your luck ran out. Where is the girl?"

Calm down... I have an idea.

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you? I'm dead anyway."

I step forward, close to the knight who spoke, just barely inside his range of attack.

"Well, your choice."

He steps forward, and I mimic the same length but backward. I have to maintain the distance I established before.

I don't dodge the upcoming attack, and the sword cuts my chest, but only two centimeters in. 

I fall on the ground and start breathing heavily.

"Uh? I thought you would be strudier..."

The knight kneels to check me.

"Oh, you have a pretty bad cut on the back as well. Well, I'm sorry kid, nothing personal."

He then places his fingers on my neck to check my heartbeat.

"It's getting weaker; he'll die in a matter of seconds. Guys, let's look for the girl; she must be around."

They then help the guard I almost KO'd earlier, and all five start to check the surroundings.

Eheh... Nailed it.

When no one is around me, I sneak to the gate, and when I'm close enough, I start to run, as fast as I can in these conditions. They noticed me, but it's too late.

"What?! Wasn't he dying? Chase him!"

"Histrio! Here!"

I see Lyet on a horse, ready to pick me up.

With her help, I jumped on the horse, losing a bit of blood in the process.

Then Lyet starts riding it, and we move into the distance, leaving the city behind.

I wrap my arms around her waist to support myself.

"You were amazing... How did you manage to do it?"

"Simple biofeedback."

"Bio-what?"

"With a bit of training, it helps you monitor and eventually control involuntary body functions." Cough... "I decelerated my heartbeat to fake that I was dying. But I'm also doing it since when I was cut on my back, to reduce the amount of blood I was losing; I would have died way before otherwise."

"I was so scared you couldn't make it."

"D-did I worry you? Sorry..." Cough...

"It's ok. I told you I trusted you, didn't I?"

"Do you mind if I rest a bit...?

"Go ahead."

She leaves me some room of space on her shoulder where I can then lay my head.

"Thanks..."

I close my eyes.