Carmine

Out of all the suggestions, this was his best idea?

I walked briskly and cut through the slim crowd of people. It seemed I was on my own again. Five would be with Janilla, since they were supposedly following Janilla’s thoughts.

They would not be able to track me, but I was wearing an enclosed mantle over my head to block the face. Seeing me would be their last and best option, still, I was shaking profusely.

To think Corona was so close to me, she could touch me. I was foolish to think I could take her on. She might have been here for a long time, watching, stalking me like injured prey, waiting patiently for me to drop lifelessly for her to devour my dying flesh.

Cursed be that vulture, for failing was not a choice I would have chosen. My feet navigated the narrow streets as I went further down the sloping mountain.

The plan was risky as I was on my own. If I escaped this city it might not matter. I would be far from here. Corona will come for Five and Janilla.

Naturally, he would warp to where I was, and then we could go from there. I just hoped she was not as stupid to go on a murdering spree just to prove a point.

Corona was not an idiot, for that was a bluff I was sure.

Leaving them behind seemed like a mad idea, but what choice did I have? I reached the first gate in the inner wall and easily passed without much of a look at me by the guards.

That was good, now, this part of the city was where the truly disadvantaged and poor lived. It was still not bad, the buildings were taller here if not in bad repair.

There were very few merchants or road peddlers like there were in the middle of the city. It was mostly domiciliary buildings, while lines of clothes crisscrossed above the narrower paths I took.

The smell was the only bad thing. No sewers, meant the dirt road was the resting ground for the dung.

Walking, I kept my head straight, but my eyes ever wavering. Soldiers were fewer here and I predicted that made the local brigands happier than usual.

Whereever they be in this dismal space, as the light barely touched the street, yet veering across the walls with a hesitant crawl of the day’s rise.

“Can I get a copper?”

I fidgeted. Turning, I looked down at a young boy. His clothes were marred, while his eyes were large and dreamy.

His palm was held out waiting for me to bless him. I needed to leave the city, but I guessed I could help this child and his family as well.

My hand took out a gold coin. The child grabbed my hand and Corona’s voice seeped into my conscious. “Cockroach!”

I drew back and the child’s hand shifted into expanding black smoke. Grabbing my gun, I fired and the smoke blossomed into my face.

“Feel the burn!” Doubling over, I flung back and I rolled from the intense ache that caused me to cough. I winced and shifted upward to see Corona stepping out of the dark shadows and the dissipating smoke.

I moved my hands on the ground frantically only to hear the crunching sound of Corona’s sandal on the gun.

Behind me was a Shyia male fully suited in silvery jagged armor. In one hand, a long sword with an elaborate swirling pommel while the other hand held a round silver shield that had interlocked spirals spinning towards the center.

Corona said, “Thought you could run away?”

I cried out, “Guard! Guard!”

Corona smiled. “We are in the dumps of the capital where cockroaches like you live. Guards do not frequent here.” She gestured with a wave of her hand. “Hell, they hide and look away as is their duty and purpose.”

I looked around, the streets and back alleys were empty. Even now, there was a still quiet with only the ruffling of curtains being drawn over windows to hide their shame.

Feeling deflated, I clutched my fist hard and looked at Corona. Me, look weak? No. I would not allow that.

My knife got drawn when I planted my feet. Corona laughed. “Do not make me break that hand. We only want you to come with us? How about it? Mm?”

“You expect me to believe that. The amount of times you tried to kill me!”

She stared long and hard, pulling her bottom lip in and out. Rage riddled her cheeks and jawline, crafting tight lines along her face.

“If I wanted you dead. You would have already been. That was not the order I was given. I was told—” Her eyes diverted for a moment before landing back on me. “To just catch you. Dead or alive, it does not matter. It is the other fools that want you dead. Me, I give you a choice of what you prefer.”

I remembered vaguely what was done to me back then. It did not seem good, much less safe. “And do what? What were you doing to me back at the temple?”

Corona narrowed her eyes. “Nothing special, it was to help you—sleep. Yes, sleep. It would give you a long soothing rest.”

The man moved closer, I pushed against the wall and kept them both in my line of sight.

Corona said, picking up my gun, “You know, I can bring you to your mother, if you want.”

I stared at her in disgust. “My mother is dead. Don't you dare sully he—”

“You really believe that?”

I opened my mouth, but hesitated. My body twisted as something slammed into my side, causing me to fall forward. Fingers bit the ground, for my chest convulsed to the shock of pounding the dirt.

Soon enough my hair was drawn back, clenched hard by sharp metal.

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!

I heard a whoosh then the sharp clank of clashing metal.

“Yo—”

“Five, duck!” Was that Janilla?

More crashes, a resounding clank of metal, then—“Arraaaghh!” that must the Knight's voice.

I fell to the ground. My head hurts, so I winced and curled my body up in response. Rolling, I stalled as an arrow pierced the ground next to me.

Luck, I took it for granted too many times in the past.

The round shield the knight had, landed on the ground by my feet, the strap lingered lazily in its concave center.

My eyes rooted on Corona marching towards me. The Knight pushed back Five with ferocious swings of his blade.

“Carmine!” Janilla called.

My head turned up in the other direction and saw Janilla on the roof of a scantly unpainted wooden house.

I twirled, grabbed the shield, arrows bounced off when I held it up to my back.

My foot parked onto a window sill and snatched hold of a break in the wall. With a jump, I shimmied up the roof’s edge.

An arrow slammed into my side. I felt a tug, so I was being pulled back. It was attached!

I was forced backward from Janilla's reaching grasp missing my fingers. My body fell off the edge I caught.

A loud yelp from Corona echoed.

I looked down and saw the dangling gun. Corona was on the ground, now pushing off the Knight that got thrown onto her. Five was on the other side leaned down, yet breathing heavily.

Five looked up. “Go!”

I gripped the gun and thrown it over the edge.

Catching my breath, I spun around and grabbed hold of the roof. I thrust myself up. The pain rivets in my side. My left hand slipped, so my torso skidded back and pain pierced through me when it dug into the skin.

No!

My right hand reached. Janilla jumped forward. My eyes met the trailing wall. A pain shuddered up my hip as I spun. A tug congealed my arm.

Janilla barely held onto my arm. She was being slowly dragged off the edge. The squeak of her grip slid against my skin.

Too heavy!

A chill riveted through my back by the time I looked at Corona’s mad rush running up the wall towards me. Stupefied, I stared wildly in preparation for my death. Her mad face warped into screaming agony when Five fly kicked her in the gut, sending her back from whence she came.

My eyes flicked around hungrily and saw the stone projection. Lifting my legs, I planted my left foot onto it. I swung up the next foot and pushed myself up. Janilla breathed loud gasps.

Fingers bit into the rugged edge. Red with fever, the pain ached along the bones of my fingers.

I was losing grip then I kicked my foot grasping the wall in sprouts of urgency. My body pulled and rolled on the roof. Angst settled in my legs.

Janilla perched on her back. Her chest raised and fell rapidly, while making a low hissing sound. I stood up. “Tha—Get up. Come on,“ I said.

A brutal pain ripped through me when I dragged the arrow out of my side. I cried, tears flowed, but I had to move.

My arm slung under Janilla's shoulder, and we ran. Dying was not on my mind, so I rushed forward and jumped the next roof.

I jumped from this roof and onto the other with a thud and ruffling as the intertwined leaves shook in the rafters. Janilla rolled and cried out.

My shoulders ached in their brief roll, but once I stopped, my eyes caught Corona. Two roofs over, she glared at me with the avid determination of a predator.

Sweat bubbled off my face and my legs tightened with each passing second. I needed to get her off my back. I needed to think of something, but no one was around, who would come to my aid?

Janilla and me moved right, jumping towards an inclined metal roof. A gust passed me and I twirled, falling left shoulder first.

“Carmine!” Janilla shouted as she ducked. Corona had a bow and she was firing nothing. She just drew back the empty string and aimed at me.

It strung forward and instinct called for me to lift the shield. Something heavy slammed into it and threw me onto another roof.

My back contorted in agony. It flowed into my stilled hand. I twisted my hand proper and shot my body upright. My will fought the failure of my imminent fatigue.

I stared into Corona's curious gaze, yet she was on a higher roof.

The shield shivered and retracted into a smaller circle.

I opened the cover on the black glove and snapped the middle cord which sent out a loud horn that echoed throughout the whole town.

Corona drew back the string of the bow. Five came out of nowhere in front of me. He fell on one knee, breathing hard.

The two of them stared at each other. None moved, until Corona let the bow fall to her side, smirking at me.

She turned around and walked behind a pillar.

Corona was gone.