Ryan and Eleanor exchanged a glance before climbing into the carriage. Umbar joined them, taking the reins. As the carriage began to move, Ryan's thoughts whirled with questions and doubts, but the rhythmic clatter of hooves on cobblestones gradually calmed him.
"Where are we going?" Eleanor quietly asked, breaking the silence.
"To a safe house outside of town," Umbar replied. "The two Deuteros' will meet us there. He will probably never return to this town; it would not take a genius to realise that he was helping you two."
Ryan looked out the small window, watching the town fade into the distance. "What are they doing here?" he asked quietly.
Umbar's gaze was steady. "They must have heard about there being two heroes in the nearby forest, and then a day later a couple humans showing up in the nearest town. You both are seen as a massive threat to their plans. Two human heroes would shift the balance of power, and they can't afford that, so they are using their strongest troops to find you two. Now no more questions; we will reach the town exit soon, where we will definitely meet a few soldiers."
It seems like everyone knows we're heroes at this rate.
As the carriage continued, a crackling and popping sound could be heard, growing louder and louder. Ryan's curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the curtains of the carriage ever so slightly; only his eye peeked out. Holy shit. His eyes fell upon a massacre, with a dozen burned soldiers scattered about, with a few living ones inspecting the area. Ryan quickly shut the curtain and sat back down.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves on cobblestone suddenly halted as the carriage reached the town gates.
"Hey! Town guard, where are you going?" Asked a gruff voice, the gruff voice from outside of the inn earlier.
Umbar didn't hesitate to address the gruff-voiced soldier.
"Urgent orders from Mayor Deuteros," he said, his tone authoritative. "We need to transport critical supplies to the outpost beyond the forest. The mayor wants us to ensure everything is secure, as we have heard rumours of an invasion by the humans to secure the heroes."
The soldier frowned. "At this hour? And with all this chaos?"
Umbar nodded firmly. "Exactly. The mayor doesn't want to risk waiting. The supplies are crucial for fortifying our defences, especially with the current unrest. Any delay could jeopardise our position."
"Okay, that's plausible… but… Who's in the back of the carriage?" The gruff voiced guard smugly said.
Ryan and Eleanor's faces dropped.
"No one, just the resources." Umbar swiftly responded.
"Mhm, then how come I saw the curtains moving?" The soldier replied.
"Must have been the wind, now if there is anything else, I need to deliv-"
The soldier unsheathed his sword and said, "You know who I am, don't you, guard… I am Aralus, one of the strongest swordsmen in the royal army. You wouldn't lie to me, now, would you?"
"O-Of course not!" Umbar stuttered.
"Alright, you wouldn't mind if I quickly inspected your carriage, then would you?"
"Please do!" said Umbar.The clatter of metal boots on stone grew louder and louder. Until the soldier was right outside of the carriage.
Ryan's heart pounded in his chest as the door swung open. Aralus peered inside, his sharp eyes scanning every inch of the interior. Ryan held his breath, hoping the darkness and the cramped space would conceal them.
Suddenly, Umbar lunged at Aralus from behind, a dagger flashing in his hand. The move was swift and unexpected. Aralus spun around just in time to deflect the blow, his sword clanging against Umbar's dagger.
"Go!" Umbar shouted to Ryan and Eleanor, who didn't need to be told twice.
They scrambled out of the other side of the carriage and onto the cobblestones. As they did, they saw other town guards rushing to join Umbar, weapons drawn. The clash of steel and the crackling of spells echoed through the night as the guards engaged the purple deer-crested soldiers, who were rapidly receiving reinforcements.
"This way!" Eleanor shouted, grabbing Ryan's hand and pulling him towards a narrow alleyway. They darted between buildings, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.
Behind them, the sounds of battle grew more intense. Ryan risked a glance back and saw the town guards fighting valiantly against the ever-increasing number of intruders. He felt a pang of guilt leaving them behind but knew they could do nothing.
I'm the reason those guards will die. All because I peeked outside of the carriage.
The duo ran over to the town walls, now a bit further away from the shouts and screams of the fight that was still raging on.
This wall must be 5 metres tall, there's no way we could climb it. Ryan and Eleanor began thinking of solutions until Ryan's eyes landed on a house close to the wall.
"Eleanor!" he whispered urgently, pointing to the building. "If we can reach the top of that house, we might be able to jump over the wall."
Eleanor nodded, understanding immediately. "Let's go."
They dashed towards the house, adrenaline fueling their every step. The sounds of the battle behind them grew fainter as they reached the building. Ryan glanced around, spotting a stack of crates and barrels that might give them the boost they needed.
"Climb up," Eleanor instructed, giving Ryan a leg up onto the first crate. He scrambled up, pulling himself onto the roof with a grunt. Eleanor was right behind him, moving with practiced ease.
From the roof of the house, the town wall seemed less daunting. They could see the forest beyond, dark and foreboding but promising safety.
"Okay, on three," Eleanor said, bracing herself. "One, two, three!"
They leapt together, their fingers just barely catching the edge of the wall. Ryan's heart pounded as he pulled himself up, the rough stone scraping against his hands. Eleanor was beside him, her face set in determination.
Just as they swung their legs over and dropped to the other side, a shout went up from the ground below. A soldier had spotted them.
"Faster Ryan!" Eleanor urged as they plunged into the forest, branches whipping at their faces as they ran.