There was an old myth about the Asasiyun, who became known in history by the slur Hashashin, and whose name became the word 'assassin' in several languages.
It was said that the warriors of the group had to pass a test before entering the order. The test was known as the 'leap of faith', in which the candidate would jump from a cliff, trusting only faith and their god to save them.
Only those who survived the jump would end up joining their ranks.
It was only a myth, created by crusaders who misinterpreted a lot of things. But it was rather similar to the situation I am facing right now.
Two guards are running on the walkway, towards me.
Some henchmen are running up the staircase.
A mage is hurling spells from the ground, and another two are joining them.
I'm at the top of a ten-meter-tall wall, and the only way is downwards on the outer side.
:::
I look down, taking courage and surveying the place. If I manage to run five more meters to the side before jumping, I'll fall over some overgrown bush.
There's a chance I'll die from the fall. There's a chance I'll survive but break some bones, which would be equal to dying right after.
But there's a chance I'll survive with only minor injuries.
I know that if I don't do it, I'll be worse than dead.
It takes me a split second to make the decision, and I use my last strength to run the five meters, with the guards right at my neck. I could sense their hands brushing my clothes, trying to get a hold on anything.
There's no better motivation than desperation in the face of death. Or, in this case, in the face of a fate worse than death.
I quickly stride the remaining meters and jump, with a projectile of some sort cutting strands of my hair as I fall.
"The honorary kitsune strikes again". I mutter, and soon everything fades to black.
:::
When I open my eyes again, my entire body aches.
It takes me some moments before I get my bearings. I'm surrounded by yellowish-green leaves and dry sticks. Then I remember what happened and where I am. The overgrown bush.
'It seems that the maintenance of the wall here is a bit neglected, Mayor. I'd like to fill a report.' I chuckle by myself. It looks like I survived the fall, after all.
And it's probably because of the sum of the factors of my low body weight, plus the slender branches of the bush easing my fall before the impact with the ground, and the strengthening magic's effects.
There's still a commotion above me, so I probably didn't pass out for long. Right now, the bush conceals me, but I hear some voices talking about burning the bush, while others call for the gates to be opened so they can send a patrol outside.
I move my arms, then my legs, and then I try to get up from the ground to a crouching position. Everything seems to be in order, to my huge relief.
I revise my situation. If they decide to send a patrol, it will still take some time for it to circle down to this point in the wall.
I don't know how far I am from the gate, but at least there wasn't a gate visible from the point on the wall I jumped from, and I know for a fact, because of what Mom and the others told me, that there are only three gates on the city, so it might take a while for them to come.
On the other hand, if they decide to put this on fire, it's just a matter of casting an aria and I'm fried.
In any case, I can't stay here. My strengthening magic is still active, to my surprise, so the time I passed out must have been very short.
I don't have enough mana to pull off another illusion, but I remember this patch of land being dark and hard to see from the top of the wall. Also, the clouds are covering the moon again, and everything is pitch dark.
So, my best shot is running as fast as I can, straight forward in the opposite direction of the city.
In a sense, this is another leap of fate.
On another thought, maybe running is not a good idea. Sudden movement will make it easier for them to notice me fleeing, and it will also deplete my stamina faster.
I take one or two minutes crouching to regain some energy, then I start walking. At first, I proceed slowly, but as I get further away from the wall, I pick up a steadier and quicker pace.
:::
Half an hour later, I find myself far enough that I can't see the city anymore. I don't hear any sign of pursuers, nor did I catch sight of any torch or similar. So I finally allow myself to sit down for a bit.
Before sitting, I make a mark on the ground that I'm sure I'll be able to see in the dark. Just some sticks in a pattern, so I can see what direction I was coming from and what was the one I was going to.
The temperature out here is cooler than it was inside the room, but it's a cool-nice, and not actual cold. It reminds me of the nights of Brazil's summertime. The landscape around me is mostly a sort of sandy soil and some sparse grass.
The clouds make it so dark that it's really hard to see anything, but sometimes here and there, I found a bush or a tree. The trees I would spot before I hit them directly, most of the time. But the small bushes I would only notice when I trip over them.
After around ten minutes, I get up. The strengthening magic has worn off a long time ago, and the weariness of the high adrenaline happenings of the night is finally weighing on me, but I can't stop.
I can't allow myself to stop.
I take the sword out of the backpack and carry it in my hands. I don't have any mana left, so if any monster attacks me, this will be my only chance of defense.
I check the sticks on the ground, take position in the right direction, and scatter them before resuming my march.
This is going to be a long night, and I'm staking my survival on it.
But it's better to be dead than to be without life.