Five minutes had passed. Vanitas's buff had expectedly ended, our bodies feeling a bit sluggish afterwards.
Alya leaned against the wall, gently kicking it. "We can't just stay in one spot like this."
I didn't say anything, just staring at her with a sigh as she sighed too, "His strength though… " She lowered her head, her eyes locked on her bare feet.
We were standing inside a guard post. Ground was white, polished marble and bricks, Gothic black. There was just a wooden table and chair with a thick stack of paper and a bird feather against a pot of ink placed at the center of it.
Ironically, there were no guards inside, probably all focused on the chaos we caused. A smile appeared on my face.
Alya took deep breaths in the smell of roses from scented candles at all corners, lying fully down on the warm ground with her back against the wall. Somehow, this room was really warm, like we were under a heavy blanket.
Probably a heater equivalent that ran on Arcana at work.
I walked to her side, lying down as well, also closing the distance between us till our bodies were brushing.
"What's on those papers?" Alya asked through a yawn.
"Seems like an attendance register for the guards here. Nothing besides random names and signature." She nodded to my explanation, laying her head on my shoulder. I did the same, her thick white hair serving as the perfect pillow.
This guard post was relatively safe. It was at the opposite edge of our cell, just beside a long staircase that led to the upper floor.
With this place's size, there were tens of these staircases. Chances of them going to this one at one faraway corner were very low when they gotta deal with escapees and search for us.
What worried us, at least me, was Vanitas. He shouldn't be late. Rather, we should be. We were much, much behind him at the beginning, and I stopped to talk a lot. It made no sense.
"He's in trouble," I whispered to Alya with closed eyes.
"Surely. And Luci…" Her voice deepened, "If it's something he can't handle…"
The light blue eyes of the lead holy knight I saw before flashed in my eyes.
"There's not much point in waiting…" My fists clenched, "We are not strong enough to help him. Either he gets out, or…"
"Anyways, we are just sitting ducks right now," I said through a tightened jaw.
She placed her hand over mine, soft and delicate, "You're right. He's stronger than us, if he can't even get out… Then, it will be wiser to leave and blend in now."
There should be an evacuation going up, most likely, the best chance to get out. If it's over, things will get much harder…
But the problem is… I have an option. I glanced at my side pocket that had the samurai drawn card. If I just commanded with the commandment card to save Vanitas and recovered his powers, it should be a walk in the park.
But, is it really smart to use my ultimate, life-saving, trump card like this? For someone I just met. It'd be stupid. Outside, worse is waiting.
"Luci… It's not your fault. Even though he was a captain for the church, you forgave him, helped him, even after what they did to us, you freed him. You already did enough. He wouldn't want you to risk your life to save his either." She lifted her head from my shoulder, her eyes complex as she pulled me in a tight, warm hug.
Did she read my emotions?
I probably am feeling guilt…
"Let's not think like that. His ability makes him probably the greatest at surviving. And if he could also buff himself to move at the speed of sound or perhaps even faster… I believe he will be fine. He's just delayed." I replied with a smile. She nodded softly.
But, alas… I glanced at the wooden door. Someone did catch him before. Taking a deep breath, I hugged Alya back.
"Let's leave, Alya," I said, rubbing the back of her head.
I wonder what the thing he spent seven years trying to escape for was.
…
"You the new lads? Why are you two here? Are you trying to run away from the loose slaves? Your orders were to delay 'em."
FUCK!
If the day couldn't get any better, a muscular giant of a man in a white shirt tucked between his black pants and a brown fur overcoat that reached to his knees stood right beside the stairway.
"Our orders were to help with the evacuation, sir." I bowed immediately as Alya mimicked. My hair stood upright as I looked in Alya's red eyes; they were filled with bloodlust.
No, no, we can't possibly kill here!! I could see more than eighteen guards, spread out just in hundred meters with the [Eye of Sanguine].
We are already seen by him, so there's a huge chance he will be to alarm everyone by the time our fists reach, and the next minute, there will be a whole ass task force from the church and Mari Swan here.
"Hm?" The man went into thought, twirling his long black moustache.
"I doubt that. You're running away. You're preferring your life over our orders." He shook his head with a cold smile, our hearts beating faster and faster. "You lads, do you know what they did to the cats who didn't kill mice back in my town?"
"We aren't, sir! We are supposed to help with the evacuation in the auction area." I said through gritted teeth.
"They killed them. They were useless, resource draining, leeches after all."