Chapter 57, Run

(Reskeme)

Laying in a shadowy hallway, Reskeme stare up at the ceiling. In the steady light of a rune lantern, his body refused to move. Anger boiled in his chest as he waited the allotted five minutes he needed before the gas wore off. He could hear Trisha and the other one Elliot in the ritual room doing something. Reskeme shuddered. The sense of dread washing over him was nearly a physical thing.

The malicious presence pressed down on his chest, appearing as though it was this odd presence and not the paralyzing gas keeping him on the floor. Yes! His finger twitched and then slowly his entire hand. His breaths came slowly until the gas wore off enough for him to take huge gasping breaths. Reskeme gritted his teeth and balled his fists. Sure, Trisha paralysed him, but then she had saved him from Elliots' knife. And what was their argument about? Trisha was sent here to kill him? His mind drifted frantically as he forced his body into a seated position.

Vision swimming, he shook himself. Focus! He only had a few minutes to escape. Reskeme unsteadily climbed to his feet, using the wall for support. Unsteadily, he walked through the halls to the rear courtyard. Reskeme peered into the courtyard. His caution paid off, as the door leading to the street was wide open and soldiers in dark brown uniforms with white shoulder badges were pouring into the courtyard. Shit! Reskeme cursed himself. How was he going to escape now? Think Reskeme, think!

Maybe the guild master has a secret exit, thought Reskeme? With the threat of capture pushing him forwards Reskeme backtracked. He swayed and started his way down the hall towards the back of the building and the guild master's office. Reskeme gagged at the foul stench of demonic essence driving into him as he passed the open door and the two corpses. Oddly enough, the corpses smelled better than that main ritual chamber.

Trudging along, he reached the door he knew led to the waiting room for the guild master's office. Reskeme breathed deeply in a failed attempt to calm his racing heart. He heard a voice shouting distantly and backed away. Looking for anywhere to hide, Reskeme kicked himself for his lack of forethought. Removing his illusion amulet from his neck, Reskeme channel mana, keeping the stream of power as tight as he could. First one layer, then two, until he had five layers of mana around himself. Each layer Reskeme created, he willed the mana to blend in with his surroundings. The edges of his body blurred and rippled as his body became less distinct.

In the sparse hallway, there was nowhere to hide. Reskeme leaned against the wall as he heard footsteps approach the door. Swallowing hard, he froze in place, hoping whoever enter didn't stumble into him. The door slammed open, and Guild master Lucas flanked by two guards enter nearly jogging. Lucase's face contorted in anger as he rushed down the hall. Reskeme let out a small sigh of relief. Both guards followed shortly behind with swords drawn.

" Whats the matter, guild master?" asked one guard.

" Someone just broke into the jail cells of the ritual chamber. My alarm rune was disturbed. Whatever idiot did that is going to be joining those vagrants behind bars." said Lucas in a snarl.

Reskemes heart raced, as the guild master channel his mana in anger. Reskeme swallowed. The sheer power of the man's channeling forced his breath from his chest.

Reskeme shivered and waited for several long seconds. He pushed into the dark waiting room and strode towards Lucase's office. Reskeme wonder where the receptionist was? As the desk normally used to keep people at bay was empty. He smiled and strode up to the door. Reskeme turned the lock. He grinned as the door slid open.

Reskeme peered inside the still lit office of the guild master. Several fancy paintings adorned the wall on the left, while a massive bookshelf took up the wall on the right. His attention wanders along the spines of the books, looking for one in particular. There, in a glass case, was a small pocketbook. Scrawled on the surface of the leather-bound book in gold script was the title art of the rune craft master.

As to the reason Reskeme was so interested in this book was the inscription at the bottom of the leather-bound book. Co author J,A. Reskeme remembered seeing that same name on the demonic tablet Rufus used to summon Reskemes' familiar. Whoever this J,A was, they were a part of the reason Reskeme was a demon. Reskeme looked around the room, spotting a leather satchel next to the guild master's desk. He strode over and picked up the dark black leather satchel with silver embroidery. Reskeme took the glass bound journal from the shelf carefully and set it into the satchel.

Reskeme hurriedly searched around the room. He was taking far too long to steal what he needed, and he still needed to escape. Reskeme searched all the walls, pulling books from the shelves. The room shook as the building quivered. Reskeme swallowed. That sound, the distinct rumbling that shook him to his bones. Those were battle runes. Trisha would be fine. Reskeme thought back to that massive power radiating off the guild master. He shook his head. Trisha was the enemy. He owed her nothing. Reskeme continued pulling books from the shelf, letting them clatter to the floor in a mess.

One book caught his eye sitting on the shelf. The guide to structural advancement volume one. Reskeme grinned. Now that was something he wanted. Reskeme put that book in his new satchel. Mostly papers adorned the guild master's massive desk, but there was a metal writing utensil will stylised silver and gold plating. Reskeme tossed that inside as well and headed for the door. If there was an exit in the guild master's office, he couldn't find it.

Reskeme rushed towards the front entrance and peered out. He was going to go help Trisha but surely the church goons with help from her, right? Reskeme peered out into the merchants' hall. Damit, the merchants' hall, was swarming with church solders and two figures in the light robes Reskeme normally associated with priests. The building shook again, plaster raining from the ceiling. Reskeme scowled. The two mages of the church didn't even move as they gestured soldiers towards the door Reskeme was peering from.

Trisha didn't have that kind of time. Reskeme growled. The church mages could clearly hear the sounds of battle, but they weren't going, they were sending soldiers instead. Reskeme whirled around. He doubted Trisha could beat Lucas by herself. He needed to decide. They blocked Reskeme in with no way to escape. The most he could do was to help her. Reskeme gripped his new leather satchel and back tracked. Plaster rained from the ceiling and the building trembled. Reskeme ran down the halls until he reached the ritual chamber.

The air vibrated and something large and heavy flew through the door before slamming into the wall beside Reskeme like a cart hitting a wall. Reskemes ears popped and rang as the thunderous boom washed over him. Drawing one of his throwing knives from under his shirt, Reskeme peer around the corner cautiously. He glanced back to the crumpled unmoving form of the mercenary, wondering if Elliot was dead. The large mercenary was unmoving as he lay in the crater, his body bloody and broken in the wall.

Inside the ritual chamber, Trisha darted around the room, grey runes flashing around her as she used her runes to deflect spears of stone and beams of water that bore holes into the walls. All around Trisha, runes formed blue and brown, each attacking with either water or earth. The wall behind Trisha collapsed as a pillar of stone blasted from the ground, missing Trisha and going through the wall instead. Trishas frantic pace only allowed her to keep away from death. If her frantic expression was anything to go off, she wouldn't last much longer.

Guild master Lucas, on the other hand, stood on the far side of the room, his face red with rage. A dome of blue mana swirled around him accented with brown sigils of earth mana.

Reskeme swallowed. He really didn't want that kind of attention. You can do it! You 're going to kick his ass thought, Reskeme. His internal pep talk over with Reskeme channel his own mana, the burn a comforting presence. A stray beam of water tore the door from its hinges, nearly making Reskeme lose focus. He created a deep green rune above Lucas and, as quick as he possibly could, created three more runes. Guild master Lucase's eyes went wide as at that same moment, Trisha attacked with a rune of grey mana.

The green dome flashed as Reskeme powered his runes. He shielded his eyes and his ears rang as the runes sent a wave of flashing green and the stink of burning clothing through the room with a whomp.

The light faded and Lucas, his robe steaming stagger, shaking his head and clutching his right arm. Reskeme eyed the distance and stepped into the room. Now was his chance. The mans rune barrier was down. If Reskeme knew anything, it was that the way to win against a mage was to catch them off guard. Reskeme cocked back his arm and flung his runed knife end over end. His throw was long, nearly twenty steps away. The knife arched and much to Reskeme and Lucase's surprise; the knife dug into Lucase's leg with a thunk.

Lucas screamed and collapsed on one knee. Lucase's eyes frantically scanned the room, landing on Reskeme. He swallowed as Lucas retaliated. Mana filled the room as Lucas channel his power. The power built and then Reskeme was flying. He hit the wall next to the door, the wood of the mostly destroyed wall collapsing as Reskeme hit it, cushioning his flight. The air exploded from Reskeme's lungs as he rolled to his side, coughing and gasping for breath. Stars filled his vision and Reskeme blinked up to see Lucas glaring bloody murder at him. Blue runes formed in the air above Lucas as something formed. A spear of water and earth spun wildly as it grew and grew. Lucase's attention on Reskeme made it clear he was about to die.

Reskeme swallowed and shut his eyes against the pain in his chest. Gutter spit, his horrible aim. Even kneeling on the floor guild, master Lucas threw a spike of earth at him. A grey run formed between Reskeme and Lucas as a gale like wind struck the speeding earth spike. Reskeme's face burned as the spike passed a hair's breath from his cheek. The earth spike slammed through the wall, disappearing. Reskeme felt blood trickling down his face but was thankful Trishas wind rune had pushed it, off course.

Coughing, Reskeme peered across the hazy room as dust clouded the air. Trisha crouched next to him, looking into his eyes. Reskeme grinned at her and coughed, tasting blood.

" Are you alright?" asked Trisha, holding out a hand to help him up. Reskeme looked into her confused, deep brown eyes and shrugged. Reskeme pushed aside his bloody silver white hair and grinned at her.

" I suppose. The blood I'm tasting is concerning but that won't matter if Lucas finishes us off." said Reskeme wincing as he rose from the rubble.

" Any ideas on how to kill him?" said Trisha, holding her side and panting.

" Fresh out of ideas, I hoped that throwing knife would finish him." said Reskeme, bracing himself as mana washed over him.

" You two are going to pay for this." shouted Lucas in a thick gravely voice. Lucas coughed and Reskeme could see his face contort in pain as he knelt on the stone floor.

"Sorry I don't have enough gold to pay for your plush desk, much less the books I stole." said Reskeme.

Reskeme and Trisha lept away from each other as a frozen earth spike the size of Reskeme's torso tore from a rune and slammed into the stone floor, sending stinging fragments of stone in every direction.

" Why do you have to taunt him? He was already angry." said Trisha crawling back to her feet. Reskeme picked himself from the rubble again, scowling at Lucas.

" What are you?" asked Lucas, looking at Reskeme.

" I am me." said Reskeme gasping and pointing to himself.

"I meant what are you?-

Reskeme channel mana and created rune above Lucase's head. A torrent of flame struck down, slamming into a blue shimmering dome of water mana. If Lucas was going to keep talking and distracting himself, Reskeme was going to take advantage. Reskeme wearily eyed the bloody runes in the center of the room. So far Lucas was staying away from them and Trisha wasn't entering either. He shuddered to himself, unsure of what this ritual was for.

" Keep doing that. I think its working." said Trisha. The flame dissipated, revealing Lucas glaring from under his dome of mana.

Reskemes skin tingled and several grey runes slammed crescents of mana into the shield like sword slashes. The blue barrier rippled and sparked, deflecting the mana easily.

Lucas grinned at them, but his smoking robe and charred face, combined with the knife in his leg, were clearly causing him immense pain. Reskeme wanted to run around, but the ritual in the center of the room looked far too sinister. He didn't know what it did, and Reskeme wasn't planning on finding out.

" No matter, I will kill the girl and then get it out of you by force." said Lucas, snarling at them.

Reskeme drew another throwing knife from his sheath. He glanced at Trisha, who seemed to understand his thoughts.

" Go!" said Reskeme as he created several runes and three lances of green fire exploded against Lucase's barrier. The lances of fire were crude, terrible compared to an actual technique, but Reskeme was trying his best. Wind blades like crescents of energy swirled with the fire and washed over the surface of the barrier. There was a distinct shatter, like glass breaking. Reskeme threw his second knife. His knife tumbled end over end and disappeared into the swirling green fire. The swirling wind dissipated, revealing a still burned and bloody Lucas. The man glared at them, but other than his hair charred to a crisp, he was still mostly okay. Surely the man couldn't keep fighting? Lucas drew a vial of viscous brown liquid from his belt and downed it. His body shuddered and his eyes went red. After that, he seemed more than ready to fight. Reskeme noticed his knife in the rubble, just passed Lucas, and bit his lip.

A new blue and brown barrier formed around Lucas. The mans channeling seemed limitless.

A spear launched from a rune on the floor in a blur and punched through Reskemes leg at the shin. Reskeme screamed as the stone held him firmly in place. Tears filled his eyes as he glared at the mostly dead Lucas. His body shook with adrenaline as he clung to conciousness. Lucas grinned through charred lips at him. Seven runes shimmered in the air around Reskeme and the pressure built. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Trisha. Other than a flicker of grey mana and sparking, none of her runes were making it through Lucase's shimmering blue barrier.

Reskeme shut his eyes as the runes of blue around him grew in intensity. A distinctly ominous mana flowed from Trisha. A scream of horror filled the air and the intense feeling of Lucase's mana surrounding him dissipated, hissing and sparking. Reskeme skin burned and his heart raced as he opened his eyes. Trisha was staring at Lucas, a veritable river of foreign man flowing through her. Lucas clutched his head as blood ran from his mouth, nose, and eyes.

Reskeme swallowed. What kind of power was that? There were no runes that he could see. Other than a faint purple haze surrounding Lucas and the ominous feeling, there was no tell to the power being used. Reskemes winced as Lucas's voice reached a truly horrible pitch. His face a mask of blood contorted in agony until his eyes burst. Lucas, his body enhanced by some foul concoction, stumbled he tore at his face and flailed as for the first time since the fight someone stumbled into the ritual at the center of the room.

The ritual comprised several circles, each with several runes between, and as he looked towards the center of the ritual, the runes became numerous and complex. A young child could have made the outer runes. They looked like something Reskeme would have drawn on an alley wall. Whilst the inner runes were like those of a master artist. It appeared as a giant painting that, when looked at, gave Reskeme such a feeling of dread that he couldn't help but shiver.

The bloody lines on the ground flashed and the object in the center shimmered with an ominous blue light. It started with a lack of something that grew and grew. Reskeme wanted to move. He wanted to walk to that thing. His leg exploded in pain as Reskeme's body attempted to walk on its own. He shook his head, trying to remove the urge. Reskeme watched in a haze as Lucase's body convulsed. Next to that black nothingness in the air, his body simply crumbled blood and guts, disappearing into the tear in reality.

Trisha knelt next to him, her hands on her head as she fought some invisible foe. She let out a silent wail that Reskeme couldn't hear, but shook him to his core. Reskeme swallowed as a will unlike anything he has ever felt probed his mind. He stared into the tear in reality and although he couldn't see the being, he could sense it. Reskeme licked his lips in excitement, his mouth water as an aching desire unlike anything he had ever known filled him. A scent drifted to his nose. He breathed deeply of the smell. Reskeme screamed as he once again tried to take a step. The pain of his torn leg forced him back to the present, forced him to remember Trisha was still in trouble.

She was still kneeling beside him; her face drenched with sweat as her body contorted with pain. A distinct aura of malice surrounded Trisha. Reskeme urge to consume came back, but no matter what he tried, the fleeting aura wouldn't conform to his will. Anxiety welled in his chest. How could he help her?

Reskeme reached out through the oddly cool power suffusing the surrounding air. Against his skin, the power did not feel cruel or malicious. It felt like something he should bring within himself. Reskeme placed a hand on her forehead. Whatever this other demon was doing, why couldn't he do the same? Through his hand, he could feel her fevered head and her racing heart. Her forehead was slick with sweat and Reskeme sat there for a few seconds. What now? With all his practice in channeling runes, Reskeme knew how to project his will, and so with no better ideas, that is what he did. With all of his effort, Reskeme pressed his will, hoping he could find whatever was invading Trisha's mind.

He willed himself in, oddly he had the sensation of himself slamming into a wall like a runaway cart. Reskeme reeled mentally and so did Trisha, flinching at his attack. Oh right, Reskeme slapped himself. If he forced himself in, she might think he was an invader as well.

"Trisha, its me Reskeme, let me in." said Reskeme as this time he gently pushed his will up against the wall. Reskeme paused, his will pressing against hers. He could sense pain and a growing fear that was mounting in her.

The metaphorical wall rippled, and it drew Reskemes will inside. Inside, Reskeme gaped, two figures indistinct and shrouded by dozens of swirling colours fought. They were inside a small walled fortress, only the walls were crumbling and the inner bailey was falling down. The two figures struck at each other, plumes of light shedding from their incorporeal bodies. One figure had deep green and blue hues. While the other had fiery red and grey hues that dominated the other colours.

Both figures paused as Reskeme enter the battlefield, the one with the deep green and blue hues colours flickering as though in anger. Reskeme, unsure of who was the enemy, cocked his head. From both figures, he had a distinct feeling of fear. Reskeme cocked his head. Why was that?

The figure of deep green and blue hues hissed. It was not a vocal sound but mental traveling directly to reskeme's mind.

" What are you doing here, filthy devourer?" hissed the invading demon in anger.

The other figure of fiery red and grey hues struck as the demon's focus drifted to Reskeme.

" I'm here to kick you out of this place." said Reskeme. He did not know what a devourer was, but if this demon feared him, then he would take advantage.

Without a body, Reskeme paused for a moment. Was it really that simple? He willed his soul self forward. His body blurred, matching the speed of both Trisha and the Demon. Reskeme struck a blow to the demon's side. The demon screeched in pain as motes of green and blue light flowed from the demon to Reskeme. Reskeme shudder in delight. What was this sensation? Now on the attack, Reskeme and Trisha struck the demon. Every strike Reskeme made tore handfuls of swirling light from the demon.

The demon must have already been weak from its battle with Trisha because, after only a minute of Reskeme tearing chunks from its incorporeal body, the demon fled, its form vanishing from Trisha's mind. Reskeme glanced around the inner fortress of Trisha's mind. The walls were all crumbled and the inner building a wreck and the figure of red and grey seemed dimmer somehow.

The figure gesture towards him. Reskeme felt a will urging him to leave. The presence was soft and seemed exhausted, but Reskeme let it guide him out. His own incorporeal body drifted away from that fortress, passing through a hole in the walls until, with a snap and a jostling of his senses, Reskeme was back in his own body.

Shivering, Reskeme gazed at the rift as it shrunk. He could sense one last hateful leer from the defeated demon before the rift snapped shut, disappearing.

Trisha collapsed next to Reskeme. She panted heavily, her chest heaving as she stared at the roof through watery eyes.

" Take that, you creepy ass no good dandy." shouted Trisha, her voice coming out in a wheeze.

" Well, that was an interesting way to fight?" said Reskeme, wincing as he moved a little.

" Interesting, that was horrible. Next time, we are going to fight in your mind. I feel as though someone has been beating my head with a mace for an hour." said Trisha, looking up at him from where she had collapsed. Reskeme groaned, his body bone tired from what had felt like a brief battle in Trishas mind.

" Hey, I am not the one who let the demon in." said Reskeme, gritting his teeth and shuddering in pain.

" It's not my fault. My power allows demons to force their way into my mind." said Trisha. Her face paled, and she glanced away.

" Your defences are strong. It felt like hitting a brick wall when I tried to force my way into your mind." said Reskeme..

" Please don't do that again. That almost made me loose the fight. If you weren't so weak, the demon would have overpowered me when you tried to force your way in." said Trisha, groaning and massaging her temples.

"I would help you to your feet but I'm otherwise occupied." said Reskeme, gesturing to his leg that was impaled by a spike of stone.

Trisha cracked a smile at his poor attempt at making a joke.

Trisha was looking up at him, her curly brown hair a mess of crumbled plaster and dirt. She climbed to her feet and stagger over to him, all the while massaging her temples and taking deep breaths.

"Lean on me. You will hurt yourself worse if you keep leaning on that spike." said Trisha tiredly.

" What was that power?" asked Reskeme, wanting to confirm his suspicions.

" You already know. Now be quiet. You need to get out of here. The church soldiers will be here any minute." said Trisha, her gaze in a panic as she glance over the stone spike in his leg to the broken building around them.

" It is no use. I checked both exits. There is no way for me to get past them." said Reskeme, winced as pain shot through his body.

"What happened to your illusion, amulet?" asked Trisha.

" Oh, it's in my satchel." said Reskeme, crying out as he reach of the satchel on the stone floor.

" Hold on one second." said Trisha, stepping away from Reskeme. She swayed as she dug through his satchel to pull out a charred metal amulet with runes covering the surface.

Reskeme glanced down to his red arms, speckled with dark black freckles. Trisha placed the amulet over his neck. For a second his skin shimmer and then it returned to its regular dark brown. Shouting came from down the hall, and Reskeme could hear people approaching through the rubble.

" The illusion won't matter when they use that church amulet." said Reskeme, glancing down worriedly at the stone lance in his calf. Trisha glanced from Reskeme to the wall behind him as they hit the plaster with something. The wall shook, Reskeme realized the hallway must be blocked off. Maybe he had time? He sighed as the head of a hammer broke through the plaster. Reskeme had more to worry about than a spike in his leg. The stone spike was the width of his wrist and passed right through the muscle of his calf. Luckily, it wasn't through the bone, he thought.

Trisha held something up in front of him, grimacing. It was that gold and silver time piece Reskeme was going to steal. Without a word, Trisha placed the time piece on Reskeme's wrist and clasped it closed.

" I appreciate the gesture, but a fancy time piece will not save me from being executed." said Reskeme, dread washing over him.

" Whatever you do, don't take that off." said Trisha, staring deeply into his eyes. Unsure what to make of the odd exchange, Reskeme nodded his head.

Smash!

He glanced back just as the wall fell inwards and a hole in the side of a door revealed a host of waiting soldiers.

" There you are, Trisha." said Eliya as she rushed across the room to stop by her friend. From Reskemes angle, he could see Eliya's worried expression as Eliya glanced over all the blood and the lack of a body. Several soldiers rushed in and, seeing Reskeme, rushed over to surround him. Well, he wasn't going anywhere with his leg impaled.

A figure dressed in the robes of a priest strode into the room, her face a mask of anger.

" Where is the monster." said the woman as she strode towards Trisha.

" Lucas was torn apart by that ritual." reply Trisha gesturing to bloody markings on the stone floor.

" I am talking about the monster, who is using foul mind magic." said the Priest anger and disgust crossing her face. Trisha's body tensed and her eyes went wide. Reskeme froze, so he was right. Reskeme eyed the surrounding soldiers, their swords uncomfortably close to his chest. Biting his lip hard, Reskeme shrugged. How could things be worse?

" What of it? I can use whatever kind of magic I want. The church can go screw itself." said Reskeme, turning up his nose at the woman.

" Who are you?" Asked the woman, anger in her tone.

" I work here at the guild." said Reskeme, flashing his copper medallion to prove the point. Channeling his best impersonation of Stan Reskeme, rolled his eyes dismissively at the priest. He glanced over at them all and sneered, like he thought a malicious monster might. If Reskeme wanted them to believe his lie, he had to sell it.

" Arrest the accursed mind, mage. Dont touch any of his things, they might be trapped with his foul magic." said the priest. Reskeme Scowled at the guards, but when one of them reached out, he didn't struggle too much. The rune covered manacles they used clamped around his wrists, cutting off his use of mana. The church soldiers held him none too gently, but to Reskemes' relief he could lean on them, taking weight from the stabbing lance in his leg.

"Daniel, go remove that spike. If he bleeds out and dies, I will not be happy." said Trisha.

Reskeme glanced at Trisha, who was looking at him with forced disgust.

" Why don't we just kill him now?" asked Daniel, as he cautiously approached Reskeme. Reskeme felt the faint tingling of mana and screamed a hoarse wail as the stone lance retracted into the ground. Blood fountained from his leg, splattering all over the ground. The air flashed around Reskemes leg as green runes seeped into his leg. The pain grew in his leg as flesh knitted over the wound, repairing. Tears filled Reskemes eyes as he shook, doing his best to weather the pain. The pain lessened, but that didn't mean Reskeme could stand. His leg still ached something fierce and the two soldiers holding him might hit him if he tried to stand.

" If we kill him now, how will we find out who has been helping him all this time?" asked Trisha.

" The young man in front of Reskeme stare at him in abject disgust as he healed the wounds on Reskemes leg. Reskeme's face burned where he was scraped, but the young priest walked away.

" Marisa, can you deal with this ritual on the floor?" asked Trisha, gesturing to the scrawling blood markings across the plaster stained floor.

" Hey! Dont walk in those sigils on the floor!" yelled Marisa as a soldier strode towards the center of the room. Chastised, the soldier took a step back.

Trisha strode over to Reskeme, held by the two soldiers, and picked up his satchel. She slung it over her shoulder while the two soldiers held Reskeme firmly. Trisha avoided eye contact, making Reskeme's stomach fall. His heart raced as she took the satchel and turned away.

" How many did you find in the building?" asked Trisha.

" Seven so far." said Marisa.

" Any still alive?" asked Trisha.

" Of course not, we killed them as soon as we tested them." said Marisa.

" Test the boy with mind magic. I want to make sure we don't have a demon in custody." said Trisha. Reskeme stare at her. What in the hells was Trisha doing? The church would kill him.

Daniel drew an amulet from his robe. The amulet glowed blue in the young priest's grasp. Reskeme braced himself as Daniel placed the amulet against his skin. Reskeme caught a faint smile on Trisha's lips as the amulet flashed blue.

" Nope, he is clean." said Daniel.

" Thats good. I don't care what the law says about the afflicted. If a demon possessed him, we would kill him immediately." said Marisa.

Confused, Reskeme glanced down at the golden timepiece on his wrist. Was that the reason for this miraculous turn of events?

" Take this monster back to the church dungeons. Pick up a squad of a city guard for support. We cannot have him escaping." said Trisha.

They dragged dejectedly Reskeme from the room. The last thing he saw was Trisha whispering in Eliya's ear as Trisha handed Reskeme's satchel and her own satchel to Eliya. Reskeme tripped. A fist thanked for the trouble to his ribs from the soldier on his right.

" Thats not very nice. When I get out I'm turning you into a vegetable." said Reskeme.

Reskeme grimaced as they wrenched him towards the door. The soldiers dragged Reskeme past corpses lining the halls. Many seemed like regular civilians, but occasionally, Reskeme could smell something different drifting off of the dead. It was like now that the people were dead, whatever was inside them couldn't hide itself from him.

" Stop gawking. You will get your turn to join them soon," said the guard on Reskeme's left, pulling him along.

They enter the streets to the bustle of soldiers and city guard swarming the building. Reskemes eyes went wide. There were dozens of guards and soldiers with another ten prisoners lined along the wall.

A captain of the guard approached. His silver shoulder markings and horsehair plume denoting his rank.

" Do you need help with this one?" asked the captain.

" We need a squad to escort us back to the church. This one is trouble." said the guard on the right. The captain order several nearby guards to join the church soldiers.

Reskeme was then marched down the dark streets. People peered out of buildings at the ruckus. The entire city would probably be awake. The rumbling thunder of their battle wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Escorted in chains by two church soldiers and three city guards, they dragged Reskeme down the lantern lit streets.

His heart raced in his chest as he frantically thought of a way to escape. Reskemes' hopes dwindled as they pulled along him. Reskeme had the entire hour walk to the church to think about his mistakes. He was going to be burned at the stake. That was not his preferred way of dying, to say the least. He glanced around the street, his unwillingness to move onwards rewarded once again by a kick to his still injured leg.

Reskeme yelped in pain at the rough treatment. A slight, cloaked figure stepped out of a shadowy alley in front of him. Reskeme looked at her through watery eyes. That last kick hurt like hell.

" Who goes there? Get out of our way." said the Guards moving forwards and drawing their swords.

Crash! There was the breaking of glass, and a purple gas filled the air. Confused, the guards hesitated too long. They started coughing and then fell silent as they fell to the ground. Something shatter at Reskeme's feet and he held his breath. Through watery eyes, Reskeme glanced behind them. A second figure, much wider than the first, had approached from behind and thrown a second vial of the gas. Both figures were clad in black cloaks, leaving nothing to see. Reskeme gasped in feeling the gas enter his lungs. His body tensed and he collapsed painfully to the cobbled street.

There was the clatter of hooves on stone, but no voices. Reskeme was lifted from the ground by the larger figure and placed on the saddle of the horse. He watched as one figure pulled a key from the paralysed church solders coat and then removed Reskemes' shackles. All the while, the two figures didn't say a word. The large figure turned and ran into a dark alley, leaving Reskeme on the horse's saddle. The horse stomped nervously and swayed as the other figure mounted behind him, riding in the saddle as the horse galloped down the street. Reskeme winced, but he felt steading hands on his paralyzed body. The horse's smooth gallop jostled him very little as the horse, lead by the cloaked figure, carried him through the city.

They rode for several minutes until the gas wore off. Once Reskeme stirred, the figure pulled the horse to a stop. Dismounting, the figure helped him down. Reskeme stare at the figure, confused. When he was offered a familiar leather satchel, Reskeme grinned.

" Thank you Eliya." said Reskeme, clutching the leather bound satchel, feeling two books within. .

" This is only because you took the blame for Trisha." said Eliya harshly.

There was a heavy silence and then, much to Reskemes' surprise, she hugged him.

"Thank you." said Eliya, her usual calm filled with gratitude. She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Reskeme with someone's horse in an alley. Horse theft was punishable by twenty lashes, but Reskeme was now a known mind mage. He grinned. He had a lot more worries than being caught with someone's horse. Reskeme dug in the pack, grumbling. Now was as good of a time as any. He mounted the horse and rode out with all haste. It would take time for the guards to report to the gate guards, and Reskeme had nothing illegal on him. He supposed he would go check out this academy after all.