V2Ch114 New Failure

The assassins and I met up under a balcony. It was two stories up and hidden from street view on the south side of the castle. Midnight was nearly upon us and our first hiccup in the plan has already made itself known. Wrath was nowhere to be found. While he wasn't essential to the rescue itself, he was supposed to be emergency reinforcements.

I doubt that he got into a fight... or maybe he did... It would figure if he got picked up by Heiarch authorities before we could even leave the city.

"Are we going to wait for him?"

"No. We can't waste any more time. If we wait much longer, the entire city could be put at risk more than it is already. We make our way toward the Swamplands now."

The others nodded their heads in agreement. We took off and started leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The south gate was lightly guarded. We were lucky and managed to arrive at the time a guard was changing shifts. One of the assassins threw a rock to distract the guard before he could close the door and we rushed through it. We were quiet and he never noticed anything more than a breeze in the dark.

Our small team made it past the gate and we were on the way to save Babur.

The assassins were in tip-top shape. We reached the border and they had not broken a sweat. Though, reaching the border directly south was much shorter than heading all the way out to the coast.

After we reached the border, we started traveling through the trees when possible. We managed to sneak by two packs of anurans unnoticed. By the time I saw the first tiny dwellings, the sun's light was peeking over the clouds above. We stopped in a large tree to recuperate for a minute and discuss direction from there.

"These are just sleeping quarters for the stationed guards. The entrance to the city is still a ways ahead."

Said the only dwarf on our team.

"This is where it might get tricky. Trees start to thin out as we get closer. One might think that the tree roots would hold the upper layers together better but the weight of some of these trees can counteract the benefits of the roots. They keep most of the top layer free of trees for this reason. We will have to make it to an entrance from the ground. Light is almost upon us, we should get inside as soon as possible."

We caught our breaths and started moving forward again. When the trees were thin enough to impede our movements, we could see large circular holes in the ground. From the closest one I could see, It looked like a spiral staircase going down.

The team stopped, split into two groups in two trees as a patrol passed by on the ground. The lead assassin used hand signals to indicate that he would go ahead and that we should try to follow when it looked safe.

He rushed out. We saw him rushing as fast as his legs could run. He made it and descended the stairs immediately. The patrol was far enough that we decided to take the chance and run.

We lept down. All was quiet. We started running. We are almost there.

...

The lead stopped and put up a hand to stop as well.

A group of anurans was walking up the stairs. Two of them were dragging the corpse of the lead assassin. They were not surprised to see the group. I tried my best to hide behind the group. It was just my luck that the leader of the enemy happened to be the one that led the group that captured Babur.

One assassin took off running north.

*BANG*

A gunshot? I watched the fleeing assassin fall to the ground. I couldn't tell where the gunshot came from. The guards ahead of us pointed their spears at us.

No. Not spears. Those were guns too. These people are armed with guns. How? I haven't seen anything in this world that could be described as a gun. Where did they learn how to make them?

Like a firing squad, all of the guns went off at the same time, slaughtering my rescue team in front of my eyes.

I felt the piercing sensation of several bullets. It was more intense than I thought it would be. Almost paralyzing.

I fell with the group. As I fell, I thought of Babur. If I play dead, will she be spared?

"It's no use. I know you're among them."

I heard a loud whistle.

"Send down the order..."

I hopped up in a rush and charged at him with ferocious speed.

*BANG BANG BANG BANG*

They had more unfired guns in the back. I lost my momentum and fell to the ground.

"Execute prisoner OBF."

"NO!"

The guards swapped the line with reloaded riffles. They fired another barrage into me again. I felt helpless. Of all the things that can't put me out of commission, bullets can keep me down?

"I had guards waiting for the order for the past two weeks. The order has already been received by the executioner. It's your fault that she is dead."

The tone in his voice. He is enjoying this torture. I was just starting to stand up when another valley knocked me onto my side.

I felt like I was being drained of the will to live.

"Babur... Fuck, I was so stupid. I'm so sorry Babur. I can't do anything right in this world."

As if to taunt me more, the anuran came closer.

"Saying those things won't bring her back. Just thought you should know. By the way. You are just in time. We are about to bring the troops out. We march at nightfall."

Another volley. I blacked out for a moment. A bullet or two must have hit my head.

I awoke to the sound of yet another volley. I must have 20 pounds of bullets in my body right now.

I started to feel lucid. I thought I would feel so much worse. The sounds of the guns firing into me were becoming dull. The pain of the bullets was starting to just become numb thuds. All I could see was the blue sky above me, barely waking from its slumber.

I think this is the most useless I've ever felt. It was mind-numbing. I could hear the anuran talk but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

My muscles began to move on their own.

I stood up. I felt light taps on my skin. I heard the dull thumps of the gunpowder go off.

The world around me is dull.

I don't care what happens to this place anymore. It's now just an obstacle.

I remember a similar sensation from once before. When Delicia was killed. Everything went numb.

The difference here is that I am still in control.

I don't feel hate or fury.

I just want to erase this place, the Swamplands, entirely.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Right?