Escape Plan: Run to Another Trouble Again

The harsh flinging of the carriage's door made her jerked up from her uncomfortable position. She blinked several times trying to refocus her vision until she noticed a light orange stretched far and wide to the sky and the guard's face contorted in irritation.

The guard reached for her arms and dragged her outside.

"As long as I can show you alive, I will live," Arthur mumbled.

Seira frowned but ignored the remark of the man. She bit the man's arm as hard as she could until the guard unhandled her. The wagon was in the middle of the road and woodland can be found on the other side of the road. Without a second thought, she dashed to the woodland on the side of the vehicle.

"YOU BITCH!" Arthur shouted, holding his arm.

She ran straight ahead, without looking back. If she was not mistaken, the large area always ends up on the main road of the Parton Station. Her face was contorted in a grimace as she fights a whirling sensation and the intense pain of every step she takes.

A vine moving in a flash in her right appeared all of sudden. Her eyes widened. The vine shifts a direction—towards her. She knows that the stemmed plant will hit her but her body seems to be stuck in running. She closed her eyes until the vine hit the side of her stomach; sending her flying on the trunk of the tree "AHHHH" she cried out; spitting blood after that.

Sounds of footsteps nearing made her sat up; leaning on the trunk of the tree. The guard with a green circle on his opened palm saunter towards her.

"You're one stubborn woman aren't you? But guess what? I have magic and you don't have which made me stronger than you. No matter how many times you try to run, I will still capture you" Arthur moved his hand near the face of Seira. He was meet of a green light reflecting on the gold irises of the woman; An alluring face with small gashes of wound. He was astounded for a moment. He didn't fully make out the woman's face earlier as it was dark in the forest. A roguish smile appeared on his face.

"You're a beauty" he traced his fingers to Seira's jaw up to his neck.

Seira looked to the stone near her in the corner of her eyes. She let the man touch her face while her hands quietly reached the stone.

"Get away from me!" she hit the guard in his head.

The guard stumbles backward, raising his hand to touch her head before slowly gazing at her. She firmly holds the stone to hit the man once again.

"I will k—" the guard becomes unsteady and falls slowly on the ground. The glowing free circle dissipates promptly.

She tiredly leaned on the bark of the tree, staring at the motionless body of the guard. After a few minutes, she stood up; using the tree for support, afraid the man might wake up any minute. With a groan, she started to move hurriedly in heavy footsteps. Soon after, a loud sound of a steam whistle rings in her ear. She rushed towards the sound until her foot touched a dusty road.

A rough hand suddenly held her arms "Are you trying to escape?! Why are you here?!"

She looked at the man dressed in gray colored uniform, paired with black boots, and a scabbard was placed on his waist, tugging her arm "You need to help me—" she glanced at the forest of trees and undergrowth in the place. Her vision was getting blurry every second.

"Shut your damn mouth! Be thankful that I will let this slide but don't ever think of escaping again! Understand?!" the guard shouted.

"Sorry but there are some men who are after me" she glanced around. "I need to get back to Palsbury as soon as possible, officer. Please you need to help me"

"Stop making stories and move your damn feet. You low-class people really like to weave stories to run away from your responsibilities don't you?"

"What are you talking about? Responsibilities of—"

With a shake of head to get rid of the blurry perception, she picks out her surroundings. The sight of people with worn-out clothes climbing the train grabbed her attention. She looked at her appearance and back to the people with mixed expressions. Don't tell me…….

"I didn't sell myself as a servant, please, you're making a mistake here" she tried to pull out her arm but the guard pushed her to the ground.

The crowd curiously watched at her side.

"Please, believe me. I just came from there because someone tried to abduct—"

The guard slapped her hard and grip her chin "I don't care about your issues but if I said that you sell yourself, you sell yourself"

Seira shoved the guard's hand "And who are you to tell me that and make a decision for me?! I don't sell myself! So let me go"

"What is the problem here?" A bulky man with the same uniform intervened. The guard bowed and smugly glanced at her. "This woman was greatly resisting to enter the station, Sir"

"What?! I am resisting cause I didn't sell—"

The bulky man smacked Seira who fell to the ground using the grip of his sword. Blood oozed from the side of her head. He turned to look at the crowd "Anyone who makes an unnecessary delay to our travel will end up like her!" the guard pronounced, daring anyone to step in. He smirk when they looked away simultaneously

……..

Seira awoke sometime later, vaguely aware of the people that were talking close by. The unsteady ride made her head bounce from the floor. Opening her eyes, she was met by an alloy train shed. With a groan; she weakly sits up.

Her eyebrows furrowed when she realized that almost 50 persons of different ages were seated on the floor, looking at her with raised brows. She slides to the wall of the train, trying to ease the spinning sensation of her head

"Where are we?" she asked the woman, probably in her age; sitting next to her.

With a confused expression, the woman reluctantly answered "We're on the train to Herstings" Everyone in the place knows where they are going.

"Are there any other officials on this train?" said Seira in urgency.

The woman hastily nodded.

Seira limply walked to the wall separating their unit from the other multiple units of the vehicle. She knocks on the steeled wall loudly.

"Is anybody there?! I didn't sell myself off. This is a mistake!" she shouted.

There was no response but she continued to thump the hard wall. "This is a mistake! Please! Please hear me!"

A sudden whirling sensation hits Seira. She put her head to the cold steel wall; shutting her eyes closed. Her throat was starting to ache. Soon after, she weakly hit the wall again and yelled to no one. She doesn't know if there is a person in the next compartment but she will take any chance. She needs to do something.

"Please! I'm begging—"

"You're that woman earlier right? If I were you, I would stop doing that already Miss. No one will listen to you even if there was a person in that room. There was no case that someone was taken by mistake. The higher officials think that everybody here voluntarily sold themselves to be a servant"

The middle-aged woman with black hair and pronounced wrinkles, sitting in the corner said with her eyes closed.

"They also didn't care if you're forced or sold off as long as they give off a money for you, you're already a property of the palace and may be disposed to the clans in Arcadis"