Chapter 49 - Escape
"How?" Bjorn asked as he felt Pan's essence enter his core.
Even as a white man, it took him four months to learn this and sometimes he still got it wrong.
"How what?" Asked Pan, not understanding the young blacksmith's surprise.
Usually transferring the essence to someone was complicated and even dangerous for the recipient. But Pan had been transferring essence to Mavis five times a day every day for two months, which made him an expert on the subject. After all, Mavis was a root bound to Pan, so there was no risk. Allowing at the same to test which methods were most efficient.
"Nothing," replied Bjorn, taking Pan's actions as caution towards a stranger.
'As expected, I will have to work to earn your trust.' Bjorn thought, determination filling his features.
"Right…" replied Pan, not understanding the reason for the young blacksmith's determined look. "Anyway, the plan is to go through the alleys and try to avoid most of the Siaks, we're close to the gates so maybe we can get out without a fight," said Pan, pointing to an alley across the street.
"Wouldn't it be faster across the rooftops?" Replied Bjorn, as he reached out and calmly picked up his hammer from the top floor.
"We'll be very visible on the rooftops," Pan replied, taking hus sword from its sheath and starting to walk half-crouched toward the alley.
"You're right," replied Bjorn with shame. It was obvious, but fear was clouding his judgments
After Bjorn picked up his hammer he held it with both hands horizontally and started walking in a crouch behind Pan. After crossing the street, they went to the small alley that led to the south, the alley was hot, as two houses were on fire, they could hear some people screaming inside them, but there was nothing they could do, as they barely had the essence to protect themselves. Soon they managed to get through the flames with light burns and reached the end of the alley without further problems.
"Shit," whispered Pan as she noticed that the other alley was almost twenty meters away. In addition, there were also two Siaks in the middle of the wide street who were vying for the body of a young girl who was screaming in agony. Until her arm was forcibly severed from her chest and the Siak with the biggest chunk snapped at her head, ending her suffering.
Seeing the scene, Pan began to feel better about the old man's death.
'He deserved worse.' Thought Pan.
"And now?" Bjorn asked.
"We kill" Pan replied before brandishing his sword and running towards the Siaks who were distracted by their snack, Bjorn soon followed him further behind, as Siaks couldn't hear they ran with fast and heavy steps, increasing momentum every moment and standing at an angle behind the beasts, to avoid their side eyes.
When Pan reached his target, he placed the essence on his arms and legs and raised his sword horizontally, intending to cut the beast in two from one side to the other. However, when he cut off a third of the creature, his sword broke.
By the time Pan's sword broke, Bjorn was on the second Siak and bringing the hammer down hard, the fallen one had noticed him the moment the hammer started to descend, but it was a moment too late. The hammer soon glowed with modesty and accelerated the descent, crushing the evil's body so hard that one could say it broke in two.
At the same time, the beast that Pan had cut began to roar from the wound that took up a third of its body. His big eye turned to the attacker who jumped back just as the sword broke inside the creature. The fallen then jumped with his mouth open, wanting to rip the attacker apart with his rows of teeth. However, when the fallen one was in the air, a spear of roots came out from under Pan's cloak and entered the vile's mouth, piercing above and halfway through his body.
Pan also fell to the ground, but soon the roots receded and he was on his feet. The Siak was still struggling.
'Die soon.' Thought Pan before putting some essence on his right foot and crushing Siak's head.
Normally he wouldn't waste essence for nothing. But his hatred for the Siaks was enormous.
As for the great blacksmith, he stood there with his toothless mouth open again. 'Is that what he looks like?' Thought Bjorn. In disbelief at how powerful Pan really is.