Chapter 50 - Reaching the Walls

"Let's go," declared Pan when he noticed some people who were peeking through the cracks in the windows began to open them. He wanted to get into the alley before that.

 "Yes," replied Bjorn running after Pan and heading towards the next alley.

 "There's one more here," reported Pan from a crouch.

 "Where is it?" Bjorn asked not seeing anything.

 "On the second floor stairs, right there," replied Pan, pointing his sword at the spot.

 When he did, Bjorn was able to notice some dents in the stairs, as if something heavy had passed through them.

 "How did he notice such a small detail?" Bjorn mistakenly thought, believing that Pan had noticed the dents and not the beast itself.

 "Let's go crouching, but crawl if you have to" replied Pan before doing what he said and crawling.

 "N-no, Help! Someone! P-please don't-" voices sounded above. As they approached the stairs.

 "Shouldn't we help? And only one," Bjorn whispered to Pan. Uncomfortable with letting these people die when he had the power to protect them.

 "If you help them, we'll have one life less," replied Pan, still crawling.

 Bjorn understood what that meant, using essence here might mean not being able to use it later, but they were so close to the gates, maybe it wouldn't make much difference to spend a little here. He also didn't understand how someone who collapsed a tunnel to save midshipmen wasn't willing to save civilians.

 But Pan didn't seem to have the same thought and while Bjorn stayed down the stairs thinking about what to do, Pan was already almost at the end of the alley.

 "I'm sorry." Bjorn thought before moving on. As much as he could help people, if Pan didn't agree it wouldn't be possible. First because he was now his lord and second because without him, Bjorn would hardly leave the city alive.

 'Two hammer blows.' Bjorn thought. If he used it cunningly, it would be two dead Siaks. Pan had given him enough essence for an extra hit. One that has already been used. 

 "Why did you stop?" Bjorn whispered when he reached Pan's side and noticed that he was frowning at the alley.

 "Two at the beginning of the alley", replied Pan surprising the blacksmith, because this time he couldn't notice any detail that would give away the creatures.

 'Does he have such perceptive eyes?' Bjorn thought as he tried unsuccessfully to see the details that Pan "saw".

 "Can you jump there?" Questioned Pan still looking at the alley.

 "I'll only have a hammer blow later, but yes, I can do it" replied the great blacksmith, as he was very heavy, he needed a large amount of essence to launch himself that far and soften the impact.

 "Right. See over there?" Asked Pan, pointing with his sword.

 "The keg of beer?" Bjorn replied.

 "It's moving to his right, follow my sword and jump when I say, I'll follow" declared Pan and, as he spoke, he followed the fallen man with his sword so that Bjorn would know his location.

 "Fine," replied the blacksmith. He wasn't comfortable playing blind, but Pan was his best chance of getting out of this place alive. 

 Bjorn then rose to his feet and kept his leg flexed to generate momentum, the moment Pan commanded it. 

 Tense moments filled with cold sweat and heavy breathing followed and when the inhabitants of the alley house stopped screaming a whisper sounded to fill the "silence".

"Now," informed Pan.

 Bjorn who was already in position propelled his body with his legs and launched himself three meters up and six forwards, while still in the air, he pulled the hammer back then took it up, filled it with essence and brought it down in a Devastating blow upon landing.

 Pan had thrown himself at his own target as well. A little taller than the young blacksmith and when he was on top of the fallen one, a spear made of roots came out of his robe, pierced the evil head and stopped him abruptly in the air, making him groan in pain.

 The "boooom" and "craaack" of the attacks almost sounded together.

 Looking to the side, Pan saw the other Siak lying with his head crushed in a crater, with a panting Bjorn beside him.

 "Well, we just have to climb the walls now" said Pan still hanging by the roots. Bjorn just nodded, the effort taking his breath away. 

 'I have no more essence.' Thought the great blacksmith fearfully.

 Pan wasn't much better, his brown hair was wet with sweat from physical and mental tension. A mistake made here would be the death of him. His only luck being the fact that the old man's abode was close to the walls.

 'There are many…' Pan thought. He was switching his state of absolute clarity on and off to get a general idea of ​​the situation and to save essence. An effort that was wearing him down with every activation. His mind was starting to get cloudy and his vision blurry.

 Mavis, on the other hand, was almost asleep. She had used a lot of chaos roots over the past few days and was constantly sending feelings of exhaustion to Pan.

 'Hold on a little smaller.' Thought Pan as the roots pinned him to the ground.