Part 5: Invasion 4

“Where is he going?”

“I don’t know. Do you think we should follow him?” Said another teen cradling a baby trying to came her down. If it weren’t for the chaos out there they would have been found with the cries, but it was an eventuality if they don’t calm themselves and find a place to hide and ride out the slaughter or leave the town altogether.

“Are you serious? For all we know he could be leading us directly to those soldiers.”

“What else can we do though? There’s nowhere to go. We can either wait here and die or try finding a way out till the last moment.” Said the girl cradling the baby.

“Do you think he knows a way out? Before father died he said all the exists were blocked? Maybe if we follow him we can escape.”

Her father had managed to gather the kids with him trying to escape. They got this far as he had managed to sneak behind a few of the soldiers and kill them.

Trying to go out again telling them to wait, not far way, still in their sights, they saw him being spotted and took the soldier head on but one came from behind and stabbed their sword through his chest.

“Escape? Where to?”

“Anywhere but here. We can’t just sit and wait to die!”

“And why trust that devil in leaving, if only we’re going to be in a worse state. We wait for help.”

Hearing them bicker some children begun to cry.

“Who do we wait for? Who is going to come save us but ourselves. Do you think the kids can stay hidden that long with the place being overturned? If you want to sit here and wait for help go ahead be my guest but I’d rather take my chances and try to escape. Come children.”

Holding the baby in one hand he she held one of the children with her free hand as she stood up and followed in the one they called devil’s direction.

The others slowly stood up and followed behind. Only the one who argued with her stood there in reluctance, gnashing his teeth, but give up a little after and followed after the them.

We are heading towards the closet part of the wall from our end, on the western side.

Why…? Well…

I have a confession to make.

How do I put this?

For the last couple of years I have been sneaking out, not out of the house, I mean out of town.

Out of boredom I decided to try heading out to see how the surroundings was. I had overhead Varden and Caela talking to Blaire about the surrounding forest, Droff and so I wanted to check it out.

On a side note I have come to know a little bit about this place, through eavesdropping when they were talking to Blaire.

First, we are a town, Strano, at the borders of Temer, the name of this Kingdom.

Second. Our town is of no strategic value as we live meagerly on the outskirts with just the resources surrounding us. Outside of town on the south is the town’s cultivation fields and on the three remaining cardinal points lies a forest, mentioned above. So there is not much imports and a slightly better exports. A few traveling merchants to come around which is better for us since the trip to the capital would take close to a month to get there.

Third, the mountain range in the distance, Ode. It spans across the nation splitting it into two. Caela had said the mountain range actual splits the continent in half. Luckily there are a few passages and a couple of ravines that allow movement in and out of the country’s other half. It is dangerous with wild animals running around and bandits. From our end there are three paths. One through the south gates into the fields following the path laid and straight into the ravine and out the other side. The other two are the mountain paths, they are shorter than the ravine but also deadly, if not accounting for the beasts, there is also the steep narrow paths, rockslides and the lurking mountain bandits.

I wondered what use it was for a child like Blaire—though I know she is smart, I can’t tell the depth, being the child she is—to have that knowledge but I did hear of it and so it was of to me.

It took me two weeks, during the nights to burrow through the wall to get to the other side. I had gotten some miscellaneous tools and hidden from the eyes of the patrol just to get it done. Already my reputation wasn’t good with the town’s people so if I had gotten caught the consequences may have been dire. But I did it and that is why I am rather familiar with the layout of the town.

I grab Blaire and move into the corner to hid when I felt someone following me. I peak out to see the children a few distance away. Lucky it’s not the soldiers otherwise things would have been more difficult. I step out and turn away from them continue my path.

I don’t mind them following but having so many tailing will make us easy targets.

They did follow carefully. That girl with the child has them keeping quiet, so through the turns of the alleys we made made it to the western part of town.

A few walks along the wall, hiding from those observing above on the wall, to where the weeds have grown sat a wooden crate the children stop a distance away, wearily looking around. Stepping to the crate I use a bit of force and push it away revealing the hole through the wall. It was made just the right size for kids and tight fit for teenagers. So they shouldn’t have to worry.

In order to ascertain the safety of the area I decide to head out first. I turn to Blaire.

“Follow after me.”

I step before the hole, crouch down and go prone to the ground dragging myself through. It’s a dirty job I had been doing for the past two years to feel a bit of freedom on the outside.

Out on the other side I lift myself to a crouch observing my surrounding—no soul in sight, all the soldiers should be inside the town, or at least they aren’t out in this direction on patrol—before I turn to Blaire crawling out, helping her out to stand up.

I look up towards the wall the glow of the torch held be the lookout is distant so we can move.

Still crouched and holding Blaire we move, through the darkness of the night towards the forest. Turning my head a little, at the corner of my eye I see the children file out, tailing us, vigilant as I am.

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—And so it begins, the Prelude of the life in this new world, one of despair and hardship. I have no idea if it would be as all the others, or worse, but I know one thing: It wouldn’t hurt as much as it already does. Even so I will move to the flow of this life without trying to affect its course—even though I have.

The question is: how do I know the flow of the story in this lifetime? I don’t. But, the ever-predestined paths I take, I will follow till whatever comes.