As I began running I started to process a new emotion. I felt like there was a fire rising up out of me, one that wanted to explode through my skin. I’d felt a lesser version of it before, but there was a deep ravine between anger and fury. Caedus had used me as a tool and took the time to make sure Sevald’s parents would be in the audience, and Talen had trapped me. The two of them together had separated me from my friends. I wanted to turn around, fight my way back up through the palace, and kill them both, but that wasn’t an option. At least not yet. Instead I channeled my rage into making my way out of the city as fast as possible.

It wasn’t long before I reached the first wall. There were guards of course, but things seemed relatively lax. I assumed I was a little ahead of the news about me. I moved straight through the main gate, bowling over a few late arrivals to the masquerade as I did so. From there I had to start weaving through the central district, trying to stay ahead of any pursuit or any potential lockdown.

Unfortunately, as I was weaving my way through an alley I heard the ringing of a loud bell. It started from the palace and was picked up by additional bells being rung at each wall and gate. I arrived at the gate for the second wall just as it was being closed. The guards looked me over.

“Sorry Ser, that bell means things are going to be shut down. Likely some stupid thief at the masquerade.”

“It’s alright I suppose. Plenty of fun to be had on this side of the wall.” I did my best to adopt the air of a flighty noble and walked away. I wanted to avoid a fight in my weakened state. I was lucky that the only thing that could be conveyed by a bell ring was to close the gates. It would be very inconvenient if they had some system of rings that specifically conveyed ‘kill or arrest the walking suit of armor’.

As soon as I was out of the sight of the guards, I found one of the stairways that led up to the top of the wall and bolted up it. There were guards on the stairs of course, but they were ill equipped to stop me from running up to the top of the wall and flinging myself off of it.

I made a hard landing through a roof, landing in what the naked couple in the bed indicated was someone’s bedroom. I nodded at them and jumped through their open window into the street. From there it was more running through alleys and doing my best at taking a direct route toward the eastern gate. When I reached it I wasn’t surprised to find another closed gate with guards mustering near it. Unlike the smaller interior wall gates, this one had bars that were a bit further apart. Rather than go around I started calmly walking toward it.

The guards saw me and one of them moved in front of the others, holding out his hand. “Ser, I’m afraid that the city is locked down.”

I simply kept my pace, moving toward him and once I closed the distance. Just as he began to draw his sword, I drove my fist into his face, knocking him to the ground.

The others began drawing their swords.

I started running toward them, reaching the first of them before he drew his weapon. I slammed a steel fist into his gut and he doubled over. Before the others could reach I bowled him into the nearest grouping of them. Two more began to swing at me with their swords, but I didn’t bother dodging. There was no reason to pretend anymore.

One strike simply glanced off my helmet, but the other managed to dig a bit into my chestplate, expanding the stab wound I received from Talen. I grabbed the blade and ripped it out of the guard's hand before smacking him with an open hand and sending him into the street. The other guard raised his sword for another strike at my head, but I brought that same palm to his face, breaking his nose and sending him to the ground. Before the other guards could rally I squeezed myself through the bars, just as I had in the pit at the Wyrwind estate, and I began running at full speed down the main road.

I felt bad for having to hurt the guards. They were just doing their jobs. The majority of those I’d hurt so far had been people attempting to hurt me or my fellows or trained fighters. I decided not to give those thoughts much attention and instead focused on putting as much space between myself and the capital as possible. Eventually the news of what happened would overtake me and I’d find myself surrounded, with men on horses behind me and men at guardhouses in front of me. Hunting hounds were another possibility, but I doubted they’d be much use when it came to tracking me by scent.

After running on the main road for a long stretch I began making my way into the more hilly and forested areas that the road weaved around. I paused for a moment to fold the cape my companions had given me and store it within myself. Then I did the same with my mask. Both were a bit worse for wear, with scuffs and tears, but I liked them and wanted to make sure the damage didn’t get any worse as I ran through the forest.

I started moving again. Occasionally I’d blow through a camp, or jump over a deer, but I never paused long enough to say anything aside from ‘sorry’, though I don't think the deer really cared all that much about how apologetic I was.

The unfortunate thing about not needing to exert myself when I run, is that I can think while I’m doing it. I thought about the situation I’d left my companions in, but no matter how many times I ran through things I couldn’t think of any better options than the one I’d taken. I created an opportunity for them and that was all I could do. The King didn’t think they knew what I was, which meant they could pretend to be horrified that they were ever working with me. If he decided to have them killed it would also have negative political and social implications for him. I’m guessing that’s why he wanted to determine what they knew before he attacked me. That or simply because they saw Talen as an enemy, something I got the impression that the King shared with them.

Talen himself was another story, particularly after Stone went through so much effort to dismantle his power in Cirros. Still, even his enmity toward me may not be transferred to my companions to the same degree. He may even prefer the idea of me losing them and them feeling betrayed to simply killing them. For now I’d have to assume that they could handle themselves and keep putting one foot in front of the other. It was time to become aggressive.

First I’d go to the Eastlands to see if I could locate a certain orcish sea captain, and from there I’d head to Usulaum and try to find any usable information. Even if I didn’t find it though, it seemed like bringing the fight to them was going to be my best option.Though whether or not I should involve my friends, especially with a King involved, was something I’d have to leave up to them.

…

After three full days of running I was starting to get close to Buryn. I’d stayed off the main roads for the most part and so had avoided any patrols or pursuers. I imagine it’s not too difficult to track a man through the forest leaving a trail in full plate, but it’s definitely difficult to keep up with him if he can run at full speed day and night. Rather than approach Buryn directly I started to take a long trek around the city to the north. It would take me longer to reach the coastline, but I’d likely need to hurt far fewer people in the process. Unfortunately, it seemed some people were eager to be hurt.

I began hearing sounds of pursuit about halfway to my destination. They were closing in on me from multiple directions. It was probable that they predicted my path was to the sea. I wasn’t exactly being secretive about it.

The first thing to reach me was the dogs. There were roughly a dozen of them. They were massive beasts with thick fronts and stubby ears. They weren’t dogs meant for tracking so much as dogs meant for war. I managed to dodge around two of them as I moved, but one was directly in front of me. He leapt up at my chest and bit at what on a human would’ve been the throat. I heard his teeth scrape against my gorget, but rather than slow down I simply kept running with the dog latched to my throat. Animals trained to go after vital points was a solid idea, unfortunately I don’t have vital points.

I grabbed the dog by the scruff and tried to remove him from me as I kept running, but he seemed only to latch on tighter. While I was focused on him I failed to notice the men lined up in front of me. They pulled a rope up from the ground just as I reached them and the dog and I found ourselves rolling through underbrush, at which time he finally ceased his deathgrip on me and tumbled away.

I picked myself up just as the men approached me with spears. The first one stabbed down at me, hard, but he struck only dirt as I rolled to the side. Another man threw a net over me before I could stand. The net was heavily weighted and the wires of it were razor sharp and dug into my skin as I tried to move. I stood in spite of it and narrowly managed to bat away another spear thrust. I grabbed at a hole in the netting and began to tear it off myself. It would’ve sliced a normal man's hands to ribbons, but for me it simply meant I needed to give myself some repairs. Two men approached me with spears as I was extricating myself, but I dropped low and rolled out of the remnants of the net before they could reach me.

I began running again, but one of them placed himself in front of me. He was a bear of a man, easily seven feet tall and he swung the spear back and forth in order to keep me from getting past him. I could tell that they were all playing for time until the rest of their group arrived. It was possible that with enough nets, rope, and men they may actually be able to capture me. I didn’t want to hurt him so I opened my faceplate and fired all the rations and food I’d stored for travelling with my companions directly at his face.

He screamed and fell backward in surprise and I jumped over him and continued my sprint for the ocean. As they faded behind me I could hear more dogs starting to catch up. I was beginning to resign myself to the fact that I may need to kill some of them when I broke through the treeline. I’d reached the coast.There was a short stretch of beach and from there I saw the ocean spread out in front me, the sun still high in the sky.

I ran directly into it, letting the water wash over me and feeling the waves crash against my chestplate. The sand slowed me down, but by the time my pursuers reached me I was already up to my neck in water, once my head was under I knew they’d have no chance of catching me.

…

Once I got past the sandbar it felt once again like I was in another world. The silence that comes from entering the ocean, along with the way the light is filtered, and the incredible variety of sea life makes it hard to believe I was still on the same plane. There was a massive system of what looked like plants made of rock that was spread as far as I could see. The rock was all types of different colors and the sea life that seemed to make it their homes was equally diverse.

Out of curiosity I diverted my path a bit to approach one of the smaller groupings of rock plants. There was a small shelled creature that looked to be a cross between a shrimp and a crab with thick armor and large claws, but also a longer body ending with a fat front. I reached out toward it and it shot itself backward in a barrage of bubbles. Curious I went to touch another of the same creatures, but it did the same, launching itself backward.

I opened my faceplate and began taking in water. Careful to keep it from touching any of the other items I’d stored. I then opened myself up a bit at the joints of my shoulders and those behind my legs and shot the water out. I launched myself far more quickly than I could control and slammed into one of the piles of rock plants. I shook myself off and batted away a few fish that were attempting to drive away what they clearly thought was a predator. After I got a little ways away from them, I tried again. This time I went slower and was able to turn a short hop in a long jump. I tried again, this time managing a great leap. It wouldn’t exactly let me fly through the water, but I had a feeling my journey to Usulaum just got cut in half.