Luc peeked around the corner of the inn, checking both sides before tiptoeing to where Jad’s wagons had been parked. Val had showed him a staircase hidden across from the privy on the second floor of the inn, which led conveniently down to a side exit. As Luc had commenced his escape, he realized that like the first time he escaped from the tomb, his body seemed to have completely recovered after the brief bout of unconsciousness. His abdominal region, which had gotten battered by the horse mask, no longer ached. The only thing that bothered him was his head. And the fact that he was going to sacrifice precious time to save the slaves.

Maybe I should just leave them and run, thought Luc, lowering himself below the windows so he would not be seen. It’s not like anyone could find me after I get away.

He pondered the traitorous thoughts for only a moment before shaking his head. In the tomb, he had promised to change. Luc wasn’t quite sure what he had meant exactly by ‘change’, but he reckoned that trying to keep his promises might be the start. I’m the heir of Tosa, but I should help the commoners who’ve saved me before. Once I do that, I’ll make them my followers!

Reasoning cemented, Luc snuck over to the wagons. All three of the wagons, along with the two horses that pulled each one, were secured at the side of the inn. The cages had been covered with large white cloth. Sneaking to the first wagon, Luc pulled up the cloth. This wagon was empty. Moving onto the second one, he peeked inside. Two men lay on the floor of the wagon, motionless. Lifting the cloth higher to let sunlight leak in, Luc made out the figures of Dante and Matthias. Dante looked as Luc remembered, besides the fact that his injuries had been wrapped with actual bandages rather than remnants of Luc’s robe. His eyes were shut, and his chest rose and fell evenly. However, when Luc glanced at Matthias, he recoiled in shock.

Matthias’ face was barely recognizable, swollen and bruised. His back and torso were covered with fresh marks from a whip, and blood was crusted on the wagon floor beneath him. At least it seemed he had kept all of his fingers, if there was a silver lining in all of this.

“Erie…”

Luc frowned and pressed his ear against the bars of the cage. Matthias seemed to be muttering something.

“Erie…I’ll come back for you…I promise…”

Slowly, Luc lowered the cloth. It was as Dante had said – Matthias seemed to talk in his sleep. Probably talking about some unfortunate soul he wants to kill.

Luc turned to the last wagon, focusing on the task at hand. If Dante and Matthias were in this wagon, that meant that the last wagon held Baz and the last slave, who Luc did not know. Assuming that Baz had gotten the same treatment as Matthias, Luc chose not to peer inside. Luc jumped as he heard some loud voices from inside the inn. They were muffled by the wall so he could not quite make them out, but judging by the tone, someone was not pleased.

I need to hurry.

Luc pulled the key that Val had given him out of his pocket. From what he remembered, each one of the wagon drivers could open one of the cages. That meant that the key he held would only open one of the three cages.

Praying that that he held the key to the empty cage, Luc hurried over to that one first. Try as he might, he could not force the key into the metal lock. Cursing under his breath, Luc glanced at the last two wagons.

He preferred not to save Matthias. Not after what he had done. But he did want to save Dante. Not that I have much of a choice either way. Luc hurried over to the wagon holding Dante and Matthias and tried the lock. There was a click and the door sprang open.

The voices in the Happy Farmer Inn were growing louder and louder. There was a bang and the crunching of wood. There was no time to waste. Luc hurried over to where the horses were tethered to a wooden post sticking vertically from the ground. Undoing the knot was easy. But as he clambered onto the wagon driver’s seat, he realized he had no idea how to steer the beasts of burden.

“Go!” Luc hissed, snapping the reigns like he had seen his servants do. The reigns flopped limply on the backs of the horses, and they did not move.

I need to find some way to get them moving. Luc glanced around him. If he couldn’t use the reigns, maybe if he prodded them with a stick, they would start moving. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything lying on the ground besides dirt and rocks. There was another loud bang from the inn, making the horses whinny with discomfort. Maybe if I can spook them…

“Cloud!” said Luc, staring down at the pendant.

The white mist swirled around the pendant, forming the circle once more. After several moments, Cloud hopped out of the pendant, landing on the seat of the wagon next to Luc. The dragon whelp stared up at Luc with bright blue eyes and cleaned its paw with its blood-red tongue.

“I command you to scare the horses,” said Luc. He pointed to the path leading out of town. “Make them go that way.”

Cloud hopped down from the wagon seat and trotted over to the horses. The dragon whelp sat back on its haunches and stared up at the horses for a second. Then, flexing its legs, it leaped onto the back of one of the horses. Still, the horses did not move.

“Hurry!” said Luc, glancing over his shoulder at the inn. The din inside seemed to grow louder by the second.

Cloud leaned down and sunk its tiny fangs into the back of the horse.

The horse released a wild neigh and dashed forward, forcing its partner to run along with it. As the wagon sprang into motion, the horses dashed out of the alleyway and down the main road through Olfar. The wide turn sent the wagon leaning on one side, almost tipping over. Before it did, Luc pounced onto the opposite side of the wagon seat, managing to balance the weight out. The wagon shook as all four of its wheels hit the dirt path, trundling out of town.

As the ride smoothed, Luc could finally sit back. But he could not relax. Glancing over his shoulder, Luc watched as the Happy Farmer Inn grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He thought of Baz and the other slave. He hadn’t even tried to open their cage. I don’t owe them anything, thought Luc, trying to shake himself of the thoughts. But Dante and probably Maho would’ve tried.

The words made something inside him twist. Luc turned away from Olfar and grabbed at his stomach with a hand, wondering when he had gotten so soft.

Boom!

Whipping around, Luc’s eyes widened. In the distance, he saw clouds of black smoke billowing out from the middle of Olfar. He could make out the red of fire, eating everything in its path. Even here, he could hear the screams and shouts of men and women echoing throughout the town. Val was right. Jad definitely didn’t appreciate me stealing the slaves one bit.

Hunkering down, Luc fixed his eyes on the path ahead, ignoring everything that he heard, everything he saw, everything he smelled. Cloud, still perched on the back of the horse, stared back at him, motionless. The deal was for me to run away with the slaves. What happens to that town isn’t my responsibility.

For some reason, that only made the intense discomfort inside him grow.