“Hey, you there! Stop! We need to speak with you!”

The trio looks behind and sees two guards approaching them.

“Ah, shit! Run!” yells Leor. He dashes down the alley, leading the pack. They pivot into an adjacent alley leading to the main street. Leor notices large wooden storage boxes stacked up twice as tall as he is, against the wall of a building.

“Follow me! We’re going to climb up!” He jumps on top of the boxes in one leap. Turns around and drops one hand back down. “Here, grab my hand.”

Alden launches into the air and is barely able to grab onto Leor’s hand. Leor yanks him up and Alden struggles to pull himself onto the roof of the building.

“Ceri, your turn. Hurry, before they see us climbing!”

Ceri pushes off the ground as strong as she could. She swipes her hand but she barely grazes Leor’s. She attempts again, only to have the same result occur. The muscles in her legs flare-up. She hunches over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

“Shit. Ceri can’t jump high enough!”

Ceri yells back at them. “Just come down and jump with me on your back! You’ve jumped higher at the waterfall!”

“I can’t jump that high with a person on my back!”

“Just come down and try!”

Leor shakes his head and sighs. He hops down and Ceri climbs onto his back. Leor digs his heels into the floor, tights his muscles, and explodes into the air. He kicks his feet forward to find a surface to plant his landing, but he’s not high enough to stick it and plunges back down.

“See, I told you. Alden, come down! We’ll go a different way!”

Alden peers down at them from the roof. “It’s alright. I can see the Church from here! I’ll meet you there!”

“Wait! I’m supposed to be guarding you!”

“Leor, my good friend, you worry too much! Just protect Miss Ceri and meet me there!” He disappears from their sight.

“Goddamn it...” Leor grips onto Ceri’s wrist and sprints into the busy street.

They scramble through the crowd, searching for another area to hide. Leor skids to a halt. Three guards stand before them, blocking their way to the church. He turns around and sees the previous group is right behind them. Ceri leans her weight onto Leor. She breathes heavily into his back. Normally, these guards would be nothing, but Ceri chains Leor’s movements like an anchor.

“Shit!” Leor sweeps Ceri off her feet and darts into an open town square, but three more guards await them. Eight guards encircle Leor and Ceri.

“I’m sorry, Leor…. Because of me, we aren’t able to get away….” Ceri clutches onto something around her neck, hidden underneath her clothes.

“It’s okay, just let me think…” His eyes bounce around the square. The surrounding guards point their polearms at them, slowly inching forward with every passing second.

“Do not resist. It won’t end well for you.” orders one of the guards.

“Ceri, hold on tight and cling to me as close as possible,” mutters Leor. Without questioning him, Ceri grips Leor’s coat like her life depends on it.

A brief moment of silence encompasses the battlefield. The harsh sunlight rains upon them. A scalding gust of air howls beneath Leor and the guards. Sweat crawls down their faces as they lock eyes.

A battle cry breaks the standstill. A guard charges at Leor from the right, thrusts his polearm at his abdomen. Leor steps back and lifts his leg up into the air and slams his foot onto the stem of the weapon, snapping the bladed tip off. Steps toward the guard and plants his heel into the guard’s chest, sending him into the air.

Three guards rush at Leor as a unit, aiming their halberds at his upper torso. Leor places Ceri onto the floor and grips his katana at his hip. Draws his blade and swings it at the oncoming attacks. The clashing steel knocks them all back slightly. Leor leaps forward and drives the hilt of his sword into the middle guard’s abdomen, dispatching him to the floor. He flips his katana over and swipes the other two guards with the back of his blade, knocking them to the side. Jumps back to Ceri, sheaths his sword, and swoops her off the ground.

He sizes up the remaining four guards. They creep up with their weapons at ready. Their hands tremble yet their eyes look steeled for battle.

They’re a lot bulkier than the others. Should I just run?

Leor glances around and sees a potential escape route. A low-hanging rooftop shines bright behind the shadows of the approaching guards.

Leor sprints at the guard closest to him with Ceri in his arms. The surprised guard swings his polearm at Leor’s legs in a panic. Leor vaults over the sweep and gently springs off the guard’s head, hopping from one head to another. He launches off the last guard with all his might and flies through the air. Kicks his legs forward for the landing. Leor grins. He knows he’ll make it this time.