Chương 21: Chapter 20 - Time to Get Out of Here!

The world seemed to lurch as the colourfully dressed man's words hit Ren like an anvil. Thoughts and questions quickly filled his mind in a flurry of dizzying emotions. Shock came first and was quickly overshadowed by fear as Ren wondered what this man would do with the information of their origins. Though, something else came something else entirely too. Hope. If this stranger somehow knew they weren't of this world, then perhaps he also knew something, anything, about how Ren might find his way back home.

He opened his mouth to ask the jester if this was the case, but shouts that erupted from the far side of the square interrupted him.

"Flameguard! Seize the blasphemer!" Ren couldn't see exactly what was happening, but panic instantly started to spread in the crowd surrounding the raised platform as people tried to scatter in every direction. In the corner of his eye, he noticed the preacher leap down from the stage and vanish into the surging mass of bodies. Mr. Jester laughed.

"Well then," he said lightly with a massive grin, "looks like that's my cue leave." The jester turned and began walking confidently back into the narrow alley from which he came, the bells on his hat jingling lightly as he did.

"If you want answers," he called over his shoulder, "check inside your pocket!"

"Wait—!" Ren said, lunging forward in an attempt to catch him, not wanting to let this opportunity slip away. But the red-and-white jester nimbly slipped past his grasp and broke into a jog, widening the distance between them.' Not so fast!' he thought before giving chase, running into the alley himself.

"Ren wait!" Elowen called out behind him, but he didn't slow. Ren tore down the narrow pathway, the tall wooden walls of the buildings pressing close on either side of him and loose debris crunching beneath his boots. Yet no matter how hard he pushed, Mr. Jester only seemed to pull further ahead as they neared the blinding light of the exit back onto the main road.' I'm not letting you get away!'

The dull cleaver slapped against his thigh with every step and the cold air bit at him through the many large in his ruined tunic as Ren watched the brightly dressed man burst from the alley and veer out of sight. Unfortunately, just as he was about to exit out into the sunlight himself, a group of Flameguards suddenly blocked his path. Ren skidded to a halt, stopping just short of the orange-and-yellow surcoats.

"A kid?" one of them asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Doesn't matter if it's a child or a grandpa," another responded, lowering her halberd to point it at Ren, "we were ordered to capture all the blasphemers and bring them back to the captain."

"Hey..." Ren started, raising his hands up in surrender.

"I wasn't doing anything wrong, I just stumbled in on the—" [Survival Instincts] activated, warning him of the hostile intent behind the halberd being drawn back slightly, and giving him enough time to twist his body just enough that the weapon's head only managed to tear another hole in his shirt.

Realising these Flameguards had no interest whatsoever in hearing his side of the story, and knowing full well that being thrown in a cell wouldn't be helpful in progressing towards his goals, Ren made an executive decision. He turned and sprinted back the way he came.

"After him!" one of the Flameguards yelled out.

"Don't let him get away!" As Ren heard the armoured soldiers filing into the narrow alley behind him, their bulky plate forcing them to squeeze through nearly single file, he couldn't help but smile. That was, until he spotted Varrin sprinting straight toward him, Elowen and Lorelle following close on the silver-haired boy's heels.

"Ren?" Varrin started, slowing slightly, confusion flickering across his face as he took in Ren's quick approach.

"Turn!" Ren yelled, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Run, run, run!" Whether the silver-haired boy simply chose not to question the frantic signalling or had spotted the Flameguards closing in behind him, Ren couldn't say. Either way, Varrin spun on his heel and began ushering a still-bewildered Elowen and Lorelle back the way they'd come.

"What's going on?" the regal elf asked as she tried to peer around the silver-haired boy.

"If we just explain ourselves we should be fine to leave."

"That's not how that works at all!" Varrin said, turning her around.

"Run that way!" Unable to slow down intime, Ren caught up to his friends and slammed into the silver-haired boy's back, the impact forcing the boy into a run. Together the party of four raced back the way they'd come, bursting out into the square once more. Ren saw several Flameguards hauling a couple of people off into custody, but the vast majority of the crowd had already managed to scatter, the last stragglers disappearing down a path in the square's top right corner. You could be reading stolen content.

Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"There!" he said, pointing to their escape channel without slowing. The party continued through the square, their footsteps echoing off the surrounding buildings as they sprinted. One of the Flameguards in the square noticed their running and bellowed at them to stop, and within moments, more armoured soldiers had broken into a full pursuit, their heavy adding to the noise.

Worse still, the ones who'd been chasing Ren through the alley now came out into the square as well, adding themselves to the growing line of pursuers hot on their heels. Ren led the party onward, huffing cold air deep into his lungs as his heart hammered wildly against his ribs. He knew he probably shouldn't have, but there was something exhilarating about it all, the thrill of the chase setting his blood alight in a way he couldn't quite explain.

He reached back and seized Lorelle's wrist as they ran, making sure the young Firekeeper wouldn't be separated from the rest of them in the chaos due to her mask. Sunlight struck his face as he spilled out onto another road. It wasn't nearly as wide as the main one that was connected to the gate, nor did it have anywhere near as many people, stalls, or wagons rattling through it, but it was more than crowded enough to vanish into. And that was exactly what Ren set out to do.

He kept running, hauling Lorelle along behind him as he darted across the road, narrowly avoiding a horse drawing a heavy cart before doing his best to melt into the throng of people on the opposite side, Elowen and Varrin pushing through close behind them. The sounds of the Flameguard's pursuit were hard to make out over the general buzz of the people in The Crossroads, and the party of four continued swimming through those people until they reached a place Varrin deemed fit.

"Stop here," the silver-haired boy said, turning into a pointed building with a green roof. Above the doorway was a sign that labelled it as 'The Pig's Hole', and loud, boisterous noises erupted in a muffled din from within. Pushing through the door after Varrin, Ren found himself in a massive lobby, one packed wall to wall with people and tables crammed closely together.

Patrons ate, drank, and talked joyously, their chatter blending into a constant roar, while servers wove nimbly between the chairs with trays of food and drink balanced in practiced hands. A wooden balcony wrapped around three quarters of the room, and Ren could clearly see that the second floor held even more tables still, just as crowded as the first. It seemed the Pig's Hole was an enormously popular establishment, even at midday like this.

Varrin didn't linger long, gesturing for the rest of the party to follow as he began to navigate the sea of people. Ren kept his hold on Lorelle's hand as Elowen followed behind, keeping the young Firekeeper close as he recalled that this many 'inner flames' packed together would make it difficult for her to find her own way through. The whole thing reminded him fondly of how he used to keep Yumè close whenever they ventured into the village with their parents, all so he wouldn't lose her in the crowds.

The memory stirred something too, and Ren suddenly remembered what that mysterious jester had told him. He patted at his pants, and sure enough, there was something tucked into his pocket. His resolve hardened at the discovery. Ren hoped this was a real lead on getting back to his sister, one that didn't involve a long and uncertain trek across this new continent. Varrin found an empty table at the edge of The Pig's Hole's lobby and slid into one of the seats, a hard expression covered his face.

The rest of the party followed suit, and an uneasy silence settled between them despite the ruckus around them.

"That jester..." Varrin said eventually, "how did he know? I was so careful..."

"D-did you guys want me to leave while you discussed this?" Lorelle asked uncertainly.

"I know you have some secrets, and—""It's fine," Ren said, interrupting her as he reached into his pocket.

"You were bound to find out sooner or later since you're travelling with us as a party member. Sharing secrets helps people grow closer anyway, so win-win!"

"It was never a secret that even needed to come up," Varrin continued in frustration as he ran a hand through his fair silver hair, "and I made sure it didn't as best I could so how did he know?"

"There are too many possibilities," Elowen replied with a sigh.

"He could've had a Soul Power that allows him to pinpoint words spoken from far away, or maybe he could hide his presence perfectly, to the point he could've been right beside us and we wouldn't have even known." Ren shuddered at the thought of the type of things Soul Powers allowed Blessed to do and wondered when he would get a chance to use his own. He finally fished the thing out of his pocket and placed it on the table so that everybody could see.

It was a little folded up note, one he definitely hadn't put there this morning. On the front was a crude drawing of a jester's face—a wide grin with a painted heart and tear on the drawings cheeks.' … Did he draw himself?' Ren thought incredulously before shaking his head.

"The jester said that if we wanted answers, we should check this." Varrin frowned as he picked up the piece of paper, unfolding it and reading over its contents, Elowen leaning in close to see for herself.

"What does it say?" Ren asked curiously, prompting the silver-haired boy to flick the note over to him. The Bumbling Magician South-East Quarter Three streets left of the main road Big building, blue roof"An address?" he said after reading it, looking up at his friends.

"So if we want answers we have to go here?"

"It would seem that way, yes," Elowen answered with a nod.

"Which means we're not going, right?" Varrin said.

"Better yet, we go straight to the church, grab our supplies, and leave this place before anything else can happen." Not wanting to let this lead go so easily, Ren spoke up quickly, "I think we should go." Noticing his friend look at him with mixed emotions, Varrin especially shocked he would say such a thing, Ren continued.

"Well, let's be honest. If he wanted us dead, he probably could've done it already. I mean he already knew our cover story so he was watching from then at least, or know of us from then. That doesn't explain how he knows our secret, but still." Elowen nodded and added, "Plus we really have nothing worth stealing, so its more than likely not some elaborate ploy."

"Not to mention the Head Firekeeper might take a day or two preparing supplies for our journey," Lorelle said in her melodic voice.

"So whatever this jester can help you with, why not just go check if he's being truthful? I didn't sense any hostile intentions when I used my Soul Power on him."

"Some people can hide their motivations very well," Varrin replied carefully.

"You're all trusting this way to easily..."

"We'll leave at the first sight of danger," Ren promised, hoping that it wouldn't come to that. The silver-haired boy closed his eyes and a moment of silence passed.

"…Damn it," Varrin said with a grimace and a heavy sigh. He pushed his chair back and stood up, pointing a finger at Ren.

"First sign of danger." Ren nodded, pleased to have gotten what he wanted, and stood before folding the note and slipping it back into his pocket once more. Deep down he had a feeling, one that wasn't really based on anything and held no real merit, but a feeling all the same, that this choice to meet with Mr. Jester would lead to something good for both him and his friends.