Chapter 476 – Runaways.

The moon hung low in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the dense forest. Two people both dressed in dark attire, sprinted through the underbrush, their breaths ragged and hearts pounding. Behind them, the sound of snapping twigs and distant shouts echoed through the trees. It was accompanied by howls of trained hounds that were quickly closing in. The duo glanced at each other, their eyes filled with concern.

“We need to keep moving,”

The woman urged, her voice barely above a whisper.

“They’re getting closer.”

The man nodded, his hand pressed tightly into her as he pulled her forward. However, the sounds of their pursuers only grew louder and it became clear that something needed to be done.

“I know, but we can’t keep this pace up forever. We need to find a place to hide, they are trying to surround us.”

They pushed forward, the forest closing in around them like a living entity. Every shadow seemed to conceal a threat and every rustle of leaves was a prelude to capture. Their minds raced as they frantically searched for any possible hiding spot.

“There! We can hide there.”

The woman exclaimed, pointing to a partially exposed area surrounded by thick vines. At first glance, it didn’t seem like a good place to conceal both of them. There was a small ditch they could fit in but their bodies would probably be discovered. The plants were dense but not enough to avoid being discovered by tracking hounds. However, the man just nodded at the woman’s proposal and lowered himself into this small hole.

Both started squeezing into this narrow gap while pushing the foliage away. The woman didn’t move in instantly but instead started mumbling something under her breath. Her voice was silent and her words were too quick to make any sense of them. The shouts and barking of dogs grew even closer but she did not stop.

Soon, a strange green aura surrounded the plant matter around them. The vines started to wiggle around, multiple in number as the magical chant she finished took effect. The vines wove themselves into a thick, living blanket over the ditch. The woman joined the man in the small cavity, their bodies pressed together, hearts pounding as they tried to steady their breathing. The green aura shimmered faintly, blending seamlessly with the forest’s natural hues, masking their presence.

Moments later, the pursuers burst into the clearing, their torches casting erratic shadows across the dense underbrush. The dogs barked and strained at their leashes, noses to the ground, but the enchantment on the vines masked the scent trail.

“They have to be here somewhere.”
One of the men grunted and his eyes scanned the area. The hounds they used had clearly lost their scent but they were not willing to relent.

“Spread out and search, they couldn’t have gotten far! ”

The search party fanned out, poking and prodding at the vegetation, but the magically enhanced camouflage held strong. Hidden beneath the vines, the woman whispered another incantation, her eyes glowing faintly as she focused her will on the spell. The winds around the area picked up and blew towards the barking canines. It made their ears perk up as they caught the scent of the ones they were pursuing but with the aid of the spell, it was pushed in another direction.

“The hounds, they have picked up the scent again!”

Their barks were loud and they tugged on their leashes dragging the search party away from the hidden pair. As the sounds of pursuit gradually faded into the distance, the man and woman remained perfectly still, holding their breaths until the last echo of barking had vanished.

“We did it,”

The woman finally whispered, her voice trembling

“Yes, but we can’t stay here long. They’ll realize it was a false trail soon enough.”

With caution, they disentangled themselves from the vines. The forest was silent now, save for the distant rustle of leaves. As they climbed out of the ditch, the man took the woman’s hand, his grip firm but gentle.

“Thank you we wouldn’t have made it without you, If only I was…”

The man lowered his head, it was as if he was blaming his lack of power for this situation.

“Don’t blame yourself, this is all because of my father, we just need to get out of this territory, somewhere our father won’t reach.”

“That’s true, if we manage to get there, we should be safe, I’m sure he’ll help us.”

The two nodded at each other as an image of a certain person appeared in their minds.

“We need to keep moving. They’ll probably have people in all the nearby villages, so we need to avoid those.”

They were being chased from multiple directions and their pursuers had the manpower to block all the prominent checkpoints. To get away, they would need to keep moving through the woods and avoid large settlements. The villagers would instantly inform anyone of strange new arrivals, they could trust no one but themselves.

“We make a good team,”

She replied with a faint smile, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. The two moved closer, dead leaves still stuck to their clothes and with dirt on their faces. Even though the situation was dire, they found solace in each other’s presence. Their resolve was unwavering and they had no choice but to succeed. However, during this moment of peace, a sound of someone clearing their throat resounded.

“Who is there?”

Both of them instantly turned around, the man raised his sword and moved in front of the woman. From the shadows emerged a figure cloaked in dark robes, his face obscured by a hood. Underneath, a suit of shiny armor was visible, and moonlight was reflected giving the intruder an otherworldly glow. The pair tensed, readying for a fight, but the figure raised a hand in a gesture of peace.

“Young lady, don’t you think that this has gone on for long enough, please return home, your father is worried.”

The figure’s voice was calm and resonant, echoing through the stillness of the forest. The woman’s eyes widened in surprise and her grip on the man’s arm tightened. It was apparent that she knew who this individual was and her body shook in fear.

“Why would the Grand Commander be here…”

“Your father was worried, so he has given me a task to bring his daughter home safely. Come now, there’s no need for further resistance. Let us put an end to this foolery.”

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They started backing away but soon, the man that was trying to protect the woman buckled under pressure. He found himself going down onto one knee, his voice cracking from pain.

“What are you doing? Leave him be!”

“Young lady, I’m not sure what this man has done to convince you of this foolish act but, if you wish for him to return safely, I advise you to surrender peacefully.”

The man glanced at the collapsed man, his voice laced with disdain. He approached with slow steady steps, his body relaxed as if he had no worldly worries.

“I won’t let you take her!”

The man’s voice was strained, but he struggled to stand, his sword wavering in front of him. The woman moved closer to him, shielding him with her body. This prompted the Grand Commander to sigh softly.

“I commend you for being able to stand but this is as far as this farce will continue. Also, don’t be mistaken, you’re not going to avoid punishment for this transgression…”

With a swift motion, the Grand Commander drew his own sword, its blade gleaming ominously in the moonlight…

******

*Clang.*

The sound of several metallic objects being dropped resounded through the closed workshop room. A tall man glanced while sighing and then waved his hand. The metallic objects flew up towards the workbench they fell from.

“Are you okay Boss?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, just spaced out for a moment.”