Zarian moved.
The gust beneath his feet carried him across the distance before the second man had time to turn.
A burst of wind struck the man’s chest with enough force to throw him sideways.
He crashed into the wall.
Zarian winced.
The spell had taken more out of him than it should have.
Too weak.
He had been running for too long.
Had barely slept.
And he hadn’t eaten properly since yesterday.
But there wasn’t time to think about that.
The man was already getting back up.
Zarian raised his hand.
The air twisted around his fingers.
A small blade of compressed wind tore across the alley.
The subordinate raised his arm.
Flames burst from his palm.
The two forces collided.
Heat rushed across Zarian’s face.
He staggered backward.
The fire-user stared at him.
"You..."
His eyes narrowed.
"You’re a mage."
Zarian said nothing.
He stepped sideways as another burst of flame struck the ground where he’d been standing.
The fire spread across the dry wooden crates beside the wall.
Zarian clicked his tongue.
Too much noise.
He pushed his palm forward.
The wind slammed into the man’s legs.
His footing disappeared.
He fell.
Zarian was on him before he could recover.
One strike to the wrist.
Another to the side of the neck.
The man went limp.
Zarian stood over him, breathing hard.
His hand was shaking.
He curled his fingers into a fist.
No one could know.
A slave who could use magic.
Zarian pushed the thought away.
He turned.
Eldrin.
He was lying several steps away.
Zarian crossed the distance quickly and dropped to one knee beside him.
"Eldrin."
No response.
Zarian touched his shoulder.
"Wake up."
Nothing.
His heart tightened.
He checked his breathing.
Alive.
"Eldrin."
This time, the boy stirred.
His eyelids moved.
Slowly.
Confusion came first.
Then fear.
His eyes focused.
They met Zarian’s.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Eldrin whispered....
"...Zarian?"
Zarian swallowed.
"Yes."
Eldrin stared at him.
Then footsteps sounded from the alley behind them.
Zarian’s expression changed instantly.
"We’re leaving."
He pulled Eldrin to his feet.
Eldrin stumbled.
Zarian caught him before he fell.
"Can you walk?"
Eldrin nodded.
"I think so."
"Then don’t think."
Zarian glanced toward the unconscious man.
"Run."
"Who are they?" Eldric asked.
Eldrin’s voice was still unsteady as Zarian pulled him through the alley.
"People from Eldia."
"Eldia?"
Eldrin looked at him.
"Why would they be hunting me?"
Zarian didn’t slow down.
"You should get this by now....that."
They had barely made it another street when Zarian stopped.
Someone stood at the far end of the road.
Waiting.
Zarian’s expression hardened.
The man stepped into the light.
Kaiser.
Zarian moved in front of him.
"You."
Kaiser looked past him.
"You’re persistent."
His gaze settled on Eldrin.
"So are you."
Zarian drew his blade.
"Eldrin. Run."
Eldrin stared at him.
"What?"
"Go."
Kaiser slowly reached for his sword.
"Do you really think...."
He stopped.
His hand rested on the hilt.
Then he drew.
The blade slid free.
Zarian attacked first.
Wind burst beneath his feet.
He crossed the distance in an instant, blade aimed for Kaiser’s shoulder.
Kaiser moved.
Their weapons collided.
The impact threw Zarian backward.
He recovered and attacked again.
A gust of wind followed his blade.
Kaiser raised one hand.
Flames erupted around his arm.
The wind scattered.
Heat washed over the street.
Zarian’s eyes widened.
Phoenix.
That level of fire magic was far beyond what he could handle.
He had known Kaiser was strong.
He hadn’t realized how strong.
Kaiser stepped forward.
Zarian barely blocked the first strike.
The second cut through his sleeve.
The third caught his hand.
Pain exploded through his fingers.
Zarian stumbled backward.
Blood ran down his palm.
One finger hung uselessly.
Kaiser didn’t give him time to recover.
A kick struck Zarian’s knee.
He dropped.
The blade came again.
Zarian twisted aside.
The tip drove into his shoulder.
He gasped.
Kaiser pulled the sword free.
Zarian staggered.
His leg suddenly buckled.
Another strike had cut deep into his thigh.
He dropped to one knee.
Kaiser stood over him.
"Enough."
Zarian’s breathing became ragged.
Kaiser raised his sword.
"You die here."
"Wait!"
Eldrin’s voice came from behind him.
Kaiser stopped.
Zarian’s head snapped around.
Eldrin was standing several metres away.
He hadn’t run.
........
"Wait!"
The word left Eldrin before he could think about it.
Kaiser stopped.
For a moment, Eldrin couldn’t move.
His eyes remained fixed on Zarian.
Blood was running down his hand.
His shoulder was soaked through.
One leg was barely supporting him.
And Eldrin...
...was standing there.
Again.
Watching someone else bleed because of him.
His chest tightened.
All I ever do is run.
He had run from Novaryn.
Run when everything began falling apart.
Run when people needed him to make a decision.
Run whenever someone stronger told him what to do.
Even now.
Zarian had told him to run.
And he had obeyed.
Just like always.
Run.
Hide.
Let someone else deal with it.
His hands slowly curled into fists.
Zarian wasn’t some stranger.
He had been there since Eldrin was a child.
More than that...
He had been one of the few people Eldrin could depend on without having to ask.
And now he was lying there because of Eldrin.
His throat tightened.
Damn it.
He looked at his own hands.
They were trembling.
Why was he always like this?
Why couldn’t he make a decision without someone else telling him what to do?
His father had decided where he would go.
His grandfather had decided how he would train.
The people around him had always told him where to stand, when to speak, when to leave.
And when things went wrong...
He ran.
Eldrin’s eyes burned.
I left Novaryn.
I left everyone behind.
And now Zarian was about to die in front of him.
"Why..."
His voice barely came out.
He clenched his fists harder.
"Why am I so weak?"
The thought hurt more than the fear.
If he’d trained harder...
If he’d taken things seriously...
If he’d spent less time relying on everyone around him...
Maybe he wouldn’t have been caught.
Maybe Zarian wouldn’t be standing there bleeding.
Maybe he could have done something.
Anything.
Instead, he had spent all this time looking for someone else to save him.
Eldrin lowered his head.