Before he could so much as spit the taste from his mouth, Ghent felt a hand close around his hood. In his dazed state, he foolishly believed that Drust was on a mission to remove him from the nightmare that was the town. 
	Any such hope was soon snuffed out.
	Ghent gasped as his body connected with the alley wall. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was silenced. He swallowed hard, his salvia tasting foul to him. The darkness in Drust’s eyes spoke volumes. The Knight was angry enough to murder him, Ghent was sure of it.
	A second slam. This time, with enough force for Ghent to shout out, the sound muffled due to Drust’s palm. Had Ghent been given a chance, this was where he would have blurted out a frantic, nonsensical apology, if only to save his own skin.
	Groveling wasn’t necessary, however. Elayra saw to that.
	Cheeks wet with tears, Ghent’s eyes flickered from Drust to Elayra. He couldn’t decide if her interference was courageous or foolish, but he was thankful for it. He took in a gulp of foul-tasting air as soon as he was released, his legs buckling beneath him. 
	[i]I can’t do this. [/i]Ghent dropped to his knees. He was better level with the corpse near the center of the alleyway, scattered remains of someone who had lived and breathed just as he did. He shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the hellish world around him. 
	[i]Do something, you idiot! [/i]Ghent’s inner voice screamed at him. Elayra was going toe-to-toe with Drust, but she couldn’t hold him off forever. If the Knight decided to, he could add both of their corpses to the nearby pile.
	Ghent inhaled and exhaled in small, ragged pants. His head snapped up when he heard Elayra fall, something Drust was quick to take advantage of. The Knight pressed his boot against her back, pinning her to the ground as he had with Ghent and the wall.
	Fear merged with rage. Still trembling, Ghent rose, a dangerous look in his eye. Elayra had said that magic could kill the Knight.
	Before further action could be taken, the tables were reversed. Ghent flinched in surprise as Drust pitched backward, thrown off balance thanks to Elayra’s quick thinking.
	It was the chance Ghent needed. The chance [b]they [/b]needed.
	Without hesitating, Ghent bolted past Drust to reach Elayra’s side. “We’re leaving,” he hissed, his eyes wild with desperation. He grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her to follow him. “NOW.”