Rosenrot — Roleplayer Guild

Lua did not miss Kapti's faltering accent. Her eyes narrowed and her thick brows furrowed. She was making no effort to hide her suspicion but she hadn't time to pursue it, yet. Whatever he was hiding was surely nothing in comparison to a city overrun by the Cursed. “Yes, Sir.” She muttered in response to Lucian. The apprentice thrust the crossbow back into her mentor's hands none too gently, if only because her focus still lingered on Kapti. She knew Lucian would not hesitate to leave her behind if it would keep the Cursed from overtaking the city, and she didn't take it personally. He'd left comrades behind before. She'd seen it, and she'd do the same to him if there were ever a need. The only thing that mattered was putting an end to the Curse. 

While Mergoux returned to the inn, Lua jogged north. Looking for another gate would only waste the precious little time she had, so she scaled the cemetery fence and landed in the slums. At least the rain seemed to be washing away some of the stench, or so she thought. The expressions on others' faces as she passed told her otherwise. 

Getting directions to the hanged man's house was difficult. No one wanted to talk to a shit-reeking stranger, especially not about such nasty business, until she flashed a couple of coins. Anything that would hasten her mission was worth the literal price, though she was loathed to part with what little money she had. Fortunately, even copper pieces were enough to loosen lips in this part of the city. Soon, she was standing in front of the ruined house. Like all the others too close-by, it was really more like a shack. Simply four walls and a roof, though two of the walls and most of the roof had already collapsed. 

Inside, she picked through the rubble. There was very little to be found, and none of it useful. A few broken toys, a pile of straw and torn fabric that had probably been a mattress. Lua looked up through the broken roof to the darkening sky. The shadows were growing long around her. At nightfall, she'd be trapped in the slums. If she was lucky, she'd dead by morning. More likely, though, she'd end up among the Cursed. 

The apprentice kicked at the straw-pile with a frustrated scream. The debris shifted. There was still enough light left for Lua to see a book sticking out from underneath a fallen beam. With a little effort, she lifted the wood and pulled the book, some kind of crudely-crafted journal, free. Excitedly, she dropped the beam and began flipping through the pages. With a groan, the house collapsed. 

A high-pitched trill accompanied Lua's waking. Her eyes opened to the last bit of gray daylight and a pulse of adrenaline surged through her. The falling house had been enough to knock her out for a time, but there simply wasn't enough structure left to truly injure her. All the same, no one had dared approach the already-damned place, so it was up to Lua to pull herself from the rubble. She snatched up the book, and was off. 

To the surprise of the few people near-by, the stranger emerged from the collapsed house at a full sprint. Despite the black wall of night looming ever further across the sky, her pace slowed suddenly. As Lucian had said, the slums were being evacuated. All of the poor were crowding like cattle towards the checkpoint at the end of the bridge. Lua shouldered her way through as far as she could. It was slow, but she was making progress. 

Some distance ahead still, a dog began barking like mad. A familiar voice called out “Raise the bridges!” 

Her arms seemed to move on their own as Lua pushed through the crowd. The screams around her seemed miles away. The sensations of the bodies crushing against her was faint. For the first time in many years, Lua felt helpless. The guards and their dogs were nearly halfway across the bridge. They shouted as the bridge split before them and started rising. Instinct overcame the young Raven Lord. In the mere moments she had left to do so, Lua made a decision.

Across the river, the book appeared from the dark, unaccompanied. It sailed over the rising end of the bridge and slid into the lantern-light. 

Then, there was a loud thunk against the bridge itself. A collective gasp rose from the crowd, followed by total silence as all waited. Two hands appeared a second later, gripping the top of the bridge. Slippery fingers nearly lost their grip before an arm hooked over the top. A strained groan grew to a roar as Lua pulled herself over. She landed in the mud, heavily but on her feet. 

Without a word, she picked up the journal and shoved it into Lucian's chest. There was blood on her hands and shame in her eyes, but she was alive.
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"Sjalfr leið þú sjalfan þik"

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