Dream 8: Chase

We Were Chased But Were Saved By A Disguising Merchant

...

"Ugh!" the guard cried when he was hit by the arrow on his shoulder. He clutched his shoulder as he fell on his knee. He immediately pulled out the arrow, and his flesh and blood came out from the hole made by the arrow when it pierced his shoulder.

"Wha – " Blue said, wide-eyed, as he watched the kneeling guard on his knees with a pale face while holding his bleeding shoulder.

"Aaah!" the people screamed and there was a commotion as the people fled in all directions.

The guard glared at Hail and Blue. "Seize them!" he shouted as he pointed at them.

Hail’s eyes widened in shock. "Wha – " he muttered as he gaped at the guards that surrounded them. "Damn you! Didn't you see it wasn't us?!" he asked, feeling indignant. "We don't even have a crossbow, much less a weapon!” he explained.

"Hail !" Blue called and pulled Hail back when one of the guards tried to stab Hail with a spear.

Hail looked at them with his eyes wide in disbelief. “What the...'' he muttered, shocked. If the spear impaled him, he would definitely have been dead, right? He thought as his face paled in horror.

"Let's go!" Blue said and pulled Hail as they ran away. Their figures disappeared after they mixed with the fleeing crowd.

“After them!” the guards shouted and they followed them.

...

Yuria laughed loudly when she saw Hail and Blue running away while being chased by the guards. "That's it!" she said as she looked at their escaping figures with a crazed look in her eyes. "Frame them up and use that as an excuse to catch them two!" she said as she evilly grinned. "I'm really brilliant! Ahahahahaha!!!" she added as she held her stomach that ached due to laughing too much.

"Ma’am, they all are in pursuit of the two." a guard said behind her.

Yuria frowned. "I can see that!" she said and glared at him. "Out!" she shouted.

"Yes." He answered and went out.

Yuria clicked her tongue and watched the guards continue chasing after Hail and Blue. "How dare he ruin my moment of victory.” She muttered as she hatefully stared at Hail’s small figure in the distance. I will make sure I will catch them two! She vowed.

…

"This is the first time that I have ever been so thankful that it was night." Hail muttered as he caught his breath while he sat on the ground.

He and Blue are hiding behind the trees inside the forest.

Good thing that it is so dark here so there is a low chance that we will be seen. Hail thought. "We could blend in the darkness.” He said and looked at Blue, only to frown when he saw that Blue didn’t even pant a breath. It is really nice to have a power or two... he thought and clicked his tongue. This is really a great development of the story. He thought, sarcastic. I never ever thought that I would be chased like this because we were just framed up. Heck, I haven't even thought that I would be framed up in this world – my dream, in the first place! He thought, feeling indignance.

"Hail!" Blue called. "Were you hurt?" he asked, looking so worried.

Hail stared at Blue’s worried face and the indignance that he felt lessened. "Yeah.” He answered with a nod. “Mentally and emotionally." He said.

Blue frowned. "Tough luck. I can't heal that." He told him and his eyes glowed. He looked around. "There are three of them here." He added and blinked. The glow in his eyes died. "We shouldn't make much noise,” he told me.

Hail nodded in agreement. "Yeah.” He answered as he took a step. "Ah." He muttered when he stepped on something. He looked at Blue.

Blue’s face went pale. "Hail, you - !" he hissed, mad, after the dry branches that Hail accidentally stepped on due to the dark surroundings snapped. The sound was loud and crisp in the silence.

Hail didn’t answer and turned. His eyes went wide when a spear was coming his way.

"Hail!" Blue screamed.

Hail immediately bent his body back. He held his breath when the spear passed just a few centimeters above his chest. "Ugh!" he cried when his back fell on the ground.

"Hail!" Blue called.

Hail’s eyes widened when he saw a guard behind Blue. "Blue, behind you!" he said and pushed Blue to the side as he grabbed the spear of the guard and kicked the guard away. "RUN!" he shouted and grabbed Blue’s arm.

"Yes!” Blue answered after he recovered from his startle. "This is faster!" he said, grabbing Hail’s arm.

Hail’s jaw dropped in shock as his feet left the ground. He turned to Blue and saw that his wings were out. Blue turned and smiled.

Hail looked down and saw a guard blocking their way ahead while his spear was aimed at us. "Watch out!” he warned Blue.

"You can see that?" Blue asked him in surprise.

"Is this the time you should ask me that?" Hail snapped and turned to the guard as they neared him. "Drop me so you can fly higher." He told him.

"I can't, or they will catch up to you!" Blue said and looked back. He saw that many guards were chasing behind them.

"So, you are saying that we will die together?!" Hail asked, mad. "Drop me!" he yelled.

"I won't!" Blue said as the guard ahead of them glared at them while raising his spear, ready to throw it at them.

"Blue! Drop me!” Hail shouted.

"I won't!" Blue said and cried. The panic and fear that he felt earlier and suppressed now overflowed.

"Then don't." a voice spoke.

Their eyes went wide in surprise when they saw the guard ahead them fall and drop his weapon. They passed by a young man.

"Who…?” Hail asked when they flew past him.

"Meet me on the riverside." The young man told them as they flew away.

Hail turned back. His eyes went wide when he saw the young man raise his hand. The young man snapped his fingers.

Hail covered his other ear when there was an explosion. “Ngh!” he cried and lowered his head when he felt the air vibrating due to the impact of the explosion.

Large fire rose from the forest and started to devour everything in the surroundings.

…

"A merchant?" Hail asked when he looked inside a carriage that was by the riverside. He saw different goods like pots, jewelry and clothes. There were shoes and bags, too.

"Who are you?" Blue asked and suddenly turned.

Hail turned and saw that from the darkness, the young man emerged. He thought that from the explosion earlier, the young man also died. He should’ve known. Those who came prepared naturally are spared.

He grimaced and closed the back of the vehicle as he turned to Blue. "We should be saying 'thank you' to him first, Blue." he told him.

"Then, 'thanks'.” Blue said and looked at the young man with a blank gaze. Obviously, he is insincere.

"I don't sense any gratitude from it, so I don't need that.” The young man calmly told Blue.

Hail grimaced when he saw them glared at each other. "Come on. Come on, drop that." He told them and pulled them away from each other. "Hey. Thank you for saving us there earlier." He told the young man as he turned to him. "What's your name?" he asked and offered his hand.

The young man just looked at his hand before he looked at his face. "A man asking that without giving his name first – " he said and turned his back on Hail. " – I don't need it." He said and hopped on his horse.

A vein popped in Hail’s forehead. "Brat." He muttered, pissed, as he lowered his hand. The young man is a year or two younger than him and Blue… wait. Blue is a fairy and fairies live longer than humans… how old is Blue now? He thought and looked at Blue who, at the same time, turned to him

"That's right, Hail. Why don't we gang up on him?" Blue asked as he cracked his knuckles while glaring at the young man.

"Hey. Are you planning to spend the night there?" they heard the young man ask. "Well, you are welcome to waste away the lives I saved earlier.” He said and urged his horse to walk.

Hail gritted his teeth and climbed up the roof of the vehicle. Blue frowned and flew up the vehicle before he sat beside me. An impertinent brat, but he saved us. They should be thankful, at the least.

The young man glanced at them but he didn’t say anything. The carriage then started moving.