Bounty
A loud scream jolted me awake. My head spun as I tried to collect myself. I pushed myself off the mat, straining to hear the muffled voices outside the apothecary.
My heart skipped. Had someone found the body?
The old man wasn't in the room, I hoped he hadn't led anyone here. Kumbuye was still asleep, but I needed him awake if trouble had come.
"Kumbuye... hey, Kumbuye..." I whispered, shaking him gently.
His eyes fluttered open. "Hey... are you alright?" I asked, leaning close so he could hear me well.
"Dana," he murmured.
I hurried to a corner, grabbed a clay cup, and poured water from a bowl, bringing it to his lips. He drank slowly, wincing as he tried to sit up.
The noise outside was rising. Oh heavens!
"I'm sorry, Kumbuye," I whispered. "There's no time to rest. We have to leave."
Just then, the old man rushed back into the apothecary.
"A woman found the body," he whispered, trembling. "The guards are coming. They'll search every shop." He peered through the door to see outside. "You need to leave. Now."
Before I could respond, the sound of hooves thundered through the street.
"It's too late," the old man cried, panic overtaking him. He rushed across the room and yanked open a wooden plank in the floor, revealing a tiny lying space underneath the floorboard, barely wide enough for two bodies. "Hide. Go inside."
I hesitated.
He ran back to the door and cracked it open, peering outside.
"Go in," he hissed, gesturing with his hands. "They're here."
We had no choice. I grabbed Kumbuye, easing him down with me into the cramped space. It was suffocating, but if it kept us alive, we would endure it.
The plank slid shut just as the guards burst into the shop.
"May... may I help you?" the old man said.
From beneath the floorboard, I listened.
"Have you seen this man and this woman?" one of the guards asked.
My heart slammed against my ribs. I hoped the old man wouldn't betray us.
"Yes," the old man finally replied after a long silence.
Shit.
"They were here yesterday." The old man continued. "The man was wounded. I treated him."
"And the woman?" another guard pressed.
"She paid for the treatment," he said. "They left last night. Is something wrong?"
My breath caught. Oh thank the heavens.
"And you don't know where they went?"
"No," he answered. "I treated the man, collected my payment, and they left."
Moments passed — long, unbearable moments — before the sound of boots retreated and the hooves faded into the distance.
The plank lifted.
"You've put me in danger by coming here," the old man said quietly as he helped us out. "They must never see me with you. Once you leave, don't come back."
He handed us two thick, black hooded cloaks, enough to cover our faces.
"Thank you so much. Your kindness will be repaid," I said, trying to sound grateful.
"I don't want repayment," the old man snapped. "I just want you out of my shop. Please."
I held Kumbuye's arm, he could walk, but he was limping. I gripped my bag close. As soon as we stepped out of the apothecary, we covered our faces with the hood of the cloaks.
We passed several corners, Kumbuye's pace was really slowing us down. The fruit Roderick had given me the day before was tucked inside my bag, we would eat once we found a secure place.
Then I saw a poster and my stomach dropped.
The illustration was bold; Kumbuye and I, drawn clearly... hundred gold coins for whoever brought us in alive, fifty per head.
"Kumbuye," I whispered, pointing. "Look... that's us."
Kumbuye groaned. "We have to leave Noxara."
I clenched my fists, dipping them into my bag. The glow of the compass was brighter than before. The Cranium was close. That was the mission. My priority. We couldn't just abandon it.
We kept moving. Noxara was massive with so many settlements. It was almost impossible to know where was safe, especially now with a bounty on our heads.
And then I remembered the old man. He hadn't betrayed us. Despite the price on our heads, he had stayed loyal. Good people still existed.
We turned another corner, and Kumbuye collided with someone.
I looked up.
Roderick.
He looked at me and smirked. "So, you tried to run from me, huh?" He eyed me down. "You've got a bounty now. I knew there was something about you... you'll make me very rich."
Before I could react, his hand closed around my arm.
Kumbuye tried to shove him away, but he was too weak, hardly holding together.
I pushed Roderick back with all my strength and grabbed Kumbuye, turning to run.
But Roderick's men seized me from behind. They dragged me back, and forced Kumbuye to the ground. My power throbbed, demanding to be released. I tried to suppress it, fought hard to keep it contained—
And then it broke free.
The force exploded outward as howling wind rushed through the street, slamming bodies into stalls and walls. Roderick and his men crashed to the ground. Kumbuye was thrown back with them.
"Kumbuye!" I rushed to him, falling to my knees beside him.
"Witch!" someone shouted.
My hood was flung aside. Kumbuye's too. I held him, helping him up.
"That's the bounty!" another voice screamed. "Get them!"
The crowd pushed forward, running toward us from all sides.
I didn't think. I didn't choose. I didn't summon anything. But the Veil answered anyway, taking us somewhere else.
We landed at a corner, in what looked to be another settlement, but we were still in Noxara.
I hadn't called the Veil. I hadn't pictured a destination. How was I veil-walking?
Kumbuye broke down beside me. Blood seeped through the dressing at his side. I dipped into my bag to bring out the ointment the apothecary man had given me before we left, and I rubbed the ointment into the wound. Kumbuye winced, stiffening his body and breathing raggedly. The apothecary man had also given us some herbs and a potion for Kumbuye, to keep him stable.
I uncorked the potion and brought it to his lips. He drank it all, grimacing, then lay back against the stone, breathing hard.
"Okay," I whispered. "Let's rest for a bit."
The corner was quiet. I hadn't seen anyone pass, so we stayed there. We shared the fruit from my bag and drank the little water we had.
When I reached for the compass again, its glow hadn't changed. I turned it slowly, searching for any shift, but it still pointed north.
After a moment, I looked at him. "Can you walk now?"
He let out a tired sigh. "I can try," he said. "Let's go."
I was frustrated. Everything was after me. The Forsaken. The Castle guards. The Castellan. Roderick. And now anyone desperate enough to chase a bounty. My life was tangled beyond repair.
The winter breeze had grown harsher, seeping through our clothes. Snow clung to the ground, crunching under our feet. The cloaks did very little to keep us warm as we moved on.
We walked for hours, keeping far from the crowded streets. We kept moving until we saw trees, and at last, we reached the edge of a forest.
By the time we moved into the bushes, the sky had gone dark.
"Let's rest here for the night," I said.
Kumbuye was shivering now, his teeth were chattering.
I gathered fallen branches from beneath the trees, dry ones that had been sheltered from the snow, and stacked them together. I channelled my power to summon a small fire.
We huddled close, stretching our hands toward the flames.
"How's your stomach?" I asked, watching him focus on staying warm.
He met my eyes and gave a weak shrug. "I think I'll survive," he rasped.
I sighed and stared into the distance beyond the firelight. "I think we should be safe here tonight."
I had barely finished speaking when a loud shriek sounded through the forest.
My heart seized.
"What was that?" I whispered.
Kumbuye closed his eyes in exhaustion. "That... that sounds like a shadowmire."
The sound came again, closer this time. Cold slid past me that made my skin prickle.
Oh gods, not again.
I was really tired and had nothing left in me to fight.
Then a shadow slipped past my face.
I formed a fireball in my hands and hurled it toward the direction the shadow had passed. More shrieks rose from every direction. Shadows peeled themselves from the trees, flying toward me. Winter Shades. Dozens of them.
One brushed past my arm and my fingers went numb. Another lunged at Kumbuye and I threw a fireball at it, burning through it. Fire poured out of me in waves, forcing them back. One by one, the shrieks faded, with all the shadows retreating back to the trees they had come out from.
I dropped to my knees, shivering and crawling towards Kumbuye.
"Are you alright?" I asked him. His lips were pale and frozen. I reached out, realizing a Winter Shade had touched him. Shit.
I gently brought him closer to the fire. "You'll be fine," I murmured, pressing my hands lightly against his arms to keep them from trembling too much.
Another rustle in the leaves startled me as I stayed crouched over Kumbuye, and then I heard my name.
My heart stuttered. It was a voice so familiar. One I hadn't heard in so long. I looked back with longing...
The place was so dark, but I squinted to see him.
"Doya?"