And here I am again, with what turned out to be the longest chapter to date, of Medieval Cohesion. Wesley, Gary and Raksasha found quite a few challenges, waiting for them outside the prison of Jibanon. But did they come out on top? Read and find out yourself! This chapter was a lot of fun to write, but to be honest, I'm not sure how well I laid out the scenes this time. So I will look forward to read your commentary ^.^ As I always do.

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Chapter 46 - Streets of Jibanon

Together with Gary and Raksasha, my friends and fellow refugees from the prison, I descended the stony staircase leading down to the streets. It was challenging for me to avoid lacking behind, as I now had to not only carry the weight of my armor, but also my shield that I recently reclaimed from the armory. The shield was equipped and prepared for combat, but it was regrettable, that my faithful old claymore was nowhere to be found. I was left with no other choice, but to have confidence in my ability to fight without a weapon. Only a moment before reaching the town of Jibanon, we heard the ominous noise of a gigantic bell in the distance, echoing throughout every street and alley. It was the alarm being sounded, and we could expect reinforcements to arrive at any moment. The guards that fled from the prison must've reached the watch tower, and alerted everyone about our escape. The sound of the bell left my body pumped with adrenalin. Danger was approaching. The reinforcements were moving towards the prison where our friends were held captive, and the only ones standing in their way, were us. We were bound to be greatly outnumbered, but if we were able to defeat some of the enemies out here in the open, there would be less enemies left to threaten our trapped allies. Due to the way that this situation had unfolded, this seemed like the best way we could be of assistance to our friends. Dark clouds were gathering, and raindrops were falling onto my forehead. I just knew this was going to be a long night for us all. It felt as if my veins were on fire. Perhaps this was my way to suppress the sorrow, connected with leaving my allies behind. I let the sorrow turn into emotions of rage, that I felt a strong urge to take out on someone. Or something. I was in no mood to let any opposing enemy avoid my wrath.

Our heavy footsteps echoed down through the empty streets of Jibanon, as we swiftly passed through. The rain had already become intense enough to form pools of water on the ground, and it didn't take long for my hair to become soaked, laying flat down my back. The only person here, that I could imagine was pleased by the approaching torrential rain, was Raksasha. Because a red river of blood passed down through the street, as the water cleaned her exposed wounds, caused by the bolts still stuck in her body. Once the water had flattened down the fur on her body, her bulging muscles became more highlighted, making her seem twice as fierce as before. But at that particular moment, I was wondering where all the townspeople had gone. Perhaps they had fled into their humble homes and barricaded their doors, after having heard the bell being sounded. That was what I was hoping, as I didn't want any innocent civilians to get in the way, once we became forced to engage in combat. Within long, we encountered the first four guards that intended to block our way, as they came right out of the alley in front of us. They were armed, hostile and ready to fight. Their rattling chainmails warned us about their approach, however, long before they actually appeared. So while standing side by side, we already had our gear equipped, prepared to defend ourselves against the first enemies. A distant rumble was heard from above, during the brief moment where we kept sharp eye contact with our foes. It sounded like thunder was lurking in the sky above.

Gary: This is it. If you really want to help our imprisoned allies, then we'd better finish off the reinforcements here.
Raksasha: Excellent. My axe thirsts for blood...
Wesley: To arms, comrades, here they come!

With their weapons raised, all the guards attacked at once, not even thinking twice about starting a battle in the streets. They were apparently ordered to destroy us at any cost, regardless of what damages it would cause to the town. Despite being unarmed, I found the courage to charge forward myself, colliding with the enemies further ahead. My shield was raised high, leaving no opportunity for the enemy to land a blow, before my shield managed to shove one of the guards back on impact. The following moment, I turned and bashed the guard next to me repeatedly with my shield, from left to right, until he was too bruised to stay conscious. Unfortunately, none of my allies managed to support me in time, before a guard struck me with a horizontal blow from his halberd. My armor was able to protect my body from the halberds sharp edge, but the blow was strong enough to knock me back, groaning with my teeth clenched. That is what I get for overestimating myself, and attacking so recklessly. But while the guards were occupied with fighting me, they never saw Raksasha's massive axe coming, as she launched a lethal horizontal attack. Two guards failed to dodge this fatal cleaving attack, and despite that their armors saved their bodies from being completely mutilated, her power toppled them convincingly. Having recovered from the blow, I watched the two guards fly about ten meters down the street, before falling heavily onto the ground. Their weapons slid loudly across the stony tiles, and none of them seemed conscious after that assault. Or alive, for that matter. Intimidated by our dominance in combat, the last guard decided to drop his spear on the street, before running away as if the devil was chasing him. There was no need to pursue him. Instead, we just regrouped and advanced deeper into the town, approaching the central square of Jibanon. Every step lead us closer towards freedom.

It had become harder for me to keep up with the others. There was a sharp pain taking place in my chest. It wasn't exhaustion overwhelming me. Despite that my armor protected my chest, from being penetrated by the halberds sharp edge, I suspected that the powerful impact itself might've bended some of my ribs. But for the time being, I chose to ignore the agony, as I had no interest in becoming a burden to Raksasha and Gary. Unfortunate for us, we had forgotten to keep our eyes open, for attacks coming from above. I barely managed to leap backwards, before a bolt was fired and struck the stony tiles right in front of me. Once I raised my head and looked up, it came to my attention that two guards armed with crossbows, were standing together on a roof nearby. They were obviously scheming to shoot us down from a higher altitude, and the second guard had his loaded crossbow pointing directly at me. The bolt was fired, but fortunate for me, it bounced right off my shield. Both the guards swiftly attempted to reload their crossbows with new bolts, but our stealthy comrade Gary, had no intention of granting them a second chance. Under the holy robes that he had stolen, he revealed two more of his sharp throwing knives, keeping them separate with his fingers. After hardly spending a full second on taking aim, he tossed both the knives towards the guards, causing them to spin all the way until they reached their targets. Having arched after leaving Gary's hand, the knives went separate ways, before plunging directly into the chests of both the guards. Their shoddy chainmails were by no means able to keep the knives from penetrating their hearts, causing them to fall down from the roof, clearly dead long before they crashed onto the street. By that moment, I was wondering where Gary had learned to use knives so effectively, and hit targets so far away with magnificent precision. These abilities seemed far too superior for a common thief to master. But this was obviously not the right time for me, to be curious and ask questions.

We didn't manage to advance any further, before three guards leapt down from the roof of another nearby house, blocking our path towards the central square. This didn't seem too challenging at first. But before we were given the chance to decide our next move, another two guards caught up with us from behind, instantly turning the odds in their favor. Standing closely together, Gary and I focused at the three guards that leapt down from the roof, while Raksasha turned around to confront the two guards attempting an ambush from behind. Despite their poor equipment and lack of experience in combat, they could become a serious threat, since they got us trapped in a pincer attack. There was no option of escape. Once the first guard on my side advanced to attack, a large but dull bardiche was swung towards me. My shield could easily absorb the damage and keep me safe, but the impact made me stagger backwards, dangerously close to lose my balance. It felt like these guards were somewhat stronger, than the ones we fought before getting caught. Standing close by my side, Gary was ready to assist me against the aggressive enemy. After having struck my shield, the enemy was open and vulnerable, for Gary to spin around and knock him back with a kick. Before the guard recovered, I watched as Gary drew his sharp daggers from under the brown robes, and plunged them both into the guards chest. Very aggressive and ferocious. Once he pulled the daggers back out of the stabbed guard, blood squirted out of the holes in his chest, before he fell to the ground with his bardiche. He was definitely a goner. None of the guards seemed to expect such efficiency in battle, from an old and frail man in holy robes. That mistake has already cost one life.

Both of the remaining guards on my side, had apparently determined that Gary was a much greater threat, compared to me. They were probably right. So they focused their attacks on him and attempted to assault him simultaneously. But when they both charged forward to strike, I raised my foot and stomped onto the shaft of the dead guards bardiche, causing the sharp edge to rise from the ground. One of the guards failed to predict this move, which lead him to run directly into the raised edge, becoming brutally impaled in his torso. He released a pitiful groan, before coughing up a thick blob of blood. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stop both the guards from attacking, and Gary was not prepared to defend himself. The attacking guard raised his mace while running, and delivered a vertical blow to Gary's shoulder, leaving him in a sagging position while groaning in pain. Taking full advantage of the situation, the guard bashed Gary hard with his armored shoulder, toppling the old man effectively. Standing very close, I watched as Gary fell hard to the ground and slid across the stony tiles, before rolling backwards up into a kneeling position. He clenched his teeth hard and heaved for air, while staring angrily into the eyes of the guard that outsmarted him, clearly up for a rematch. But having realized that Gary was left in a vulnerable position at the moment, I decided to interfere, while the guard was distracted. Attacking from his left side, I swept his feet off the ground with my leg, causing him to fall hard onto his back. But since I had no weapon equipped to finish him off, I found myself selecting the first idea that came to mind, which turned out to be a disgraceful move that I regret today. I raised my foot and stomped once on the guards exposed throat, crushing it with ease, leaving him doomed to suffocate due to his broken airways. It was one of those things that just happen in the heat of battle.

A loud and deafening scream was heard, as a guard was tossed right over Gary and me, before crashing hard on the other side of the street. It was quite painful to watch, and he was in no condition to get back up. Raksasha was already fully occupied with releasing her rage on the guards behind us, and once I turned around to check up on her situation, I found her struggling with the last guard standing. Severe damage was done to the street, as her gigantic axe were swung, shattering bricks and tiles with it's heavy weight. But unfortunately, this particular guard was smaller and somewhat more nimble, making it challenging for Raksasha's slow attacks to hit. After having missed with a lethal vertical strike, the edge of her axe got stuck in the ground, and the guard realized this was the opportunity to strike. Armed with a short and curved sword, he leapt forward and lashed out towards her, causing the sharp blade to leave a bleeding scar across her stomach. A stain of blood splashed on the street, to slowly be rinsed away by the rainwater. And the stinging pain caused Raksasha to release a loud roar that echoed throughout the city. Leaving her axe stuck in the bricks and tiles, she suddenly reached out and grabbed the guards head with her enormous hand, before squeezing with all her might. The guard immediately dropped his blade onto the ground, and grabbed her wrist with both hands, struggling to no avail. Gary and I both turned our heads away and closed our eyes, as we sensed what was coming. Then we heard the disturbing sound of the guard's skull cracking, destroyed internally by Raksasha's fearsome strength. When we finally found the courage to open our eyes again, we found the guard laying dead on the street, with his head severely mutilated. Raksasha's palm was soaked with blood. Out of all the attacks that he dodged, it sure was a shame for him that he didn't foresee this one. Because being cut in half by her large axe, almost seemed like a more merciful way to perish.

After Raksasha had managed to pull her axe back out of the ground, there was finally clear passage for us to access the central square of Jibanon. We all anticipated that the success of our escape was guaranteed, if only we could make our way to that location. But we were quite wrong. Once we entered the large and open central square, where the merchants usually set up their stalls with merchandise, something unexpected happened. We stopped instantly, as our ears caught the sound of footsteps. Hundreds of footsteps. I turned around from left to right, trying to gaze through the intense rain obscuring my view. And that is when I noticed the peasants of Jibanon stepping out of the shadows, approaching us from all directions, having us completely surrounded. They were armed with knives, pitchforks, scythes, hoes and various other kinds of tools, that seemed highly insufficient for combat. This was quite a disturbing turn of event, because I had no intention of causing harm to the civilians. But judged by the expressions on their faces and the threatening approach, they were most certainly hostile and looking for a fight. It seemed like our bad reputation had spread throughout this entire region, and now even the peasantry stands ready to rise against us.

Peasant1: It's them... the heartless betrayers that left Ranador behind in ruins. Servants of the dark lord Zervas!
Peasant2: Their hands are stained with the blood of our families and friends. Men, women and even children. They can't be allowed to escape.
Wesley: Hey, hang on just a minute here. Let us at least explain.
Peasant1: Murderers... we'll lend no ear to those that step on the corpses of our loved ones. Surrender, and we may promise you a quick death.
Wesley: But... But we didn't...
Gary: Forget it, Wesley. You're not getting through to them.
Raksasha: Raaarghh, that's enough! If you pesky worms won't get out of my way, I swear that I'll maul you all down here and now.
Gary: Woah! H-hey...

Raksasha released a beastly roar that nearly made my ears bleed, and then she raised her gigantic foot high, before stomping hard into the ground. Visible cracks appeared where her mighty foot came crashing down, and only a moment later, the entire area shook intensely. Gary and I struggled to keep our balance, and the peasantry were clearly intimidated by this convincing threat. When enraged, that woman is no less than a ferocious monster. The tremors passing through the earth below us, reached the same level as a weak earthquake. Quite impressive for just one person to cause. And yet, I was worried that Raksasha would give in to her rage, and slaughter the peasantry with no mercy. Neither Gary or I would be able to hold her back. But thankfully, we suddenly heard the sound of weapons being dropped at the street in the back, as the most cowardly peasants made a swift retreat. They could apparently sense that Raksasha was way out of their league. Once they dropped in numbers, more and more peasants lost their motivation to fight, until even the bravest had fled. The peasants disappeared into the empty houses and down the dark alleys. And then Raksasha slowly lowered her large axe, before snorting triumphantly. I exhaled deeply as a sign of relief. We just dodged a hideous situation, that could easily have lead to a massive chaos of massacre and bloodshed. The central square once again seemed deserted, providing us with the opportunity to resume our escape. And I suspected it would be wise to do so, before more guards arrived to block our exit, or the peasantry regained their courage to challenge us. But we didn't move on right away. Because something didn't feel right. The central square seemed abandoned, but it felt like we weren't alone. That's when we heard a disturbingly familiar voice from close by.

??? : Now there is something you don't see every day. An old monk that has failed his holy vows to the Goddess Shévolyn, and two villains that have sunk low enough to attack peasants. How pathetically disgraceful.
Gary: Hmm, I've heard that voice before...
Wesley: Who's there? Show yourself!

My ears perked up and traced down the sound of footsteps, coming from a dark alley towards the east. A shady person stepped into the central square, using his long and sharp rapier like a cane, resting his hand on top of the hilt. It was Edward, the arrogant bastard that captured us earlier, and shut us up inside that dreadful prison. His long elegant cape was soaked wet and hanging heavily. And he had apparently equipped a light breastplate of a noble design, to protect his torso against lethal attacks. But surprisingly, he seemed to be alone. There were no guards by his side. His blond bangs of hair were soaked by rainwater, and hung down across his forehead, leaving only one of his eyes visible to see.

Gary: Oh lord, not him.
Edward: I can't let you go any further.
Wesley: Please, step aside, Edward. We don't want to fight. There's no way you could possibly defeat us alone. Just turn around and walk away.
Edward: Who says that I'm alone?

Edward raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and only a few seconds later, smoke appeared by both sides of him. The smoke slowly faded away, and two young apprentices had appeared, early students of the magical academy of Jibanon. These are low ranked mages, that most likely have ambitions about one day becoming powerful wizards. Wearing long robes fit for a magician, they both had wooden staves equipped, with small rubies attached at the top. They clearly lacked experience and were nothing compared to Archimedes. But unfortunately, he wasn't with us at that moment. So they could most certainly become a tricky obstacle for us to pass.

Edward: Capturing the destroyers of Ranador earned me a respectable promotion. So now I also command the academy's division of young apprentices, that seek glory in real combat.
Apprentice: Your orders, Sir?
Edward: I'm growing tired of this filthy band of criminals, so take no prisoners. Take out the fox first, he should be an easy target.
Apprentice: Affirmative, Sir.
Wesley: Oh hell, no!

The apprentice conjured a flaming firebolt and hurled it towards me. But by timing my counter properly, I managed to bash the bolt with my shield, effectively reflecting the spell. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to adjust the direction of the reflected firebolt. So it went right towards Gary, who certainly wasn’t prepared for an attack from my direction. I gasped as the firebolt struck the disguised thief, causing his robes to catch flames, quickly turning on fire. The poor guy were flailing for a moment, groaning as the heat caused pain, but then he suddenly tore off the burning clothes and threw them onto the street. His disguise was ruined, and underneath the holy robes, he wore his usual black cloak with orange trims. His black hood was down, leaving his face completely exposed. Edward’s jaw dropped, showing a hint of recognition in his eyes. This was apparently not the first time, that these two had met.

Edward: This can’t be... ! G-Gary Jenkins! How... How DARE you show your ugly face within these walls again!?
Gary: Why, I knew you’d eventually miss me.
Edward: Don’t be ridiculous. You stole 5.000 gold pieces from me!
Gary: Stole? Nonsense, my good man. It was merely a simple loan without permission.
Edward: Well, it’s time to repay your debt... with the bounty on your head! En garde, you wretched thief!

Armed with his sharp rapier, Edward gave in to his feisty temper, and charged forward to strike the thief at high speed. Gary barely managed to sidestep, as Edward released a swift thrust attack, aimed directly for the heart. The thrust was followed by a strong horizontal swing, but Gary's effective reflexes enabled him to duck at the right time, dodging the attack completely. There didn't seem to be much technique or strategy connected to Edward's style of fighting, but his aggressive attacks didn't leave much room for retaliation. Gary could only find time to draw one of his daggers, which was instantly used to block the third slash from the rapier. Their weapons got locked up in a struggle, and they both clenched their teeth hard, while trying to best their rival. To my surprise, Edward was apparently so strong that Gary had to hold the hilt of his dagger with both hands, to keep up in the struggle. It was very tempting to leap into the fray and assist my ally, but there was a high risk of doing a great disservice for Gary by getting in the way. While having their weapons locked in a struggle, Edward managed to raise the leg and place his foot on Gary's chest, roughly shoving him a few steps back. The old man nearly lost his balance, but recovered swiftly, and then he decided to take advantage of the distance gained between them. With his free hand, he grabbed one of the jagged knives he snatched from the armory, and tossed it towards Edward. I had yet to see Gary miss his target, so I thought this would conclude their private battle. But no. Edward was swift to dodge the knife by sidestepping, and with reflexes that not even Gary could match, he managed to grab the knife before it went past him. Holding the rapier in his right hand, and the jagged knife in his left hand, Edward seemed ready to engage Gary in battle with two weapons at once. Gary just snorted, before slowly drawing his second dagger too.

Edward: Did you really think it would be that easy? You disappoint me, old man. I surpassed your skills long ago.
Gary: Hmph... That remains to be seen.

Edward and Gary once again resumed fighting, switching between releasing a flurry of attacks, and evading incoming blows with their high agility and reflexes. But my attention was directed elsewhere, as I heard a sinister crackling noise behind me. Once I turned around, I saw Raksasha standing a short distance away, with small electric sparks moving across her body. Her muscles were bulging and throbbing. She must've been struck by a lightning bolt no more than a few seconds ago, but besides leaving some of the fur on her chest seared black, not much harm seemed to be done. By the looks of it, magic really didn't seem to have much effect on her sturdy body. But the small spark of pain certainly didn't make her seem any less furious. With her teeth exposed by anger, she snarled so loud that she lost control of her saliva, before storming towards the magician that attacked her. Her massive axe was dragged across the ground for a brief moment, before she struck her defenseless foe with a fearsome vertical blow, bashing the apprentice so hard that he was launched into the air. The apprentice cried out in pain, before exploding into a flash of shimmering magic. She got him! But when I the following moment felt the heat rising, I leapt backwards by reflex, only to watch a firebolt strike right in front of me. The second apprentice clearly had his eyes focused on me. Once I turned my head to face him, it seemed like he had switched element, and was about to hurl a chilly ice bolt in my direction. My heavy armor was likely to leave me vulnerable against magical attacks, so I couldn't afford to let anything penetrate my defense. Repeating my success from earlier, I managed to time my counter perfectly, bashing the ice bolt with my shield. But this time, the spell was reflected into the proper direction, heading right back towards the hostile magician. The apprentice groaned as the bolt splashed on his chest, with the intense frost instantly turning his body into solid ice.

With my enemy left defenseless and immobilized, I grabbed this opportunity to charge forward, and ram his frozen body with my armored shoulder. The physical impact caused his body to collapse and shatter, with the frozen chunks being spread all over the street. I was just about to turn around and search for our only enemy left standing, being the arrogant Lord Edward himself. But then I heard the ominous sound of someone being struck hard, and only a moment later, I saw Gary slide on his back across the street. I couldn't believe my own eyes. The poor old man seemed unable to get back up on his feet, and Edward was approaching him slowly, with a sinister smirk on his face. What could possible have gotten into that fellow? He didn't seem that challenging back in the field. Nevertheless, I had no intention of letting him finish off Gary, while he was being vulnerable and defenseless. So I became carried away by my protective instinct, leading me to step in between the two combatants, blocking Edwards way. He scowled at me, definitely not seeming pleased about me interfering. Having realized that he was forced to get through me to reach Gary, he attacked me viciously with his equipped rapier and jagged knife, making me struggle to keep myself protected behind my shield. By the end of his combo, he raised his foot and performed a sweeping kick, that I was swift to parry with my free arm. His foot clashed against the metal of my armor, and I seized this opportunity to smash my knee into his groin. Edward cried out in pain, and while he was stunned from my attack, I shoved him back with a strong bash of my shield. He staggered weakly backwards, but once he had recovered a little, he just chuckled confidently. Gary had by this moment managed to reclaim his daggers, that were dropped on the street when he fell, and then get back up into a standing position. But I remained in my defensive position, keeping my eyes focused on Edward.

Edward: Hmph! Meddlesome fool. Step aside! Your turn will come...
Wesley: Forget it. We are bringing Gary with us.
Edward: Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Here, fox... Think fast!
Gary: No, Wesley! W-watch out!
Wesley: What?

My eyes grew wide as Edward suddenly tossed the serrated knife towards me, way too fast for me to block. I question if this was just a stroke of luck, or if Edward really possessed the skill to aim that well - but the knife found a weak spot in my armor, and I felt a sharp sting of pain, as the knife penetrated my chest. I groaned out in agony and was instantly brought to my knee, left completely incapacitate. Fortunate for me, my armor has metallic plates protecting the center of my chest, so I wasn't in risk of having my heart damaged. My immediate reaction was to grab the hilt of the knife with my free hand, trying to jerk it loose, and pull it out of my chest. But the serrated blade simply refused to leave my chest, without forcing me into a world of hurt. So it would have to be carefully removed during a more peaceful moment, assuming that we somehow got out of this predicament alive. My hand slowly released the hilt of the knife, and then I looked down to find my gauntlet stained with blood. I breathed heavily, struggling to stay conscious. Through the intense rainfall, I noticed Edward approaching me, obviously planning to finish me off. He pulled his sharp rapier back, leaving him only seconds away from stabbing me with a thrust, while I was unable to defend myself. I caught myself praying for a swift and painless death. But the very moment before he managed to deliver his final blow, a chain suddenly coiled around his neck from behind, and tightened hard. This chain was attached to Raksasha's broken shackles, that had yet to be removed. Edward gasped and dropped his rapier onto the ground, turning his head to look back, finding Raksasha standing there with a sinister smile on her face. The smile left all her sharp teeth exposed. Edward grabbed onto the chain around his neck, trying to pull it off, but his resistance was futile.

Raksasha: Where do you think you're going, shrimp?
Edward: Ergh! L-let me go, you oversized behemoth!

Raksasha yanked painfully in the chain, causing Edward to fall onto his back, before being dragged across the street. His metallic breastplate released sparks as it slid across the tiles, and then the ferocious woman swung him above her head in a curve, causing him to crash down into the street before her. Edward released a shrilling cry of defeat, as his body was slammed so hard into the street, that it left large cracks underneath his body. Raksasha grunted before retracting her chain, leaving Edward laying on his back, completely motionless with his eyelids shut. A brief moment of absolute silence invaded the central square, as we all were standing at a safe distance, just looking at the fallen lord. Raindrops splashed on the plates protecting his chest, and his noble cape was curled up underneath his lifeless body. For a moment, I honestly thought he was dead. But after having been knocked out for about two minutes, Edward suddenly groaned pitifully, and rose from the ground very slowly. But he was in no condition to stand straight up. During his recovery, he stopped rising once he had placed himself in a kneeling position, leaving a hand on the ground for support. I could see in the eyes that he was too weak to continue this fight. Gary suddenly approached me from behind and moved his arms under my armpits, raising me from the ground slowly, until I was once again standing up. I appreciated the assistance. Edward was panting heavily, while realizing his rapier was far out of reach.

Edward: This can't be happening... I-I can still fight!
Wesley: Don't be ridiculous, Edward. It's over. You know that.
Edward: No! This is not over before I say it is.
Gary: Let it go. You're too injured to fight any further. Don't put your life into unnecessary danger.
Edward: You will... not get away with this...

The young lord clenched his fist hard while sagging heavily, not hiding his inner desires of causing us further harm, if only he was in condition to fight. I was convinced, that this man simply couldn't be reasoned with. Despite of the lacking evidence, we would always be nothing but convicts to him. Once it became too challenging for him to keep talking, he just stared intensely at us, with his eyes expressing the hatred that slept inside him. Unfortunate for us, the ruckus caused here at the central square, must've alerted the remaining guards that were searching for us. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps, as someone was running swiftly to our location. The rattling noise of chainmails revealed, that these were by no means lowly peasants approaching us. It was armored guards, and by the sound of their footsteps, I estimated that we could expect more than twenty men to attack us within a few minutes. This time, our chance of success was pretty much second to none. We were about to become heavily outnumbered, and none of us were able to endure much more punishment. The exit of Jibanon was relatively close, but our enemies would obviously expect us to head that way. So we would inevitably be caught in a major ambush, that would wipe us out with guarantee. While we were desperately attempting to decide our next move, it caught my attention that a sinister smirk had appeared on Edward's face, despite of the many injuries he had suffered. He knew that we were about to be cornered, and he enjoyed every second of it. I slowly looked down, watching how a river of blood slid across the plates covering my chest, from the wound caused by the jagged knife. My strength was fading away, and my vision was becoming blurry. If that knife wasn't removed soon, then my last breath would be drawn here...