After running for a distance. They reached the periphery of the woods and stood overlooking a lowland in front.
"A bridge and a little walk and that's it."
They slid into the low areas and scurried towards a tranquil canal, coloured in shallow moonlight. Something was amiss – the drawbridge that was supposed to connect the prison with the city was raised.
"Argh, those guards must've done this to capture us."
Craig was consumed in fear when he turned back to see the eerie forest behind slowly open up into numerous pores of light, the guards from behind will be here anytime !
The figure didn't waver, it turned around to face Craig.
"Can you jump to the other side?" The figure asked,
"No. The gap is too much !" Craig exclaimed.
Craig went up to the edge of the land after which, it scooped down into a canal. Standing on the edge was a very wobbly feeling. He immediately pulled away.
The figure stood on the verge and turned around, it then offered a hand, "We will jump together."
Craig saw the obscure contours on the figure's face, lit up by the faint moonlight. It was a feminine, short face with a flat jaw.
"I cannot jump that far."
The figure made an annoyed sound and forcefully grabbed his hand, "Don't worry, I will catch you if you fall."
Craig noticed that the sound of footsteps were becoming clearer and the lights were coming closer but he hesitated.
"Come on !" the figure angrily pulled his hand, making him step on the edge again. Craig stared at the canal below,
'If I die now, please let that be a certain and permanent death.'
"Argh, fine !"
Craig fixed his gaze on the land on the otherside.
"Are you ready?" The figure looked at Criag's face for the last time before jumping
"I'll manage." Craig replied.
After a count of three, Craig and that figure made a gigantic leap forwards, flying over the canal, creating an arching pattern in the sky.
They landed on the other side successfully. They were now in the city !
'We did it... I did it !'
A subtle feel of euphoria and relief was seen in Craig's face.
The figure got up, held his hands again and ran again to a distance, this time in a comparatively lower pace. Exiting the Bakerheim Central Prison, they entered West Bakerheim.
A bull-drawn carraige with a closed roof waiting by the side of the road, The figure went up to the carriage and asked Craig to get in.
The driver at the front seat turned around at the figure.
"Oh finally, there you are !.. wait someone else too?"
The figure replied to the driver's astonishment, "Yeah, I was returning from the Hyacinth street and suddenly I crossed paths with Calliope, she told me that a prisoner who was held unjustly has escaped the prison. And that, the prince wants me to rescue him. Guess that's my final task for the day."
The driver immediately pulled the reins of the carriage and drove away. Inside it, the figure lit up a candle.
In the flickering candle light, he saw her – she was a young woman with a short face, simple yet elegant features, pale brown complexion and waist-reaching dark brown hair. There was nothing particular about her straight, regular black eyes. Brown himation, brown belt layered over a white robe made her look simple but reserved, humble but plenty dignified.
"But still, how were you able to escape the prison and enter the forest? That's impressive !" She asked.
She slowly calmed the expressions in her face and leaned back to lead out a sigh. She slid her hair back with both hands and took out a mirror and a powdered puff from the folds of her himation, "All these missions, yet my beauty is intact? That's shocking." She looked at herself in the mirror while smiling and arching her brows.
Craig just noticed a striking feature about her, she had long pointed ears.
The young woman sensed an unspoken question lingering on his lips, she made a serious face and answered, "Yes you are right. I am a refugee, an elf."
Craig did remember Yuriel mentioning about the demonic invasion of the Elf World.
'Now how do I tell her this without sounding like a pervert.'
"No, I did notice your ears but it's not that. Your robe... it's a little scratched in the... private area. Please cover it."
The girl was flushed with mortification and gave her cloak a hitch, she looked away, "Th-Thank you."
Craig replied with a polite and transient smile. The driver of the carraige turned a little to tell the girl something but he turned the wrong side and looked at Craig, "Wait, aren't you?"
The driver had messy auburn hair and a long, stout face. He looked at Craig with a big smile, "Sir!" he exclaimed with a big smile, "I never knew I would meet you again, sir. You, most esteemed gentleman, despite being young, you foresaw the disaster that day and saved me and my chariot from those goons."
"Really?" The young woman was shocked, she patted her face thoroughly.
"Yes and yet, he was arrested. This country's law system has become a joke under Sarstin Eurashio."
Craig looked at the driver with curiosity,
"Umm, aren't you..." he observed him closely.
'Wait a second... Yeah! There's no doubt. This is that charioteer who I saved from the terrorist act that day. What a small world indeed! I remember that I acted all grandoise and eloquent in front of him, so I have to keep up that act. But wait... if I instantly recognize him? Won't it be too wierd? I don't want them to think of me as a creep who goes around remebering faces. But on the other side, if I don't recognize him, it will probably be very rude! I'm not a stalker, nor am I rude. What should I do now? I must think of flowery words, think! Think!' Craig's overthinking took over him again.
"Ah, yes, that egregious act of terrorism on that calamitous day still conjures a paroxysm of horror within me whenever the memories slither insidiously in my mind. Tarry, your presence is not the same as before. Weren't you once a stalwart auriga expertly guiding equine steeds? Why, pray tell, do I find you incongruously yoked to a humble carraige? I tell you truly, it is a mockery of your antecedent association with chariots!"
'Hoosh, those were some words. Finding such words is even more difficult now. First I have to think of it in my own language and then the tongue alter potion will allow my brain to find related words from Agloic so that I can utter that gibberish.'
The driver turned back and flashed a proud grin, "Well you see sir, chariots were a past business, or you can say that, now, it's a side business. Name's Barrett by the way, and you sir?"
Craig's face instantly fell when he was asked his name, he looked down at the candle's flame, thinking whether he should be proud or not while introducing himself.
The flame flickered for a moment, "Craig Ichinose." he hushed softly.
Barrett seemed a little taken aback by the phonetics of the name.
"I've never heard of that name before, but again, I am a small man, It's not like I know everything."
Craig smiled at Barrett's words, he turned to the girl infront of him who also had a faint smile as she patted her face with the puff.
"And you?" Craig thought the exchange of names between him and Barrett might have made her feel excluded.
The girl stopped rubbing her face as she stared at Craig with wide eyes, it was as though she never heard this question before. She saw her reflection on the mirror, "Fiona Glorian."
Soon, Barrett stopped the carriage and let go of the reins. They reached the border of West Bakerheim, beyond this lies the poorer section of the city – East Bakerheim.
"We reached sir, this is the place from where you and Yuriel hopped into my chariot that day."
In a way, he told him that they have reached where he is supposed to drop. Both of them had no idea that he was a refugee so they expected him to atleast know his way from the chariot stand.
Craig looked a little nervous when he got off the carraige. He tried to speak something but restrained himself.
'I can't tell them that I don't know the way ! My secret as a refugee might be revealed. These people don't feel like they will be cruel to me just for being a refugee, given that Miss Fiona is a refugee as well. But still, no one knows who harbours belligerence towards whom. Playing it safe is always the better option – that's what this world has taught me.'
Fiona looked at Craig with slight concern, "Wait, will it be safe to leave him alone? What if the prison guards had entered the city? I will be safe since they haven't seen me, but him?"
Barrett nodded at her words but replied, "Of course it is not safe, but I need to make sure you get home first, I'm sorry." saying that, he drove away towards the east without waiting.
After waving a goodbye, Craig turned to a dark alley to his left flanked by buildings. He tried to remember the path which lead to Yuriel's house.
As a teen, he wasn't scared to walk in the dark; however, who would not want a well-illuminated path back home? Added to that, this place was unfamiliar, it made him feel uneasy.
'Only if I had a torch or my phone..'
After walking to a distance, he stumbled upon a magnificent building with its back facing a dark lake. Craig was sure that this building would've overshadowed any other building if this was daytime. He suspected that this might be a politician's house or a temple.
'There might be guards roaming around in this area, I have to get away from here.'
When he turned back, he stepped on a hard, thin substance – oddly enough, it was an unused candle and even more oddly, there was an unused, thick match. He picked them up.
'Why would anyone spend so much of time in decorating a match? It is silver plated and has red and black designs on it, only if they spent this time designing on their bland white tunics..'
He was about to strike the match on the building's wall to ignite it, but just as he held it tightly with two fingers, it ignited on its own. Craig was taken by sheer surprise.
'Okay, maybe it's a chemical thing or some tech exclusive to this world. I have more pressing concerns.'
Craig brought the match near the wick of the candle and ignited it, when the flame was set, he removed the match. The candle burnt in an elegant, yellow flame. He stretched his hand forward for the candle to illuminate his way.
When the candle's light fell on the ground, Craig felt an unusual feeling, he never felt it before. A mild quake seemed to ripple under his feet. Soon, unclear ravings were heard from all directions.
The sounds became louder and louder and then, in a blink of an eye, the dark night drew apart like curtains, transporting him to a windy and lively place with the lands and skies basking in the orange hue of the setting sun.
Craig found himself amidst a crowd of cheering audience who were sitting in a colosseum, he was standing on the lowest row of the colossuem which was a few meters above the ground.
An androgynous, non-human voice spoke up in an echoing tone, "The final round of the Golden Souls Elite League is about to commence !"
Two young men came forward from two sides of the arena.
"Maxim Flores and Aerian Hoffman, show us what can be done by mythologers in the Fifth Age. But remember the holy words..."
A collective slogan came from the audience and the voice, "Ignite the candle and it will you grant you its light. But put its flame to test and it will burn you with fright!"