In Game: Survive or Be Killed

7: ESCAPE

Ashtria heard the guards' footsteps approaching the shop. Ashtria gritted her teeth as she turned her head to face the shop owner. She pulled out the dagger and prepared to sever the shop owner's neck, but the guy with her grabbed her hand and both of them fled.

"What are you doing? Let me kill that man first before we leave!" Ashtria yelled at him.

"Don't waste your time with that idiot; I've already scattered bombs around his shop; a few seconds later, it'll explode quickly," the guy said, as the two of them hid in a small house near the shop. After seeing the two inside his house, a large man sitting in a chair was taken aback.

"What the hell are you two doing in my house? Get out–" the big man abruptly stops speaking as Ashtria dashes behind him and puts him to sleep.

The man did not bother what happened to the guy and instead opened the window. They noticed a forest behind it, and the man speaks to Ashtria. "Let's get out of here," he said, and Ashtria followed his instructions. She hurriedly exited the window, and Ashtria halted when she heard there was an explosion. 

Ashtria takes a step back and examines the location of the shop from which they came. Ashtria's gaze was drawn to the guy after he successfully escaped from the window.

"Let's go," the guy said coldly, taking the lead. As he was the one who knew the way, Ashtria trailed behind him. She believes the man she was following can be trusted, but she has a nagging suspicion that he is up to something. But for the time being, she needed to put her trust in him to keep him from fleeing.

"What's your name?" Ashtria asks abruptly, widening the guy's eyes and speaks. 

"Lucas," he said coldly, while they were both still running. Suddenly, a crowd of people wielding various weapons noticed them and tried to catch up with them. One man took his arrows and pointed them at them before releasing them; both of them bowed their heads, causing the man to grit his teeth as he was unable to hit the two.

Lucas abruptly slides and turns around in front of a gambling establishment. People are smoking, gambling, and selling illegal items in the area. Lucas looks at Ashtria and motions for her to follow him quickly. They walk through the crowds and down a narrow street until they reach another road filled with people lying on the ground. Some of them were crawling around, begging Ashtria and Lucas for food. Everyone here was skinny, as if their ribs were about to protrude from their bodies.

"This is a place where most people will not try to go; be aware of your surroundings and do not let your emotions drive you; these people may attack us with a knife," Lucas said abruptly while walking and focusing on his path. Ashtria simply looked at them and then at the path they were taking.

While walking, Ashtria suddenly recalls Lucas's sister, so she turns to look at him, hoping to catch a glimpse of his face. He's not even showing any fear or concern towards his sister.

"Your sister," Ashtria said, but Lucas continued to speak without looking at her. "She'll be with us in minutes," Lucas said and Ahstria just shrug her shoulders and continuing to walk in Lucas's footsteps.

He abruptly came to a halt in front of the large tree. She looked around and saw no one walking or lying on the ground, which confused her. She turns around to face Lucas, who is staring at a tree.

"Let's wait for my sister here," Lucas said, sitting down. He leaned against the tree, bent his knees, placed his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes.

"How would you know she'll be coming here? Wait... Are you planning something?" Ashtria asks, secretly holding her dagger as she suspects Lucas of betraying her or something.

"You still don't believe me up to this point?" Lucas asked, closing his eyes. Ashtria slowly removed her hand from her dagger, sighed deeply, and walked up to the large tree, leaning back and looking at Lucas.

Ashtria heard footsteps approaching them after a few moments. Lucas and she both look to their left, hoping it's their sister. Ashtria held her dagger, ready to strike if it was someone chasing them earlier. When the footsteps became louder and louder, exposing in front of them the face of Lucas's sister wearing a bag in her back, 

Ashtria takes her hand off the dagger and simply stares at the girl. "Brother," she exclaimed, gasping for air.

Lucas stood up and approached his sister with caution. He snatched the bag from the girl's back and put it on. He looks at his sister and inquires. "Did you bring any food or supplies?" asked Lucas, and the girl nodded with a smile on her face. Ashtria interrupted their conversation, causing the two to look at her.

"Wait, how did you know we were here? Is there some kind of communication between the two of you?" Ashtria questioned, looking at the girl. The young lady simply taps her ear and speaks.

"Oh, yes, miss Ashtria. There was a hidden device in our ears for communication and that only my brother and I know about this place but I don't think it's also a safe place. When I heard someone shouting in our house, I quickly packed what I needed to pack," the girl replied, serious expression on her face.

"Why are you packing in the first place? Do you mean... you and your brother will be going outside as well?" Ashtria asks the girl once more, but before she can respond, Lucas interrupts their conversation as well.

"Stop chatting around, do you want to be caught or not?" Lucas said as he walked up to them, perplexing her.

"Wait!" Ashtria yelled as she dashed towards Lucas. "So you two are going with me?" she asked again as she continued walking. Ashtria then turns to face the girl, who suddenly clasps her arms and speaks.

"We decided to help you, miss Ashtria; if you want to go outside, you can count on us! After all, if we stay here, the soldiers and knights may take and punish us for helping you; it's a win-win situation," the girl replied. Ashtria was still perplexed and turned her gaze to Lucas, who was walking with a blank expression on his face.

Ashtria pondered whether she could truly trust the siblings accompanying her. Her teammates, in particular, will be a hindrance and an impediment to her goal of retaliation for her parents' deaths. She just stares at the ground, thinking. She was thinking that after they had escaped from Triadrial Kingdom, they would now part ways.