Chương 2: Back
Instead of going directly into the junkyard, we made a detour through all the surrounding areas, we had planned from the beginning that we should study the area to avoid similar events, Mark and Yutong both now and in the past had chosen the worst route to escape, a building in ruins.
We hid behind the entrance of the narrow alley to study the building. Three of them seemed to be surrounding the building, not only had they been found but they were cornered.
"Follow me, we'll have to watch" I said, as I tapped Lily's shoulder, our signal to ask for a boost, and just as I asked. She prepared to propel me over the huts. It was a simple thing to climb, and after helping Lily up, we were both on the roofs of huts that with a simple gale would collapse, but the weight of a child and years of experience were our greatest advantage.
In the past, while exploring the Sumidero ruins, I had often stumbled over the area and my regret and guilt had always driven my mind to how I could have done better. In my mind I relived every exact moment of how it all happened, every mistake or possibility could help me prevent future mistakes that constantly happened to us as inexperienced kids without someone older to help us.
Still, I knew the plan I had come up with wasn't perfect, but this time I trusted my friends.
"What's the plan?"
"I'll have to go in, even if they catch us they have no use for two dead kids, they'll try to add them to their ranks of slaves, while we're inside you'll have to take down the pillar."
"What? They could all die." It was almost comforting to see her disapproving look again.
"I don't aspire to die in this place Lily, you know that."
"All right I'll go along with your plan." She said after a quick assessment, with a look of resolute confidence after doing so.
After a mutual nod, we both headed off to our corresponding tasks.
With danger all around me, my chest shrunk and I let Lily get lost in my sight. I took a few deep breaths to relax the tension. She will be safe. I don't have the luxury of worrying. But the thought of losing them again scared me like a few other things.
After deciding that there would be no one guarding this area of the tower, as I had assumed in the past, I climbed over the old scaffolding structures that surely had been made for reconstruction, but we had not yet entered a streak and it showed because, on the second wooden plank on which I leaned, it crumbled under my feet. I try to steady myself but I can't get a grip on the mossy rock wall. My foot slips between one of the rocky crevices and I stifle the instincts to let out a scream.
"Shit" a mumble was all I could afford, as I continued to climb despite the pain I felt in my leg.
The window latch gave way quickly, the passage of time had deprived me of any security it had previously provided. I pulled aside the heavy corroded curtain and revealed a room where the weapons had previously been stored. There were still some crumbling shelves that seemed to cover the door. Its interior looked less crumbling than I remembered it, with a few books still surviving and a few pieces of metal I could see.
"Weapons" I picked up a mace made of rusted iron with its wooden handle full of cracks and deformations. It was a pleasant surprise, the room had not yet been ransacked, but this was not the time to rummage.
I sharpened my hearing to distinguish the approaching sounds. There were two pairs of footsteps, one heavy and one limping, coming up the stairs.
They seemed to be heading for the escape exit we had planned through the cracks and collapsed parts of the tower, but as in the past they would be caught by the two guarding the area, I grabbed a couple more weapons and ran for the door. I barely even put up any resistance as the shelves crumbled as soon as I moved them, when just as I stepped out I saw a blow aimed directly at my face.
"Stop!" shouted Mark, as he could barely stand up.
"Shit Damian, you should have called it in, we almost had an emergency here."
"We should hide" I grabbed Mark's hand, Although I was glad to see them alive again and back to their boyish appearance, I could hear footsteps coming from below.
Whoever was coming had probably heard the commotion. The tower was wide and large with several hiding spots so we had set up this spot as an escape point.
"They are searching all over the place, we need to stick to the plan" Mark said, he had always been someone who didn't like to go off plan.
"They have guards guarding the rift, we underestimated the intelligence and their knowledge of the area, we will have to go with a new one" I told them as I prompted them to go back into the room.
"So, what's the plan?" muttered Mark under his breath as he could barely stand.
"We'll take down the tower."
"I like this new plan"
"Shut up you idiot" said Mark while hitting Yutong, with a look on his face of exasperation "We'll die, we can't do it without collapsing the pillar, we still need to get out of..."
"Exactly, Lily is taking care of that" I handed the pair of mace weapons to each of them, here in the sinkholes it wasn't common to have one, so they could defend themselves from any unforeseen.
"Don't worry, trust me, Mark I need you to find the farthest loophole on the east side, Yontu, you take down the west pillar I will go to the south" Seeing Mark's doubtful face, I placed my hand on his shoulder "Yell when you find the loophole, we will run to that area once it starts".
With all that said, and one Mark doubtful of my plans we parted ways and exited the room where we had hidden to accomplish our objectives, it was just the right time to see a group of three men coming up the stairs.
"Come and get me, you cowards!". I had to get everyone's attention so the others could accomplish their tasks.
Moving as fast as my injured leg would allow, my mind was divided between guiding him and dodging the grabs of the men chasing me. After advancing for a few minutes, but what seemed like hours to my body, I turned a corner where my target was, but a surprise blow was enough to knock me down. It had been waiting for me.
"Looks like we managed to catch a rat" Said the man who had hit me, seeing his face and the lack of one of his eyes reminded me of who we were dealing with, OneEyed Bastard.
I interlocked my arms and legs to kick with all my strength despite the pain, the bastard. I had put all my strength into my entire lower body and my vision became blurry. But my blow had succeeded, the man fell hard into the pillar knocking him down and falling with him.
Being a malnourished guy sucks.
He pushed his legs close to his chest and used another boost in his arms to stand up in one leap. As I secured my mace, I had accomplished my task, I just had to trust my friends and buy them enough time.
I felt the organs in my stomach tremble in resonance with things. A tremor echoing throughout the building and parts of the building falling seconds later marked the end of this conflict, the feeling of instability under everyone's feet was unmistakable and no one wanted to be left alone to beat up a rat. But in this plan, I had not taken One-Eyed Bastard into account.
I'd be glad if that bastard died now, otherwise I'd have to take care of him myself.
As I ran to the east side, I could see the bastards falling victim to the debris,
"Damian!" Mark's voice was an indication that I had made it, and my remaining strength was concentrated on running in the same direction, only to see the two of them inside the arrow slits.
"Are you sure nothing will happen to us here my friend?" said Yutong with a smile on his face, they both looked nervous but happy that everything seemed to have gone well.
"Believe in me, we'll be safe."
It was good to see their smiles again, but sadly it wasn't over yet.
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