3 GONE WITH THE WINDS

Location: Ivory Palace, Central City Lavene, Kingdom of Antioch.

*Energy can neither be destroyed nor created but can be transferred*

'Damn it!' Was the thought that crossed Anlai's mind as he saw Adriana flee the throne room.

The moment Adriana escaped, Anlai cursed and cracked the whip forward. It missed Marga's falling figure by inches and slashed into the wooden door, and a black mark appeared upon contact.

"Lady Marga?" Foucault and the guards rushed to her panting form, her face was chalk-white in fear.

Damn it. He cursed, frustration building up. His body was searing hot. With the power of the Unseen coursing through his skin, he could feel the energies thick around him draining him of his strength.

He needed to act fast. He didn't have long before he was drained.

"Sound the alarms!" He yelled at his brother who was closest to the alarm levers.

Ignoring the affronted look his brother gave him, Anlai stomped up the dais towards the throne. "Fine, I'll do it myself."

"Anlai!" Damianos shouted, while his son stood open-mouthed at the previous display of magic. Anlai ignored his brother's call; and jabbed his index finger at the fixed button on the throne's arm armrest. Instantaneously, silence was loudly replaced by a shrill siren call.

"Anlai," Damianos pressed, gritting his teeth as his brother ignored him once more. "You need to listen to me–"

"Why? Because you are King Damianos?"

Anlai snarled, turning to face his brother as he approached the exit. He had made it a point to ignore Damianos before, but he couldn't care less now.

"No, but because am your brother. She isn't going anywhere. The whole Palace would be on lockdown soon, you need to relax. Everything is going as planned."

" Yeah, right. You only say that because your son is here with you and that's all you've ever cared about," Anlai scoffed, his anger was getting the better of him like it usually did.

Damianos didn't reply.

"I thought so too," Anlai spat, turning his gaze to Marga and her guards. "Are you with me or not?"

Foucault stood up and grabbed his fallen sword. "Marga, would you be fine if we left you alone?" Foucault said, eyeing the king and his son?

Marga nodded "I'll be fine. Just make sure you come back with that filth, she mustn't escape."

At that, Anlai, Foucault, and his men left the room, staring at the three directions doubtfully. The path before them form a T, with a way forward and two alternating sides.

"Where do we look for her?" One of the guards asked in a shaky tone, eyeing the small distance between him and Anlai. He had seen what Anlai did with the flaming whip. The picture of a fiery whip crossed his mind, severing his head away from his neck, rolling away. He shuddered at the thought and shifted nervously.

"Foucault, you take the right along with those two," Anlai said pointing at the shaky guard and another with a brown-skinned tan. "You should take the direction we came through,"

He said nodding at the space in front.

"I'll take the left side," Anlai said,

"Okay," Foucault nodded. It was futile arguing with Anlai, especially after that display of magic.

"And Foucault" Anlai called as Foucault was about to set forward with his sword held high.

"Yes?" Foucault turned to wonder what could have given him cause to halt the pursuit.

"Don't even think of betraying me by escaping. I'll find you and destroy your measly kingdom," Anlai threatened and grinned at the look of shock on Foucault's face.

'Now Foucault knew he was responsible for their kingdom's situation, but Anlai couldn't care less. It's not like Foucault would live to disclose it to anyone,' Anlai reasoned.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Foucault assured with a small smile. He had been thinking of backstabbing Anlai, but he didn't expect that Anlai would threaten him so.

Foucault turned away from Anlai, setting off to the right direction; his guards running behind. 

'And the chase begins,' Anlai thought,

Setting off in the opposite direction, Anlai realized that had to find the girl soon. He hadn't spent four years learning the dark arts to destroy the Uprising for nothing, and now he couldn't lose the evidence of his accomplished feat.

....

ADRIANA'S POV.

A narrow hallway came into view and Adriana hurried to shut the doors behind her. She had run into the kitchen by mistake and pairs of brightly colored eyes stared at her in shock, their gazes lingering on the dirty torn clothing and her disheveled appearance causing them to give her a wide berth. 

The kitchen maids were visibly frightened.

"I'm not here to hurt you," She had said calmly moving a pace forward, and they backpedaled in turn. She had made the mistake of raising her hands and couldn't dodge fast enough, when her face was immediately battered with bread, turnips, potatoes.

Adriana couldn't leave there fast enough.

Running towards the end of the hallway, the sound of hurried footsteps behind Adriana caused her to look back and before she knew it, one of the guards had caught up. He pulled her by the cloth, trying his best to grab hold of her hands.

She hadn't noticed him. He was stealthy.

He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into a wall of his muscled chest, his arms wrapped around her struggling form.

"I have her! Hurry I have cau–" The words barely escaped his mouth before dying in his throat as Adriana jerked her elbow back into his stomach. The guard doubled over, groaning as his grip loosened.

Adriana twisted swiftly to face him and she jerked her right knee upward and straight into his face. It connected with a crunch, and the guard howled, holding his nose as he fell back in a fetal position, clutching his bloodied nose.

Adriana scampered off, turning through corridors, without sparing him a second glance. Her feet took her downstairs as she was careful to avoid patrolling guards.

She had to get to the ground floor and locate the exit or get to the nearest window and fly off. Adriana gritting her teeth at the possibilities of breaking a bone or two.

With that thought in mind, she looked around for windows but to no avail–only stone walls and chambers.

"There you are," A voice called out and Adriana looked back, her heart raced in fear, her bright brown eyes locked on bright hazel eyes belonging to a blondie holding a dagger. The blondie's eyes filled with murderous intent.

Emily.

"Why don't we have a girl-to-girl chat? Just you and me," She grinned. Her hands made a gesture with the dagger; she pointed the dagger at her chest and used a violent stab at the open space to describe Adriana.

"Uhm, no." Adriana replied before running away in the opposite direction. Emily hot on her trails. Adriana wrenched open a door labeled Apothecary. Without thinking of the implications, she bursted in, hooking the latch of the door to a close.

Emily banged her delicate hands on the door.

Adriana turned from the door to face a quaint room, definitely smaller than the throne room.

Arranged in front, was a long-width wooden table, on which sets of glass jars lay. Some bubbling with some unknown substance, and other jars were either empty or filled with unmoving substances. Their colors glowed faintly under the sunlight from the window.

A loud knock sounded on the door, and Adriana moved away, startled into motion.

With fastidious strides, Adriana pulled herself towards the window, tiptoeing over spilled drug caplets and gooey liquids on the wooden floors, the boards creaking slightly under her weight.

Someone knocked again, this time frantically.

"Who is in there?" A hoarse voice called out. After a moment of silence, the voice continued. "It is I, the chemist. can you please open up?"

A sense of urgency washed over Adriana as she heard murmuring voices from the other side of the door.

"Open up this instance! By order of the King Damianos IV, I command whoever is in there to open up," A deep baritone voice called out.

'As if. Did they think she would open up just because the king commanded so?' Adriana snorted as she pulled open the window, pushing the wooden frame back, its rusty hinges creaked in response.

 A cold wind blew wildly at her face as soon as she stuck her head outside, sending strands of her hair blowing into her face.

Adriana looked below, the high altitude giving a picturesque view of the seaside, its waves lapping over the shore, ebbing back and forth. The portcullis was some distance away from the ground floor where the window was high above. She only had to prop herself down and run through the open gates. Freedom was so close she could feel it in the air, urging her to leap down. But common sense dictated she found another way, lest she ruined her chances of escape, not to mention her ability to walk.

Another series of knocks on the door was followed by a forceful slam. 'They were trying to knock the door down.'

'It seemed escaping was fast turning into a bad idea.'

Adriana left the window sill and looked frantically for something she could use to defend herself. Her aimless sent pills and jars aside, glass shards scattering all over the wooden floors.

"I just heard something," A voice shouted outside and the slamming on the door renewed with vigor.

Running a hand through her hair in desperation, Adriana cursed under her breath when the door gave a weak lurch forward, slightly caving in. She bent over tables and turned over tripod stands for hidden weapons or anything useful.

Adriana had almost lost hope when her hand brushed against something coiled.

Adrian drew back, taking the thing for a snake. When the thing remained immobile, she bent once more, her hands searching for the coiled substance she had touched.

'A rope. How convenient?' Adriana thought, examining the worn-out fiber.

Without hesitating, Adriana tied the rope to a steady latch on the window sill, tugging it to feel its hold. She tossed the rope down, watching it untangle itself; its length was missing a great piece of extra fiber for her to get to the ground. But she could jump the remaining distance down and her bones would all be intact.

'Cheers.'

'Except if, no!' Adriana shook her head vehemently as the image of the latched rope coming loose crossed her mind.

'No point being pessimistic now, it was a do-or-die affair,' Adriana thought,

She leaped onto the wooden side of the window sill and turned her back to the blazing winds, her hands holding the rope for dear life.

Taking in a deep breath, Adriana pushed back, the wind numbing the effect of the sun's blazing heat. Her feet found purchase on the wall, and her back curved in for a jump. She pushed back and dangled in the air for some seconds before regaining her hold of the rope and she descended, ignoring the heat on her palms.

Although she began to feel, a loud crash high above from where she had descended alarmed Adriana to descend fast. Her hands were burning up and she was quickly becoming bruised but sheer determination and stubbornness drove her forward. Adriana ignored the drops of blood dripping from her hands, staining the brown rope.

"Oy!" A loud voice cried out and Adriana looked up, suspended mid-air, the look they gave her was one of bewilderment.

"Hi, there," Adriana almost waved before remembering her situation. "Wanna come down?" She teased as she saw several heads looking down at her. Emily was there as well, staring at her with a furious expression.

She was sorely tempted to point it out.

"I've got a better idea!" Emily shouted over the howling winds. She held her dagger and she sawed the rope neatly, its loose fiber breaking.

Adriana groaned as the rope came loose, sending her crashing to the ground, her side colliding with the cemented floor.

Pain exploded in her side upon contact, but after a few aching seconds, it subsided to a dull ache in symphony with the rest of her aching joints. Adriana pulled upright, her eyes losing focus for some seconds before aligning.

"I'm alive," Adriana said incredulously. She turned to the guards who were still watching her. "I'm alive you royal breeds!" She screamed excitedly.

But Adriana had been so focused on the guards that she hadn't noticed when a figure slunk from behind her.

Without warning, a foreign force grabbed Adriana from behind, and with inhumane strength, he sent her away sprawling on the ground.

Gasping for breath, Adriana turned to the incoming figure.

Anlai.

Something synonymous to anger raged within her, and adrenaline rushed through her veins. She welcomed the feeling to watch the exhausted slur in her.

Adriana lunged for him, her punch catching him by surprise. She used his distracted state to land her hits rapidly–a kick to the groin, an upward knee jerk, grabbing his head forward for a fierce headbutt.

Anlai fell back, bloodied bruises were fast blooming on his face.

"Attack!" Anlai mentally commanded but nothing happened. He had run out of his magic for the day. The demon in his contract had cut off his supply of magic.

 Anlai yelled with rage, his hands outstretched towards her. He had run out of mana and had no control over elements. He couldn't let her escape.

With that thought in mind, he lurched forward, his hand fixed on the weapon.

The sun caught the glint of the blade, and with enough time to spare, Adriana darted to the side and grabbed Anlai's weapon hand with her right hand, placing his outstretched arm under her armpit.

Instinctively she jerked her right elbow into his face, and Anlai's head dipped back in pain. Adriana knocked off the blade in his hands with a downwards sweep, followed by a violent push away.

A soft neigh drew Adriana's attention to the horse attached to the wagon. She dashed to it. At the same time, indignant cries rose from some approaching figures. With unsteady fingers, Adriana loosened the ropes on the horse's wagon, groaning as she hoisted herself atop the horse.

"Yah!" She kicked, and the horse bucked, running towards the closing portcullis.

Adriana missed the sharp iron gates narrowly as she pressed her body against the unsteady equine.

'Freedom at last,' She thought.

Her lips curved in a smile as she directed the horse by the reins towards the place where she was least expected, Vendarya.