Ch. 93 “Against Time”

“How much further?” Lysandra poked her head through the carriage window, barely able to keep her emotions under control.

“We’re almost there. The ruins they mentioned should be a stone's throw away, after we take that turn ahead,” explained Heron, riding on a horse next to the carriage.

Alkaios was securing the other side, while three wagons filled with guards that pledged their loyalty to Lysandra followed right behind.

The moment the Princess learned where Saria was taken, she mobilized all of the men and rushed out of the Palace without looking back.

Her heart was full of anxiety. Despite knowing better than anyone that her lover was capable of protecting herself, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Her father was a vicious man. He wouldn’t bother taking her so far away if he wanted to simply get rid of her.

There had to be more to this than met the eye.

After ten more minutes of the agonizing ride, the Princess and her troops finally arrived at the ruined temple.

As the wagons stopped and the guards spilled onto the small patch of open space in front of the building, they were met with a small squad of guards.

Despite being utterly outnumbered and standing face to face with the royalty, their eyes were full of contempt, showing no signs of stepping aside. At the forefront of their formation stood their leader.

A tall, broad man well into his thirties. Lysandra recognized him as one of her father’s most loyal men. He used to serve as a Centurion in the army, but he was removed due to his explosive, violent behavior. The generals probably wouldn’t care all that much, if not for his outbursts, not sparing even his companions.

Standing tall and proud, the man addressed Lysandra with a forced politeness. “You should go back to the Palace, Your Highness. This isn’t a place where someone like you should linger.”

Being a bit further away from him, the Princess could still see the disgust in his eyes.

If it was any other time, she would take her time crushing the man for all of his offenses against herself and her lover, but time was a luxury she couldn’t afford at the moment.

“Get out of my way or die,” she said simply.

The Leader clearly didn’t take her words to heart, as he snorted and laughed, looking at his companions, who then followed suit.

“And who’s going to kill us? You?” he asked and cackled even louder. “Your Highness, I think you are forgetting yourself. You are just a princess. Your duty is to smile and look good. Meanwhile, you come here acting as if you have any power. Go back, Your Highness, before something bad ha—”

The remaining part of the sentence turned into an unrecognizable gurgle as an arrow pierced through the man’s throat.

Before he let out his final breath, the Leader saw Lysandra shove the bow back to the dumbfounded guard she had just taken it from.

“I don’t have time for this. Kill those fools and search the temple!” she commanded without sparing the dying man a second glance.

“Heron, Alkaios co—” Lysandra turned to her personal guards, ready to give further orders, but immediately froze.

“Your Highness… this place… there’s something wrong with it,” Heron forced through his clenched teeth. He was holding onto the carriage, bending over in pain. Alkaios, next to him, was in equally bad shape, struggling to even catch a breath. “I think it’s sapping away the magic…”

Lysandra looked around her troops and, to her horror, noticed that every single mage in the group was also affected. Some were lying on the ground, unable to get up, others were throwing up. Some even started bleeding out of their orifices.

The Princess felt her scalp going numb. The implications it had for Saria made her heart race in panic.

“Get them all on the wagon and drive as far away from here as possible!” She grabbed the nearest non-mage guard and pulled him over, pointing at the struggling companions.

Just then, a terrifying roar bellowed from within the temple, causing even the fighting men to pause and look in its direction in shock.

Lysandra broke out in cold sweat. Her stomach churned in horror.

“You two!” She found two more guards, the closest to her. “Follow me to the temple at once!”

***

Saria plunged under a fallen pillar, then quickly rolled to the side, avoiding being trampled by the chimera just by a hair.

Ignoring the burning of her scratched-up skin, she pushed herself up and dashed into the open chamber to the side.

She had been running away from the beast for quite some time, and what little boost to her energy she got from the adrenaline pumped into her veins, it was almost completely depleted.

Without her magic and without her strength, being devoured by the beast was a matter of time.

Even if she wasn’t feeling so exhausted, there was nothing she could use as a weapon.

The chimera’s skin was tough as a rock, and even the sharpest blade couldn’t scratch it. The last time she fought the monstrosity, she managed to plunge a spear directly into its maw, but in her current circumstances, pulling off that kind of maneuver was nothing short of impossible.

The most logical conclusion was to survive until Lysandra arrived, but there was a big part of her that feared it would only doom both of them.

No. She couldn’t risk the Princess’ life.

She had to find a way to separate herself from the beast and trap it, so she could escape on her own.

Her mind raced, trying to recall anything that she could use. The underground of the temple was mostly bathed in darkness. There were only a few spots that allowed a bit of light in, making it hard to find anything.

There was one image that flashed in Saria’s memory.

It was almost at the exit. A heavy gate was hung in the crevice in the ceiling, designed to cut off the whole section.

If she could get there before the beast, she could trap it.

With the newfound determination, Saria pushed herself up and carefully left her hiding spot.

The chimera was still around, pacing in front of the chamber, which was too big to fit in. It could smell its prey, but it couldn’t reach it, causing it to roar in frustration.

The entrance was blocked off, so Saria looked around in search of another way out.

Fortunately, close to the ceiling, she noticed a small window leading out of the room. It was narrow, but Saria was certain she could fit through it. She just needed to find something to climb on.

The chamber she sneaked into was most likely a wine cellar. There were rows of rotten through wine racks and even broken barrels that still carried the scent of fermented fruit. Among the rubble, Saria noticed a wooden box that appeared to be in a good enough condition to withstand her weight.

She hurriedly grabbed the box and, with a great strain, positioned it under the window.

Noticing the commotion inside, the chimera roared impatiently, frustrated by its own helplessness. It slammed into the entrance, partially blocked off by fallen rubble, desperately trying to squeeze in.

Saria paid no heed to the monster’s annoyed growls, focusing all of her energy on pushing her tired body through the narrow opening.

The chimera most likely sensed that its prey was getting away, as it started gnawing on the fragments of the wall blocking its way. The heavy stone was being crushed one by one by the monster’s terrifying jaw. Even at the end of its life, its raw strength was nothing short of impressive.

As the beast was clearing the path, Saria was stuck halfway through the window.

She wiggled and pushed with all her might, but her hips struggled to get through.

Behind her, the furious roars got even more frantic. The monster was able to squeeze one-third of its massive body through and was using the might of its talons to push further.

The sweat poured into Saria’s eyes. Her arms and back were going numb from the prolonged strain. She was so close to getting out. All she needed was the final push.

Unexpectedly, her prayers were heard, as the frantic beast rammed its body into the door. The impact caused the whole chamber to shake, allowing Saria to finally fit through.

She slammed painfully onto the ground, but there was no time to cry over the injuries.

With great effort, she pushed herself up and sprinted towards the gate.

In the distance, she heard the furious roars of the beast.

The corridor she landed in was located on the opposite side of the section she was in, forcing the chimera to take the long path around to catch up with her.

That gave Saria enough time to get to the gate and find the lever to operate it.

Nearly crying out of happiness, she pulled the lever with a big swing, and…

…nothing happened.

She tried again and again, but aside from a few strained, metallic whines, the gate remained unmoving.

To make matters worse, the chimera caught up way faster than she had hoped for.

In the darkness at the end of the corridor, she saw a pair of glowing, furious eyes. The roars were deafening, and the shock wave caused by its massive body approaching at a terrifying speed nearly knocked her down.

Staring at the monstrosity, Saria felt fear as never before. Not for herself, but for Lysandra. If the beast got out, even the guards wouldn’t be able to stop it.

Exhausted, terrified, and on the brink of falling apart, Saria delivered a powerful kick to the gate’s mechanism. “Work, you fucking piece of garbage!”

Her roar drowned among the cacophony of the thundering sounds that exploded all at once.

The chimera lunged at Saria with a victorious growl.

The gate wined and screeched, then slammed down like a guillotine, impaling the beast underneath.

Sadly, it wasn’t fast enough.

The chimera already dug its talons into Saria’s chest, pulling her under itself. Despite having half of its body impaled, it was still alive and boiling with fury.

Its sharp fangs and claws cut and slashed at Saria.

Through her consciousness slipping fast, she could no longer feel any pain. Her eyes were calm, and there was even a faint smile dancing on her lips.

After all, she managed to stop the beast. Now, Lysandra would be safe. Nothing threatened her anymore.

With that thought, she allowed herself to be embraced by the blissful touch of non-existence.

The last thing she experienced before fading away was an arrow digging into the beast’s maw and Lysandra’s voice calling her name.