The First Escape

Mai’s blade was no ordinary weapon, not while in her hands. Where a normal sword would soar through the air, hers danced against the wind like a silvery ribbon.

Against her front the royal guard scattered like a flock of birds. But that didn’t mean they refused to take a stand.

We stood back to back, soldiers making a wide red circle around us with the spears aimed for our hearts. Against the cool night their armor reflected what little the moon offered. I could feel the familiar softness of Mai’s tail against my back, stiff yet agile.

“I’m glad to see you again,” Felix said, brandishing his sword with a familiar hand. The familiar aura of magical wind caused a green hue to emanate from the metal. “I promise, by the breeze, if you surrender quietly, no harm shall come to either of you.”

“You sure you can promise that Felix? I can’t see Olivia agreeing, and you know how much Father loves to reward her efforts.” I said

“Rio, don’t waste your breath,” Mai calmly eyed my brother down. “You may have an ounce of respect, Sir. Felix, but one potentially decent man can't save a broken kingdom. We don’t want war; no country you’ve attacked in the last fifty years has wanted war. That hasn’t stopped you from leaving a fucking mess of corpres everywhere you go.

Do you know how Mikins are treated outside of your bubble? People speak of you guys as demons, monsters trapped in a cage of human flesh, yet your kingdom dares to consider us the monsters because our ears look slightly different.

I came to this kingdom expecting to die. But its only thanks to your fucking brother that I can see a glimmer of light whenever I look in the mirror. I’m not one to give empty threats, but I promise you that any Mikin who can’t recognise their own crimes will not live to regret the trail of blood their people have created.”

“I’m sorry you were made to feel that way,” Felix sighed. His red uniform had a mature look as he glared at us, less a uniform and more a tool of war. He didn’t have the same tassels as mine, no, but what little decorum he’d allowed himself were the epitome of practicality. “But for now I have my orders. I’m not the monster here, Princess Mai.”

“What a convenient excuse,” Mai scowled. “If you refuse to see reason I’ll just have to bash it into your fucking skull!”

With that, she dashed off again. Wind blew, tossing my hair back, yet she stared straight ahead towards her target as their swords clashed. The sound of steel on steel sent a shockwave through the dorms. Silver ribbons flowed like birds soaring through the air. They hit once, twice, each sending blades of grass through the air–daggers of green and yellow that turned the schoolground into a bursting garden.

Mai lunged forward and sent a slash towards Felix’s knee.

He blocked with a last minute swish, hand glowing a pale green as Mai staggered back. “I see Arhonia sent their best.”

“Don’t flatter me,” Mai scowled. A pale blue coat covered her sword as she sent a massive slash through the air.

Water burst from her blade’s trail–a massive wave that could dwarf half the lakes in Mikin. The guards screamed and scattered, but it wasn't enough as they all got caught up in her wave. It splashed around the gardens like a massive whale. Water seeped into the halls, carrying heaps of royal guards helplessly along its path.

Yet, Felix stood firm.

Sickly green vines had wrapped themselves around his ankles in the seconds before the wave hit. The withered like snakes, retreating towards the ground with a snap of his fingers.

Before I could blink, Mai grabbed my shoulder and flung me onto the roof. “You have a long way to go before being able to stand against me,” Mai said, retreating onto the roof with me. “I don’t know why Rio insists you Mikin scum can be reasoned with, but I’ve learned to believe in miracles.”

“Wait! Stop-” But before Felix could get another word in, we had already leaped to the adjacent rooftop, leaving him in the dust.

I stood breathlessly as Mai drug me along. Her brown hair looked like strands of gold in the moonlight, ears peaked and on alert. Even now, with the end of everything on the horizon, I couldn’t help but stare in awe.

“What now?” With a single glance behind us, Mai slowed to a crawl and hid us in the shadow of a nearby chimney. “I have enough magic to burn for another day, but I can't imagine you’re the same.”

“Shit,” I muttered. Mai had the ability to convert her magical energy into stamina, something I hadn’t come close to getting the hang of. “We’ll need to find a place soon.”

“Do you have any idea where?”

“One, though it's risky,” I said. “The royal family doesn’t know about The Red’s Tiger, but that’s in the middle of town.”

“Exactly where they wouldn’t expect us to go,” Mai said. She glanced toward the horizon with her sword in hand.“Good enough for me.”

I let the silence drag out for a few seconds. The wind tonight left a soft chill on my skin, just enough to be noticeable yet still pleasant. “There's really nowhere else for us to go…” I hated it, but we needed to gather our thoughts and make a plan. Besides, I'd told Lacy to head there anyway. “Fine. Let’s not give the royal guard time to find us.”

“We can’t stay there long anyway, but better to sleep in a bed. How much do you trust Ben?”

“There are very few people in Mikin who would listen to my anti-government rants and not say a peep about them. He’s one of those select few.”

“Sounds good, let's go,” Mai said as we leaped towards our temporary haven.