Escaping The Empire

"I should be happy but I am not. It is only a matter of time before the empire hunts me down and takes me away from mum." Ren muttered to himself as he made the long way back home, kicking a rock as the only form of amusement to his troubled mind.

He let out a soft sigh as his small home began to show in the view, he had the bag of food he had brought from the market and his hands were bandaged, courtesy of Irina. They had cut a bit when he was holding the wolf back from eating off his head. How was he going to explain it to his mum? He wasn't the way he left.

Miyo, who was outside tending to the garden, lit up when she saw her son in the view. Her white hair was swaying gently in the wind and her blue eyes held happiness that could not be measured, but they all began to dull, her entire appearance as he got closer. Her son…looked like he was in pain.

"Ren?" she called out to him, taking the bag that was surprisingly heavy, and she set it down, the first thing she examined was his hands and slowly, her breathing was becoming unstable, "what happened? How did you get hurt?" her voice was a sad whimper clouded with tears about to burst.

"Calm ma. It was just a little error at one of the stalls I was on. You know you have always told me to keep my hands to myself." he chuckled lightly, but her concern didn't waiver, she felt like he wasn't telling her the truth, and he could sense it, "I am fine, promise." he held his hands together, and she was forced to believe him.

While she was happy he brought back so much food, she couldn't help but wonder where he got so much money from. And even when she asked him about it, he was very spacey. Multiple times she would ask him what was wrong, but his answer was the same, "nothing ma, just tired." It went on for days and slowly, he began to withdraw, thinking of how his life would change with the new beast taming ability.

Getting tired of being indoors, Ren made his way out for a quiet stroll. Not without telling his mum of course. Wearing loose clothes, it was the festival of flowers and everyone was dressed in their best clothes, picking flowers and being grateful for the rise of spring. The time he set out was close to dusk, the sky had begun to purple and the stars had set out to play. With much on his mind, he enjoyed the ambience and the evening breeze that rushed through him, giving him the cool he needed.

The town was decorated gorgeously with strings of flowers hanging above the streets. Lanterns lit everywhere and kids were running around with flower headgears, enjoying their childhood. It brought a smile to Ren's face to see people of his age and older confess feelings with beautiful flowers. Irina came to his mind, he should offer her a flower. But when he picked one, he noticed some form of uniformity in the myriad burst of colours.

The Tzen army.

They marched through the streets with swords, shields, and pears in their hands, their movement uniform and deterring. People avoided them, but they spoke amongst themselves in hushed tones. But Ren was sharp enough to hear what they said.

"We get the beast tamer without causing a ruckus, and we leave." it seemed the commander of the troops had told his men earlier before, and they were repeating it to themselves. 

They were looking for him.

Ren set into panic and went the opposite of where they were going, where would he hide? Where would he go? He couldn't go back home, if they traced him there, he could put his mum in serious danger. Ren wound through the streets, but every turn he made, he saw a handful of them with their dogs scanning any individual that could be a beast tamer. And sure the power wasn't simply written on one's head, but they had come with mages that could see who had a beast taming mark on them. And right now, he didn't want to be seen.

"I sense he is here." one of the mages spoke, her voice almost monotone and just then, her eyes met with Ren's but in an instant, he blended with the incoming crowd of people, and it distracted her, "let us keep looking around here." dressed in casuals, she led the soldiers on.

The crowd of people that had flooded in gave Ren enough time to escape but not without some help. Irina had pulled him into a desolated corner, and they waited for the soldiers to pass the streets before she spoke.

"You should not be here. They would come looking for you, and you chose to come out on a festival!" she nagged him and deep down, he felt remorse but he truly didn't do it on purpose.

"I know, I made a mistake… I—"

"You need to leave. If they should get their hands on you, you would wish for death instead." her voice grim, she peeped through the space as she dipped her hand inside her kimono, bringing out a golden card that illuminated the dark space they shared, so tightly squeezed together, "I will help you leave the town, but you need not look back. This will help." she placed it in his hand and Ren felt some warmth swell in his chest.

"But why?" was all he could muster.

"We are…similar…wanted...we share the same fate if we were to belong to the empire." and with that, she closed the conversation and led him through deserted passages. They were small spaces in between houses that they had to slide through, uncomfortable but there was no other way out. Each turn they made, they were able to see the soldiers moving through the main roads.

The passages led to the gate of the town, which welcomed and bid goodbye to those who passed them. They were about to approach it until they were surrounded by guards and two of the mages they carried alongside them.

"Surrender to the empire, struggle is futile." one of them droned, moving closer to them, his spear in his hand, his face covered with a helmet that held the seal of the Tzen empire. His action prompted his fellows to do the same.

The circle was closing in on them and Irina held her umbrella steadfast.

"You need not look back." she repeated the words to him, his eyes widening like he had seen a ghost. Unannounced, her umbrella opened and with a swing of it, an arcane blast was hurled 360 degrees, knocking them back, "run Ren!" She prepared another attack and at the speed he never knew he had, he took off.

Beast taming came with increased speed and agility, and it showed when two soldiers jumped in to block his path, swinging their weapons, and he dodged to the side, almost faster than their breaths. But it didn't deter them, as they swung again, one with an axe and the other with a sword, almost slicing him, he bent over, ducking into a roll to create some distance.

He brought out his hunting knife as his defence while Irina used her umbrella as a shield from the mages' energy beams. When she saw Ren fighting soldiers, she almost shrieked. Her eyes glowed an ominous green, an immense amount of magic flowing out of her, removing her left hand from the shaft, she conjured magic in it and launched it at them. It multiplied into four different spheres and hit them both, knocking them down for a while.

She ran to Ren, coming in between him and three soldiers that tried to pin him down, her umbrella was both her weapon of offence and defence, her eyes still shrouded in power, she blasted the soldiers with powerful magic, knocking them off their feet. The opportunity was given and Ren took it, he ran past the gate, but he made a mistake when he looked back.

Irina had been hit by a sword, and she was bleeding profusely as she tried to keep them busy enough to give him enough time to put more distance between them. It hurt him that she would risk her life and her freedom for him. But now that he had started he couldn't stop.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins, air flowing in and out of his lungs in a rapid motion as he sprinted, but no matter how fast he ran, he could hear the barks of the angry dogs in the background, they were just behind him, and it was only a matter of time before his strength was exhausted.

"Stop running and surrender!" he could hear the guards, giving him pitiful advice, but Ren would rather die than be taken to be used as a lab rat. He held his dagger in his hand in case he had to use it, so many things running through his mind but what he needed to do now was survive, "surrender!" he stopped abruptly when he sighted a guard in front of him and just like magic, they surrounded him, "come with us peacefully, and you will not be harmed."

Panting like a famished dog, he held his knife to his face, the little self-defence his mother had taught him as a kid was going to have come into play now more than ever.

"And if I say no?" a small smirk graced his features, the adrenaline in his bloodstream was addicting and the moment he made his intentions clear, the guards drew their weapons.

"Then we will use force." and they charged.

The guard lunged, his sword slicing through the air. Ren sidestepped with ease, his movements faster than he anticipated. He felt a rush of energy surge through him, sharpening his senses. Before the guard could recover, Ren drove his dagger into the man's shoulder, forcing him back with a cry of pain.

Another guard attacked from the side, swinging a spear aimed at Ren's legs. Ren leapt back, his boots skidding on the damp forest floor. He retaliated with a quick slash, his dagger leaving a shallow cut across the guard's arm.

The third and fourth guards moved in tandem, one swinging a blade while the other circled behind. Ren ducked under the blade, spinning to avoid the strike from behind. His heart pounded as adrenaline coursed through him, his reflexes almost unnatural.

The fourth guard managed to grab his arm, yanking him backward. Ren gritted his teeth, twisting free with a sharp kick to the man's knee. As the guard fell, Ren spun around, slicing through the air with his dagger.

"Do not attack alone!!" one of them shouted, panic creeping into his voice.

Ren could feel it—the strange power building inside him. It was like a storm trapped beneath his skin, and with each movement, it threatened to explode. The guards regrouped, readying their weapons for another attack, but Ren wasn't going to wait.

"I dont think so!" he raised his free hand, and a wave of golden and silver energy erupted from his body. The light surged outward, blasting the guards off their feet and scattering them like leaves in a gale. They hit the ground hard, groaning as their weapons clattered away.

Ren stood in the centre of the clearing, chest heaving, his dagger glowing faintly from the energy that had coursed through him. His eyes widened hysterically.

"That was.... So awesome..." For a brief moment, the forest was still and only his voice and his breathing could be heard. Then, a whizzing sound cut through the air.

A net wrapped around Ren, pinning his arms to his sides. He stumbled, struggling to free himself, but the enchanted fibres glowed faintly, tightening with every movement.

"No! No! No!" he growled, thrashing against the bindings. Before he could tear free, more guards emerged from the shadows, their dogs barking and snarling. The hounds circled him, their teeth bared and their eyes glowing with the faint light of magical enchantments.

Ren's breathing quickened. His vision blurred as panic set in. This couldn't be the end, "universe send me a miracle! Anything!"

And then, the forest came alive.

A deafening hiss echoed through the trees, followed by the sound of something massive crashing through the underbrush. The snake he had met on his birthday burst into the clearing, it's dark scales shimmering under the moonlight. Its body coiled and whipped, sending guards sprawling like rag dolls. The piercing screech it unleashed sent the dogs yelping and scattering, their enchanted aggression crumbling under the force of its cry.

Not a moment later, the silver wolf charged in. Its fur crackled with electricity, and its glowing yellow eyes locked onto the guards. With a flick of its lightning-infused tail, it knocked the remaining hounds off their feet, sending them scampering away in a frenzied panic.

The wolf turned its attention to the net trapping Ren. It tore at the fibres with its powerful jaws, and the snake joined in, coiling its massive body around the bindings and squeezing until they snapped.

Freed, Ren stumbled to his feet, his heart pounding with gratitude and awe, "You came…" he whispered, looking at the wolf and the snake. The beasts turned to each other before turning to him, the previous aggression vanishing with him being safe and sound

The wolf growled low, almost as if to say, Of course.

The guards, disoriented and terrified, began to come around. The snake reared up, its hood flaring as it hissed threateningly, while the wolf stood protectively in front of Ren, sparks of electricity dancing around its paws.

"Let's go," Ren muttered to them and they moved. The beasts flanked him as he dashed into the forest. Together, they disappeared into the shadows, leaving the guards to stumble away, muttering about the boy with the beasts and the impossible power he wielded.