Chapter 8 : Bye

Nat, we've got company!" Jarvis exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear as the sound of approaching guards grew louder.

The thought occurred to Nat that the guards only knew her face, so she turned to Ranald and Jarvis and said, "They won't recognize you two. Get your asses out of here while you still can."

"But Nat, what about you?" Jarvis asked, his voice tinged with anxiety. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving her to face the guards.

"We'll meet you at the rendezvous point," the Jester replied, glancing at Nat for confirmation. She nodded in agreement before turning to Jarvis.

"You guys go ahead. I'll meet up with you soon," Nat said, her tone reassuring despite the tension in the air.

Jarvis and Ranald nodded in agreement and quickly started moving, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the impending danger as possible.

"He's in there somewhere!" the guard shouted, gesturing towards the entrance. The Jester remained concealed under his hood, unwilling to expose himself to the world just yet.

"Nat hold on tight," the Jester told her.

"What's your plan?" Nat inquired with a hint of apprehension and intrigue in her voice.

"There he is!" screamed the guard, his eyes filled with terror as he pointed his fingers at the Jester. The guard wanted to avenge his fallen comrades.

The Jester wasted no time; he scooped up Nat in his arm and bolted forward. Nat screamed in response to the Jester's inhuman speed as he charged towards the approaching guards. The king's men quickly realized the danger and opened fire.

With lightning-fast reflexes, the Jester evaded the barrage of bullets and sprinted out of the range of fire.

Despite Jester's impressive agility, the guards stood their ground without flinching. Suddenly, one of the guards accused Jester of abducting two civilians, which irked Nat. She wasn't what they thought her to be.

The Jester's words dripped with sarcasm as he goaded the guards, "Is this all you've got? You might as well ask for your king's help."

As the Jester dashed forward, a guard of imposing stature materialized before him. Clad in full armor and bearing a massive sword on his back, the guard stood out among his peers. The sudden appearance of the unknown guard forced the Jester to halt in his tracks.

"Let's not involve our gracious King for such trivial matters," the new guard spoke, his words laced with assurance.

"Oh, where are my manners?" continued the new guard. "Pardon my insolence for I haven't introduced myself," he said while drawing out his sword.

The new guard began to speak, "My name is..." The other guards let out a cheer as they watched their superior fearlessly charge into battle against the enemy.

The new guard bellowed out his name, "Orion!" with a fierce determination, and with a mighty swing of his sword, he sliced through the nearby building causing it to crumble to the ground. The other guards gasped in awe at the display of his strength and skill.

The Jester effortlessly dodged the attack, his agility and quick reflexes serving him well. While the firearms he had encountered thus far were foreign to him, this weapon seemed to be more within his realm of experience.

"Your moves are quite entertaining," complimented the Jester, a smirk playing on his lips as he observed Orion's combat skills.

"Oh, you flatter me, Sir," Orion responded with a tone of astonishment, amazed that someone could dodge his swing with such ease and still stand before him unscathed.

The sight of their commander Orion fighting with valor ignited a roaring cheer from the other guards. Fueling their pride as the king's men.

Orion's sword swished through the air with increasing speed as he advanced on the Jester, while Nat's panicked cries filled the tense atmosphere and Aiden remained unconscious. The Jester, realizing the gravity of the situation, understood that he could no longer prolong the fight without risking the safety of all involved. With both Nat and Aiden clinging to him, he knew that dodging any further attacks unscathed was becoming increasingly improbable. Therefore, he made the difficult decision to end the confrontation and retreat before any harm befell them.

"You've been a good entertainer, Orion," the Jester spoke. "But since I'm in a hurry, I'll need to move you out of my way."

"Please, be my guest," Orion replied, his broad sword charging with a menacing, visible dark purple aura. "It was nice meeting you," he continued as he swung his sword once again, slicing through the air with a swift and powerful strike aimed directly at the Jester.

Before Orion could land his strike,

'More' whispered the darkness within the Jester.

The Jester vanished, making Orion's blade thud on the pavement with a mighty bang that sent vibrations throughout the deserted street. It smashed everything in its way, taking down many guards with Orion's hit. The momentum of the whack rushed forward, hitting a building at the street's end, blasting it to pieces, and hurling rubble towards the packed crowd on the other side. Consequently, several innocent civilians were caught in the explosion, with some dying and many suffering grave injuries.

"Y'all really do this?" The Jester asked before kicking Orion with some serious oomph out of nowhere, making the sound of his ribs breaking echo. The hit was so strong it launched Orion flying, giving him no shot at fighting back. He got blown away and tumbled all over the place until he finally hit the ground, lying there motionless.

The cheers coming from the guards slowly died down as their superior fell. Nat felt dizzy from all the quick movements she had to endure at the hands of the Jester.

The battle had taken a heavy toll, with many lives lost. Despite the somber scene around him, the Jester's face remained stoic and impassive. The guards who had kept their distance from him wisely refrained from pressing him further. The Jester strode over to Orion to check up on him.

Despite having suffered severe injuries, Orion had managed to survive the battle. As he opened his eyes, he found himself staring into the piercing blue gaze of the Jester, who had dealt the fatal blow. Taking a closer look at the Jester's face, Orion attempted to comprehend the enigmatic figure before him. Along with the Jester, he also noticed Nat and Aiden, who were being carried away by the Jester.

Nat, who up until now, couldn't see what was happening in the midst of the fast-moving battle, took a closer look at the enemy."

"War Commander Orion?" Nat's words were full of shock. One of the war commanders had been defeated.

"Nat...," Orion called out her name in a feeble voice and lost consciousness right after.

Despite seeing Nat and Orion exchange words, the Jester knew they needed to escape immediately.

"Nat, if you fear heights, you might want to close your eyes," suggested the Jester in a calm voice.

"I'm fine," Nat replied confidently.

"Alright," said the Jester, before he started sprinting at lightning speed, carrying Nat and Aiden with him. Suddenly, his sprint turned into a massive jump, propelling them high up into the air. The guards could only watch as the trio flew away, with the Jester skillfully navigating them over the walls of Capital. As they soared over the city, the Jester couldn't resist yelling out a boastful "BYE!" to the people left behind.