Chapter 14: Silva's Escape

Lucas had to hand it to them. The plan he was slowly watching unfold was slightly better than he had expected. He initially thought they would simply blow up an escort truck and fight their way to Silva, but there was actually a decent plan in motion.

They had knocked out the only bridge that could be used to cross the creek, forcing the caravan to go north. There, Aisha flooded the transport's engine, stalling the car. Terra used her vines to steal the keys from the guard as he was checking the engine, and then Aisha used a bubble of water to float the key to Silva, who was transferred into an open-back military-style jeep and handcuffed to the railing.

However, Silva was clearly in his own predicament, and as Lucas watched the master plan he was almost proud of go down, Bloom decided to chime in. "He needs a distraction," she said, turning towards Aisha and asking her to pull the gas from the stalled transport's tank.

This was more like it, in Lucas's opinion. He watched as the gas spilled out of the tank and Bloom slowly led a trail of fire to it. Without much thought, he brought his hands up, covering Bloom's ears, which startled her as the gasoline set the truck ablaze, causing an explosion at the same time.

"I wonder if you killed the dude checking the engine," Lucas mumbled out loud, causing Bloom's face to turn a slightly ashen color.

However, there was no time to waste. Silva had used the distraction given to him, and as Andreas, Dane, and Riven hopped out of the military jeep and ran to see what happened, he unlocked his handcuffs and jumped out of the truck, running into the forest.

Sadly, not all plans are perfect. Andreas noticed almost instantly, turning back and screaming, "Stop!" at Silva. He started chasing him into the forest, bow in hand, followed closely by Riven and Dane.

Lucas was already on the move himself, running a good distance away to avoid being spotted as he watched the chase unfold. He saw Andreas place two arrows in Silva's back, his bow clearly a magical artifact as the arrows appeared to bend and turn to hit their mark.

Silva lucked out, though. Nearing a cliff, he jumped down into it, allowing himself to be hidden by water. Lucas noticed Aisha, a bit behind him, conjure up a water bubble with presumably air inside, which she sent underwater, most likely for Silva to use to breathe.

He diverted his attention back to Andreas, Riven, and Dane, who, after a short wait and conversation, started jogging down the river, probably aiming for the shallow end to see Silva's body emerge.

Lucas couldn't lie; he was confused. He had offered nothing to the actual execution of the plan, and he couldn't tell exactly what he was needed for. Terra should be able to take care of Silva's wounds herself. He could probably help wrap them, but that was about it.

As soon as the three were out of view, Lucas scaled the cliff, getting to the edge of the river, and dived in. There, he saw Silva with a bubble of air around his mouth, a makeshift underwater breathing apparatus of sorts.

Silva clearly appeared surprised to see him, looking as scared as if it were Andreas himself who had dived in. However, Lucas didn't have time to deal with it. Swimming to him, he wrapped an arm around Silva and slowly brought them back to the surface before swimming to the shore on the other side of the river, where Bloom, Aisha, Musa, and Terra were already waiting.

Dragging Silva onto the shore, Lucas dropped his body face forward, as the arrows were still stuck in his back. "You really need to hit a diet, Silva. You're my height, and I feel like you weigh three times as much as me," he commented, not caring about Silva's uncomfortable current predicament.

The girls, however, instantly rushed to Silva's side, glancing at Lucas and then the arrows, making it clear he was expected to pull them out. He did so, already feeling practically useless. This was honestly a very one-sided deal with Bloom, favoring him, of course.

Terra brought out some sort of homemade ointment and started applying it to Silva's wounds on his back. Silva, however, didn't miss the opportunity to lecture all of them. "That has to be the most reckless thing you have ever done," he said, his voice more tired than actually upset with their actions.

"I don't think that's very true," Terra responded with a slight smile aimed at Musa, Aisha, and Bloom.

As if backing up her statement, Aisha made a comment of her own, "Weren't you here last year?"

Followed by Musa saying, "Yeah, when Bloom went crazy and let loose the Evil Headmistress."

Bloom seemed a bit put off by that comment but moved on, asking a question directed at Silva, "What do we do now?"

Silva, already getting up, clearly at least somewhat aware they had no time to chat, responded, "Take me to Blackbridge."

Supposedly, he had a friend named Sebastian who lived there and had helped them take down Rosalind in the past.

The girls and Silva all stood up and started moving out, only noticing Lucas had remained in place once they neared the forest.

"Lucas?" Bloom questioned. "You coming?"

Lucas simply waved his hand. "I'll cover your tracks. There's a lot to cover up to make sure he isn't followed." Immediately after saying that, Lucas placed the two arrows he had taken out into the backpack on in his pack and ruffled up the stones on the shore with his foot, hiding the signs of blood.

"If something comes up, call me, and I'll catch up. But for now, I'm best suited for this. Plus, I don't think Silva wants me to tag along."

Silva gave a small nod in agreement. "Nothing personal. I don't trust you and never will."

Giving out a shrug, Lucas merely went back to using his foot to hide all traces of the blood. "Sounded rather personal but whatever, good luck," he replied.

Silva and the others started to head to where the car was parked, and he paid them no more mind as he started traveling to the different locations that the girls and him had been in. His first observation was that they were full on idiots, the amount of broken branches he found amazed him, they were only there for a few hours at most, how was it possible to screw up so many things... He continued to complain in his mind, as he attempted to cover up the more large and obvious indications, giving up on the small and minor ones, those could be mistaken for wildlife.

It took him far longer than he would care to admit before all the locations were in a state he was somewhat alright with. Sure, if someone really really wanted to, and spent the time too, they could uncover quite a bit, but he wasn't Terra, he didn't have magic to make snapped branches fucking regrow. With a curse under his breath, he did one final check before starting to head back towards the school.

Lucas continued his journey back to Alfea, his mind occupied with thoughts of potential consequences should his absence be discovered during a dorm check. The walk seemed to stretch on endlessly, the distance far greater on foot than it had appeared by car.

As he trudged through the darkening forest, Lucas found himself constantly on alert, ducking behind trees and bushes whenever the sound of approaching vehicles reached his ears. The reinforcements, likely sent to aid in the search for Silva, posed a significant risk to his covert operation.

"This is just fantastic," he grumbled under his breath, his frustration mounting with each passing minute. "I should've just gone with them. At least then I'd have a comfortable seat and some company."

But deep down, Lucas knew he had made the right choice. Covering their tracks was crucial to the success of the mission, and his skills in that area were unmatched, at least in his mind. Still, the prospect of a two or even three-hour hike back to the academy was far from appealing.

As the sky grew darker and the shadows lengthened, Lucas found himself wishing for the comfort of his dorm room, for the solitude and security it provided. The thought of being caught out after curfew, of having to explain his whereabouts to Rosalind or one of her lackeys, sent a shiver down his spine.

He quickened his pace, his eyes scanning the surrounding forest for any signs of trouble. The weight of the arrows in his pack served as a constant reminder of the stakes at play, of the delicate balance he was trying to maintain between his own agenda and the expectations placed upon him.

Time seemed to blur as he walked, the minutes bleeding into hours. The only sound was the crunch of leaves beneath his feet and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees. It was a lonely journey, one that gave him far too much time to think, he had even debated with himself why mayo should not exist, the side for it needing to be exterminated winning by a far margin.

As the lights of Alfea finally came into view, glimmering in the distance like a beacon of hope... or doom, Lucas felt a wave of relief wash over him. He had made it, now all that was left was sneaking past the guards, stealing snacks from the cafeteria, and heading to his dorm to play some Sudoku on his phone. The perfect late-night plan honestly!