Chapter 7

"Then there I was, chasing Xain behind Silas, both of them a good distance ahead of me," Malvin recounted, irritation in his voice. "My eyes were still stinging from the crap Xain threw in my face."

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"You're only making this harder for yourself, kiddo!" Silas shouted, weaving between pedestrians and dodging around steam-powered automatons as he pursued Xain through the bustling market district.

"Which is why I'm trying to get away from you!" Xain shot back, glancing over his shoulder as he ran. His quick look nearly cost him, though; he darted off the sidewalk and into the active street, barely avoiding an oncoming steamwagon with a quick sidestep. The vehicle screeched to a halt, its hissing brakes filling the air as people shouted in alarm at the near-miss.

"Sorry!" Xain called over his shoulder, barely pausing before sprinting across the road, dodging between steamwagons and bewildered pedestrians.

Malvin, catching up just as the street commotion erupted, paused long enough to make sure no one had been hurt. "Everyone stay calm; we'll have this sorted out soon," he reassured the gathering crowd, noting with frustration how far Xain and Silas had managed to get.

"Catch him already, Silas!" Malvin called, springing back into action.

"I'm trying, Mal, but the little bastard's fast!" Silas replied, keeping his eyes locked on the runaway's back as they barreled through a mess of street vendors and surprised shoppers.

"You guys are doing way too much to catch a twelve-year-old!" Xain shouted over his shoulder, panic lacing his voice as he veered sharply toward a fruit stall. The vendor jumped in alarm, fumbling a crate of apples as she caught sight of the officers close behind him.

"Wh-what's going on?!" she gasped, bracing herself as Xain barreled straight toward her stand.

"Eek!" she squealed, covering her eyes, bracing for impact. But instead of crashing into her stall, Xain vaulted onto the table, launching himself onto the overhang above her before leaping to the rooftop of the building behind.

The vendor blinked in stunned relief as she watched him scramble away. But the sight of Malvin and Silas charging her way brought back her panic. "Please, not my stall!" she exclaimed. Fortunately for her, the officers didn't follow Xain's daring path, sticking to the street.

"Not that we didn't want to," Malvin muttered as they swerved past the stall, keeping their eyes locked on the rooftops, "but it wouldn't have held our weight."

From above, Xain's heart raced as he ran across the rooftops of the closely packed buildings. "Come on, just give up already! You left two people handcuffed in an alley, for crying out loud!" His voice was laced with desperation.

"Honestly, Mal, he's got a point!" Silas huffed, pulling alongside Malvin.

"Counterpoint—he's a criminal!" Malvin shot back, never taking his gaze off Xain.

"Fair point," Silas agreed. Without missing a beat, he veered between two tightly spaced buildings, heading straight for the alley wall. Springing off one wall, he pushed himself upward, rebounding back and forth in a rapid series of wall jumps until he hauled himself onto the rooftop behind Xain.

Xain's face went pale as he looked back to see Silas on his tail. "You don't even have any proof I stole anything!" he shouted, fear evident as he sprinted across the rooftops.

"Maybe not," Silas called back, "but you're actively running from officers who told you to stop. Even if you didn't steal anything, you're still breaking the law!"

Behind them, Malvin ran through the street below, watching Silas and Xain dash along the rooftops. "Great, just great. Turns out I'm the only one who doesn't know parkour," he grumbled, weaving around startled passersby as he continued his pursuit from the ground.

Turning a sharp corner, they left the market district and spilled onto the main road. The crowd along the sidewalk thinned, but traffic on the road itself was busier, with steamwagons and carriages threading through in tight formation. Malvin kept his gaze trained on the rooftops where Silas and Xain ran, but he soon noticed that they were quickly running out of rooftops—the buildings ahead were spaced too far apart to make the jump.

"Looks like you're about to run out of roofs to jump across, kiddo," Silas called out, watching Xain's frantic search for an escape route. Just when it seemed there was nowhere left to go, Xain made a surprising move. With a quick glance back, he leaped off the edge of the roof, landing momentarily on a streetlamp's arm, the metal fixture that held the light overhead. Without missing a beat, he sprung off that and slid down the pole. The maneuver was audacious, and Silas, with a competitive glint in his eye, shouted, "I can do that too, kiddo!" He took off running toward the streetlamp.

"Don't you dare, you fucking idiot!" Malvin shouted, his voice rising in alarm. But Silas was already committed, attempting the same leap. He dashed toward the edge of the rooftop and mimicked Xain's move, though with far less finesse. He slipped slightly, gritting his teeth as he struggled to control his descent. Sweat beaded on his face as he landed with a slight stumble. "Hah! I did—gah!" His triumphant shout was cut short as Xain, in a moment of panic, kicked him hard in the ribs.

"I had to do it! Sorry!" Xain exclaimed, sprinting away as Silas groaned on the ground, holding his side.

Malvin rushed over, kneeling next to Silas, concern etched on his face. "Silas! Are you okay?" 

Silas winced, trying to suppress the pain. "Might have gotten a bit bruised, Mal, but I'm fine. Get the kid!" he replied, attempting to joke it off despite the discomfort.

Nearby pedestrians watched the chaotic chase with wide eyes, some gasping in disbelief as Xain performed his daring escape. A few pointed, murmuring among themselves about the audacity of a child outrunning officers. Others stepped aside, bewildered at the unfolding spectacle, their conversations trailing off as they took in the scene.

Malvin glanced up, spotting Xain far ahead, already out of reach. With a sigh, he shook his head. "Forget about him, he's run off too far for us to catch. Let's just go back and bring in the two thugs," he said, frustration creeping into his voice.

Silas nodded slowly, accepting Malvin's help to stand as he rubbed his side. "Damn, that kid was stronger than he looked," he muttered, catching his breath before offering Malvin a wry grin. "One hell of a first patrol, eh?"

Malvin adjusted his hat, eyes narrowing as he took in the scene around them. "It was exhausting, but whatever. Let's just take in the thugs and call it a day."