Chase

Chapter 5

Could this just be fate or coincidence? Astoria sat on her throne with the other contestants. Now 3 seats were empty. Her mind would only think about the cave and how what it said came true.
Dario called in for training moments after what happened. Everyone in the room had sorrow in their eyes. He finally walks and looks almost happy. Kristian walked in seconds after and had the same kind of smile. Maybe they were together, but why would they be happy about people getting tortured by something unknown?
"Today I have a task for you all."
"Will it involve any form of killing," Cora muttered quickly.
"This task involves more strength than your mind. We are leaving the caverns, and you will have to make it to Adina's field without being seen or shot. Leaders have many responsibilities around the city and don't want to be seen all the time."
He pressed the top of his cane and the base of the thrones rose and spun fast. The bright lights almost blinded her. The top opened and Donar's body wasn't there anymore. If it was it would fall right in the middle of the base where Dario was standing. It was broad daylight, and nobody was inside the learning center.
"In the back, there is a tunnel. The leader will normally have a car waiting to take them to trains but you have to run there. Go."
Everyone stood there because of confusion. Did they run or did they wait until someone started running? Astoria just started running to the back of the center. She didn't hear anyone's footsteps until moments later She was someone's shadow. Kristian was running side by side with her into the extensive hole in the back corner of the building. Her leg started to kink, but she didn't care. She was free from rules and consequences.
"I want to do something," He screamed.
"What?"
"Yell anything."
"Anything?"
"Anything. It could be about your family or yourself. But you have to do it after the count of three."
"Okay."
"Ready. 1, 2, 3."
In between each number, she thought of what to say, and when 3 hit she thought of the first thing in her mind.
"I don't feel pain."
She didn't hear what Kristian said, only bits and pieces. Light started to come through and the train was pulling into the station. They ran faster to make it. People were there, so they ran farther to the edge piece of the train and stood on the small pedestal holding onto the side of the train. If they moved slightly, they would fall off. Did everyone else catch up, they didn't know. The train went in a circle around the city. 20 stops throughout the city and the tenth was Adina's field. Every time the train would stop the brake would unsteady the edge and almost throw them off the train. After almost an hour in the distance, the fields were visible meaning they were the next stop.
The train stopped a moment later and they jumped off while in the tunnel, so no one would be able to see them. When the base cleared, they walked out and ran to the field. There was a small symbol drawn on the first tree. She had seen it on top of Dario's cane as he would press it to go up or down the throne elevation. A small piece of paper sat at the root of the trunk and said,
"If you find this and the rest of the words are not buried, you have made it to the first step. You now have to go to the capital building where the president lives. This will prove to me you can be unseen and make it to your home."
- Dario
"Which way is Greenwich Street?" Kristian looked around the area and walked around to see the street signs.
"Up the 3 streets."
"How will we not be seen? If we run, we catch more people's attention."
"It's fine it's only the people who sell their wares. They are more focused on their own things."
"They could ask us to buy things as well. Their focus is to make money to feed their families."
"Then we go around."
"No, Dario would want us to go through the streets."
"Ok, but you better not run the other way when we leave the circle."
She nodded and they started walking fast towards the circle exit.
There was an empty alley a few feet away, but as she said a couple stood in front of a table of things including blankets, quilts, tapestries, and more home goods. They were young, around Kristian's age. Astoria couldn't help but go up to them.
"Hello, what are you selling." She knew Kristian was looking at her with disappointment.
"Everything on the table," one of the women said. While looking around, the other women mumbled something, and Astoria felt someone's hand on her waist and cubital.
"They are not real sellers. This is set up. Run."
Kristian pulled her arm and guided her to run. Footsteps were heard behind them, but Astoria got in front of Kristian to guide him to the house. The house was only blocks away, before the footsteps got louder and closer. Moments later they reached the house and saw a paper in the front window. Kristian grabbed it, while Astoria found a place to hide. The back shed was open and the two went inside and locked it before the couple came after them. The letter read,
Kristian and Astoria, I heard you are the ones who have got my letter. My friends have been a good help in telling me you guys know how to hide from people on the train and the streets. You also were able to get away from anyone who could be harmful to our cause. You can leave the house and go back to the train, you can go into the last train compartment, only the people I sent to keep an eye on you guys will be there. You guys did good.
- Dario
They unlocked and walked out of the shed to find the couple from before. They guided them back to the train and into the last compartment. Astoria wondered how he knew it was the two of them at the tree and running into the shed towards the house, but she just thought about how Kristian actually cared for like on the first day. She thought about Kristian sometimes, but not like she wanted him. Like she wanted to help him. He had helped her many times, but she hadn't helped him. She felt as if she helped him today, and it made her feel good inside. Like she returned the favor.
The train stopped at the bridge stop behind the center and Astoria and Kristian got off the train. They walked into the tunnel and into the hole in the wall. Only Dario was in the throne elevation.
"Where is everyone else?" Kristian spoke to Dario.
"On the same path, you guys went."
"Why did they wait to go?" Astoria responded concerned.
"They didn't wait for you guys. Everyone was walking instead of running and You both are fast runners, so I guess you get the props."
"How did you know we made it first?"
"There was no training for a couple of days, so I made about a thousand letters and my spies set out a notification to my other spies to put the letter there."
"You're serious?"
"You think I did that, I had 1 letter, and my spy wrote the names of the first people there and hid the letter. Don't worry, I don't have that much time."
They all waited there for about twenty minutes before a couple of people came back. Moments After everyone was back and they went down the elevation again. This time it didn't affect her.
They were all sent to their rooms and did what they had been doing the days before. Astoria went to bed that night thinking about what happened to the two people that were tortured.
Later that night around 3 am, on the speaker, Dario told everyone, they had died from a head injury. Could they have just hit their heads or did they get hurt by someone? Who could it be?