Aegis

Chapter Eight--Heroes' Departure (Pt.2)

After Kyros climbed onto Caligula, Erianthe urged the horse to gallop down the road. Within a minute, the pair flew down the dirt path towards Lyca. The sunset cast long shadows in front of them. Soon, the pair bolted past the inn. For a moment, Kyros caught a glance of two horses tied up to a post outside. The animals were the only two standing outside the inn rather than in the stable.

Erianthe gripped Caligula's reins.

When the inn was no longer in view, Kyros relaxed a bit. His body was still tense, but they had passed the Rogues, at least for now.

Erianthe slowed Caligula down a few paces, only a few, once they reached the hills. The sun was setting lower into the sky, which made it harder to sprint along the path weaving between the hills. As the sun sunk lower and lower, the hills cast monstrous shadows over the pair. Giving the air a dusty look, a few clouds rolled across the orange sky.

Out of habit, Kyros reached back to make sure his bow was on his back. His finger curled around the metallic designs on the weapon. For a moment while he touched it, Kyros thought he heard something galloping behind them. But drowned out by Caligula's steps, the sound soon faded.

Once the sun set under the horizon and took away its light, Erianthe slowed Caligula down a bit more.

"Keep going faster," Kyros said. "I'll take out my bow to give us some light."

"Okay," Erianthe replied.

For a second time that night, Kyros took out his bow. He held it in his right arm to the side. Under his command, the bow glowed as if Kyros were preparing to fire a shot. Driving away the shadows, a soft ring of white light lit up the area around them.

Within seconds of taking out his bow, Kyros' heart dropped. Far away and faint, but clear, the sound of hooves on the path reached Kyros' ears.

"Do you hear that?" Kyros asked.

"No," Erianthe said.

For one hopeful second, Kyros listened and waited for the sound to disappear. Instead, it got louder. As they were now, they wouldn't be able to outrun the Rogues. Kyros took a deep breath. He couldn't let Delos happen all over again.

Not again.

Unlike before, he wouldn't be too late. Erianthe could escape and finish the quest.

"Don't stop," Kyros said. "Just listen for a little bit."

Erianthe tensed up, but she remained silent. Each approaching hoof beat spelled failure for the mission.

"The Rogues are catching up. I can hear them," Kyros said. "I'm going to stay behind to slow them down."

"I don't like that plan," Erianthe whispered. The girl whipped Caligula's reins and urged him to run faster.

"They're going to catch up," Kyros said.

"Then I'll stay back and fight with you," Erianthe replied. Her voice was soft and strained. As she continued to ride Caligula forward, Erianthe hunched forward as if she were holding back a cry.

Kyros knew she would do it. If he agreed, she would stay back and fight beside him like the pair they were. Her sword would ward off the villains, and his bow would attack them through the openings.

But he couldn't let that happen. Not when they were so outmatched. Even if they fought their best, they'd lose.

"You can't," Kyros said. "We'd both lose. We're not strong enough."

Come what may, he wasn't losing her to the Rogues.

"Then you shoot down their horses or something," Erianthe said. "I am not abandoning you."