The Fate of Three

Chapter 23: The Catalyst Death

The stars were shining bright against the dark sky as they closed the coffin. Neoma felt guilty that she wasn't crying, but she had no more tears to cry, they had all dried up.

She pulled Amon's jacket, one that hadn't seen battle and was free of holes, closer around herself. It still smelled of of him: of the forest and the orphanage.

Wren continued to cry as they sealed the body within the ground forever. Neoma wanted to comfort the her but had no idea how to.

She was still trying to wrap her mind around everything. That was something that seemed to be happening a lot lately. As if time had sped up and left them all in the dust.

~~~\earlier/~~~

Amon's body fell through the trap door, pulling the noose taut. Neoma tried to stifle a sob as she squeezed her eyes shut, averting her gaze. She refused to open her eyes as a gasp went through the crowd, she knew that either the initial jerk of the rope had snapped his neck or was currently cutting off his oxygen. She felt tears leaking out of her tightly shut eyes just at the thought that Amon was there in front of her but no longer alive.

Suddenly she felt something clash against the chain connecting shackles. It broke the chain and separated her hands. The guard behind her seemed to be to shocked to move.

"I'm kind of risking my life to save you here, so are you coming or not?" Neoma gasped, recognizing the voice. She opened her teary eyes to find Anton, standing before her looking much more solemn and serious than usual. "Long time no see sis, but let's save the reunion for later," he whispered, with a hint of a smirk.

Then he grabbed her wrist and jumped off the platform with her. Wren and Owen pushed past the guards and took the stairs instead, Owen still leaning heavily on Wren.

Anton turned around, "Well, come on!" he urged. Confused Neoma looked at him, it wasn't like she was just standing there. Then she realized Anton was looking past her.

She whipped around, bringing a hand to her mouth as another sob left her body. There was Amon, with the noose still around his neck. He was kneeling on the ground, looking at his hands as if trying to decide whether he was alive or not. The rest of the noose that led down from the loop around his neck was at his side, the end of it had been cut. 

The rope had been cut before it could become taught enough to kill Amon. It had to have been Anton, no one else could have moved that fast.

"Amon!" Neoma shrieked, more tears of pure relief streaming down her face. Her voice snapped him back to reality, but it wasn't until he laid eyes on her that he seemed to believe he was alive. He sprung to his feet, tearing the noose from his neck and sprinting to be by her side.

Anton led them all past the crowd and began to easily navigate them through the maze like streets of Yang. The guards were right on their heals but Neoma and Amon weren't about to lose each other again.

Owen however was struggling to keep up, even with Wren supporting most of his weight. As Anton led them down another sharp turn Neoma heard Owen trip. 

"Owen!" Wren frantically tried to help him stand up, but he swatted her hand away. 

"Go," he said through clenched teeth.

They looked at him helplessly.

"Go!" he repeated, looking each one of them straight in the eye, "I'm only going to slow you down." He struggled to his feat but didn't make any movements to go forward.

"Wren?" Neoma touched her arm, they could hear the guards gaining on them again.

"I'm not going with out him," Wren whispered, looking directly at Neoma for once.