The Azure Knight

Chapter 12

"Ich..." Alexei groaned in pain.

Damn, shorty! I almost die just now.

His front was wide-open earlier. He was lucky to withstand Aidan's sword in time, so it only scratched him. If he wasn't, his stomach may have been pierced off by the sharp metal.

Before Alexei recovered from his shocked, Aidan was already swung his sword down to outwit him, but the boy could block it successfully even though he was wounded. Aidan moved his sword up and struck back. This time, he aimed for his brother throat. Unexpectedly, Alexei jumped aside and used his sword to dodge the deathly cut.

"He is strong." Aidan muttered. He almost fell when their sword met in the air. He didn't expect Alexei will have the power to dodge his strike, even made him tottered.

Their sword met again. Now, both of them didn't draw it back and kept move forward. They confronted each other and stuck in that position for a moment.

"Surrender already. I will help you to escape if you release Seraphine." Aidan said. He tried to negotiate while his hands held his sword tightly.

"She isn't my captive."

"Then release her."

"I can't!" Alexei shouted. An idea slip through his mind. He tried to manipulate his brother sword. At first, he thought it wasn't work because actually the sword was his brother's magic. But he managed to change it even though it was only for a second.

While his brother's mind distracted by it, he pushed the magic sword forward and scratched Aidan's forehead before he stepped backward to watch him fell and hit the pillar. After that, Alexei felt the time was running slower than usual. His body froze while his eyes were following the torch movement. The next time he blinked, he was already on the floor while looking at the fire that had spread throughout the warehouse.

***

Aidan startled with the fact that his brother could manipulated his magic. It distracted him for a second and when his sense was back, he was already pushed by the boy. He panicked and lose his balance. It made him stumbled and bumped into something hard. The collision was so loud until he heard something cracked.

Ugh... damn you Alexei. He cursed before he prayed. Dear Gods, I hope it wasn't the sound of my bone.

Aidan looked up and found out that the Gods were already answered his pray. It was the torch handle that was cracked. After completely aghast with the horror scenery, he crawled away as fast as he could before it will reach his head.

Uwaa! 'roasted head' will be written on my grave if that torch really burn my head.

While he heaved a sigh of relief, sweat slid from his forehead. Aidan wiped it with his haori sleeve.

Summer sure is really hot although it's night time now.

"Aidan-senpai! There's fire on your cloth!" Sera shouted.

"What?" He turned his back only to see more horror scenery. First, his cloth was really on fire and it forced him to cut it off. (Author's note: are you thinking that I will make him strip here? LOL) The second is...

THE WAREHOUSE IS ON FIRE TOO!!! He screamed inside his head.

"Stay away from the fire, Sera! I will call for help."

Aidan gathered the remnants of his strength to stand up and walked out. It took a long time for him to reach the door. The fire had spread to every corner. If this keep going on, then the building could collapse soon. He forced himself to run, but it only made his body burned in pain. It all thanks to his brother who pushed him and made him hit the damn pillar. Aidan tried to endured it for a little bit. Only a few more steps, he could go outside to get a help.

Where the hell are those guards when I need them?! Why are they so slow?

***

"Senpai will come back to help us. Let's wait somewhere safe."

"We will help ourselves alone. There's no need to wait him."

Sera pulled Alexei's hand to help him to stand up.

"Argh..." He groaned. The boy touched his stomach and made his hand covered with blood. A metallic scent fulfilled their sense of smell.

"You are bleeding!" Sera shouted in a shock.

"It's just a scratch. Nothing to be worry. Hurry. We need to get out of here."

"But how?"

"There's a secret door at the back. If we're lucky, we'll get out from there."

Alexei took off his cloak and tore it apart. He wrapped it around his waist to slow down the bleeding. He also used it to cover his nose from the smoke.

"Don't breathe the smoke. Cover your nose with your robe."

Sera obeyed the boy without an argument and followed where he went. They walked carefully between the racks that were burning right now. Now that there was fire everywhere, they could see clearly. But it wasn't an easy task for Alexei to lead them to the secret door. Even without the wound, it would still be hard. The fire was reached the upper racks now, soon it will find its way to the ceil.

The worst news was entire building was made from wood. Also, the weather now wasn't really helping at all. It was in the middle of summer, in the season where the dry wind will blow harshly.

The sound of something cracking was sounded like a thunder. It made a chill ran down to Sera's spine. She walked really close to Alexei every time she heard it.

"Alexei, how much longer?" Sera said after coughed. The smoke was getting more thick now.

Sera took a look at the boy and gasped when she saw his face was really pale. He lost too much blood. It seemed that his wound was much deeper than a scratch. Alexei coughed a couple times before answered. "Soon."

He kept walking forward to the back side of the warehouse. Luckily, they could avoid the racks or the floor that had been burning. But it made them walked more far than it should. They didn't have much time left. They will die out of breath or burning if they didn't find a way out now.

"Ah... it's the door." Alexei pointed toward the wall.

But they were never reached it, because the fire was already spread to the ceil and made it collapsed. The crack sound rumbled again alongside with a girl scream.

***