In the blink of an eye, five days had passed since the time Dyrroth passed Ruby, Kagura and Harley's message to Lesley, and the long-awaited day to escape had come.
Despite that Ruby knew sleep was vital, especially today, she hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep the night before. Though, to be completely honest, although she'd hardly slept, there had never been a day where Ruby had felt more alive. And scared.
Two days ago, she'd gone to visit her friends in the middle of the night again, and they'd gone over the entire plan one last time. Just to be sure the plan wasn't too flawed.
At two in the morning, which was when Dyrroth had said the demons would be leaving to invade Eruditio, Lesley would be arriving with a bunch of friends who could fight, and Dyrroth would hand Ruby the keys to her friends' cages while the other demons were distracted with their battle preparations. Then she'd escape her room, go to her friends and get them out of theirs too, and they would escape the building with the directions Dyrroth had given them, which all three of them had memorized. It wasn't too simple nor complicated, and Ruby was glad for that.
After the sun had set and the moon had risen to replace it, Ruby sat in her dark room staring up at the sky through the tiny window at the top of the room, gazing at the night sky and the narrow beam of moonlight spilling through the dusty glass. Since she didn't have any method to tell the time accurately, she would have to rely solely on her hunter instincts.
And, of course, it wasn't at all lost on Ruby that after tonight, there was hardly any chance she would ever see Dyrroth again. Which was why, despite that she had never felt so filled with life, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so hollow, either.
She couldn't believe she would be leaving him so soon. Although Ruby had always thought she and Dyrroth had spent way more than enough time in each other's company before, she now felt as if the exact opposite were true. She hadn't spent enough time with him, talked enough with him yet. And yet, in such an awfully short time, she would have to say goodbye. To him, the only boy she'd ever loved so much.
How Ruby hated goodbyes.
The hours ticked by, one at a time.
After what felt like two hours to Ruby had passed, she gazed up at the window once more. She felt her face come alight, but along with the glimmer of hope came a subtle pang of dread and sadness.
It was time.
---
Dyrroth didn't show up till after around five minutes later. Though, of course, Ruby didn't mind that much. He was already voluntarily helping them escape, and without him, the plan would have no chance of succeeding. What more could she and her friends ask of him?
Besides, there was no guarantee that she'd ever get to see him again, so she was going to cherish the remaining time she spent with him to the fullest. And nothing was going to stop her.
'Hey,' Dyrroth said when he peeked his head in from outside the door, shooting her a quick grin. He entered the room and closed the door deftly behind him. If it weren't for the odd stiffness of his shoulders, Ruby wouldn't have noticed his anxiousness.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, nobody moving a limb despite that they both knew the reason he'd come was to pass Ruby the keys to her friends' cages. Then, after a long silence filled with nothing but both of them staring straight at each other, the prince sad quietly, 'So, you're leaving today.'
Ruby didn't know what to say, so she merely responded with a stony 'yeah'.
Once more, mere silence filled the room for several minutes. Ruby knew that if they were going to have a conversation, they would have to hurry up. Time was running out, and her friends needed them.
However, before Ruby could say something, the prince was suddenly in front of her cage in an instant, his hands grabbing the rusty iron bars. And, much to Ruby's surprise, his beautiful magenta eyes were glistening with tears. 'Ruby, I don't want you to go,' he whispered.
Not having seen him behave this way before, Ruby couldn't help being incredibly startled. And touched. 'Dyrroth,' she said, faltering, not knowing how to respond. In the end, she only responded with the truth. All of a sudden, her eyes were filled with tears, too. 'I don't want to leave you, either,' she said with a wistful smile, reaching through the bars to cradle his cheek in her hand.
She hadn't seen this sad, vulnerable side of him before, and neither had he seen hers, but despite not being used to it, Ruby knew that this moment was something she would cherish forever. Because however heart-wrenching it was, it was still lovely.
Ruby hastily reached behind her to grab the key to her cage and unlocked the door, then leaped into the prince's arms without another moment of hesitation. His embrace was so warm and comforting, she felt tears spill down her cheeks at the thought that she might never be able to touch him again. 'I'll miss you,' she whispered.
She heard Dyrroth let out a sob. 'I'll miss you too,' he said, nuzzling her soft golden locks with a tenderness Ruby had never thought possible. There was a great sorrow in his voice that nearly broke her heart. He pulled away from her first, holding her cheeks in his hands, gazing at her with a mixture of hope and wistfulness in his eyes. 'When...will I be able to see you again?' he asked her softly.
Ruby didn't know where the sudden rise of determination and yearning inside of her had come from, but it was what made her speak the words she wanted to say next. 'I don't know when,' she answered, 'but I promise, promise, that we'll meet again.' She managed a small, bittersweet smile. 'Even if our paths weren't meant to cross and aren't ever meant to again, I believe we'll find our way back to each other eventually.' Ruby glanced up at him, something akin to hope inside her. 'Don't you?'
The prince close his eyes for a brief moment, then smiled sadly at her.
'I believe we will, too,' he said.
---
Just as Ruby was about to open the door of her friends' room, Dyrroth stopped her, placing a hand on her elbow gently. 'Ruby,' he said in a quiet voice, getting her attention. He hadn't had to follow her here, but since he'd claimed he still had time, Ruby wasn't complaining.
Ruby looked at him. 'What's up?' she asked.
Dyrroth glanced around them warily. 'Um, I know doing this here is a really terrible idea, but...' he turned back to her with a serene smile. 'Honestly, I don't really care.'
He reached up to cradle her face with his right hand, then leaned in to kiss her with excruciating slowness. Ruby had never experienced anything more passionate than this moment, this very minute. She kissed him back, all her senses utterly aflame, and when they drew apart for breath, his silvery blond bangs brushed softly against her face.
'Ruby,' he whispered into her hair, combing her ragged blonde locks tenderly. Ruby really liked how warm it felt this close to him, and when she remembered that she'd never be able to experience this again, her heart seemingly wrung itself dry of blood.
That was when she thought of an idea, one that filled her with newfound hope. She couldn't help going utterly still, and Dyrroth gave her an inquisitive look. 'The place where we met,' she said suddenly.
He blinked at her. 'What?'
'The place where we first met. You went there almost every night in the past, right? We can do all that again. And since Lesley's house isn't far from mine, I can walk there if I want to see you.' All of a sudden, her green eyes were alight with hope, and her heart no longer felt filled with misery. 'We can still meet each other in secret. Though we'll have to be careful.'
The prince had an uncertain look on his face. 'Ruby, I think that's a really, um...reckless plan,' he said.
'It's the only possible way for us to see each other,' Ruby said defiantly. 'Unless you can think of anything else, just hear me out.'
Dyrroth hesitated for a moment, but then conceded with a small sigh. 'Alright, then,' he responded.
She smiled in satisfaction, then went on. 'Even if you're more busy now than you were before, that doesn't mean you don't have the time to sneak out at night, right?'
'I...don't think so,' Dyrroth said slowly.
'Then it's settled. We'll meet in the Black Forest, where my village is-' Ruby suddenly realised what she'd worded wrong with an awful feeling- 'actually, was, every two or three days. We'll arrange the next day we meet each time. I've got no problem with meeting you there no matter how often, so it depends on whether you can.'
Hearing what she'd said had made a faint glimmer of hope appear in Dyrroth's eyes. 'Yeah,' he said softly, his gaze downcast, but his voice didn't sound anywhere as bleak as before. 'I'm gonna be really, really busy for the next few weeks or more, but I think sneaking out in the middle of the night shouldn't be a problem. Though I might not turn up every time.'
'That's fine by me,' said Ruby. Then, unable to help herself, she beamed up at him, filled with immense joy and a hint of embarrassment at the fact that she hadn't thought of all that earlier. 'See? We're got a way to meet each other after all. So cheer up.'
Dyrroth mirrored the smile on her face. 'Yeah. Thanks, Ruby. You're a genius.'
She blushed uncontrollably, then immediately began to inwardly scream at herself. Did her cheeks really need to make the emotions she was feeling so damn obvious? 'Nah, I'm not. Anyone could've thought of tha-'
'Um, are you two, like, snogging each other's faces off out there or something?' came a familiar voice from the other side of the door, and Ruby jumped, realising she'd forgotten the entire reason they were there. 'We can kinda hear everything you're saying, you know.'
She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. 'Shut up, Harley,' Ruby barked loudly at the door. Then, without another second's delay, she pushed it open and walked inside. She and Dyrroth had spoken enough already. They ought to get to business.
Her friends were wearing matching scowls on their faces. 'Took you long enough,' drawled Kagura.
Ruby smiled sheepishly. 'Sorry, we kind of got distracted.' She glanced at Dyrroth. 'But we're ready now. Let's do this.'
The prince smiled back at her, although there was a hint of sadness in his smile, because he knew she'd be gone soon. 'Yeah,' he said, handing her the keys.
Ruby gave him an encouraging grin, forcing herself to look on the bright side. In a few hours, she would be back home with Lesley, Harith and her other friends. Everything would go back to the way it had been before. Everything would be alright again.
She turned to her friends, a grim look in place. 'Let's do this,' she said again, a corner of her lip lifting slightly.
Harley rolled his eyes. 'Hurry up already.'
She unlocked their cages with deft hands, her heart beginning to race. That adrenaline rush she hadn't felt in a while was just only starting to come back. After she'd opened the doors of both their cages, her friends stepped out of them, looking amazed.
Kagura stretched her limbs. 'Damn,' she said, 'I feel like I haven't moved around for, like, months. God.'
Harley smirked at her and snickered. 'Of course you'd feel like that. You're getting old.'
Kagura glared and smacked his shoulder. Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at them, grateful that they were lightening the mood a little.
'Right,' said Ruby, tidying up her disheveled blonde hair half-heartedly. 'Guys, we should get going. And, Dyrroth-' she glanced at the demon prince over her shoulder with a tiny but bright smile- 'we'll see each other again, won't we?'
He smiled a little wryly, and Ruby was glad to see that his vivid, pinkish-purple eyes held more life than she could remember seeing in them. 'Guess so,' he answered.
Not really caring about her friends' presence or perhaps just having forgotten they were there, she got onto her tiptoes and dropped a quick kiss onto his lips. 'Bye, Dyrroth,' she whispered.
Caught by surprise, he fumbled for a moment before smiling at her broadly. 'Bye, Ruby,' he replied.
Her friends were gawking at her very frankly. 'Uh, let's go?' Harley said with a tone of uncertainty and immense annoyance. Ruby heaved a sigh as she pulled away from Dyrroth. Couldn't Harley at least try not to be obtrusive? Though, honestly, he had a point. They ought to get going. Lesley and her friends had probably reached by now.
Making sure not to cause too much noise, the four of them exited the room. Evidently the least anxious among all of them, Dyrroth asked casually, 'Y'all still remember the directions I gave you, right?'
'Of course,' said Kagura, offended. 'I wouldn't let any of us forget.'
'Well, that's good,' Dyrroth said simply. 'I have to go now. Bye, guys.' He turned to Ruby and shot her a quick wink. 'See ya, Ruby.'
Ruby smiled back, knowing she looked a little sad. Though at least things weren't as bleak as before. 'See ya,' she replied, knowing this was their real goodbye.
He smiled at her. 'Don't worry,' he said softly. 'I'll come find you.'
'I know,' said Ruby, but the prince had already turned and walked off, clearly not too keen on goodbyes either. Her smile wilted a little at the thought that she wouldn't be able to see him as often as before. Though, of course, she was grateful she would even get to do so in the first place.
'Ruby,' Kagura spoke, gentle but firmly insistent, 'we need to go.'
'I know,' Ruby replied. She gathered herself together, temporarily erasing all thoughts of the demon prince from her mind, then looked at her friends determinedly. 'Let's escape.'
---
As usual, the corridor was all but dark except for the torches on either sides of the walls, which had been lit with flames. Kagura and Harley, who were visibly scared since it was their first time sneaking outside, were not-so-subtly huddling behind Ruby. She didn't blame them. During her first time out here, she'd been scared to death, too.
'Repeat the directions to me, Harley,' Ruby said in a hushed voice, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that encountered them.
Harley gave her an irritable look. 'Two lefts, then a right, then a left and three more rights, you know the rest,' he answered, annoyed.
Ruby smirked. She knew Harley was smart - she'd only been testing him for fun. 'Glad you actually memorized it,' she remarked.
He scowled at her.
After the three of them walked for a while more without bumping into anyone, Kagura leaned towards Ruby and spoke in a quiet voice, 'We're almost there, right? What do we do once we're outside? There's no way we won't get seen.'
Ruby didn't know either, and the realisation sparked a hint of panic inside her. 'We'll see how the situation is out there first,' she replied quickly as they rounded another corner. 'For now, I think we should just try not to get noti-' She fell silent abruptly, going completely rigid.
In the very next corridor stood Selena. By the time Ruby had seen her, it was far too late. She saw the elf demon's sharp pink eyes fix onto them and widen slightly in shock recognition. Ruby swore inwardly. That girl was too damn sharp.
Ruby's friends noticed that she had gone still, and shot her looks of alarm. 'What is it?' Kagura whispered anxiously.
Ruby dove back towards the previous corridor which they'd come from, grabbing her friends by the wrists and yanking them out of sight as well. 'It's Selena,' she hissed. Why, oh why did it have to be her? Just when they were so close to getting freedom! 'We have to get out some other way, right now. There's no time to-'
'Ruby,' spoke a sly yet serene female voice, her words echoing through the corridor and making Selena's words loud and clear even from where Ruby stood. 'And Kagura and Harley. Are you trying to escape?'
Ruby forced herself to stay calm, although all she could hear was the deafening pounding of her own heart. Gathering up her courage and ignoring her friends' alarmed looks, she stepped out to the next corridor and faced Selena. 'What's it to you?' she demanded, feigning nonchalance. 'Once me and my friends are out of here, your life's gonna be much easier. You said it yourself. So don't get in our way.' Ruby hesitated, then grudgingly added, 'Please.'
Selena's expression was all but placid, but after hearing Ruby's words, a tiny, mirthless smile graced her lips. 'I've got no reason to let you all go, though,' she said softly, her words laced through with malice.
Ruby clenched her teeth. She knew Selena was right - she didn't have a reason to let them escape. She didn't owe them anything, either. Though Ruby wasn't about to give up just yet. 'What about Dyrroth?' she asked boldly. 'If you hand us in, he's gonna be really, really mad. He's helping us, after all.'
Selena's jaw tightened, visibly angered by the mention of Dyrroth. 'Not every decision I make depends on whether he'd approve or not,' she snapped.
'Still,' Ruby continued indignantly, 'if he finds out you handed us in instead of helping us escape, he's definitely gonna be mad. Because you obviously didn't have to.'
'I don't care about him,' Selena shot back at her furiously. 'I'll act upon my own will. He doesn't matter to me anymore. Which is why-' She raised her chin and appraised Ruby menacingly, a sinister grin on her face- 'I'm going to hand you in and end your freedom, once and for all.'
'Selena,' said Ruby, getting desperate. And a little angry. 'You don't have to do this. You only have a grudge against me, not my friends.' She paused. 'If you really want to keep me here that badly, at least let them go.'
Kagura gave her a look of shock and bewilderment. 'Ruby, you can't do that!'
'Don't be stupid,' Harley snapped at her, tugging her left arm. 'Leaving you here isn't going to help anything.'
Ruby forced herself to keep her attention on Selena instead of arguing with her friends. The demon girl had a grin on her face, which was bad news. 'That's a pretty good idea, actually,' she said, more gleeful than Ruby had ever seen her.
'Stop. It's not happening.' Kagura was practically seething with rage at her friend.
Ruby sighed, knowing neither of her friends were going to be okay with it. 'Fine,' she said. 'How about this, Selena? When you demons invade Moniyan, I'll join Moniyan and fight against you all. When that happens, I'll let you try and kill me.'
The smirk on Selena's face didn't wilt in the slightest. She folded her arms, tossing her hair over her shoulder. 'That's a good deal, too,' she commented, not taking her eyes off Ruby.
Ruby didn't break their gaze, either. 'It is. So let us go.'
For a moment, Selena only remained quiet, staring at Ruby in thoughtful silence. Then, she said softly, 'Fine.' She angled her face away from them, staring over her shoulder at somewhere in the distance. 'I never enjoyed having you brats here anyway.'
Ruby was immensely relieved, but she tried not to show it. 'Thanks,' she said, hesitantly.
Selena let out a scoff, refusing to look at them. 'You better not take my kindness for granted. I'm not a good person,' she snapped, sounding offended by Ruby's word of thanks.
Ruby couldn't help but feel a little irritated. 'I know. I never said you were a good person.'
With a 'hmph', the demon girl turned away and stalked along the corridor, practically radiating annoyance. Ruby had no idea what there was to be annoyed at. Guess we'll never understand each other.
Kagura nudged Ruby's arm. 'Now that that's settled, let's get out of here,' she told her.
Ruby nodded. 'Yup, we should.'
Harley was looking at her silently, an unpleasant look plastered on his face. 'I can't believe you nearly got yourself stuck here,' he said.
'Yeah, Ruby. That was really reckless. There's no way we'd even think of leaving without you,' said Kagura angrily. She swatted Ruby's arm. 'Don't ever try that again.'
'Sorry,' said Ruby sheepishly.
Kagura scoffed and grabbed her wrist. 'C'mon, let's get out of here.'
They strode along several more corridors, which eventually led them into a cave-like tunnel with rocky purple stone walls, not unlike the one Ruby had explored the other day. Remembering it sent a chill down her spine. It only took them several more minutes to reach the opening. Exchanging nervous glances, they walked over and looked outside.
From where they were peeking out from the exit, they could see several orcs in sight, who were mostly just growling incoherent things at each other or loitering around aimlessly. Harley's lips curved into a smirk when he noticed them. 'Should be easy slipping past these idiots,' he whispered to Ruby.
'Maybe,' said Ruby, 'but we'd better not get our hopes up just yet. Not till we've actually escaped.'
The amber-haired magician boy shot her a withering look, then rolled his eyes. 'You're really starting to remind me of my sister,' he told her.
'Lesley's a great person.' She turned to both her friends, looking at them urgently. 'Right, guys. Let's just make a run for it. We shouldn't have any problem outrunning them, or even fighting them, if it comes to that.' She paused for a moment, thinking hard. 'Both of you should just follow me, since I can run the fastest here.'
Harley made a noise that was somewhere between an incredulous laugh and a choking sound. 'I take that back, you don't remind me of my sister.'
Ruby decided to ignore that. She looked at Kagura, who was merely staring at them with an uneasy look. 'This is a bad idea,' she said.
Ruby's lips lifted into a wry smile. 'I know.' She turned back to stare straight ahead, all awareness. 'Okay, on the count of three, both of you follow me.' She cleared her throat. 'One.'
'Two.' Her heart was beginning to speed up again. She really shouldn't have dragged her friends into such a reckless plan. Maybe it was a terrible idea to-
'Three,' she whispered.
And then, in unison, the three of them sprang out into the open, Ruby in front. Eyes peeled for any sort of movement from the demons, she dove behind a piece of reddish-purple rock, glancing over her shoulder as her friends quickly followed suit.
'Not long more till we get noticed,' muttered Kagura once they were all hidden.
'True,' admitted Ruby, thinking hard again. 'Which is why we need to find out where Lesley is.' She turned to them, determined. 'Right. I've got an idea. Who's the most sneaky here?'
Harley didn't miss a beat. 'Me.'
Ruby couldn't help but smirk at him. 'Undoubtedly. So can you go first and see if Lesley's there, and if she is, lead her to us?'
The magician boy merely blinked at her for a second. Then, practically radiating confidence, he smiled broadly. 'Of course.' He got to his feet, and Ruby could tell he was slightly nervous. Though, even if he was, she trusted his abilities. He wouldn't get caught. She was sure of it. 'See you guys later, then.'
'Good luck,' Kagura said to Harley, smiling grimly. She shot Ruby a slightly accusing sideways glance, then added in an undertone, 'Hey, you know this is child endangerment, right?'
'I'm not a child!' Harley practically shrieked, and without another second of hesitation, he disappeared.
Kagura shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 'That boy's never gonna change,' she said.
Ruby smirked. 'Yep. But, not gonna lie, I'm glad for that.' She turned her head sideways, scanning their surroundings attentively. 'So, for now, let's just try not to get discovered.'
'Yeah,' her friend agreed. 'Sticking to the plan would be best.'
'There is no plan,' Ruby answered her. A tad too honestly, because her friend pinched her arm murderously. 'Ow!'
'You've been possessed by Harley or something,' said Kagura. 'A nonexistent plan is totally the kind of plan he would come up with.'
'It seems so,' replied Ruby with a grin.
Kagura repositioned herself, sitting with her legs hugged tightly to her chest and her back against the stone. 'Right, all we gotta do is wait for Har-'
'Balmond,' said one of the orcs who had been loitering around the area earlier. Kagura and Ruby stiffened in unison, their panicked gazes locking. Ruby strained her ears to listen to their conversation. 'Do you smell humans?'
The demon he'd been speaking to, whose name was apparently Balmond, let out a grunt. 'I don't know,' he drawled unenthusiastically. Ruby heard him sniff the air briefly, and when he continued, there was much more interest in his voice than before. 'Perhaps. I do smell a human or two somewhere around here.'
Ruby swore under her breath, glancing at Kagura urgently, only to notice that her friend's expression mirrored hers. 'We've got to get out of here,' Kagura hissed before Ruby could.
She nodded. 'Let's just go rejoin Harley. If he's found Lesley already, it'll be all the more efficient for us to escape.' Ruby pressed her back against the stone, leaning towards the right to peek over the edge.
Kagura followed her gaze, making sure the demons weren't anywhere close to their hiding spot. 'Yeah,' she agreed. She got to her knees, preparing to stand up. 'Let's get out of here.'
Ruby carefully got up into a squatting position. She heard one of the demons sniffing around loudly, and as she and Kagura waited for several seconds, he seemed to come closer and closer.
Ruby shot Kagura a wide-eyed look. There didn't seem to be any way out of this. Things were a lot worse than she'd expected. 'Which direction will he come from?' she whispered.
Kagura's gaze remained steady, despite that Ruby could tell she was scared. 'Probably from above.'
'I think so, too,' said Ruby, relying on sole instinct. She thought hard, searching for a solution, and then got it. 'We're gonna have to attack him.'
Kagura's eyes widened. 'Oh, God. We're getting into a fight now?'
'I can't think of any other way.'
Her friend shot her a look of dread. 'Ruby, this is a terrible idea.'
'I know,' Ruby whispered back to her.
She stiffened, hearing a shuffling noise as the orc seemingly inched closer to where they were hiding. So close, actually, that the noise seemed to be coming from right behind their rock. Ruby kept her gaze on Kagura, holding her breath, her heart racing anxiously. And waited.
When a full second had passed, Ruby looked up at the spot directly above her, feeling immense dread.
Just in time to see the orc's eerie, smiling face looming over them, casting a shadow over Ruby and Kagura. Ruby's heart sank rapidly.
Then, without another split second of hesitation, she leaped to her feet and punched the orc brutally in the face, hardly realising Kagura was doing the exact same thing. The orc let out a roar and staggered back, losing his balance and falling onto the ground.
Ruby shot Kagura a wide-eyed look just before sprinting off towards the direction Harley had gone in, instinctively knowing her friend was right behind her. She could hear several orcs' enraged roars from where they'd been hiding, and Ruby risked a quick glance over her shoulder to see that they'd already begun to take chase after them, fangs bared viciously.
She cursed under her breath. At this rate, they wouldn't be able to outrun them, not by a long shot. After all, Kagura was already beginning to lag behind a little, and she knew orcs were insanely fast runners. Ruby skidded to a halt, a feeling of determination flooding her. 'You go ahead,' she said to Kagura firmly, jerking her head towards the direction they'd been running in. 'I'll buy us time.'
Her friend looked alarmed. 'Ruby, no. That's too dangerous.'
'I won't get caught,' said Ruby matter-of-factly. And she meant it. No matter what, she wasn't going to get caught again. She was going to return to Lesley and her friends and have her freedom back, no matter what it took. 'Now go!'
Still looking bewildered but clearly knowing it wasn't the time to falter, Kagura cast one last worried glance in the orcs' direction and continued running.
Ruby turned back to the orcs, clenching her fists and steeling herself. Her heart was racing in her ears. There were two orcs, one far behind but running forwards now that they'd noticed all the commotion. She was awfully outnumbered, of course, but things weren't that bad. At least they were all unarmed, not just her.
Forcing herself to keep her gaze steady, she put her hands up. 'Right, come get me,' she said with a smile that looked much more confident than she felt.
The orc who'd discovered them drew his lips back into a snarl, taking a step forward towards her, while the other one - probably the one named Balmond - frowned, sensing something was off. 'I'll go for the one who ran in front,' he said to his companion, not taking his fearsome reddish-orange eyes off Ruby. 'You guys deal with her.'
Ruby stiffened. 'No,' she said loudly. She had to make sure these guys didn't get to Kagura, or else she would be staying behind for nothing. 'Let her escape. You guys can hand me to Alice or whoever you wanna hand me to. Just as along as you let my friends go unharmed.'
Balmond's eye's narrowed into slits. 'Friends?' he said. 'More than one prisoner escaped?' He turned to his companions. 'You've heard of the humans they took prisoner, right? How many did they take?'
'Three,' the orc who'd just caught up with them answered.
Balmond turned back to Ruby, a vicious snarl on his face. 'Well then, only being able to capture one of them isn't enough. You two, get her friends!'
A feeling of panic welled up inside Ruby as the two orcs immediately did as Balmond had told them to, not hesitating another second. She clenched her shaking hands into fists. This sucked. She had to stop them somehow.
Filled with reckless desperation, Ruby turned towards the orc on her right just as he passed her and swung her arm back. The poor guy hardly even had time to register her sudden appearance in front of him before she drove her fist into his face, as hard as she could, the impact of the blow jarring her hand.
The orc crashed into the ground inelegantly, yelling out in pain. Without waiting another second, Ruby clenched her teeth in a determined snarl and dove towards the other orc, who'd noticed what she'd done and looked prepared to fight her. Just as he leaped towards her, teeth and fangs bared, she swerved sideways as quick as she could and swung her right leg at him, nearly losing her balance in the process. Her ankle connected with the orc's neck with a thud, and he fell to the ground after letting out a pained shout.
Ruby took a few unsteady steps back, fighting to catch her breath. She couldn't belall that had just happened. She'd never been anywhere above average at unarmed combat, so what she'd just done surprised her greatly. As her breathing eventually returned to its normal state, she turned to face Balmond, who hadn't joined the fight all this time, for whatever reason.
Then Ruby realised why.
In his hand, he now clutched a menacing, impossibly sharp axe, one that was larger than Ruby had ever seen. She went rigid, gulping in fear.
Right, now she defnitely needed to run. She'd bought her friends enough time, anyway.
Without giving the orcs a second glance, Ruby spun on her heel and sprinted off.