The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Third Stone

Read chapter 49 of The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] by Adamus_Auguste on NovelPedia.

Chapter 49: The Third Stone Kael's hair fluttered, his tight chest lifted from Tonio's shoulder. Houses and recruits dissolved into a blur. The wind's whistle cut sharp against his ears, replacing the thugs' commands. But more than the wind, it was his heart that pounded in his ears. Forty steps in a couple of seconds. Undiscovered. Tonio would do it. He was fast. So fast that Kael would've been flung off his shoulder if not for the grip locking his legs to Tonio's chest. Before he could imagine himself crashing in the middle of the street, his broken nose slammed into Tonio's back. He covered it with two fingers, the rest of his hand muffling a grunt. He lifted his head, his fingers tightening on Tonio's coat. The surroundings cleared: rusted pipes on ruined walls, and junk bathing in sludge all around him. On Tonio's other shoulder, Els grinned at him, her green eyes alight. The alley! They made it! Not yet. The recruits. "Where are the dogs?" Someone's strained voice reassured Kael; likely an archer tired of holding the draw. Soon, they'll send patrols to search for the source of the noise. He would give them something to chase. Smirking, he whispered, "Tonio, put us down and shoot an arrow in the alley we came from." Only as Tonio helped him sit against the wall did he notice the rat-man's breathing. His chest heaved as if he had run for hours, and sweat slicked his facial hair to his face. "You good?" Els patted Tonio's back. "He needs rest." "He needs to shoot." Tonio wiped his forehead with his sleeve while the other clutched the bow on his back. He closed his left eye, forcing a slow nod that made Kael clench his fists against his thighs. "Good. Kael and Els light. Eat more." Tonio nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring to his cheek. Kael massaged his brow. Light with everything they carried? After fighting Joss? No, Tonio's posture was hunched compared to earlier, and the bow trembled in his hand. He just tried to hide it, to think about eating together around a warm fire after escaping from the beggar streets. I promise I'll make it happen. The twang of the bow brought the arrow into focus. It flew much slower than the first, straying too high. Fine. They didn't need speed or precision anymore. CRACK The arrowhead crashed into the side of the roof across from them. Rubble blasted down, moldy thatch raining down into the alley they had just left. They clanged against junk, rattling pools of filth. Instantly, someone screamed. "Move! They're coming from the other alley!" "Don't let them reach our wounded!" Amidst a flurry of clomping boots, another man commanded. Before the recruits could regroup, the wall's support vanished. Tonio slung him on his shoulder, then reached for Els. Shaking her head, she ran first, pausing only at the shine of the first arrow they had fired. It took her a heartbeat to pull it from the ground, and in the next, Tonio had already caught up with her—slower, but still faster than either Kael or Els could run on their own. Without Kael reminding him, Tonio halted at the edge of the alley. Pressed against the wall, he leaned enough for them to peek at the first street. Fewer recruits patrolled, with most investigating the alley beside Borris' shop. Some sat by the bakery's open doors, bloodstained bandages replacing armor. Only two men stood on roofs, close to the exit—so far, Kael couldn't make out more than their silhouettes. Protect our wounded... Had they turned the building into an infirmary? If so, the panicked command from earlier made sense. How should he slip out now? Another shot would further deplete Tonio's stamina, not to mention the thugs would suspect the odd pattern. Danger came from the two archers at the exit, who would spot them from afar. Their priority... Protecting the infirmary? His eyes moved from Borris' shop to the shadows beneath the rooflines. Good. He gestured for Tonio to move back into the alley. Three steps later, Els crossed her arms over her chest, panting. "No