The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Thirty Steps

Read chapter 48 of The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] by Adamus_Auguste on NovelPedia.

Chapter 48: The Thirty Steps Slung over Tonio's shoulder like a burlap bag, Kael craned his neck toward the doorway. Slowly, Els pulled the edge of the sheet aside, revealing blood trickling from dozens of dog corpses down the grooves of the pavement. The stench of rot and death clogged his nose, but his eyes were on the last of Silma's men. The man strode over pieces of torn limbs, vanishing through the broken door of the tannery. Commands erupted from the windows, broken by screams of rage and pain. No one left on the street. Roofs were empty, too. "Now." The moment Kael pushed Tonio's back, the rat-man stormed out. Each stomp rammed Tonio's shoulder against his stomach. Bile scratched his throat. Watching Joss dangle under Tonio's armpit made the nausea worse. He muffled a gag with both hands, refusing to groan, to let even a single sound out. Els hurried close behind, blankets and machetes pressed against her chest, basket knocking against her side. She didn't groan either, and he couldn't tell whether she grimaced from pain or the terror of being discovered. He shared both. And a nasty headache added to the weakness in his limbs. But he shook his head as if to drive the pain away. For thirty steps, he scowled at the roofs as if an archer would emerge, bow drawn, arrow aimed at their backs. But no whistle disturbed the clangs of metal from the tannery, even as Tonio leapt over the junk fence Kael had built at the entrance of the alley. Els squeezed behind them, made it to the middle of the alley, then folded. She gripped her knees. Sweat trickled down her forehead, pattering onto sludge and piss. "A-are we f-far enough?" Her ragged breath broke her question. "Should be." Kael eyed the blankets covering the fence. Someone would steal them soon enough. They didn't have to retrieve them. Sighing, he slapped Tonio's arm. "Drop Joss against the wall. You know what to do." With a nod, Tonio flung Joss against cracked bricks. The corpse slid on its rear. Tonio didn't let it fall to the side. He kept it seated, ripped the blanket bandaging the wounds, and gripped the arrow embedded in its throat. With a pull, he forced it out of its mouth. Freed from the obstruction, blood poured around Joss from the wound, suggesting he had died where he sat. Tonio passed the arrow to Els, who wiped and stowed it with the other twelve between the blankets. Then, he clawed at Joss' stiff neck. "Do it on the opposite side. You know? Like a bite. Don't forget his side and the rest." Kael pointed at Joss' arms and legs. A few more scratches couldn't hurt. Soon, Tonio's nails left trenches in Joss' skin. The clean wound became an irregular mess that a dog's fangs and claws might have left, at least to Kael. Only after Els threw the broken teeth to the ground did he nod. Proofs were somewhat dealt with. Now, they had to leave the beggar streets. "Tonio, go." Unburdened by the corpse, Tonio shifted Kael's weight on his shoulder and spread his hand in front of Els. She glanced at him for a second before she approached. "Thank you, Tonio." Tonio wrapped his arm beneath her legs and cradled her against his chest. "Now, leave." While Tonio rushed forward, Kael glanced one last time at Joss. If not for this bastard... Fuck you and Morvana. Joss' corpse disappeared when Tonio rounded the corner to the second street. He barely touched the ground before freezing. Kael scowled forward, his breath catching in his throat. Garrick's recruits, the same men who had surrounded the tannery at nightfall, patrolled the street. At least, the unwounded ones did. More barred the brothel's front door, the alleys, and the entrance to the first street, while five archers glared from the roofs. "Back." Els choked on air, and Tonio lurched into the alley. Behind the wall, Els' hand trembled on her forehead. "How do we get out with so many men combing the street?" "Kill Garrick's men?" Tonio pursed his lips. Els let out a long shuddering breath. "The roofs... Five archers. Tonio'