Rain sprinted through the alleyways of Bouville, his boots slamming into and through murcky puddles.
His shoulder was bleeding, a hit from a crossbow bolt- not deep enough to kill him instantly-nevertheless, it hurt and bled like an open faucet .
The vial still in hand, warm, flickering and fragile.
If it shattered- all would have been for nothing.
He turned sharply, vaulting over a stack of crates hitting the ground running.
A shadow flickered above- city guards
A whistle then cut the air
Rain dove, stumbling through trash- the bolt wistled past- hitting the wall infront- missing his neck by inches.
They meant business; he might not see the end of today.
It was supposed to be a simple pick and disappear.
unnoticed, untraceble- someone might have ratted him out- maybe Tessa, or Jord?!
"No it wouldn't be Jord, it wouldn't !"
Rain muttered in anger and disbelief.
The city guards were hot on his heels- if they catch him, it would be his end, after all he is a nobody; a street rat, nobody would bat an eye if he were killed on a normal day; not to mention now that he put his sticky fingers where they shouldn't have.
Rain slid beneath the archway, came up aganist the wall gasping.
The vial flickered within his fist- the liquid inside churning, barely restrained.
This was his only chance at awakening.
If he managed to shake his pusuerer's.
"Come on," he muttered "Almost there."
Just two streets down, through the wall in butcher's wall, past the gate and he'll be in the slums- there he could basicaly vanish- they wouldn't find him, at least for days.
His muscles were burning, groaning under the strain he put them.
A glance back, his pursuers were still far behind, he could see them- their torches flickering.
At a distance, but still lethal.
A few more turns and he was there- the slums; his domain.
Rain let out a sigh of relief, he was almost safe, almost.
The hideout was oddly quiet, his intuition was ringing in his head, warning him of impending doom.
He went in nevertheless, his muscles were screaming, he had to catch a breath.
The place was empty, his collegues still outside, scattered- all plans had gone to hell once they were discovered.
A few minutes later, Tessa walked in.
Rain tucked his rustic knife in his waist band.
"Where is Jord?" He asked, Tess who was closing in.
"I lost him in the chaos." She replied, out of breath, "You actually got it!"
"Lemme see.."
Still apprehensive, Rain stretched out his cupped fist, showing the glowing vial.
"This will end all our problems Tess, just a sip and we will awaken."
Their eyes shone, admiring the vial, to think something so small and miniscule could dictate life or death.
To rats such as them, in a world that ephasized on power, awakening was their light, at the end of the tunnel.
"Arrgh" a yelp of pain escaped Rain's mouth a knife lodged between his ribs.
At a distance, Tess smiled holding the vial in her hands.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You would've done the same."
Rain's chest tightened. "We planned this together." he then rasped in pain.
"I need it, Rain. You were never meant to get it." Tessa said, a sinister smile unveiling across her face, " I'm just looking out for myself, why not get the most out of this."
Apparently, she was the one who sold them out, got a silver for it and now the vial is in her hands.
Talk about playing both sides.
"Why? It's enough for all of us, me ,you ,Jord!" Rain asked still in disbelief.
He noticed something, the moment he mentioned Jord, Tessa flinched.
"He's dead isn't he?"
Silence
That confirmed it, his vision blurred, turning red from the rage he felt.
His next actions couldn't be explained:
He sprung,his hand still clutching his ribs- took his knife from his waist aiming to stab Tessa through the neck- who shifted at the last instant, dodging the lethal blow, ending with a deep gash across he shoulder.
She flinched, that was all Rain needed.
Grabbing the hand holding the vial, he tackled her to the floor.
They wrestled, the knife got knocked off Rain's hand, too far for him to reach it.
His body was giving out, he would pass out soon, he knew it... that would be a death sentence.
Tessa wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
Gathering all his strength, Rain twisted, unfurling from Tessa's grip, he came face to face with he neck- there was no hesitation- he dove in like a rabid beast and tore through Tessa's neck.
A few moments of twitching and it was all over.
With his chin covered with blood and pieces of flesh, Rain uncorked the vial and downed its contents in one motion.
The reaction was immediate.
The world tilted.Burned. Shattered.
The trashing,,twitching of limbs...the screams ...oh the screams: primal and untamed.
Muscles under Rain's skin twisted and coiled ...like an unwinding serpent.
He thrashed like a fish on a butcher's block, limbs jerking, wild and uncoordinated... like some macabre ritualistic dance.
Mucky ichor —thick, foul, and bubbling—gushed from every orifice: nose, mouth, ears, even weeping from his eyes like spoiled alchemical runoff.
The screams stopped ...no sound coming out...his vocal chords worn out and useless.
The visceral and macabre dance of Rain's organs still continued- the arcana had taken hold.