April Rosevolt
"You're too tense. Relax. This is your city, act like it is. Everything will be fine. If not... leave that to me if this fails," Touya said, pulling her aside carefully for guidance. April looked up at the therian and released a deep sigh, soothing her nerves. On their journey to gate she failed to realize how tightly she had begun squeezing his arm. Finding his words appeasing, April straightened her posture and continued walking towards the gate.
“You’re right,” she nodded, composing herself amicably.
She led their approach staunchly, not stopping to falter even as the guards stepped forwards to intercept them. Any traffic which passed through the gates required identity checks, but namely, it was vital to have an identification card. April was bargaining on hope. Generally the guards were more lenient to those exiting the city, unless you were transporting goods and supplies. Unfortunately it seemed that security had been stepped up a notch since the murders last night, anyone fleeing would be subject to particular scrutiny.
“What terrible timing,” April hissed under her breath
Sensing Touya beside her, April averted her eyes to his face. The therian had noticed the obvious dilemma as he now wore a anxious expression. "I'll draw their attention. I'll meet you on the other side, I promise you," he whispered.
April narrowed her eyes at him perceptibly, anticipating what his words entailed. “We’ll meet beyond the suburbs. Head to the outskirts of the main road. Don’t get caught, whatever you do,” she cautioned unnecessarily. Watching him take off the hat, Touya’s wrist blades ripped through the sleeves of his jacket as the therian unveiled his identity. In seconds his strong arms arrested her shoulders before thrusting her forwards in a deliberate act of terror. Playing along, April screamed, carrying her high pitched voice across the gate’s court. The reaction was instant.
"Therian! It's one of those damned faceless! Stop him! He's going to kill civilians!"
Shouting filled gate area as widespread panic broke out across flocks of pedestrians. Substituting himself for a villain, Touya smirked and congregated his magic. Dispelled from his palm, the blast shot out and rocketed into a merchant’s carriage. The vehicle shuddered, teetering on the edge of its wheels before Touya’s arcane powers combusted. Wood and bits of shredded vegetable exploded outwards, spraying the clearing with light debris. Spotting the danger, people ran away from the therian as the city guards closed. Over a dozen in number, they still hesitated before the therian, fearful of his power. What could batons and swords do to stop that kind of magic?
April observed the proceedings for as long as she could before Damea bolted in the opposite direction. Passing by, the mercenary dragged her along the arm, urging April to escape with him.
"Damn fool," he snarled, admonishing the therian’s reckless behavior once more.
Damea twisted through the mass of desperate to escape civilians. Adjusting her focus to concentrate on fleeing, April turned away as she started sprinting. “He certainly puts on a flashy show,” she commented, yelling to be heard over the general chaos.
April felt a bump to the side that threw the soldier off balance. Falling sideward, she landed on top of her left shoulder and winced as her bones impacted with the hard stone. With little time to recover, April rolled as a few people passed over her, avoiding their trampling feet. She pushed upwards, lifting herself back on her feet and quickly made her way to the archway. Separated from Damea midst the confusion, April resolved to reach the towns beyond the west wall first. Logically, if they were to reunite anywhere, it would be outside the premises of the city’s security.
Going with the crowd, it took relatively little time and effort before she was on the other side of the gate. Freed of the confines of the court, the density of people dispersed and April took the opportunity to glance back into the city. Praying to see Touya had escaped, the therian was indeed nowhere to be seen. Oddly, a swarm of curious onlookers had gathered on the other side, wondering what the uproar was about. They lingered along the main road, some peeping in an attempt to investigate, whilst a cue of carriages and caravans had ground to a halt by the events.
She slipped past and spotted Damea nervously waiting for her on the pathway. “Let’s head to the outskirts, the number of city guards are only going to increase here because of Touya’s actions. Best not to test them a second time,” she said upon reaching him.