A foreleg whipped, but a jab thwacked it off!

The older man grunted, lobbing an arm at the silhouette of the newcomer, stones cracking with a clink from her right arm!

Pandora reeled, teeth grit as she stepped back.

The other guy, Aditya, pressed forward, swiping a fist!

She was able to inch back just in time to see its shadow blur over her vision… Then caught and twisted it.

It creaked, extracting a pained groan, but he held his arm firm.

He tore free of her lock and a thrash and scuffle ensued with the men trading blows with the Marionette!

She socked, they blocked; they punched, she ducked; they kicked, she grunted.

Something flew and clinked in the dark.

Fuzzy phantoms bobbed in her vision, the faint blue of the platform being too little; the two shadows felt like they were blending together.

Her arms felt warmer, hotter. She was stepping back with each exchange.

It felt as if her teeth would crack in seconds if this kept on, but she had to bite down to gulp a wheeze.

This younger guy… His arm was awfully hard, with a near-steelesque touch—edges like talons swiped—and her right arm ached, burned.

Breaths grew ragged by the seconds.

What is with his hands?!

Every inch of the Marionette’s head felt as if they were quivering. Was it what few human veins she had roaring with life? Or was it the Planetariums mixed inextricably with her blue blood?

At some point, a break from melee resulted in all three panting, particularly the older individual.

Then, his fist came crashing… not on wilted stone skin but her left arm’s crystal growth, extracting a vicious growl!

She took this chance and plunged between them.

With an arm stretched following a dive—there it was, the girl’s arm.

Her body was… surprisingly light! Good! Or perhaps it was what they called adrenaline?

She blinked. Adrenaline?

Regardless, Pandora had managed to secure the unconscious body in seconds, hopping back and ducking down to the dark muddy waters before the men—she hoped—realized what she did.

Despite the cracked and fissured body of hers now taking on additional weight, she somehow labored to get them both out through the one gap she knew between the wooden door—now feeling far thinner somehow—as well as the ever-looming dark and the detestable muck of the harrowing current, fleeing the room and wading through the thin corridor before finally… she was out in the open with a huff, finding hope in the amber of the distant candle lights upon her return to the hall of pillars.

I should’ve… If only I had my Gear now.

She was this much closer to the hope those candles radiated… but then she turned what should’ve been northwest as she’d originally intended, having nearly bumped against the nearest pillar, heading left from the dark opening.

She understood what Ixion meant when she spoke about nearly doing the same while fleeing the cultists. Pandora felt it; as much as her brows were knotted… her feet fidgeted with each step. She peeked back at what could’ve been clawing phantoms at her wake, abominable evil seeming intent on peeking over her shoulders.

Never was she pursued this way.

I am going to kill them. Treating me like this, unforgivable.

Were they still coming after her?

She kept trudging, stomping.

How could I even flee like this…?!

Were they still after this girl?

She was barely outrunning them, wasn’t she…?

But her arms were warm with the stranger’s weight.

Good was committed this day; noblesse oblige… Yes, noblesse oblige was fulfilled.

This couldn’t be an error on her part.

Eyes dipping, she tried checking on the girl briefing; she… at least had a pulse.

She was alive. She was still alive!

But fleeing was all she could do now… with Kestrel Cave feeling bereft of God’s grace.

Her heart was lighter momentarily, but then it was harder, pounding against her chest. Battered, her visage was creased deep like paper squashed under a fist. Her new and pristine body, caked with dirt and grime—now… she held not the dignity of an elegant Lady but the desperation of a wounded beast, stumbling and stomping towards the uncertain dark.

Pandora heaved. Even for this body; it was all too much.

Now I know…

How far this body could go…

Then… a distant thud behind her. Her eyes widened. Are they still…?! …I couldn’t have delivered much hurt to either of them, but they should’ve taken more…

The blonde peeked back again, scanning for any movement for a couple seconds, trying to pick up her pace.

She’s alive… we just need to reach somewhere quick.

The path northwest sloped upwards.

With the combined weight of both their bodies however, each step felt heavier.

More thuds.

Footsteps, they had to be footsteps.

Tch. They don’tt know when to rest.

Upwards, that should be more likely to be somewhere, right?

She kept mounting up the rough path, her feet rustling… sliding more than ever before. It was a lot more muddy here. She bit her lower lip, swallowing a yelp.

Voices sounded nearby, like whispers, coilings over her ears, but they were just far enough for her to not be able to comprehend. All she could do here was balance speed and footing, as darkness welcomed her once more… and the light shrunk at her wake.

The path grew steeper.

The sound of rain felt louder. No, it wasn’t “felt,” she was sure of it as she listened, but then the whispers were drowned out, and so were the thuds.

Are they behind me or not…?

Her heart was pounding again. Well, she wasn’t sure if it was a “real” heart at this point. It somehow felt off, but this burning, this fleeing, this… humiliation; it was just like when…

“Pfffhahaha!!”

…That laughter. That time they broke out with those big, ugly laughs. They were well dressed, but they were vultures as far as she was concerned. She still remembered how she grimaced. Then there was—

Another thud.

She blinked with a jerk.

No, she had to hurry!

She climbed higher and higher, digging her heels against the mud, focusing solely on the wet and rough path.

Revenge can come later.

She tried breathing more stably, more fully, but her visage was still a fuming mess.

She was supposed to learn it all. She was supposed to be running her fingers along those pages. She was…

Pandora’s vision grew misty, wobbling as it did, replaced with the image of that glorious library—

With another blink, it was all gone.

I just wanted to do the right thing… Why does it always have to be me?!

The path grew steeper and steeper.

Underneath, wet squelches sounded with her feet. More rainwater sluiced down the path.

She looked up as the path got even harder to climb. Now she practically had to stomp. Eyes squinted, she could catch the contours of an… arch?

Her eyes had done a good job adjusting to this extent, but she knew she was pushing it now. She stumbled over to this arch, desperate to stay ahead of those knaves, but then her head bashed and she squealed, barely suppressing her voice.

Just what in the—?!

She pressed a palm before her and…

“Oh…” No…

Her heart sank.

There was a door here. No, a gate.

She moved her palm around for something—anything—hastily! Perhaps it had a switch?! Lever? Button…? But she couldn’t feel any such thing. Was it locked with a complex mechanism, or required a puzzle?!

She then perked up as…

“The Arch Gates are locked,” Trenton’s voice floated into her mind.

…She squeezed her eyes shut as her mind had caught up to the situation.

Was… this not the way to the tourist camp? Did Clarice lie…? Why?!

Her breath then stilled.

I… have to go back? Down there?

Pandora looked left and right, finding rock walls standing unapologetically. Can’t get through this gate…

She laid the girl down on the wet ground, having nowhere to hide her nor herself.

The pressure against the many crevices made her internals burn in protest up here, with her weight working doubly against her positioning so high up here… leading her to sit down beside the unconscious body.

Are they still chasing us…?

Perking her ears as best as she could, her gaze stabbed down at the wet rough path where the faint hint of candle light reached from below, but try as she might, the rain was too loud.

Instead… the sloshing of waves greeted her ears. Something… surfaced? Outside? But then something also splashed as if leaping into the water.

She sighed, shaking her head off nature’s games, gently poking the girl. She was alive, sure, but Pandora wasn’t sure if she was fine.

If they do come this way, a few minutes won’t make a difference. Maybe we can just wait them out.

Water kept sloshing outside.

Minutes passed, but there was nothing.

Are they not coming this way, after all…?

Perhaps they thought it implausible that she’d come this way?

No one can leave this place, after all. Maybe they thought it would be pointless to chase up here.

She checked on the body of the girl again, but there was nothing she could see here, nor feel with her hands. Her breathing couldn’t be heard much either, but from how the stranger’s chest moved, she probably was breathing.

They were still after her for other reasons too… I wonder… Pandora then shook her head. I don’t need to know.

But then she tapped on the girl’s clothes, checking for anything, but there was naught but a necklace around her neck.

She’s just coinless with only clothes on her…

Pandora wasn’t sure why her shoulders were bare.

Perhaps the men just couldn’t help themselves? But that couldn’t have been enough of an excuse.

They were asking this girl about something, accusing her of hiding it. Whatever it was, it had to have been valuable.

I can just ask when she is awake later, then. At least, it might be a better idea to just wait them out here if there is no immediate danger.

She leaned against the gate, relaxing with a long exhale.

And I could use some time to rest too…

***

Time passed. The girl remained unconscious. The rain continued pattering outside the Arch Gate…

Pandora’s burns had eased a little, but the cracked parts were still actively inflamed.

She at least had the time to sort her thoughts.

It’s been long enough, no way they’re coming here… but she won’t wake up.

She patted the unconscious girl.

Taking her back to Mr. Trenton would be abusing his goodwill… but Clarice gave me incorrect information and… the mine entrance—that must be where those men must’ve come from to begin with. Pandora looked down. It must’ve been traumatic; maybe it’s better to just wait for her to awaken so I can hear her out, but… the problem is she’s not awakening.

So Pandora got up, raising the body in her hands again before descending at last.

Balancing her weight against the downward slope’s fearsome pull was a challenge, especially with all the mud she couldn’t see. Given her listed weight, she knew one stumble could result in her body shattering altogether. She swallowed, biting her lower lip.

The gleam of the candle grew sparsely as she came down.

No footsteps were heard beside hers here.

Are they really gone…?

Somehow, she’d managed to reach the end of the slope with only a few cases of sliding… but not falling..

Pandora glanced down across the pillars, exhaling. Can I even cross there without being noticed?

She eyed to her left where she’d witnessed a stair before. But I’m not sure what’s there either.

The Saturn Marionette adjusted her cargo a few more times and decided to simply walk back where she came from, keeping her gaze trained on the path between the pillars while treading straight between them. I will just pass by as fast as possible and find a safer place.

A thud again.

Pandora’s centered tensed, eyes widening. Her feet fidgeted…

She groaned. Just one thing after another…

The candles grew closer.

Maybe she’s more trouble than she’s worth…