As Cairo disappeared into the smoke, Rina’s urge to chase him forged an everlasting anvil of fear hanging off her back. Her knees ached to push off the rooftops and chase after him, but Mooks gripped his teeth around her ankle, forcing her to stick to the plan.

“Rina! The Plan!” Yelped Mooks, his teeth digging through the linen in her pants.

Rina cocked her head away, her hair smacking Mooks in the face and loosening his devastating bite. “Fine!” She yelled back at him, her heart pounding with feelings she couldn’t grasp on to.

Mooks barked at her again, quietly this time, then jumped off the roof with the hopes of his paw pads softening the jump. A dull vibration shot through his legs as he landed, and he dashed into a thick cloud of dust ahead of him, sneezing and wheezing.

Rina swallowed her torment down her droughted chambers, braced her lungs, and galloped into the smoke with a flow of majestic water guiding her path.

Quickly, she raced through the countless people running and screaming around the courtyard, which only worsened her sense of direction. Around a half-broken carriage, a random guard appeared out of nowhere within a moment's notice, his armor glistening under the sunlight. Close to his torso, he caulked his arm and lunged a spear directed towards her heart with a swift maneuver.

Rina felt the rush of blood cascading through her—the small bottle of water on her hip began shaking—turning every fiber of her being into a clear, water-like silhouette. The spear passed through her like a knife cutting butter, and she let the water flow from the tips of her fingers onto the guard, submerging him in a large cube of pressured liquid.

The water rushed down his throat faster than a waterfall, and just as he was beginning to fall into the darkness of his mind, Rina whiplashed him against the building, saving his life, while simultaneously breaking his left wrist and inducing a mild concussion.

Although she could turn her body into any form of water, and her control over it was immensely astonishing, even the tiniest slip-up could cause a devastating mistake. Right now, she was lucky to come out unscathed. Her eyes were lucky enough to be blessed with perfect vision, and she knew that quite well, using it to her advantage. For a second too late, and that spear would have stabbed her heart in an instant.

Brushing that aside, Rina dashed past the massive crater below her and arrived just in time for Tesla to lead Jackals away from the prisoners. The two men fighting disappeared into the dust around her, and her fingers cut through the ropes that tied Kalvin and Paris together, as Mooks took pride in chewing through Oscar’s.

“Rina?” Kalvin coughed, smoke reddening his sight. The cobblestone below him peeled a partial layer of skin off his knees, and his coughing only seemed to worsen as the wind carried the smoke into his face.

Paris didn’t want to look at Rina; admitting she was not only saved by her, but falsely accusing her of running away and stealing as well, wasn’t something she cared to admit to. However, she mumbled an apology beneath her breath that only Mooks could hear, and hid her mix of frustration and relief beneath her tasteless tongue.

Rina‘s face grimmed within the smoke, her lips drawing a thin line of remorse she wasn’t fond of. The sweat dripping down her temples splashed across her palms as she helped Kalvin up, and her eyes remained locked onto the ground, guiding her slow, careful steps.

Mooks gave Paris a piggyback ride, and Oscar booked it out of the scene before anyone even realized he was gone. Tesla submerged through the smoke like the shadow he was, walking out with a bruised cheek and a small laceration on his left shoulder.

Sylvester had his cloak wrapped around his face and head, limping towards Rina as the sound of the explosion continued ringing through his tiny ears. His head was spinning and groggy, but his steps kept their composure within the smoke.

“Let’s go!” Coughed Tesla, tears of pain and smoke running down his cheeks. “Back to the inn!”

Rina gritted her teeth, shut her eyes, and continued marching forward—her face as plain and dull as Cairo’s, who was nowhere to be seen.

...

Inside the inn, Sylvester unraveled his hood and gathered everyone around his oval table. Kalvin, Paris, and Oscar were properly fed, bringing some life to their pale faces once more.

For a few solid moments of silence, no one dared to speak. No words were escaping through anyone’s lips, and a few screams were still being heard in the far distance of the courtyard through the open window.

Sylvester unraveled his cloak, coughed up a few specks of dust that were lodged in his throat, and curled his mustache with the tip of his finger. His glare met Kalvin’s, but his voice directed itself to everyone around him, “How are you all feeling?”

“Like shit.” Answered Paris, her knees as red and patchy as a tomato. Her outfit was torn to shreds, as was her voice and honor. “I just need some coffee…”

Oscar borrowed a few bandages from Sylvester, wrapping it around his scuffed wrists with a few manly grunts, “Been through worse…” He paused for a moment, trying to hide the pain in his throat, “Guess I owe ya…”

Rina remained distant in the corner. Her heart aching, eyes still watering from the smoke. She refrained from saying a single word to anyone, keeping her stress strolling through Mooks’s fur. It was the only way for her to calm herself. She knew the plan better than anyone else, and even though her body could accept it, her heart could not.

Sylvester began striding back and forth around the table, silently laughing to himself, “Cairo’s vengeance acted just as I predicted. Now that he’s in the hands of the king, most of the guards are going to be preoccupied with the mess in the town.” He stopped, turning towards the table, “And now that my little explosion confirmed the wearabouts to the catacombs, no one will interfere with my plan for the jewel. It is finally time to initiate part two of the operation. Commence the beginning of the end!” He shouted, slammin two fingers against the table to emphasize his thrill for action.

Kalvin crossed his arms, his wound aching with every breath, “Care to explain the situation? I thought there was something strange about you.”

“Please, please,” Sylvester gestured innocently, “No need to start a commotion. Allow me to explain. You see—”

“Rina,” Kalvin cut him off. “Can we trust him? This situation is odd.”

Rina looked up, continuing to pet Mooks, breathing shallow, rapid breaths. “I hope so.”