Restart Again: Volume 1 by Adam Scott (pocket ebook reader TXT) 📕

We stepped out onto a small stone porch overlooking a lake. Rain was pouring down around us, draining off the sides of the roof hard enough to splash up onto my boots. After having climbed for what seemed like forever, I was surprised to see we were at ground level. The easily recognizable city wall of Yoria stretched off in both directions, connected to the guard tower behind us. With the storm clouds covering the night sky I could barely see twenty feet down the wall before it faded into hazy darkness.

“I know that lake!” Lia said excitedly. “If we’re at Alott Lake, we’re still two or three hours from home, but I know how to get there!” She moved to take off down the stairs to the well rutted dirt road below, pulling me by the hand.

I resisted, albeit weakly. “Is there any way we can get there without using the main road?” I pointed backwards over my shoulder. “Those men might have cleared the floor for a while, but someone will inevitably go down and find them dead, and us missing.”

She stopped for a moment. “Well, we could work our way through the trees for a while.” Lia pointed off into the black night, at some unseen thicket. “The forest thins out before we get to my house, so at that point, I’m not sure what we’ll do.” Her eyes flashed with concern. “Do you think we can make it back?”

Smiling, I nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t get us this far just to fail now.” I hoped that my bravado seemed genuine to her because in truth I felt as though I could pass out at any minute. The combination of the blood loss, physical overexertion due to adrenaline, and extreme mana usage had sapped me beyond my normal limits. I carefully took a step down to her level and nodded towards the darkness. “Lead the way.”

Lia nodded and pulled me out into the rain. My cloak provided some respite, keeping me mostly dry and comfortably warm, but the wind was whipping the water angrily into our faces, quickly numbing my nose and cheeks. We trudged through thick, sinking mud for a while as we followed a dirt offshoot towards the forest. The effort required was quite taxing on me, and by the time we finally broke the treeline I was panting again.

We continued deeper into the trees for a while, enjoying the light cover from wind and rain the leaves above us provided. I was impressed at Lia bravely leading me forward into the total darkness of night without any hesitation. Having finally escaped the hell that was the dungeon and its occupants she had perked up a bit, perhaps finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. I’m leaving the rest in your hands, Lia. I’ve got nothing left to give you tonight. Or for a while after this, I imagine.

Eventually, at some unseen junction, Lia turned and led me off the worn path into the brush. Our pace slowed considerably now having to carefully step over roots and through the undergrowth. She never seemed to trip or lose her footing as we traveled, and on multiple occasions warned me, “Watch out for this root,” or “Big rock coming up.” I’ve really underestimated her at every turn. Just because she’s a pretty girl I’ve been assuming she’s needed my help the entire time I’ve known her.

As I followed behind her, stumbling clumsily through the trees, the thought lingered in my mind. The entire time I’ve known her...For as well as I feel like I know her, I only just met her a day ago. Is that right? I reviewed my memories since she was first brought down to the cells. So much had happened in such a short period of time that I felt like our time together had been weeks, not hours. Time has a funny habit of never working the way it’s supposed to.

From somewhere through the trees a distant bell began to ring. It chimed quickly and without rhythm, clearly too fast to be marking the hour. I guess I’m a fugitive now. Lia didn’t outwardly react to the sound, but I felt her hand grip mine a little harder, and her pace quickened. I had trouble keeping up with the new speed, but I didn’t complain as I continued to stumble on through the darkness in pained silence.

The hand Lia was leading me with began to tremble as we walked on through the forest. Garbed in a simple wool dress, she had quickly become soaked when we first stepped out into the rain, and although we had some cover from the downpour now, the wind was still blowing aggressively. “Lia,” I croaked out hoarsely, throat raw from my raspy panting. Over the wind and rain, she didn’t seem to hear me. I tugged softly on her hand. “Lia.”

She stopped and turned to me, her face set with determination. As soon as she saw me, though, worry washed over it. “Oh, Lux, you look so pale. Are you okay? Do you need to stop?”

The question unsettled me. “Do I look...that bad? I’m feeling...better than ever.” The grin I forced felt unconvincing, even to me. “You should...take my cloak. It’ll warm you up.”

Lia shook her head. “I can’t do that. You need it more than I do.”

“I think the rain...will do me some good. Besides...I’m relying on you...to get me out of here. I need you at...one hundred percent.” Without waiting for her to accept, I slipped my scabbard from my back and shrugged the cloak off. I draped the hood over her head, and she begrudgingly put it on. The cloak ended near my calves when I wore it, but on Lia it was long enough to brush the ground behind her.

A few moments after putting on the cloak, Lia’s face changed to one of wonder mixed with a small bit of confusion. “It’s so warm!”