Chapter 400: 400

He watched in growing alarm as the guards began to close in. Chief, having reached a dead-end alleyway, was surrounded. Three guards, their faces grim and determined, blocked his escape. One of them raised a hand, and a shimmering net of magical energy materialized, ready to ensnare the fleeing ratman. Rattan’s heart pounded in his chest. He had to do something.

Without thinking, he darted out of the shadows, letting out a high-pitched squeak that drew the attention of both Chief and the guards. “This way!” he yelled, pointing to a narrow opening between two buildings, a passage barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through.

The guards, momentarily distracted by Rattan’s sudden appearance, hesitated. It was just the opening Chief needed. With a powerful roar, he charged forward, smashing into the guard holding the energy net. The magical construct dissipated, and Chief, using his momentum, pushed past the stunned guard, creating a narrow gap.

Rattan, already halfway through the narrow passage, urged Chief on. “Hurry!” he cried, squeezing further into the tight space. Chief, despite his size, managed to force his way through, scraping his shoulders against the rough brick walls. The guards, realizing their quarry was escaping, gave chase, but the narrow passage slowed them down considerably.

However, some of the guards, seeing themselves being held back by the narrow passage, took a different approach. They vaulted over walls, their magically enhanced strength allowing them to easily scale the buildings, gaining access to the rooftops. From their elevated position, they had a clear view of the two ratmen fleeing across the rooftops. The lead guard, a stern-faced captain with a distinctive scar across his cheek, pointed towards Chief and Rattan. “There they are! Cut them off!”

Rattan and Chief burst out into a small, secluded courtyard, thinking they had finally escaped. But as they prepared to leap over a low wall, Rattan noticed the captain and two other guards landing gracefully on the rooftop overlooking the courtyard. They were trapped.

Panic flared in Rattan’s chest, the black robe he wore did well to hide his figure. He looked at Chief, who was also looking up at the guards with a grim expression. There was nowhere left to run. But just as the captain raised his hand to cast another restraining spell, a strange sensation washed over Rattan. It was as if a cold wind swept through his mind, a foreign presence asserting itself within him. His vision blurred for a moment. For the captain and other guards, a thick swirling mist erupted from seemingly nowhere, completely obscuring the courtyard and the surrounding rooftops. The captain and the other guards on the roof gasped in surprise, their vision completely blocked.

The mist wasn’t natural; it was too dense, too sudden, too localized. It clung to the courtyard like a shroud, refusing to dissipate. It was as if the very air itself had thickened, becoming an impenetrable barrier.

Rattan was taken back seeing the guards frozen in place with a yellow glow on their eyes. Taking advantage of this sudden and unexpected situation, Rattan grabbed Chief’s arm. “Come on!” he yelled, pulling him towards a hidden door in the back of the courtyard.

Rattan, panting heavily, pointed to a low wall. “Over there! It leads to the backstreets!”

Chief, still breathing hard from the exertion, nodded gratefully. He vaulted over the wall with ease, landing gracefully on the other side. Rattan, using a small crate as a boost, managed to clamber over as well. They then made their way through the backstreets, using Rattan’s knowledge of the city’s hidden pathways to evade any further pursuit. Eventually, they arrived back at the barn, exhausted but safe. Rattan quickly ushered Chief into his small dwelling, closing the door behind them and leaning against it, his breath coming in ragged gasps. They had escaped, for now.

Back to the present, Phantom deep inside Rattan’s core felt the pulse of energy sent out from the mage tower looking for them. He was shielding Rattan so he won’t be found.

He wasn’t shield Chief but somehow the ratman hasn’t been found yet, Phantom could draw some conclusion on why that is so looking at the etheral spider hanging around the ratman.

Taking his attention from real world, Phantom set his gaze at Rattan core where he is residing. It might have been his action of ddefiance against the empire and mages but the seal was quickly crumbling away.

Phantom knew that within a few days, perhaps even sooner, the situation would drastically change. Until then, he would remain hidden, an unseen observer. The flames of ambition flickering within Chief were certainly a sight he anticipated with keen interest.

Rattan, oblivious to the entity residing within him and the magical search sweeping the city, turned his attention from the sleeping Chief to the strange steam-powered technology scattered around the small dwelling. He was fascinated by the intricate workings of these devices. He instinctively understood that they represented a source of strength for his people, a symbol of ingenuity and resilience in the face of oppression. A sense of pride, unfamiliar yet powerful, swelled within him.

He reached out towards a gauntlet, a heavy piece of metal adorned with pipes, gears, and valves. It took all his strength to lift it, the weight surprising him. The gauntlet felt cold and metallic in his small, calloused hands. He turned it over, examining the intricate details. He could see small scorch marks and dents on its surface, evidence of its use in battle.

“Where should he begin to learn from?” he muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper. He moved to the side, placing the gauntlet on a rickety wooden crate. He circled the device, his eyes scanning every pipe, every valve, every gear. He had no formal training, no understanding of the complex mechanics at play. But he was driven by an insatiable curiosity, a burning desire to understand the secrets of this technology.

The day passed with Rattan making little progress in understanding the intricacies of the steam tech. He spent hours turning the gauntlet over in his hands, tracing the lines of its intricate design, but the complex mechanics remained a mystery. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep, still clutching the heavy gauntlet.

The next morning, the sunlight streamed through the cracks in the barn walls, rousing Rattan without the need for a waking call. He rose stiffly, his small body aching from the previous day’s exertions and the uncomfortable position in which he had slept. He headed out of the barn to begin his daily chores: cleaning the excrement from the Lord’s mount’s carriage carrier, feeding the beast, and, if the creature was in a particularly foul mood, giving it a reluctant bath. After that unpleasant task, he would make his way to the kitchen, where a meager breakfast would be handed to him.

Lately, Rattan had been sharing his breakfast with the wounded Chief. Initially, he had noticed that Chief, even while seemingly unconscious, would resist the food Rattan tried to feed him. It was a subtle resistance, a tightening of his jaw or a turning of his head, but it was clear that Chief’s body was rejecting the nourishment. However, that resistance had quickly vanished after Chief first tasted the food Rattan offered. A faint smile had touched his lips, a sign of unexpected pleasure.

That smile had become Rattan’s only tangible proof that Chief was healing, that he was slowly returning to consciousness. It was a small thing, but it gave Rattan hope. Today, his routine was the same. He finished his chores, collected his breakfast – a small portion of gruel and a piece of stale bread – and returned to the barn. He sat beside Chief, carefully offering him small bites. The familiar smile appeared on Chief’s face after the first taste, reassuring Rattan that he was on the mend.

After feeding Chief, Rattan’s gaze returned to the gauntlet resting on the crate. He stared at it with intense focus, his brow furrowed in concentration, trying to decipher its inner workings. He was so absorbed in his contemplation that he didn’t hear Chief stir.

“Are you interested in learning?” a deep voice rumbled from behind him.

Rattan whirled around in a panic, his heart leaping into his throat. He stumbled back, nearly tripping over a loose piece of wood. His fear quickly subsided, however, as he saw Chief sitting up on the bed, a warm smile gracing his features. Chief was awake.

Rattan stared, speechless for a moment. He had grown so accustomed to seeing Chief lying still and unresponsive that the sight of him awake and alert was almost jarring. A wide grin spread across his face. “Chief! You’re awake!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with relief.

Chief chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that echoed through the small barn. “Indeed,” he said, his voice still a bit rough from disuse. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly as he put weight on his injured leg. “And it seems I have you to thank for my… hospitality.” He gestured around the small dwelling with a nod of his head.

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