The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 420: A Narrow Escape

Chapter 420: A Narrow Escape

A pair of feet rushed through the bushes. The worn shoes on them were splattered with mud. The burly man breathed heavily as he struggled to keep up his pace.

"Hurry up before they catch us!" shouted an old man on his back.

"I’m going as fast as I can! Do you see me taking a stroll here?" the man snapped, gritting his teeth.

"I know! But at this rate, they’ll catch us!" the old man insisted.

"D*mn it! If you keep pushing me, I swear I’ll throw you in the dungeon!" Brone, the burly man, shouted again.

"You wouldn’t dare! We’ve come too far to turn back! You need me more than you think! If you abandon me, I’ll make sure you regret it!" Derek yelled back.

Brone grunted in annoyance. They had been running for days since leaving the forest. Derek’s hands were locked around Brone’s neck while the Bargesian leader’s sole hand supported him.

Around the mage’s neck hung a pouch containing their most important possession; a small bottle of Anna’s blood.

A few days earlier, they had found a cottage deep in the forest, guided by Derek’s magic. But when they arrived, the place was empty.

Brone cursed in frustration as their last chance to capture Anna was gone. Then Derek caught a whiff of blood coming from a pile of discarded clothes. The scent was intoxicating, and he felt a strange energy coming from it.

To Derek’s amazement, the very thing he needed to regain his power and youth—Anna’s blood—was right in front of him. But as they savoured their discovery, a horn sounded in the distance, alarming them.

Brone, a seasoned Bargesian warrior, recognised it as a call to gather troops. Fearing that the knights might be closing in, he urged Derek to escape urgently. In a swift motion, they collected as much blood as possible, squeezing and pouring it into a small bottle until it was filled to the brim.

They had narrowly avoided capture the day before, thanks to a heavy rain that washed away their tracks. But with danger lurking nearby, Brone didn’t want to take any chances. In a rush, after collecting the blood, the two fled swiftly into the forest.

Just as Brone suspected, an urgent sound of horseshoes echoed through the forest as they fled. They quickly hid in the bushes, watching as Eric and Garin rode past, hurrying toward the other end of the path.

Their narrow escape came just in time; had the knights not been focused on their destination, Brone and Derek would have been caught.

Once out of the forest, they searched for a safe place to hide. It didn’t take long for them to realise three mysterious figures were following them. These strangers, with their peculiar attire and agile movements, seemed to track Brone and Derek effortlessly, no matter how they tried to evade them.

The Bargesians had ventured deep into a dense, bushy area with towering trees, approaching Galicia’s settlement. They thought they would be safe after crossing the border, but they were mistaken. The three figures continued to close in.

Brone felt a sense of dread. Whoever these pursuers were, he knew that being caught would not end well.

"Are they still following us?" Derek asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"They surely are!" Brone replied, urgency in his voice.

"Why can’t you shake them off?" the mage snapped in frustration.

"Derek! Shut up!" the Bargesian leader shouted back.

Derek growled, annoyed. He needed to think of a way out. His main goal was to find a secure spot to wait for the right moment to perform the ritual that would grant them the power they desperately needed.

Then, Brone heard the sound of running water nearby, and an idea struck him. "Let’s go this way!" he said, pointing.

"Where are we going?" Derek asked, confused, as the Bargesian leader started heading back the way they had come.

"Why are you turning back? Are you trying to get us killed?" the mage yelled.

"Keep your mouth shut if you don’t understand! If you want to live, you need to trust my instincts!" Brone retorted.

With no other choice, Derek clung tightly to Brone’s back as they rushed down a new path. The sound of water grew louder as they approached the riverbank.

When they reached the edge, they found themselves overlooking a turbulent river that surged forward with relentless force, churning and frothing as it cascaded over rugged rocks. It was clear that the swift current was dangerous, and the depth was daunting.

Brone’s eyes brightened with hope as he saw what he suspected.

"Hang on tight! We’re going to jump!" he shouted.

"What?! Are you out of your mind? No! I don’t want to die!" Derek yelled, panic rising in his voice.

But his shout was ignored. Brone took a few steps back for momentum and rushed forward, leaping from the high ground into the river. Derek’s scream followed.

A loud splash echoed as they hit the water. The mage, losing his grip on Brone, flailed wildly, struggling to stay afloat.

"I can’t swim! Help! Help!" Derek shouted, his head bobbing up and down as he thrashed against the relentless current, gasping for air.

The current swept him away, but Brone’s strong hand caught him just in time. Instead of swimming to safety, the Bargesian leader, still holding the mage, ducked under the water. Their bodies vanished beneath the surface as the river continued to flow.

Just a few moments after, Thalgar and Vaelen rushed to the riverbank, followed closely by Saures. They halted, scanning the rushing water below.

"I’m sure he jumped in with the old man he was carrying," Vaelen reported to their leader.

"Sneaky Bargesians!" Saures spat.

"The current is strong. They might have been swept downstream. We should head that way to continue our search," Thalgar suggested.

"I agree. The Bargesian leader has only one arm and is holding his old companion. There’s no way he could swim in a different direction," Vaelen added.

Saures nodded in acknowledgement.

"Let’s go! We can’t let them escape!"

The three tribesmen then followed the riverbank, moving toward lower ground to continue their pursuit. They were determined not to let the Bargesians get away!

***

The two bodies sank deep into the river, nearing the dark riverbed. Bubbles escaped from Derek’s mouth as he struggled to breathe. Using all his strength, Brone propelled himself forward using his legs, gliding through the water while pulling the mage along with him.

They soon reached a large cave beneath the river and swam inside. Just as Derek felt he might lose consciousness, Brone pulled him to the surface. The roar of the waterfall echoed around them, and their bodies were drenched, half-submerged in water.

Brone pushed Derek onto a glistening, wet boulder as he made his way to the shore. The mage lay sprawled while the Bargesian leader sat down, catching their breaths, water dripping from their clothes. The mage coughed, panting in the cold with a shivering body.

"You fool! You almost killed me!" Derek shouted, glaring at the Bargesian leader.

"If I hadn’t thought of this, we would’ve been caught! This was the only way to shake them off our trail!" Brone shot back.

During their escape, Brone heard the sound of the nearby waterfall. When he reached the riverbank and spotted it, he seized the opportunity to escape from their pursuers. With the enemy closing in fast, he jumped into the river without hesitation.

His plan had worked; they had temporarily evaded the tribesmen, who had headed in the opposite direction. Derek’s chest heaved as panic and alarm drained his energy. Having exhausted his mana, he felt fatigue setting in. After their attempt to kidnap Anna, they had been on the run without a chance to rest.

Brone’s eyes scanned the darkness of the cave behind the waterfall. A shadowy path led deeper into the cave, and with his keen hearing, he picked up the sounds of small animals echoing from within.

"This leads somewhere. We need to move," the Bargesian leader said decisively.

"What... now?" Derek asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. He shook his head. "I can’t! I’m too tired!"

"Idiot! We can’t rest now! Those men are still lurking outside! Do you really want to die?" Brone snapped.

Derek looked at the Bargesian leader, breathing heavily. He thought Brone must be insane to expect an old mage, drained of power, to keep up with him.

Sighing, Brone seemed to understand the mage’s thoughts. He approached and offered his back. "Hop on."

After taking a few deep breaths, Derek relented and climbed onto Brone’s back. For now, he had to rely on this man to survive.

Brone stood and continued their journey. The path, initially illuminated by sunlight filtering through the cracks of the waterfall, grew darker as they ventured deeper. Tired and cold, Derek crouched against Brone while he walked, the darkness closing around them.

The passage was dark, wet, and tedious. The terrain was rough, and the air was damp and cool, filled with the earthy scent of moist soil and moss. The ground was uneven and slick, with smooth rocks worn down by centuries of erosion, creating puddles everywhere. Stalactites hung like icicles from the ceiling, their tips dripping with water, while stalagmites rose from the cave floor.

Brone proceeded cautiously, careful with each step on the slippery ground. One misstep could send him tumbling. Despite his caution, his movements were swift as he was an experienced Southern warrior.

When fatigue overcame him, he sat down to catch his breath, laying Derek on the ground. With no food available, they could only quench their thirst with the running water from the cave.

Derek couldn’t complain much; their harsh situation was unavoidable. The passage was long, and it took them about two days to reach the other end. Finally, they emerged from another cave, smaller than the first.

Stepping out of the dark passage, a sanctuary of sublime serenity revealed itself.

The air was crisp, rustling the leaves of nearby trees. The verdant meadow was alive with plants and clusters of berry bushes offering plump, ripe fruits. A small stream flowed from the cave, forming an oasis at the heart of the sanctuary.

"I think we’re safe now," Brone said after scanning the area. "There’s no sign of them anywhere. Therefore, we can take shelter here."

Derek nodded in agreement.

"This is a great place to rest and rejuvenate our energy."

He looked up at the sun filtering through the canopy surrounding the oasis, its light streaming down.

"It’s perfect for the ritual, too," he added.

"Great! You can proceed with it tonight, and we’ll get what we want," Brone said, his eyes brightening.

"Not yet," Derek replied. Counting on his fingers, he asked, "How long have we travelled to reach here?"

"Two days. Why? Can’t you do the ritual yet?" Brone asked.

"We must wait for the next full moon. Unfortunately, we missed one while fleeing," the mage explained.

"Cr*p! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!" Brone shouted in frustration. "If we wait for the next one, that’ll take a month from now! That’s a waste of time!"

"Be patient! Nothing good will come if we don’t perform it correctly. It’s either done properly or not at all!" Derek cautioned. "We have everything we need except for the right timing, so you’ll just have to bear with it for now."

"D*mn!" Brone kicked the ground with his worn boots, frustration mounting. Seeing his anger, the mage tried to soothe him.

"Use this time to recover, and I promise I’ll help you grow back the hand you lost, stronger than before."

Brone fixed him with a serious gaze.

"You better not be lying, old man, because I’m getting tired of this!" he sneered.

"You have my word!"