Keeper of Life - NaPoWrMo Entry

The small group at the head rushed in, her horn glowing but she made the mistake of moving into the crowd. It took a frightened glance of another guard and she spun, to late. Fangs sunk into her neck, the figure rolled and shifted. A yell, “That one!” A stream of guards set off toward a dashing figure who only moved faster now that he was being chased.

Coal panted heavily as they wove through the alley. “Down,” Fang said and they ducked behind a small shed.

“This way!” a voice called and they rushed past the alley. A figure paused and looked into the darkness that the encroaching twilight caused. He made a stifled cry as his body crumpled and was pulled in.

A guard called back, “See something?”

“They went down there, go, I'll flank them!” Fang said and darted into the alley ditching his cover. “Too close,” he said and looked to Coal. 'What next?' he seemed to ask.

The truth was she didn't know. The night was creeping among them, and nothing was to plan. How could she have been so foolish. If she didn't pause for just that second they could have already broken through the glade. They could have moved with the guardians, even a simple diversion would have given her enough time...

A distraction.

All she needed to do was escape the district, yet she still didn't know the security around The Tree. They had to try. At this rate it was only a matter of time, and after the moon sunk over the horizon The Tree would being to gain strength once again, her window would be gone. Sadly it had come to this, but she had no other options. They were still frantically looking for them but outside that chaos their boarder continued to close. She knew the guards were moving up their gates, their boundries, and knew it was only a matter of time until this alley was searched, or the next home. They could wait until the guards entered a house and take them out, but what would happen if they didn't return, or didn't return with the same numbers? It was useless, she watched as they scanned their own ranks, as every time they gathered together again a detector was there waiting. They needed something big, something that would draw the guards out, an event that made them all think they had won.

“We're going to create a diversion,” she said. “Come, to the edge.”

They moved silently up the street, through the houses and out windows. She kept her eyes to the sky as pegasi with golden armor scanned the ground. They kept their distance from the checkpoints. Each overlapping with the rest, each secured against their attack. There was no taking all of them, even if they tried it would be a matter of seconds before the rest of the guard was on them. Their little stunt had spared her a few seconds, but nothing more. Already guards spread out from the attack's epicenter. Only their inexperience allowed her and her underlings to live. If they had been real guards or sandwalkers she would have been dead long ago.

Her breath was pulled in suddenly when a scouting party passed them and halted. She held her hoof up and they pulled themselves against a wall. There was no way to hide here, if they decided to look around they were caught. They changed their color to match the stone behind them and made ready to fight, a fight that would be their last. Her memories traced lines like a maze mapping out possible escape routes, but nothing came out clear. There were no more crowds to hide in, this was the area no one was supposed to be in, this was kill on contact. Her lungs screamed, her legs wanted to run but Scar had trained her better then that. She had been trained when to trust instinct and when to fight it.

“Matriarch Valor,” the lead Guardian said dipping her head. Coal's heart spiked up, then back down. She could rush out and make the kill now, but then it would all be over. They would be swarmed and lucky to draw another breath. 'Hold still,' Coal told herself. 'Valor,' Coal ran the name in her head. It had taken all the resolve she had not to leap out now and kill her.

“The lockdown is going as you planned, we had an incident and we've narrowed our search. We believe we know where they are,” she said.

“You don't,” Valor corrected. “Make no changes, they are slippery, they could be among you now, have you checked your own?” Surprise and fear lit up in her eyes.

“Uh no, I...”

“You don't know do you? Don't make assumptions, don't narrow the window. You close it as planned, back to your posts, now!” she ordered. They all complied.

Coal waited, the matriarch was alone, their backs to her. She made to move when the wind carried a trailing noise. She looked up to catch the departing figure of a pegasi and when she looked back Valor was gone. 'Better this way, stick to the plan Coal,” she told herself.

The box was closing further, already they needed to double back three times, and each time came closer to the mass of corralled District Two citizens. Each guarded heavily, more so now, and each was systematically scanned. The crowds were starting to dissipate, and their box was getting narrower by the second.

The barricade leapfrogged forward as an order was given. A wall of guards advanced down the line, and she heard, “Street clear!” to her right. They had closed another street, which left three.

Her heart ran again, they had made no progress, and it was now or never. They hid inside a building, five houses down from those that were being searched, five houses down from the edge of their box. It had been her turn to underestimate them. What they lacked in experience they made up in numbers and as the box closed they only closed together and sped up the process. Why didn't she make a move when she had the chance, why had she been so stupid? A curse slipped from her lips. 'Stick to the plan Coal,' she told herself.

“Fang, take this,” she said unstrapping the steel tube. “They want me right? The two of us will create a diversion while you escape, get to The Tree somehow, and kill it. They shouldn't know our numbers, lay as lo-”

“No lady,” he said cutting her off.

“I'm giving you an order Brother Fang,” she said using rank.

“And I'm rejecting it Lady,” he said. She gritted her teeth.

“What else would you have us do!” she yelled then held her breath. Now was not the time to lose her nerve or temper.

Fang twisted his neck, seemed to grow, and shifted his scales. He took her appearance, slightly shorter, but he could pass. “This will serve well enough,” he said in her voice and pushed the tube back to her. “You have served us well Lady, now allow us to serve you.”

The silence hung as she tried to swallow, as she tried to hold back tears. No, she had to be strong, for them. “Go,” she ordered, “and do us proud.”

As the door opened a faux Coal turned with a surprised look. The mass of guards stopped, stuck in the confusion of Valor's orders when finally a voice filled the air.

“You two, after her!” Warrant Fire ordered picking two from each search party. “You three, flank left. You...”

Her voice faded as Coal left from the back and crept along the darkness, her chest burned as her heart died.