Chapter two; Peter's Journey, Escape.
Into the night Peter ran with his minutes old son clutched tightly to his chest. Westcliff wasn't the sort of place that was easier to sneak around in at night, as the citizens tended to be just as active during the day as they are at night. The Arena had just gotten out and the crowd was gathering in the town center to discuss the brutal proceedings they had just witnessed, as well as to complain about the contender's controversial demise. Peter knew the only way to escape was through that crowd. He also knew that if he tried then he would be caught and forced to give up his baby boy. It was horrifying, the thought that even if his closest friends discovered what his son was, a descendant of Heroic blood, then they wouldn't waste a second to burn the baby alive and force him to watch.
Then, like a gift from above, the distraction he was looking for. Mayor Wilson descended the Arena stairs and was greeted by a mob of angry fans.
"Everyone saw that assassin kill the competitor Wilson! You can't cover it up! You screwed us Wilson," the mob shouted their curses at Wilson, but the Mayor merely smiled and waved as if they were chanting his name in praise, which is probably what he was hearing in his head.
This was Peter's chance, while everyone was secretly thinking about murdering Mayor Wilson, no one was going to think about murdering his son! Peter slid baby Michael under his jacket and slowly slipped his way through the crowd, envisioning the open road that was just a few feet away.
"Peter! Peter my boy, the man of the hour," Mayor Wilson exclaimed enthusiastically above the crowd. Peter was frozen in his tracks as the eyes of the town fell on him. The guards cleared a safe path for Mayor Wilson to approach the trembling man. Peter had to think quickly, or this entire ordeal would be for nothing. Standing next to the bread stand, Peter made his only choice available to him and hid him away among the loaves of bread.
"Peter! So good to see you. Tell me, has your little gift from that lovely wife of yours arrived yet?" The Jolly Mayor Wilson asked.
It took a moment for Peter to even register the words in his mind and responded, "Yes, yes he has," he said in a shaky voice.
"He you say? So you have a baby boy, well splendid. Where is the lad?" Wilson asked, "Oh I do hope you haven't decided on a godfather just yet, I would simply be honored to hold the title. After all I would rather like to be closer to the greatest blacksmith Westcliff has ever known, perhaps I could even get a slight family discount when my Arena runs low on weaponry," Everything Wilson said was spoken so quickly that Peter could barely muster a coherent answer under all the pressure.
"Yes, yes of course...I mean, err, he isn't here," was all Peter could think of.
"Oh so he's still at home with his mother, how heartwarming. I shall pay her a visit at once," Mayor Wilson said in passing, turning towards Peter's home with his elite guards in toe.
Peter wanted to stop him, he wanted to with every fiber of his being. However if he did, then Michael would surely be discovered and his life would come to an abrupt end. Then again, if Wilson was allowed to find his wife without the baby and a murdered doctor on the floor, then Joanne would surely suffer the same fate. It was either his wife, or his son. One will live and one will die.
"Mayor Wilson," It took every ounce of strength for Peter to utter those two words. The Mayor turned around with a quizzical smile.
"Yes Peter?" he replied.
A deathly silence fell over the entire town as Peter searched for the right words to say.
"Send my wife my love," a pale faced Peter spoke solemnly.
The Mayor nodded and went on his way, allowing Peter to pick up his son once more and head for the road out of town, escaping forever the town of Westcliff. Tears marked the path he chose.