Clockwork Guard

Smack.

Xia Lun caught the cold eaves with his hands, stirring up a little dust. He tightened his core, pushed himself up, and planted a foot on the windowsill before swinging onto the roof.

"We're almost there. The Grand Library is just ahead."

Xia Lun brushed plaster dust from his coat and looked back as he encouraged the others.

He stood on a blue-gray roof ridge. The slopes on either side were steep, and a glance down them showed that the building was roughly twenty meters tall.

Below him was an ornate terrace. Tina stepped onto its railing, then leaped. Her slender waist unleashed a burst of strength, and she caught the eaves in one bound.

Xia Lun bent down and grabbed Tina's hand. Her leather glove felt supple and cold. He pulled, and she swung herself up.

"Thanks." Tina whistled and reached back to check her pack.

It was heavy with enough food and water to last four days. She had also brought her Little White Flower. The white jasmine poked out through a gap in the pack, swaying gently in the wind.

Xia Lun understood. If everything went smoothly, Tina and Abby would have no need to return to the Shelter, so it was only natural for Tina to bring something she treasured.

Behind Tina came Abby, the young Nun. Compared with Xia Lun and Tina's agility, her movements were awkward.

Abby breathed hard, her body stiff. She stared at Tina, plainly timid and afraid.

"Gurgle, gurgle." Renee suddenly reached out and patted Abby's hood, murmuring encouragement.

Abby instinctively hunched like a cat with its fur standing on end. When she realized Renee was encouraging her, she looked faintly put off, but gradually calmed down.

Looking down at her black leather shoes, she felt her way forward step