Breakout 2 (Surabi)

Surabi

“She’s loose! The monster has escaped!”

Thus concluded the stealth and subterfuge portion of her plans. Surabi had to think fast, or be impaled.

So, she ran him down. The guard seemed to have not thought this part through, expecting someone else to back him up in time. Fortunately for Surabi, he was all alone, and the moment he realized this, he tried to run. With her longer strides she caught him easily in one hand, and simply flung the screaming thing as far away as possible, allowing the ground to finish him off.

Myo clutched her hair tightly, clearly frightened, but he kept himself together for the time being. So long as he didn’t scream, it didn’t much matter if he was scared.

Now that they were much closer to the center of camp, Surabi took a moment to survey the damage. The fire continued to rage on. All around the barracks were men carrying buckets of water, but none could get close enough to the blaze to put it out. Instead, they wheezed and clutched their throats in desperation. Others tried to carry them to safety, but the would-be rescuers fell too after a few breaths.

No fire had warmed Surabi this deeply before. It worked just as she had intended.

The flammable oils had combined perfectly with the toxic plants, releasing enough volatile fumes to cripple the camp's defenses. As expected, they’d drawn up barrels of water to put out the fire, but none still standing were willing to risk getting close enough to the twice deadly conflagration to use any of it. Now, that water was all hers for the taking, and there weren’t enough guards left to stand in her way.

I am no monster you tiny fools; I am a chemist.

If only her professor could see how perfectly the volatiles performed. Surabi made a note to herself to try and find more of those plants out in the desert, just in case.

“Now Myo, when I say so, you must hold your breath for as long as possible.”

“Why?”

Surabi turned to him and grinned. “Trust me, you don’t want to breathe in the fumes.”

Then she ran straight for the water. She didn’t think the poison would reach her and Myo at this distance, but she would take no chances with their freedom so close at hand.

“Now Myo!” She didn’t turn to look, but trusted him to do as he was told.

It seemed the whole of the camp had turned out to watch their enforcer’s homes burn. Most eyes were locked on the fire, but the flames had made her plainly visible, and apparently the sight of a huge, busty woman running at full tilt through the camp was a bit more interesting than arson.

“What the fuck-”

“Did you see that?”

“Where the hell did-”

“Heavenly Yao!”

Surabi ignored them, nothing would break her stride. So long as they only threw words, and not spears, they were welcome to look. Anyone in her way would be crushed without remorse. Most had the awareness to run out of her way, except for one fool that tried to flee in the same direction she was charging. She kicked his legs out from under him, and didn’t look back to see if he survived. She didn’t care.

She threw her stolen spear at the well, scaring off the remaining males.

She skidded to a stop just before the well, kicking up salty soil in front of her like a speeding plow. Myo gasped, and she worried that he had inhaled the fumes, but he was fine. That was apparently just as long as he could hold his breath.

We’ll work on that later.

She swung him around to her front, and lifted the second sling from her back. She hefted a barrel, and sloshed it around to ensure it was full. Satisfied, she placed it in the sling, and slung it over her back, careful not to hurt Myo in the process.

“I need backup over here!”

“Surabi!” Myo yelled just behind her ears.

“Almost done!” She gritted, fumbling with her straps. The weight distribution was less than ideal, but it would have to do. At the last second, she snatched up a second barrel under her arm, and bolted.

There was only one direction she was sure they’d never follow her. And so, she ran, deeper and deeper, into the endless salt flats.

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"Saved by the Giantess Alchemist" has taken a backseat to Chemical Control Lately, but I do intend to come back to it at some point, once I'm done with my more popular story.