“What we do now echoes in eternity.”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Ven entered the depths of the vessel. The foul odor of human waste assaulted his senses, a clotted reak that nestled in his throat. Vendak weaved his way through the carnage he had wrought, the smell of death preferable to the tainted stench that filled the ship.

I guess I should clean up a bit, I doubt they want to wade through the dead to get topside.

He shoved aside the bodies in his way. The bloodstained corridor he left behind made it hard to appreciate his efforts. He hadn't cleaned the ship, but when the slaves climbed topside, they wouldn't be greeted by the dead, just the reminder of them.

Ven approached the large reinforced door, which segregated the slave sections from the regular crew quarters. He'd already smashed it off its hinges as he searched for any stray crew. Past the door was a vast area filled with living ghosts. Their pencil-thin necks were wrapped in heavy collars, emaciated limbs chained to the floor.

There were five levels in the slave hold, all packed to the seams with beast people. The smell of long-dead flesh and uncleaned defecation wormed into his nose. A snort forced its way free, a vain attempt to clear the stench.

There must be thousands of them on board, especially if every deck below this has the same number."

They came in all ages and genders, but most were youths, barely grown. Huddled together on the ground, their terrified faces shone back at him, highlighted in the dim light that followed him into the hold. An ocean of people surrounded by their own filth.

They look like I'm going to eat them...

Covered from head to toe in blood, with a heavy mist of shadow that flickered around him, Ven imagined he was not a welcoming sight.

I'm going to go with they're just at a loss for words... No one likes seeing people ripped in half.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Maybe he should have been a bit more subtle, but he focused on efficiency. Ven had not warned anyone before he finished off the crew, with zero communication between himself and the slaves.

He scanned the crowd, and found only two beings that failed to flinch away from his gaze. A pair of cat-eared humanoids, a man and a woman, stood tall among the beast people that cowered around them.

They had identical black coats, and several scars trailed across their bodies, like white rivers in the jungle of their fur. The man was missing an eye, and most of his tail, while the woman had a makeshift bandage wrapped around her head. Her ears, clipped short, like the frostbitten strays of earth, were tilted back, and she had one arm suspended in a dirty sling.

They returned his gaze with determined looks of their own. Together, the pair faced their 'enemy,' and showed no fear of death. Finally someone with spirit! If destined to die here, they would do so while they stood, something Vendak understood.

Ven approached the pair, who stayed on their feet. They maintained a brave front, although their tails twitched rapidly, puffed up to double the size. They spoke, but Ven interrupted them with a wave.

Yeah, I don't understand them either, this language barrier is going to be annoying.

He reached out to the stationary beast-kin, used all the fine control he could muster, and gently gripped the rune-covered collars on their necks. Ven gave the surprisingly durable metal a deliberate squeeze and separated the rings.

As the twisted collars fell to the floor, the two cat-kin blinked at Ven, until the woman said something in yet another unknown tongue and bowed.

Probably saying thank you or something... Ven nodded in reply to the words and tossed her a large key ring.

It was the only set of keys he'd found, tied to the waist of an oversized man, and Ven hoped it contained the keys for the many chains and slave collars. Vendak pointed at the woman, then motioned to the slaves around them, and she seemed to understand.

She gave another bow, then hurried to free those around them. The man was about to help, but Vendak stopped him, and pulled the cat-kin out of the hold. He practically dragged the fellow to the upper deck. When they reached the open air, the man seemed to get emotional, and stopped to take in the smell of the sea.

The sunrise played across his face and turned the tears that had sprouted there into orange jewels. They fell into the backdrop of his black fur, and twinned trails of light dropped onto the deck below. Sorry buddy, but there are a bunch of dying people up here, and this body isn't suited to keeping people alive. Ven prodded the beast-kin until the man focused.

Vendak led the way to the injured slaves he had placed on the deck. As soon as the cat-kin laid eyes on the group of injured beast-kin, he rushed into their midst and checked their injuries. After he'd inspected most of them, he returned to Ven, said something, and pointed towards the lower hold.

Ven gave the man a shrug and waved him towards the doorway. Ven followed the cat-kin into the slave hold, and soon encountered the first slaves that moved to the upper deck. The woman had already freed many, who had assisted in her task. Most of those in the first layer had already removed their shackles.

The cat-kin man weaved through the crowd, and called out as he searched the many faces within the hold. Vendak held back, as the freed slaves tended to shy away from him. He didn't want to ruffle the feathers of these newly freed slaves.

Here he comes, I wonder why he grabbed that old man? Maybe a doctor?

The man said more gibberish to Vendak, then hauled the dog-kin away toward the surface. About to follow, Ven stopped when the cat woman appeared.

She spoke while her hands waved, a finger pointed into the depths of the hold. Vendak tilted his head at her and gave the woman a thumbs up, one which left her momentarily slack-jawed.

It looks like I broke her, maybe if I start walking she'll reboot...