"Going through this labyrinth is a bummer." Mathias complained with a vein marked on his forehead, while dodging a rock that stood in his way, "I doubt that the slave gave us false information, even so, I don't know if we have advanced or are lost."
"I know what you mean" Anita was also in the same "I feel like we've done quite a bit, but the stalactites and stalagmites, they all seem to be the same. I feel like we've really gone around... Wait, look there!"
Anita fell silent suddenly when she could see a tunnel that contrasted with the surroundings further ahead.
"That must be the entrance to the slave area that the demihuman had told us about." Sebastian's gaze reflected true seriousness. He gripped the hilt of his Katana tighter, more than mentally prepared and ready to fight if necessary. "It doesn't look like that tunnel was formed by nature. The very shape of the tunnel, it's as if the mercenaries have formed it."
"There could be more enemies there." Nervousness took over Diana, but even so, she held the handle of her Katana quite tightly and like her brother, she was ready to fight if required.
The whole environment was full of stalactites and stalagmites, too many rocks and the natural path of the cave full of small rocks and pebbles. But, the entrance to the tunnel was different. From a distance, some lampposts were already visible floating very close to the upper one and along the tunnel. Someone had to have put them in that place.
As Sebastian had said, the area seemed to have been made by people, it was not natural.
"Everyone pay full attention and stay on full alert." Neledia brought her hands to the place where her battle axes were located, "We won't be able to avoid the mercenaries who may be inside the tunnel, there's no way to do it. So get ready to go into combat."
"But, if we take into account what the demihuman said, all the mercenaries in the area should be fighting outside." Christopher analyzed the situation and a small explosion occurred outside, "I could tell that even all of their strongest fighters are fighting outside."
"Where do you draw that conclusion?" Anita asked quite curiously.
"For the simple fact that so far we have only met that guy and his slaves." Anita's eyes seemed to have seen the truth. Christopher continued to convey his analysis "it makes too much sense, focusing the forces on the outside trying to get no one into the base could be an option, but I doubt very much that everyone is fighting, a minority should be left in here. But I don't doubt that the strongest are outside, after all, the strongest of Gignit are outside fighting, the strongest of VARANUS must stand up to them."
"Our parents will liquidate them all." Throwing a smile, Mathias showed his fangs.
"Going back to the thing that a minority must still be in," Selestia wanted to touch on a certain point again and that point was quite crucial: "Would it be up to us to find out if those who remained are strong or not?"
"It's the only thing we can do," Christopher said, "but we won't necessarily have to figure it out ourselves, after all, there will be reinforcements and while we continue with our part, they would fight against them."
"Unbelievable." Diana's face reflected real stupefaction, she was truly surprised. Everyone's conversation was something of another level "how is it that they are able to analyze the possibilities in that way?, they even thought of things that I would never have thought of no matter how hard I tried."
"When you are an adventurer, you will be capable of all this" Sebastian was able to identify the reason behind Diana's surprised face "now just focus on what is to come, don't think about anything else."
Diana looked away from her brother and nodded, "Yes, Sebastian."
And just at that moment, everyone entered inside the dimly lit tunnel.
The team was more than ready and mentally prepared to face anything that could happen.
…
It was incredible that underground there was a place like the one currently present, it was a large area, quite similar to a dome or a dome where a huge number of people could fit without problems.
Looking from one side to the other, a total of five people were stationed guarding what was a large stone entrance, on the other side a pile of cells was visible where all the slaves were obviously located.
All of them blindfolded, bound and gagged so that they would not emit the slightest sound.
Suddenly, from inside the slave area, a woman who was still dressing came running. She could barely fasten the breastplate that she placed in her breast area. He grabbed some daggers tightly and ran into the tunnel.
"I think she's that woman who likes to make demihumans suffer so much," one commented, watching her walk away.
"Yes," replied another, "she is the one who takes a strange pleasure in torturing demihumans and pulling out their fangs and all their teeth. I have come to feel some pity for his victims."
"Even she has come out, that means outside, the battle has intensified," another of them mentioned as another earthquake hit the place, "according to what I have been told, the Gignit heavyweights are causing a real uproar, they have already caused many casualties."
"IT CAN'T BE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THOSE TEN?" exclaimed with total surprise another who apparently knew what all of them were capable of, his voice alone reflected fear "wait, don't tell me that those two are also fighting".
"Apparently so," replied another, "The Woman of Cold Darkness, Valentina, seems to have come personally to liquidate us all and she alone has already killed many of ours."
"Then, Alexander Hope should there too..."
"No," replied another, "only the Woman of the Cold Darkness is seen, although there are surely sightings of Alexander Hope at any moment."
"That's too bad," he complained again as his other companions sighed with a lot of stress, "and they're making this whole mess for slaves? Who the hell cares about a bunch of slaves? Even less if those slaves are mere demi-humans and beastmen, why don't they just go back to their city and everyone is happy?"
"Don't be stupid," added a dark-haired man with short hair and an intimidating look approaching them. "Many of the villagers of Gignit have been captured and kidnapped these days. Obviously they have come to liquidate all VARANUS."
The sword he had in his hand he placed behind him, sheathing it and sighing quite heavily, "and with what I have said, I am leaving this place, I do not intend to die in the hands of anyone. I still have too many things I want to do and too many prostitutes to sleep with."
"DO YOU PLAN TO ABANDON VARANUS?" shouted the first of all who had spoken and looked very indignant: "DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT VARANUS' RULES ARE?"
"I see that your judgment is totally impaired, yes you've been brainwashed," the intimidating man looked straight into the other's eyes, "it's obvious that Gignit's army has strategies and countermeasures for anything we throw at them. They have surely planned this for several days."
The man walked towards the one who had turned against him and looked at him in a very bad way "don't think that all this is a simple attack, no, this is an extermination." The other man swallowed, "and in the meantime, what about us? We have only dedicated ourselves to looking for some prey to capture and turn him into a slave."
The intimidating man spat aside, offending him in the process, "use your head, stupid dog. VARANUS will disappear tonight, we can do nothing against an organized army. Also, do you think that the five of them could do something if they get to this area? I give you a vision of the future, everyone here will die."
The intimidating man seemed to laugh the moment he said those words, but it was not like that, everyone began to think because every word said was a truth. "They will all be liquidated without any effort, none will be left alive. So, if you want to live, just escape while you can, forget about VARANUS..."
Everyone in the place swallowed, after everything this man had just said was not far from reality, they just needed to analyze the situation a bit, no one was aware until recently that VARANUS was being attacked.
The man turned and prepared to leave, "I don't like any of you, but I really hope you all get out of this situation alive and meet again."
One by one, the guards diverted their gaze to meet that of their companions, they looked at each other and everywhere "I... I don't want to die yet."
"Let's get out of this place."
"Too bad I can't take any of those slaves."
"In fact, I've always wanted to escape from this place," while others kept running away, and getting lost in the darkness of the cave.
But, because of the lighting so far along the tunnel, none of them could see that, during their escape, they had stepped on the slit body of the mercenary whom they loved so much to torture demihumans.
-Ahhh-
They were the last thing that could be heard until some dismembered and decapitated bodies were thrown back into the light, and precisely the first was a dark-skinned man who surely when he was alive looked extremely intimidating, being followed by the others who only seconds ago were following him.
"We were very lucky," the first to speak was Neledia, whose axes were dripping the blood of those enemies – apparently these mercenaries were not very aware of their surroundings and that's why they didn't see us coming."
"It still feels fatiguing to kill a person..." Anita commented, looking at her snake whip sword soaked with some blood that was still spilling a few drops "but well, there is no other way."
"When it's all over I promise to take you to the free city of Caedra" Mathias caressed his beloved's shoulders "we will go to rest by the sea, I know you will like it."
"I still don't get used to the feeling" Christopher sighed and, at that moment, his eyes widened the moment he felt an indescribable headache, brutal, it was so painful to the point that he believed that at any moment his forehead would open and everything inside him would fall from there.
He closed his eyes tightly and strange hallucinations clouded his judgment:
"This was the best night"
"Also for me"
"You know how to do it to me the way I like it"
"It's that you provoke all these emotions in me"
"That's why I love you so much!
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"Do you want to go to the beach with everyone tomorrow?"
"Yes! And I want you to play with me, but then I also want to go shopping."
"Obviously, we can't waste this holiday."
"It's a shame that in PARAGUAY we don't have beaches"
Christopher had to put both hands to his head holding it so that according to his thinking it would not fall, "what's wrong with me? The pain is too much, I can't take it anymore." His friends noticed the young lord's suffering and quickly came to his aid, wanting to know what was happening to him.
"What's wrong with you Christopher?" the first to go for him was Selestia, trying to get him to look her in the eyes but nothing, Christopher's were tightly closed trying to cope better with the pain.
"CHRISTOPHER REACTS" Sebastian looked really worried.
"CHRISTOPHER!" Diana also looked worried.
"FRIEND TELL US WHAT HAPPENS" Mathias joined them.
"Christopher, please react," Anita said, helping Selestia.
"Don't hold him, give him space so he can writhe, don't stop him" Neledia, much more experienced, gave the best of orders because suddenly, Christopher began to writhe in the purest state of pain.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Christopher even hurt just thinking. Christopher spun on the ground and continued to squirm "what is all this that I'm seeing? What is that place? Why is it so familiar to me? What is a PARAGUAY?"
"Today we will all go to the beach"
"I plan to meet all the beautiful ladies on the beach"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Y friend, we are in U.S.A. even if you know how to speak English? Otherwise, the beautiful young ladies won't understand you."
"Obviously, I've studied a lot and I've learned it"
"Wait, what? When you've learned it, you're a wretch, I thought Christopher was our only translator."
"I don't care what you do or who you take to your rooms, just get all those BITCH away from my Christopher."
"Don't say that."
"I also want to try all the drinks they sell at that restaurant."
"Beverage competition?"
"I bet $100 that I can drink more than you"
"I accept it"
Now Christopher's nose began to bleed, not in spurts, but the outward circulation didn't seem to stop anytime soon.
"Christopher BROTHER! Tell me right now where it hurts?" Selestia did look desperate: "Don't tell me... Did one of those guys launch a magical attack on you that left you in this state? Show me your wound, I'll give you treatment right now."
"I doubt very much that it was any attack," Neledia looked from head to toe at the young Lord, "I felt absolutely nothing to do with magical attacks, not even the slightest sign of magical energy other than our own, nor did I hear anyone near the place reciting any magic spell."
But, just as that indescribable pain came and lashed Christopher's integrity, he left as if nothing had happened.
Not even he himself understood what happened.
"Huh."
He said to himself, looking around, noticing his situation and position lying on the ground. He looked at his friends, looking from left to right, and could see the worried faces of all of them, "What, I fell to the ground," he said, implying that he had not been aware of their actions at all times.
"Is that the first thing you say?" Selestia was really upset, her very look and reactions made clear the concern at the same time the anger she was going through. But it was a look he only puts on when it comes to a member of his family: "What the hell was that? Tell me right now."
"I don't know," Christopher replied taking a breath of air, "I just had a headache and had some weird hallucinations, but nothing major!
"So strange that they caused you to turn on the floor in pain?" Sebastian also looked extremely worried.
"It seems so," Christopher replied again, "but, I think we should go back to it."
"Do you feel good?" said Diana with somewhat crystallized eyes, as if not to care about the person she likes so much, "you really don't know why that has happened to you? Do you need to rest?"
"I really don't know," he replied again, "I've had some strange hallucinations, but this is the first time I've gotten to this point."
"And when did you plan to tell me about those ailments?" Selestia was losing patience.
"Selestia, please, this is not the place or the time for this" Christopher's look serious because he wanted to continue with the mission.
"How do you feel now? Can you get up?" Mathias shook hands with him along with Sebastian.
"In fact, yes," he said, standing up as if nothing had happened, to everyone's surprise, "it's as if everything I just lived has not happened, I don't feel any pain."
"No, you're not going to continue." Selestia and Christopher clashed serious looks.
Christopher focused his gaze on the sister, she noticed a look full of annoyance that quickly softened.
He would never, ever look down on his sister, "Don't worry, I swear, Selestia, I don't feel any pain, and this happens to me very rarely, so Neledia, please, let's continue with the mission."
He clenched his fist "pretend none of this has happened and let's get on with our business."
"Are you sure?" the werewolf asked.
"Yes."
"Don't talk nonsense, CHRISTOPHER" Selestia looked really irritated and refused to let her brother continue participating in this mission, things could get complicated "don't you realize that you can have something much more serious?"
"Selestia please surrender." Selestia heard Sebastian's voice and she turned to him with a look of surprise and somewhat irritated. Sebastian continued with his words "you know well that there is no point, no matter how much we ask him, he will simply continue with the mission without following the advice we give him."
"Are you telling me to ignore MY brother?" Selestia cut the air with her cold gaze "he may be serious and..."
"Selestia, don't worry about me, I really feel excellent, now the only thing I want is to rescue ours, don't take away my opportunity."
Selestia gritted her teeth with some rage, nodding "if it happens again, I'll take you home myself."
She truly loves her brother.
"It's decided, we'll ignore what happened just now, I assume Christopher is in perfect condition, so we'll pretend nothing has happened." Neledia pointed towards all the doors.
There were many, too many "apparently we are the first to arrive, that could indicate that the other teams must be fighting to be able to advance, so we will continue with the plan and free everyone from this place."
They looked at the many doors across the width of this place, they had a lot of work to do and little time.
"I will stand guard while you check the place, work in a group of two to speed up the procedure." Neledia pointed at all the cells and the others proceeded to comply with the orders.
"Yes, ma'am."
In this way, the work teams were formed and were as follows: Selestia with Sebastián, Anita with Mathias and finally Diana with Christopher.
They all went to the cells and their expressions turned to one of total uneasiness and so much sorrow that they did not fit inside.
Each of them was in the same way and they all went to different cells. The problem was that no matter what cells they went to, all the residents were in the same situations.
Gagged, bound hand and foot.
Covered in dirt and bruises.
Others were handcuffed to the wall naked showing their intimacies, something truly shameful and humiliating, some of those slaves were noticed as blood was falling from the area of their privacy, they were probably still virgins until someone stole their important purity.
Others were hanging from the ceiling suffering much discomfort and pain, imprisoned in cages with hopeless eyes and marked by large dark circles.
Something that each and every one of them had in common was their auras that only conveyed misery and unhappiness.
"This is horrible." Instinctively, Diana sought some protection from the person she was in love with. So he hugged Christopher's left arm who, with a blank stare, was observing the sad way these people have been spending their days:
Bleeding out, perhaps hungry, cold and thirsty.
Sleeping on the hard floor and that only those who from a certain point of view were free.
What would happen to those who were handcuffed or bound? Did they at least eat?
It was so humiliating for the poor slaves that they even had to defecate inside their cells, in full view of everyone.
"Why do my people have to go through this?"
Christopher's eyes threatened to destroy everything in their path when a drop of tears relieved the stress of them as he fell to the ground.
What I saw was too heartbreaking, who knows what hardships these people have gone through.
In each cell there were a variety of races: human, semi-human among the others.
"Why are there such bad people in KOSMOS? They care so much about gold that they are able to sell to others just to line their pockets."
Diana didn't know what to say, she had no idea what the fuck to answer, and she wasn't even in the mood to talk, but she had to be strong and face this cruel reality.
She swallowed hard looking at a woman who may be her own age, she was just like her, she was a teenager! And said teenager was beaten, dirty, with some bruises adorning her face and slightly swollen lips.
And worst of all, drops of blood fell from the area of her all-important virgin flower.
Drops of blood fell from the ends of her eyebrows from time to time, apparently she was beaten and it seemed to be something recent "I could have ended up like this."
Diana remembered that difficult struggle she had together with Mathias, if it weren't for Christopher who came to help them and for that monstrous beast that had appeared, maybe she would be in the same conditions right now.
She took a step back, trying to position herself behind Christopher, who finally woke up from his trance. He looked at Diana somewhat scared, he had to calm her down because no matter how strange it seemed he could intuit her thoughts.
"I'm here, Diana and I'll never let you end up that way, as long as you're close to me none of this will happen to you... I promise you."
Sweet Diana looked at him, smiling at him with a lot of happiness reflected in the twinkle of her eyes nodding at him.
"Come on," Christopher called "let's save all these people, that's what we've come for, right?"
Diana nodded and now much calmer, at least she got rid of those ugly feelings about what would happen if she had been captured.
"Is it open?" asked Diana, knocking on the door of the cell.
"No," Christopher replied, "and we don't have time either, look." Christopher pointed to his right, just towards the others and in that way Diana could appreciate the precise moment where everyone else simply broke down the entrance and then entered the place "we have no choice but to break down the gate, so do you want to do the honors?"
Diana readied her Katana and bent her knees "leave it to me, Christopher."
In that way he took a step forward taking an attack position, the katana on his left side.
His knees bent, left hand holding the guard and the right above the hilt. His senses were sharpened and:
"Draw quickly, swift slash."
In this way he drew the sword already in the direction of the cell, at full speed, made a cut and again drew it.
The action lasted almost a single second, someone inexperienced would not have seen anything.
"For a moment I had forgotten that you are also very good with the sword..." It was not the time for praise or anything, but when someone deserved it they had to do it.
The bars began to fall and the sound of them crashing against the ground alerted all the slaves who as best they could backed away and even began to cry, knowing that when that cell was opened it only meant endless torture and suffering.
That teenager Diana had been seeing was shedding tears which seeped through the bandages and fell to the floor. Diana reached out and touched her, trying to calm her down.
The young girl began to tremble, her very body shuddering with fear and despair. Finally it was her turn, it was time to say goodbye to all desire to be saved "n-no, I don't want more" her tears made evident all the suffering she had gone through, losing all hope.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you." A soft and beautiful voice entered her ears, it did not denote malice like all the people who had previously addressed her "I came to save you, you will be free".
Even the woman who seemed to own the voice, with the tone of it, could be of the same age as her "we won't hurt you, you can trust in a moment we'll get you all out of this prison." Although the voice did not denote bad intentions it was very difficult to believe, after all, she was a slave and instead that person would surely have done the same "today you will be free, trust me."
Here that woman stopped backing away, the endless stream of tears falling from her blindfolded eyes stopped instantly, she tried to focus her attention on that voice "you... M-are you going to free me...?" the young girl said it in a very low voice.
Even so, Diana could hear her "that's right, to you and to everyone, so let me take those blindfolds off, don't be afraid, I swear I won't do anything bad to you." Very careful not to touch any wounds she might have on her head, Diana got rid of those dirty bandages that obstructed this young girl's view of the world.
With some fear she opened her eyes very slowly, the first and only thing she saw was a young girl like her, very pretty who smiled kindly at her. "From this moment on, you are a free person, please come with us."
It was impossible for her to hold back her tears, the girl began to cry bitterly. So much suffering seemed to be coming to an end.
Meanwhile, Christopher did the same with the others "please stay still" he said while trying to free a person from the moorings he had in his hand "we won't do anything to you, but cooperate with me, we don't have much time."
People looked at each other, they could not recognize each other by sight, but the voices did know them.
"Listen to me," Christopher called very seriously, "we are from Gignit... 2 There was another relatively strong tremor which alerted the people "at this moment a great battle is taking place around and within this base, all in order to liberate all of you."
"Are they going to release us?"
"Can we be free?"
"That's right, you will all be free. I promise you, I only ask you to cooperate with us, in a matter of minutes a much larger group will come here and they will be able to escort you outside. I only ask them to follow every indication they give them."