POV Alexa

Walking through the market was a young woman, on her back she had her newborn child. Normally she would be smiling and enjoying her time she gets to spend with her child, but today was different. In fact, it's been all changing and getting worse over the last couple of months. She arrived to a small stand that would usually be filled with vegetables and fruits but just like last time, it was low in stock.

"Morning auntie, you wouldn't happen to have anything left would you?" Alexa asked, her face turning gloomy when she noticed hardly anything was left.

The face of the auntie behind the stand got a little happy seeing her favorite customer. "Alexa my dear, unfortunately the garrison has come and picked me clean early in the morning. The rest was already bought by the servants of the nobles." She said.

Before Alexa was ready to say her farewells and leave with an empty bag home again. The auntie pulled out a small bag of vegetables behind her stand. Being handed the small amount of food made Alexa gasp and cry a little.

"Auntie I can't possibly take this! I don't even have enough to buy this." Alexa said, pushing the bag back to the auntie.

"Oh hush child! Think about your family, besides, I have to repay you for that time you took care of me and my husband when we were sick. I'm giving you a big discount for it, two copper coins for everything." Auntie said, raising two withered fingers up and a smile.

All Alexa could do was cry and give the auntie the money, this lockdown had made her husband who is a local adventurer hardly get any work. They've been skipping meals sometimes just to get through these tough times.

"Now go home, and take care of your family. Keep Daryl inside your home, don't have him trying to pretend to be a hero. Once this capital is under siege, all hell will break loose and us common folk will pay the biggest price while the high folk are protected. I hear that the demon army the bastard prince has, was given to him through some dark ritual. They don't feel pain and are the stuff of nightmares." Said the auntie.

Alexa didn't know how to react but to feel frightened. "T-thank you auntie, you be safe too and have a nice day." She said, walking towards her home.

Once she got home she started preparing a vegetable soup to eat for later, a couple of hours passed by and the front door to her home opened up.

"Alexa! Where are you Alexa!?" Daryl yelled from the living room.

Alexa just walked up to her idiot husband and once she saw him, she pulled on his ear.

"Ow ow ow! What's that for!?" Daryl asked, wincing in pain.

"Stephen is asleep, are you trying to wake him up and the entire neighborhood!? Where have you been anyways? I've already made dinner and it's getting cold." Alexa said, she pulled harder the more she talked.

"Honey please, I was out working all day. I have auugh!...Something important to say." Daryl said, hearing that he was going to say something, Alexa just let him go.

Daryl just rubbed his ear until he felt better, he then followed his wife into the kitchen and sat down to eat.

"Dinner? How did you manage to get all these things? You didn't sell yourself in the red light district did you!?" Daryl asked, his face turning grim at the end as he looked at his beautiful wife.

Alexa just turned red and gave her husband a smack in the back of his head. "No you idiot! If anyone is selling themselves in the red light district, it's going to be you. I got the food from the kind auntie from the food stand in the market. She was very generous to save me some things and for a cheap price." She said.

Daryl just smiled confirming that his dark thoughts weren't true. "ok ok but I have to tell you some really good news." He said, chowing down the food in front of him. "You know about how the kingdom has been saying that the bastard prince has been destroying and killing everyone in the counties he has captured? And that he's this evil demon?"

"Yeah, that he's been turning everyone into slaves and doing dark rituals to make himself stronger?" Alexa said.

Daryl put aside his plate and raised his hand in excitement. "It's all a lie! Today Mark, who's been to those territories has brought information that it's actually the opposite. The bastard prince has turned those places into a paradise. The best part, is that their are no nobles in power, better living conditions, and plenty of food!" Daryl said, his wife was just looking at him with a lot of doubt. "I was talking to the guys today, and they are planning to escape out of the capital tomorrow, and I want us to leave too."

"Daryl, what if you're wrong? What if it's all just a lie?" Alexa asked, She had a face full of hesitation.

Daryl leaned closer to his wife and held her hands as he looked at her with a somber expression. "I've been conscripted, the adventurers guild is forcing us all to help with the coming siege. I don't want to leave you and my son alone if I die. This is our only chance to a better life. If we just stay here, we will just starve or die in the siege. Please, I'm doing this so our son can have a better future, so WE can have a better future for our next one as well." He said, as he stroked his wife's growing belly.

Alexa tried to say something, but deep down she knew that what her husband was saying was the truth. Who knew when they would have their next meal, or if her husband would come back alive. Escaping to another kingdom was even more treacherous, anything could happen to them on the long journey. Shedding a couple of tears she resolved herself and agreed to the plan.

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The very next day, after the sun had fallen. Dark silhouettes could be seen walking cautiously through the alleyways. What consisted of this group was adventurers and their loved ones. The one leading the group was this tall skinny rough looking man. His name was Mark, and he was the one who told everyone about what he saw in the enemy territories. Altough Mark looked unapproachable, he was someone that Daryl had known since his childhood.

"Mark, how far until we arrive at the spot?" Asked Daryl in a hushed tone.

"Relax kid we're not that far. I'll make sure to bring you and your family to better pastures soon. I promised your father that I would take care of you after he died." Mark said, looking around for more guard patrols.

After the small exchange of words they kept moving until they arrived in an alleyway with a single door in the middle. Mark approached the door, he did some combination of knocking on the door. After a bit of silence, the door opened up and Mark lead the group inside.

Once inside, everyone noticed that they weren't the only ones that were trying to get out of the capital. Rows of people with their families laid against the walls of an empty living room. Past that was a doorless room that had a large dug up hole in the middle of it.

"Mark, you finally made it. Is this the last group of the night?" A bald heavy built man approached Mark and asked.

Something about this man just gave Alexa a bad feeling, as if she was in front of a thug. She didn't voice her thoughts and just remained behind her husband.

"Yeah, we can head out now. How many guys do we have?" Mark asked.

The bald man just smiled. "We have more than enough. We don't want to be late. Everyone, line up in an orderly line and follow my men's instructions. We're going to head down through the sewers so keep up." He then saw that many were carrying newborns and children. "Make sure the brats don't make a sound, otherwise you'll alert the guards."

Daryl didn't understand why they had to worry about patrols. The capital soldiers have locked off all sewer entrances, and have not made any patrols inside for a while.

One by one the people went down a crude ladder that was made and followed the smugglers through the sewer tunnels. They had to cover their noses and mouths with cloths due to the stink, but they were motivated to keep going.

Daryl approached Mark and tapped his shoulder. "Mark, I've been down here before for quests and the way we are going is confusing me. Do your friends not know the way or?" He asked, concerned that it was taking so long to take the tunnels towards the outer walls.

"Don't worry, we had to make a different route since the usual ones had been already blocked off." Mark said, being a little annoyed at Daryl.

His explanation was enough for Daryl to understand and went back to his family. He didn't realize that after he left, Mark had a mischievous grin on his face.

After two hours of walking, some people were getting impatient and started to voice their concerns. The smugglers got irritated but held on until they all arrived in a large domed room that had four tunnel entrances. Once they entered, Alexa and her husband started feeling terrible. As if they were having all their strength sapped away from their bodies.

Daryl turned around and noticed that everyone except the smugglers were feeling the same way. Some even fell on their knees. He had a bad premonition, he turned to Mark for answers and saw that he had an evil smile on his face.

"Mark, what's going on? I think we need to get out of here. Please help my wife!" Daryl said, as he saw Alexa falling on her knees.

Mark just walked slowly while still smiling. "Don't worry, I'll help her alright." He said, while licking his lips.

He then kicked Daryl to the ground, seeing the confusion on his face only made his smile grow wider.

"What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" Daryl said, too weak to get up.

"You still don't get it? This is a trap, and now you are going to be sold off as slaves." Mark stated. He then looked at Alexa. "Before I sell your family though, I'm going to have a taste of your wife. She's too good for an idiot like yourself, I think I'll make her my pet."

Mark cackled after seeing the horror and anger on Daryls face. He was then reprimanded by the bald man to hurry up and tie the rest of the people.

Daryl could just stare in despair as everyone including his family were being tied up. He then looked up in the ceiling and noticed some runes humming with power. How did he not notice it before, he could only blame himself for this.

"Hey you two! go to the base entrance and ask why the hell their taking so long to get here!" The bald man ordered to two of the smugglers.

Usually the people on guard would have noticed the activation of the runes and send some people to help with the clean up. He was staring at the two grunts walking to a dark tunnel entrance, but before they disappeared into the shadows. Two large monstrous hands appeared from the dark tunnel and grabbed the two men by their heads.

"What the fuck!" The bald man gasped in horror.

Just when he was done with his words, the hands clasped on the men. Heads ruptured like watermelons, as the room was silenced with the drop of the corpses. The smugglers started panicking when out of all the tunnel entrances, these humanoid monsters walked out. Outnumbering them by three times their numbers.

One smuggler opened his mouth to talk but had his intestines ripped out of him by the long sword fingers of the monsters. Once the mutant human killed the smuggler, it started feeling the effects of the room and its movements turned sluggish.

The bald man saw this and had an idea. "Get to the middle of the room, the runes are affecting these monsters too. Once they attack, they will be easy to handle."

The mutant humans walked slowly towards the smugglers in the middle. Mark saw this and went on the offensive with his sword, only to find that his sword got stuck into the things shoulder. Before he could back away, the mutant human grabbed him by the thighs. He panicked and asked for help but the smugglers were too struck by fear to move. The thing started pulling his legs apart like string cheese.

"Gaurrgh!! Plea..please help me!!" Mark yelled for help as the pain and despair increased.

Smugglers just watched as the man was split open, starting from the bottom as his organs and intestines fell out. With a wet flop, both halves fell on the bloody floor.

Alexa and Daryl looked upon this scene with pure dread. One part of them felt satisfied to see Mark get what he deserved. Another part was despair on wondering when these things would come after them.

Before anyone in the room could do anything, a burst of energy came from one of the tunnels and struck a part of the dome ceiling. The runes that humphed with power had turned off. With their recovered strength, the mutant humans charged at the smugglers with vigor.

"Capture them! Do not eat or kill them!" A booming voice could be heard from where the beam of energy came from.

From that very tunnel a silhouette of an armored human could be seen, their armor was like a beacon of light as it got into view. For the smugglers this situation was hell, for the civilians it was hope.

"Take them with the rest, do not make me repeat my words." Said the large knight with annoyance.

Once they got a good look at the man, they noticed that he was followed by a large group of black armored figures. Altough they were smaller, they still felt intimidating.

Daryl approached the glowing knight while having his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Kind sir, can I please ask on who you are and what you will be doing with us?" He said, holding in his breath unconsciously.

The glowing knight looked at him and his group. "We are here on orders by his majesty to finish off the underground organizations. We will be inspecting all of you, including the ones we just captured. Depending on this inspection, we will either kill you or take you with us. Now show us the back of your necks, no resisting." Said the knight.

Altough Daryl wondered why King Varne would order the death of the underground organizations, he just complied since he was outclassed by the knight. One by one the people we're checked. One man in particular was shaking and when it was revealed that he had black tattoo in the back of his neck, he tried to run but was captured easily.

"Why is he being taken?" Daryl asked the knight.

"Underground organization members hold their insignia in the back of their necks. Now fall into an orderly line." The knight ordered. "We are the troops of his majesty Samuel Vanmeister, you have two choices that we could give you at this point. One is to be captured and locked away, since we are here in secret and can't let our movements be given away. Two, we will bring you to the closest town we occupy and you can stay there until the war is over. Make your choices quick."

Before Daryl could say anything, his wife interjected. "We would like to pick the second option, and thank you for saving us." She said, as she looked into her husband's eyes with determination.

Everyone else agreed with her and picked the second option. They were then escorted through the tunnels again. This time they arrived at an inconspicuous hole that lead to the outside of the capital walls. They were then escorted through another wide dirt tunnel, that ended with a dirt staircase going up into the surface. Once above, they saw larger groups of mechs surrounding the area. Moving metal boxes arrived through a path in the forest and out came more of the abominations they saw in the tunnels.

"This truck will take you and your group to your destination, I bid you farewell from here." The energy mech said as he led the group to a transport truck with its back ramp extended.

Alexa and Daryl just thanked the knight and hopped in. Inside they found seats against the walls and fell down exhausted from the events of last night. They just laid against one another holding their child close as they fell asleep to the movement of the vehicle.