The cold air brushed against her skin like a waves of frozen centipedes stabbing at her flesh. Crashing into the arctic mountains of Reglar were the few survivors of the sudden onslaught. The fairies hadn't teleported them to the same location as the former groups because they had rushed closing the spell. The Tamer Queen had been struck down at the end of the spell and her swarm were following Callum, the Consort into Mellie's pockets to rest after exhausting themselves in the teleportation magic.
Approximately twenty elves three fairies made it through the portal. Pulling her cloak tighter, she reached into her spatial bag and began to pull out her few remaining healing potions. After locating Mary and Jackson, Mellie became slightly frantic.
"Where's Robert?" She asked. Mellie had lost her fairy, and most of the elves who were supposed to make it through the last portal. All so that she could get revenge over Mary's ear. She hadn't even asked the woman how she felt about it. Headstrong. Stupid. Mellie was kicking herself for her impulsive reckless decisions. She was feeling overwhelmed with the burden of making such life altering decisions. She wasn't even sure if she was capable of protecting herself, let alone all the people who kept putting thier lives in her hands. Did the ends justify the means? The survivors certainly thought so, but what of all the ones left behind?
"He was right behind me." said Mary, horrifyed and frantically looking around for their adopted little brother.
"Mellie, that was Linda's kid being chased by the town." Jackson piled on.
"Fuck. What have I done. Manablood Savior my ass. What have I done." she chanted to herself, while strangling her long dark locks through her fingers.
"No Mellie. You saved these people. You saw the lives they led. Do you think anyone wants to live like that? Fuck that town. I'm sorry you may look human, but the humans of this world are fucking assholes." Mary scowled.
"Humans of any world are fucking assholes" Mellie replied, finally embracing all they had lost. Totally dejected, she sat down on the rocks to think. This hadn't been part of her plan, but it would have to be now. Sitting still made her anxious so she decided to get busy.
"Can you guys give me something to remember you by? A bit of cloth, a rock. Anything will do." Mellie asked the remaining elves and her friends.
"Yeah sure, what's up?" Jackson said, handing Mellie a pretty looking rock by his foot.
"Supplies. We're about to have a hell of a trek out of these mountains. And leveling my Will of a Savior skill won't hurt me if it's just a bunch of materials. Meaningful turned practical." she explained as they plotted out their course.
The former slaves began to group up by destination, upon recognizing their new location. Many didn't survive long enough to make the teleport. The ones who had survived rejoiced when they saw they had made it back to Reglar. Freedom was bittersweet knowing of all the people whose bodies still lay on a pile of flowers in the middle of the ruins, riddled with arrows. Worse would fall at night when the sharp teeth and neverending hunger would devour the remains of the survivors.
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Robert was a sharp young man. He wasn't one for impulsive decisions but when he saw the foxgirl running from the mob, he couldn't just stand there and hear her cry. Not like he did in that basement. Something inside him broke as he stood safely as someone else was hunted. With determination, bravery and stupidity, he bolted toward the helpless foxgirl. Snatching the girls' arm he maneuvered her with him back into the thick of the forest. Losing most of the mob to the dead and dying circle of elves, Robert and Jenny ripped thier way through the forest and into an abandoned Wyrm tunnel. Finally getting a breather, they watched through the crack in the ground above them as the group passed over them. Panting as quietly as he could as his breathing slowed he looked over at the girl he saved. Jenny was sitting next to him holding her stomach quietly crying her eyes out. Her soul looked like it had died.
"It's okay, I've got you now." assured Robert, now somewhat questioning his decision. He was now shoved in a hole with some girl who could be some dunce. Kicking himself for being a hero, he began slowly patting the sobbing girls back. Jenny reached up and hugged him.
"They killed my brother. And my new mother. All because we're different. Is anywhere safe? Anywhere?!" she exclaimed.
"Sssssshhh Quiet!! You could attract monsters or humans so just stop." he scolded the girl. She continued to silently sob to herself, burying her face in her arms. Then he felt like complete crap.
"Hey. Hey now. I'm sorry. It's okay. I'll find us a way. My new master is waiting for us in Reglar, so we just have to find a way to get there." He began rustling around in his spatial bag, causing Jenny's eyes to widen in disbelief. He continued, handing her a collar, "Here. I have Mary's old fake collar in here, but no paperwork. The necklace will work in a pinch to keep slavers off of you until we find a way out of here."
Jenny stared at the collar, scared. She had barely escaped the dungeon with her life, let alone without a collar. The torture chamber was the only room that required the collar to be removed to prevent interference. That night they underestimated how dangerous she could be without a collar. Unforunately it didn't save her brother in time. She watched as the blood flowed down his neck and the tears pooled at the edge of his vision. He was so young and had fought so hard. He had such a bright future ahead of him. His keen mind had pulled her out of so many situations that could have cost her life. The only family she had left was gone. He barely had a chance to stretch his legs and experience life. She wished she had left their home years ago. She wished there was anything else she could have done to keep these people from doing this. But in a world ruled by slaver kings and mob judgement, what was the point? She had never been to Reglar. It was a place for the elves. Would they even welcome a beastkin? Or a human for that matter? Fear and bravery were fast friends.
For Robert, fear always sat front seat in his life. He felt like he was putting on a show for everyone, acting as the man he wanted to be. Little did he know, this is how all heroes were born. A hero is created by simple men making a just choice. Leading the girl through the crevice, they navigated under the surface of Nort until the tunnels lead out onto the beaches of the Eastern Sea. Endless ocean expanded before them, with thier freedoms just beyond their grasp. While internally panicking about the lack of supplies and transportation, Robert looked over at the girl with all the false bravado he could muster and smiled, "Let's go wash today off of us, and then we can prepare for tomorrow, yeah?" And he walked off into the water, face reddened, hoping he didn't sound too cheesy. Jenny smiled, halfheartedly while clinging onto the only hope she had left as she following him into the water.