There are many more captive ursu than I could have expected.
I burn a tiny section of the wire fence away to give me just enough space to crawl through. As I slowly make my way forward, doing my best to ignore the crack of the whip and the wails of its victims, I get close enough to feel the heat of the people inside the prison building.
There are thousands. All cramped within what I can only imagine is a tight space considering how close they sit or lay. The prisoners far outnumber the guards, but each guard is fed, has a weapon of their own, and doesn’t look like they’re about to pass out at any second.
If the prisoners are to rebel, I can’t see it going well. Amongst them are children not even half my age. Considering how some kids sit near the guards, I can only imagine they are being used as hostages to dissuade rebellion. Hardly any different to how Gerben is being held hostage for Leal.
How many of these ursu are here to tie a leash to someone outside? How many on the battlefield are only there because they fear for their families?
I drag myself along the ground. The dirt soon replaced by stone paving as I crawl into the shade of the structure. Nobody has noticed me yet. Now, how do I find Gerben amongst the thousands of bodies? It is too hard to tell the difference between individuals from their thermal signature alone, so I can’t just pick him out from the crowd.
Maybe I could ask a prisoner? That could be risky. What if they demand me to free them as well or they’ll call the guards? With the sheer number of ursu held here, there is a good possibility whoever I ask won’t even know who Gerben is.
Leal might have to wait a while, but for now the best course of action is to be patient and look for him myself. Hopefully, he hasn’t changed much since he first found me out in the wasteland. Considering the gaunt bodies and defeated expressions around, I have little hope.
I need to get inside the building, but I can’t simply take the main entrance and the guards will immediately notice any hole I create. My eyes follow the building’s exterior up past the slit windows to the edge of its roof. If I can get up there, I should be able to keep my entrance out of sight.
With a quick glance over my shoulder, making sure no one has seen me through the camouflage, I dig my fingers into the gaps of stonework. My fingers melt deep grooves to hold my weight. It would be easier to burn the grips directly in the face of the masonry, but that might be too visible. By digging only into the gaps, I can keep my passage at least somewhat hidden for now.
The stone melts beneath my fingers. Liquid rock trickles from the hole as my fingers push deeper, before solidifying as I pull back the heat. I do this repeatedly to climb the wall. Any close inspection will reveal the damage, but like the hole through the outer wall, it should be a while before anyone notices.
It’s not hard to scale the building, but I keep my movements slow. I’m in the open. If I’m not careful, an ursu might notice me even through the stolen camouflage.
I pull myself up over the ledge and tumble onto the flat roof. My body freezes as an ursu guard glares my way. Damn. I thought he was looking away when I threw myself over. The giant man readies his mini-cannon and walks my way.
Thankfully, he hasn’t called any of his friends, so I doubt he saw anything other than a disturbance. Regardless of what he thinks he saw, he’s coming my way. There’s no chance he will miss me if he’s right on top of me.
The other guards I can feel on the roof aren’t in direct sight, so when he gets close, I can probably burn a hole through his head without any noticing. It’s the safest method; I’ll incinerate his body and leave not a trace of his death. They might notice him missing, but it isn’t likely to happen before the hole in the outer wall is discovered.
Flames churn within my chest, but I don’t dare move until he’s close. White fire ready to extinguish his life. I’m prepared to strike. The moment he looks down at me, I’ll jump forward. But as he steps within a couple metres of my prone form, I hesitate.
This isn’t something Leal would want, is it? What’s to say this guard doesn’t have family of his own held hostage somewhere? Leal would definitely want me to spare him, but how could I do that without raising the alarm? I still haven’t even started looking for her dad.
Leal doesn’t have to know.
As long as Gerben gets out safely, does it really matter if I kill someone willing to assist with imprisoning his own kind?
My mind bounces between jumping him while I still have the element of surprise, or refraining. I can’t decide, and soon it’s too late to act. He walks right past me without even realising I’m only a step away.
The ursu’s eyes don’t stray from the point I climbed over. He leans against the stone border of the roof and peers over the side. Apparently satisfied there isn’t anyone hanging off the side of the prison, he slings his gun over his shoulder. He doesn’t turn away though, instead he leans over, inspecting something.
He’s found my finger-holds, hasn’t he? The tall ursu leaning over the side of the building like that makes me consider if he would die from a fall this height. Would the other guards assume he just tripped? Or would they assume he was pushed?
The ursu takes a step back, nearly stepping on my head. He still doesn’t notice me. Twisting on his feet, the guard — instead of returning to the place he’d been standing before — walks down a few steps to a lower section of the roof. He walks casually, without rush, so even if he saw the holes in the wall, he mustn’t think much of them.
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“Oi, one of you, take my post. I need to get the supervisor.”
So he’s leaving? Perfect. I scuttle along out of sight before another ursu can take the first guard’s place. I squeeze myself between the outer wall and the clearly new wooden frame of the water tower. Not a place I would like to sit under, but it keeps me out of sight of each ursu.
I don’t think I could have ever asked for such good luck. Did the guard not think to look down from his massive heights, or was the camouflage that good? With things going this smoothly, I should be able to find Gerben in no time.
Of course, it’s the moment I have that thought, that the alarms ring.
First, it’s a quiet jingle coming from the wall back where I broke through. Then the loud clanging of bells rise from all around. They must have found the breach I left in the outer wall.
Immediately all the heat signatures around move in a frenzy. Guards round up the prisoners and direct them inside the building. Those struggling to walk after their lashings get shoved into the stone ground for their sluggishness. The bang of a single cannon fire is enough to settle most of the prisoners into a reluctant stagger to their cells.
Below me, it is harder to distinguish the shape of each heat source I feel, but I can tell they are being crowded into tight spaces. Ten ursu within a space no larger than the oven I once spent so much time inside. With some ursu taller than three metres tall, it is far more cramped than it ever was for me.
As the guards force everyone into their cells, it gives me a decent layout of the building. The building is three floors of rooms circling a central staircase and an area with no activity, which I imagine is the guards’ quarters.
Now that I see the order each of the ursu have been stored away with, I have to believe that luck is still on my side. This will make it much easier to find Gerben.
I wait until there’s less movement beneath me and melt my way down. Now, my priority is speed, so while the camouflage stays up, I don’t bother crouching or crawling around. At the first cell, it is clear I’m noticeable; many of those within the cell look my way with confusion. They have trouble focusing on me, but they definitely know I’m here.
I don’t see Gerben amongst them. This is the first time I’ve had a close look at the prisoners. The scars, injuries and starvation they each suffer is appalling. I want to burn the bars of their cage off and free them. Doesn’t matter who it is, I hate the idea of leaving people trapped.
Until I find my target, I can’t. I need this order to find Leal’s dad and I don’t like the odds of trying to keep everybody safe while also achieving my main purpose.
Four cells I pass before the first guard raises his cannon toward me and shouts. He doesn’t see perfectly well, but he has noticed me. Before he can fire his weapon, a white flame melts the gun in his hands. Liquid metal dribbles over his palm before he can even toss the weapon. The guard shrieks in pain and rushes toward the stairs.
I check a few more cells without luck before I’m attacked by a few more guards in the corridor. Each of their weapons melt the same as the first, some misfiring because of my fire. The guards flee in pain. A stubborn ursu leaves only when every hair of his hide is ash.
This isn’t working. The guards will rush up the stairs in no time, and I’ve only searched through ten of the hundred cells on this floor alone. I need to change my approach.
I pull down the hood of my outfit and coat my body in flames. Should I need it, my camouflage remains ready. For now, the prisoners need to see me.
I step before the next cell on my list to check, and mentally note Gerben isn’t here either. Each of the ursu stare through the bars, dumbfounded. “Does anyone here know which cell Gerben is?”
None of them answer. More interested in gaping than helping.
“Now!” I demand, my impatience leaking.
Guards flood out of the central stairs and move to surround me. I can feel them moving before they even come around the corners. This would be so easy if I could just melt them all. Burn them alive and walk out without opposition. Leal doesn’t want to kill, so I won’t.
So, how do I keep these unenhanced ursu out of my way without giving them an early cremation service?
Fear.
My inner flames spread through the wide hall, not spreading and burning as I usually would, but instead taking the form of eight-legged beasts hissing down at both guard squads.
They are a pale imitation of the arachnid monstrosities from beneath the Titan Alps. Only large enough to fit in the corridor and the hiss is a replica created with burning air, but it does the job. Half the guards run terrified at the sight of the flaming beast as strikes from the white tips of its spindly legs leave molten scars in the stone. The others fire their weapons, then follow their comrades when they realise it does nothing.
I turn back to the Group that still hasn’t answered my question. “Well?” I ask with crossed arms. “Gerben?”
Most have backed away from the bars, but an elderly ursu remains. “I know three men named Gerben. How old is yours?” the old man appears strangely calm amongst group looking out at me in fear.
“Old enough to be a father,” I say. “He was a soldier from the start of the Henosis war.”
“Then check the northern cells of the floor below and the east of the ground floor.” The old ursu gulps almost imperceptibly and hardens his gaze. “If you are freeing him, and not here to kill him, then please take what children you can with you.”
“No!” a woman gasps from behind him. “Don’t you touch them!”
Despite the middle-aged ursu’s protests, she doesn’t stop cowering near the back of the room.
“Koda,” the elderly says. “This is the only-”
“I’ll come back,” I interrupt, not having time for their debate. “Thanks.”
I take a step away from their cell and melt through the floor. It’s far faster than going for the stairs, especially considering all the guards huddle around that area. The pair of flaming arachnid beasts unleash upon the guards of this floor and I once more have space to move.
I ask around for the Gerben who’s supposed to be in this area, only to find this Gerben isn’t the one I’m looking for.
Another floor melts away, and I scare off more squads. Finally, I arrive at the cell of the first non-áed sapient I’d met. Despite the immense loss of weight, I recognise the ursu immediately.
The bars separating us liquefy in a wave of flame and I step into the cell. As the ursu within watch, their fright heightens and Gerben and another stand before the others as they huddle in the corner.
Gerben is missing an eye and all the fingers on his left hand, but he still stands protectively before the others. It’s kind of insulting that he doesn’t recognise me immediately.
The ursu standing by Gerben’s side is an insane three and a half metres. The tallest ursu I’ve seen. Well, except Hund. Hund is still nearly double this ursu’s height. As I move toward Gerben, the tall ursu steps forward and swings his fist at my head.
He hits nothing. His knuckles pass right through without effect. Though I leave the fur of his hand charred for the attempt. I’d thought he might be enhanced considering his size, but he isn’t. Or at least, neither his punch felt like that, nor did his fur have all that much resistance to my flames.
I can see the moment Gerben realises who I am, and my grin is involuntary. His eyes widen and he clasps the hand that actually has fingers over the shoulder of the tall ursu.
“Solvei? What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too.”