The Slavers - Part 13

It made…no sense.

For the first time in a while. Octavia was dumbfounded.

All she could do was just stare down at this log. A log that the slaver had wrapped in a carpet and had desperately been trying to get back to his slaver den.

It just…what.

How many times had she blinked just staring at this thing? She honestly lost count.

To her side, Sylvia was still by the door that led further into the building and hadn't yet seen what she had in her hands.

She honestly didn't know how to explain it to her, aside from them having chased after a log rather than the missing girl.

A few moments later, she heard and felt the man beneath her tail thrash with more force than he had been, and it snapped her back to reality. As much as she didn't want to do so, talking to this man might shed some light on the situation. As long as he wasn't too loud.

So, to be sure that he wasn't, she lifted her tail just enough that he could open his mouth, all the while still using it to muffle most of what he said.

"Get this thing off me. What do you think you're doing attacking me for no reason? I have friends in very high places and they will be happy to send you to jail for the rest of your life."

The man continued to bluster, trying to figure out a way to make her let him go. Before long he moved to blackmail and then to bribery before he just started to shout out for help. By that point, she covered his mouth fully to stop him.

"Right, let's try that again."

She stared down at the man, being sure he was looking at her and then got to the important topic.

"Let's talk about what you had in your carpet." She slowly lifted up her tail again, "Now why would you have…"

"You can't have her. She is, is…my daughter, yes that's right. She is my daughter. You wouldn't harm a man just looking after his young daughter would you."

"…"

Oops looks like the rapid blinking at the absurd situation started again.

"Your daughter…what?"

"Yes, I just told you, she is my-"

"Wait…just wait. First, why would you have wrapped your daughter in this carpet."

"Err…to protect her."

Octavia looked over at Sylvia and just saw a blank expression on her face.

"I feel the same way" Octavia said to herself. "This is just…wow."

"Sure…" Octavia got back to her questioning, "But, you do know your 'daughter' is a wooden log, right?"

"Yes, it was to protec…wait. What are you talking about?"

Octavia quickly covered the man's mouth again, not caring about what else he was going to say. She had heard all she needed to.

"Is everything okay, what did you mean about the girl being a wooden log," Sylvia asked from the door.

"It's…I'll explain later. Keep watching out for anyone else for a little longer."

Sylvia got back to work, and Octavia turned back to the bundle in her hands.

The man, while it could be assumed he was delusional, didn't seem that way to Octavia. To her, while he was telling a whole load of lies, the confusion at the end sounded genuine.

Something was obviously odd here, but she felt like she might have realised what was going on.

To confirm her theory, she looked down at the log with her thermal vision…finding what she hoped she would.

What she saw before her was a heat signature in the shape of a little girl, right where the log was. It was a very strange sight, but it at least somewhat explained what had happened. How the girl had done it, she didn't know. The only thing that came to mind was some form of magic. But it seemed that after she had been kidnapped, she…turned into, or made herself look like this wooden log, hoping that when he opened it up again, he would just leave her be.

It was hard to see, given the bright colors she was seeing, but it looked like the girl had her hands over her eyes, probably terribly frightened by everything that was going on, and hoped to make it better by just not looking. Even with them all talking, she probably had no idea if they were part of the slavers or not, so she kept still just to be sure.

"Err, Octavia. I think I can hear some voices."

They had no time to waste. Octavia had confirmed that they found the girl, so they had no reason to remain here any longer.

Before heading out of the shop, Octavia, lifted her tail up, and as soon as she saw the smile of relief on the man's face since she had decided to let him go, she slammed it back down. The force of her tail managed to wind the man and knock him out, meaning he wouldn't be saying a word to any of the slavers that were still in the building. And, so with the girl in her arms, still looking like a log, she beckoned Sylvia and they headed out the front door of the shop.

They sped away but did so without looking too suspicious. Sort of a fast walk, if Octavia had the feet to do that.

They headed away and were close to turning the corner of the building in front of them when they heard the sound of a door slamming.

She knew she shouldn't have, but it was almost a compulsion to look at what caused the noise, even when she knew what it was. As she turned her head, her eyes locked with several others, all staring daggers at her. It probably wasn't hard for them to realise she was the one that attacked their fellow slaver, given the bundled girl that she was holding.

Turning back, she hurried ahead with Sylvia in toe, turning the corner, and then speeding down the alleyway in front of them. They headed through the meandering roads of this village, but with its size, there was not much that could be one to lose the slavers, and they always managed to hear the footsteps of delayed behind them.

Before long, they came out to where they hoped they would. The front gate of the village.

Here they could hopefully lose them in the crowd, and with the guards about, it would hopefully dissuade them from doing anything rash.

And even if they did have some of the guards on their payroll, it was unlikely all of them were, so at least some would come to their rescue.

As they made their way to the large expanse of people entering and leaving the village, they saw the pseudo-family from before, standing a little ways away, on higher ground looking out at the crowd. It would seem that fumbling around inside the crowd hadn't done much to help in their search, and so decided an outside perspective might help.

As they moved, the 'father' of the family caught sight of her and shook his head, to say he hadn't found her.

Octavia quickly beckoned, by raising up the bundle to say they had found her. The then beckon again towards the gate, very frantically, which thankfully told them all they needed to know.

They had to get out of this village quickly.

The family headed in, and ended up reaching the gate rather quickly, having been ahead of them. By the time Octavia with Sylvia having decided to hold onto her arm, reached the center of the crowd, she caught sight of a couple of the men further back, trailing after them.

Things were going…rather slowly, trying to get past all the people and the carriages, but it was the same for everyone, so as long as they all kept this pace, they should reach the gate before the slavers, and manage to leave before they can start any commotion.

At least, that is how it would have gone.

It was only out of the corner of her eye as she looked all around them trying to find ways through, that she noticed one of the slavers beckoning to someone.

Following the direction he was waving and gesturing, she found the person that was on the receiving end, and her heart dropped.

At the main gate, one of the guards nodded towards the man, before turning his eyes towards her.

"Crap," she said under her breath.

The guard in question, spoke to one of his fellow guards, and before long, started to head to wards her, pushing his way into the crowd.

Octavia, almost unconsciously, headed away from the man, but all the while still going forward. If anything, this might be the only way out of this. They were close enough to the gate, that they could reach it before the guard reached them, but they would have to pretty much pass gate at the far side of it, where a few other guards were stationed.

It was a slow race comprised of three sets of people, and it all reached its crescendo when they reached the gate itself. As, just before they could head through, they heard a voice to the side of them.

"Halt! You two in the cloaks, stay where you are."

The guard had caught up.

His voice caused the guards in front of them to notice what was happening, and move into position to stop them.

It was over. They had been caught.

"I have reason to believe that you two have kidnapped a child. Hand her over, and this will not have to get messy."

"…"

Or maybe it wasn't over.

Octavia leaned down and whispered to the girl in her arms to stay as she was, before turning to the guard.

"Kidnapping a girl. Do you have any proof of this?"

Octavia's response caused the guard a bout of confusion. To him it seemed odd. Proof of kidnapping. The girl that was in her arms should be proof enough.

But, when he caught himself, he had to do a double take when he saw that what was in her arms was a wooden log.

"I- wha-."

"I have no girl with me. Now can we leave, or are you going to accuse me of other crimes I have not committed for no reason."

Before he could say anything, the guards that had moved to block her way spoke up.

"Err…you-you can pass."

"Thank you."

The guard from before just stood dumbfounded, trying to figure out what had happened, while Octavia and Sylvia passed through the gate. She could hear the two guards asking him what that was all about, and how he couldn't just accuse people like that.

They had made it. They were out of the village. Still in a crowd, but now on the outside of the gates, and just a short distance in front of them, off to the side of the road, they could see the former slaves waiting for them.

It looked like some had left, deciding not to stick around, but the rest were waiting. Out of respect or for looking for more help in finding how to get home, she didn't know.

Whatever the case, Octavia was fine to hel-

"Where do you think you're going."