Chapter 5

The sounds of chains rattling in the dark woke Arthur up; he hadn't been able to sleep since they had arrived in the new location; his body was worn out and weak, and it didn't help that he had developed a rather deadly chest infection, so they kept him away from everyone else. She sat, arms chained to his feet, as he tried to breathe without coughing too loudly. Every movement hurt, and his joints and limbs ached. He couldn't properly remember what transpired before he was captured; he must have been knocked out completely before he was dragged off, and when he woke up, he had been kept in what looked like a huge cage. He could only guess it had been at least a week since his capture; the slave traders had only moved the cages that night before leaving; it seemed like this was their last stop. He felt scared, and due to his current state, he couldn't escape until he was healed up. The magic ban didn't help either. He looked around, trying to analyse his surroundings, but failed to do so as his range of motion was severely limited. The strange feeling of slow death crept up on him, and it seemed like this was the end. He felt his consciousness slip away steadily as the comforting feeling of death enveloped him.

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Anne looked at the inconspicuous casino. She saw nobles arrive in masks, trying to cover up their identities, entering the casino; they were all high aristocrats, and it seemed like there was a special event taking place. "Can you find him?" Anne asked with a stern voice to the girl crouching beside her. Lilian nodded before staring blankly into space. A few feet away, a rat suddenly gained consciousness. It twitched and scurried, sniffing its surroundings and trying to orient itself. It swung its tail before moving through the discarded trash, passing under fruit peelings, and entering a sewage system that led to the underground basement.

"They're underground, about 50 slaves. How do you want to proceed?"

Anne contemplated her next move. "Let's get him out of there first." Lilian nodded and released her control over the rat, which fell limp on the floor. Anne jumped down from the roof, followed closely by Lilian, who ran against the walls of the building. She avoided the guards at the main entrances and found an unguarded vent into the basement. She turned back to nod at the covered-up girl behind her before kicking against the iron bars to the basement and descending to the room.

She stood up from her landing position to look around the dingy basement, and she felt her heart drop to the bottom of her stomach. She couldn't take her eyes off the small, dull gaze that was fixed on her. The cages were joined together in rows as multiple children sat down on the floor in silence and exhaustion. Their eyes were sunken in, and their skin looked rough and turgid; their ribs stuck out through their skin, and their hair remained thin against their bodies. She felt herself freeze; she couldn't just leave these children in this half-dead state; even when they saw her, they didn't have the energy or the hope to react positively.

"Is there a way we can save them?" Lilian didn't answer. Anne knew she would hate the answer. If they let the children go, they would die on their own or would be captured again, but isn't that better than remaining here? Anne pursed her lips; if she set them free, at least they would have a fighting chance. "Set them free." Lilan was shocked, but seeing that her only order was to set them free, she did not refute it. She swiftly went around the cages, opening each one and letting a group of terrified children and women out. They looked around like deer caught in headlights and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not knowing where to go or what to do.

Anne turned to the large single cage with a large white sheet covering it. She walked up, pulling it down, and the window just about the cave let in a beam of moonlight that landed softly on what was obviously two horns on a full head of black hair. Bending down, she reached into the cage and touched his head. His fever was alarmingly high. She reached to her side, bringing out a leather sack and breaking the lock on the cage. She crawled in and lifted his head slightly so she could let him drink. Hearing his wheezing breaths made her feel calm in herself; at least this was an illness she could help him with; he must feel awful though.

Leaning his head on her thighs, she fed him the watered-down, sweet liquid until it was all gone. After he swallowed everything, she stood up, taking his arm and making sure he leant on her. He was larger than her, and so she felt like she would be squashed if she took the wrong step.

"What now?" She looked up to see Lilian with a group of children crowding her, holding onto her robes, and looking around like they were scared; despite being young, none of them made a sound, which made her heart bleed.

"If we make a diversion, will you be able to take them to our headquarters? Just for now." Lilian looked at her like she was ridiculous. She had almost 50 children; taking them all?

"You know I do not support this."

"Yeah, I know. Thank you."

The two of them got to work. They first made sure the man was dragged up through the opening; Lilian's strength wasn't much more than Anne's, so they struggled to get him out. Once he was out, they supported the children to crowd the small alley quietly, trying not to draw any attention.

Once they were all out, Lilian's eyes widened as she reached out, and words slipped out from her lips quietly, like low rumblings floating through the alleys and sewers. Anne braced herself. Those quiet words reached every nook and cranny, reaching the rats in the area, each one perking up and listening to her command. The pack descended on the building, thousands at a time, streaming from every crevace. The sounds of scared screams quickly came from inside the building as the guards all rushed to see what the screaming was about.

Anne looked at Lilian, who nodded before they split up. She took the children through the safe route as Anne dragged the man through the brighter streets, taking him into a carriage a few streets away. She paid the man a hefty sum as they departed from the scene. She looked back as multiple expensive carriages passed by in the opposite direction, and she let out a sigh of relief. As long as she could get him to their headquarters, they would be safe.

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A sharp, violent cough escaped his lips as his chest burned with every movement. He opened his eyes and turned to his side. He noticed the change in the texture of the floor. He looked under him to see a set of clean linen sheets and a pillow. He looked up and around, trying to see if there was anyone there with his weak limbs. He collapsed on the bed as he tried to move and could only look up at the dark ceilings.

'I'm still alive...'

Was he safe, or was he in another horrible situation? He didn't think about it; instead, he felt his heart beat steadily but rapidly against his chest. The steady, strong beats made his eyes tear up. He truly felt that, at that moment, he would never open his eyes again. He lay in bed coughing periodically for a while before he heard the door open. Static light steps could be heard, causing him to close his eyes out of fear. He heard what sounded like water, and soon a cold cloth was placed on his head and wiped his face, leaving him with a cool, refreshed feeling. He was wiped down multiple times until he felt better, and as soon as the hands stopped, he heard a low voice.

"It seems like the master has plans for you; I hope you can repay her properly." He opened his eyes to see a young girl wiping him down and staring at him like she knew all along he was only pretending to be asleep.

"Who is your master?" A hoarse voice escaped his lips as his curiosity took over.

"If you're curious, get better; you'll have to join her later." The girl took the cloth and bowl of now-lukewarm water and left him alone with his thoughts. 

Lilian closed the door behind her before taking the bowl of water down to the kitchen to dispose of it. On her way down, she was stopped by the sounds of light crying and chattering from the room that held the children; they had been bathed and showered and were just having something to eat. She did not understand why they would suddenly start to cry, so she walked in to inquire about the situation. Seeing the grown-ups walk in scared the children, and they quickly silenced themselves. Lilian frowned as she realised they were reacting like this after what they experienced. She held back her violent emotions as she bent down to the child, who had puffy red eyes. "Why are you crying? Is anything wrong?" The child shook her head, trying to show nothing was wrong, but she didn't buy it. "Do you want more food? I can ask them for more." Hearing her offer of spare food, the child's guard dropped a bit.

"I miss my mom." The voice was so small and fragile, but because of the silence, every child could hear her, and they felt the same. They were brutally taken away from their parents and were abused and mistreated. Even now, they were in a strange place with strange people. 

"Is your mother alive? Do you want to go back home?" Lilian asked with elation, The sooner they could send the children home, the better. 

Unfortunately, the child showed her strong disagreement: "I can't go back! Mumm will have to give back all the money and won't be able to feed my brother!" The child's anxious voice felt like a stab in her heart; her grip tightened around the bowl as she held herself back. Was it really this easy to give up on a child? This was something she couldn't understand. 

'Ah, people are scum'.

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The door to the sick man's room opened, startling him to sit. His breathing remained laboured and wheezy, but he kept a steady gaze on the woman walking in to see him. Her steps were steady and slight, and her arms were crossed as she looked down on him. 

"Who are you?" He wasn't sure why he was compelled to ask; she could be anyone, but something inside him felt small and insignificant when she stood above him like she was looking at a new accessory she bought. It made him feel uncomfortable. Seeing she had no plans of replying, he asked again, "Who do I owe my life?"

Her lips hooked up in a bewitching smile as she bent down to bring her head closer to his, and she took his chin in her hand. Her dark skin glowed in the candlelight as she searched his gaze until she found something deep in his eyes, something she yearned for, "to me." 

Her dark brown eyes engulfed his very being.