42

"Even with the amplification the toxins in my blood aren't quite lethal," I spoke at a normal speaking voice so I could easily be overheard, "No matter," I shook my head, "They'll still die without treatment in the next day or so."

I knew that the fear of what I'd just said would spread through all the elves that had survived my initial assault. Mercenary, and merchant alike. Malor might not like this attack, but I did give them the option to hand over the slaves without a fight. I snapped my fingers, and broke the enchantment on the collars of every slave there with ease. I'd passed right by them without laying a single finger on them.

"I invite you to come with me," I reached out, and gripped the bars of the cage at the front of the wagon, "I insist really."

I ripped the gate off the cage with brute strength alone. Tossing the gate off to the side of the road with ease. The cage wasn't enchanted with any kind of anti magic or runes. It was simply a tiny space with which they were not meant to move outside of without permission. There were a few species I didn't recognize in the cage, but humans, and half elves made up the majority.

Humans were basically immune to the poison in the mana so they thrived where most species could not. I imagined there were several places on the planet that bred, and shipped humans like livestock. The number of humans that had been taken nearly twenty years ago was probably only a small portion of the human slaves that existed now. If you really pushed a human woman could reproduce from the time they started mensurating until they hit menopause. My face twisted with some anger as I thought about it.

Thankfully I knew that my human parents were dead. Their bodies were buried in one of the many mass graves that had been dug after the first portal break. A great tablet was placed over the grave with the names of those that could be identified, and then they built around it. It wasn't the only mass grave that had been dug after the first portal outbreak. That was the main problems with massive overpopulation.

When death came to any one of the human cities it came in bulk. The slaves flinched back in their cages terrified of their master's wrath. I healed them gently. The gauntlets were made from Aurora's scales so they had a high natural affinity to light magic. They offered no resistance to my light mana as it flowed through the gauntlet into the terrified slaves.

The way I healed was a bit wasteful, but I had enough mana that I could pull it off with little to no difficulty. I didn't have time to learn the intricate healing methods that Aurora used so I just focused on combat which I was more inclined toward. They seemed to slowly relax as they realized that I meant them no harm, and emerge from the cage slowly. The stronger ones were tied to the back of the carts, and forced to walk behind. I cleansed the gauntlets of blood, and sliced through their ropes with ease.

They were all exhausted. Many of them were heavily battered, and bruised. None of them much older then fifteen or twenty. Most were younger. I picked up, and carried the weakest of them. The gentle gesture was not the normal violence I prided myself of.

I guided them into the forest, and opened a spatial portal that led away from where we were now. Once they were through the portal I opened a few dozen false portals before bringing them back to Ethan. I chose not to step through the portal, and moved back to the road so I could seek out another group. The dark might not bother me, but they wouldn't be able to see in the dark so easily. I might be able to steal the slaves from them without giving myself away.

That wouldn't be a bad thing for me. It wouldn't take me long to trace my way to the next road leaving the city. There was nothing but open fields for a good long way. I sped up a few more notches. Open terrain like this was easy to cross with eyes that worked as well as mine.

I slowed down, and quieted my steps as I got closer. Dropping closer to the ground so I could sneak into their camp unnoticed. Making sure my head was below the long grass. I use a combination of night vision, and spatial awareness to get in close to their camp. Dampening my mana to the point that it was undetectable.

Going even further to make it so the shadows around me were deeper, and darker. Even if they tried they probably wouldn't be able to see me in the shadows of the grassy field. I stretched the shadow slowly so I could move into the shadows beneath the wagon. From here I could reach the slaves with relative ease, but first I had to be sure I wouldn't be seen. I grabbed the ankles of one of the mercenaries, and yanked him under the cart.

Slamming his head into the ground a split second later. The first blow dazed him. The second knocked him out entirely. I left him there beneath the wagon as I moved to knock out the other before he could notice the absence of the first. A surprised yelp managed to make it out of his throat before I knocked him out cold.

I stilled, and waited to see if anyone had noticed that noise. I left the two of them beneath the cart before moving on to get to the opening of the cart. I stepped up into the cart with ease. Holding a single finger up to silence them before they could ask any questions. I didn't want them to make any noise.