CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

21.

Alaric stood outside Gwenllian's establishment. He did not want to go in. He had to, for Ashe and Savia's sake. This part of town had been emptier as usual. Possibly due to it being mid-afternoon.

Are you ready?

No response. He has been quiet for a few days. Alaric had been panicking. His plan relied on him and Alaric hated that he had to rely on him. He decides to enter the establishment. The showroom in the daytime had been a different sight. There had been no or little noblemen or women. It didn't smell as bad and it was quiet. The mysur slaves had still been shackled. They sat in silence. Alone and naked. It was a fate he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. He was going to save them. He had to. But first, he had to get rid of her. He looked toward the stage where Gwenllian watched him. A grin on her face. Her demeanour insisted that he had to go towards her. She was inviting him. He walked toward the stage. He had not looked at the mysur slaves, he could not. He would not jeopardise the plan. He reached the stage. Gwenllian had still been protected by her two soldiers. She smiled at him. That smile. He hated it. She wore revealing clothing like usual.

"You came?" She asked.

"We had a deal. I at least intend to keep mine," He said. It came out harsher than he intended. He had been incredibly nervous. How could he not be, his brother, friend and whatever Savia is to him are risking their lives.

"Ahh, you break my heart. Do you think I will not honour our agreement? Why, I would do anything to get my hands on some premium meat such as yourself." Her hands ran across his chest like usual.

"It is not every day I get the son of Jerial showing up at my doorstep." She said, wagging her finger in his face.

A new scent entered his senses. He began feeling drowsy.

"You knew?"

"Of course, I even met you once. You were about three years old. Still in the arms of your pitiful mother. Of course, Great Lord Jerial did not care about any of that when he chose to bed me."

Alaric was struggling to keep his eyes closed.

"You have to take responsibility for what your father created."

Those were the last words he heard before darkness engulfed him.

He felt as if he were drowning. It was a familiar feeling for him. It happened on numerous occasions. He hated it. He could see, feel, hear and smell everything but he was not in control.

I did not say you can take over yet.

Silence

Alaric knew it was pointless to struggle; there was nothing he could do. Another panic hit him. He wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Savia and the people of Nezzagwyn.

Give me back my body!

No response.

Alaric deflated. When his body regained consciousness, his body had been stripped bare. He could also feel metal restraints on both of his wrists. He had been laid upon a soft bed. He seemed to be in a private room. He felt a heat in his lower half. Gwenllian had been atop of him, wearing nothing less than he was. She had been moaning. He could see the purple of his eyes glow against her skin. He could hear his voice chanting quietly. Gwenllian seemingly did not hear it, she had been too preoccupied. A sharp pain could be felt at his wrists. His body did not seem to react to the pain. Alaric wanted to scream, but he had not been in control. The restraints around his wrists began to melt into a silvery liquid. His hands had been free. Alaric watched as his hands grabbed Gwenllian at the throat.

"Ahh, Gwenllian. It is good to see you are doing well," His voice said.

Gwenllian had been struggling against his hold. She could not overpower him.

"You not…" She struggled.

"I did not give you permission to sleep with my son," He said.

"Lord J-"

Alaric watched as Gwenllian's eyes went lifeless in his hands. His body did not let go of her body. He lifted her off of him and tossed her like a ragdoll off the bed. His body did not stop there. He got off of the bed and began stomping violently on her head.

Please stop!

Alaric listened as his body was cursing out the corpse underneath it. His foot had been moist with blood. Alaric could only watch, begging and pleading for him to stop.

The door swung open. Alaric saw Gwenllian's two soldiers enter the room. He tried to warn them but they could not hear him. His body chanted at incredible speed. The soldiers had their swords drawn. As his body finished the cast, the soldiers began to move in slow motion. They could not react to what happened next. Alaric's body moved with speed that should not be possible. In an instant, his body was upon them. Stealing one of the soldier's blades and swiftly cutting a single slice into their throats. The men dropped in regular speed. More men attempted to enter the room but with a single swipe of his hand, the door closed. They banged on the door but for some reason, they could not enter. His body searched the room for his clothes. When he had found it he swiftly got dressed. He continued to search for something. He took a few keys he found in the room.

"For you," His voice teased.

He opened the door. Soldiers immediately tried to enter. There had been dozens of soldiers. They all tried to cut him down. Alaric watched as his body dispatched every soldier with ease. He did it with a laugh as blood was smeared across his body. Screams rang through the hallway. When every soldier had been killed, Alaric finally was given control of his body. He let go of the blade. He looked at his hands, they had been covered in blood. Memories of the island returned to him. He began hyperventilating.

This is what you wanted, isn't it?

You asked me to help you.

Where is my thanks?

Alaric began throwing up violently on the floor. He had been crying.

It took a while for Alaric to regain his composure. He moved with no purpose. He eventually found himself at the showroom. The mysur slaves stared at him with horror in their eyes. Just like they should. I am a monster. He slowly made his way to the basement level. He reached Ashe's cage. She stared at his clothes that had been stained with blood. She gave him a concerned look. She spoke to him but he couldn't hear her. It was not that she had been speaking softly, his mind was constantly replaying the horrifying scene. His hands gripped the blade as he sliced the soldiers down with a smile. He tested the keys on her cage. One of the keys worked and Ashe had been freed. She ran to him and hugged him. Suddenly, the world was returned to him. His senses were no longer numb.

"I was so worried when I heard the screams," Ashe said.

Alaric tried to pry her off of him but she did not budge.

"You will get blood on you…" He said softer than he intended.

She shook her head. "I do not know what happened up there but I want to take some of your pain."

Alaric allowed her to snuggle into him. He almost teared up again.

"We need to free these people…come on, let's go. I am fine now," He said. Ashe let go of him. She still gave a concerned look.

"I promise, I am okay."

Ashe was not convinced but nodded regardless. He began to unlock the other cages. The slaves seemed reluctant to exit. Ashe began encouraging them, slowly they followed Ashe out. They returned to the showroom. Alaric had expected more soldiers to show up but none did.

Alaric and Ashe began to free the slaves restrained in the showroom. The entrance to the establishment swung open. He turned immediately to face the entrance. He cast a barrier around everyone in the room except him. This was rapidly draining his stamina. A lone figure entered the showroom. Alaric recognised the figure. He let his hands fall to his side, allowing the barriers to disappear. The woman at the front of the room had been the same woman he saw Florian with. The same woman he shoved. She reached down her shirt and revealed a Rixa amulet identical to his. She walked up to him and kneeled before him.

Scaev? Why is she bowing to me?

"Lord Alaric, there is some bad news. There is something amiss at Chapman's factory," She said.

Lord? What is going on?

Alaric did not have time to assume if the woman had been lying. If there was something wrong at Chapman's factory, that meant that his loved ones would be in danger. He would use this woman's apparent loyalty towards him. He tossed the keys to Ashe, who clumsily caught it.

"Ashe, free the rest of them but stay here. I will be back soon," he ordered.

Ashe immediately got to work. Alaric turned to the woman.

"What is your name?" He walked as he talked. The woman followed him.

"The name is Jinny, Lord Alaric."

Alaric found himself back in the dreaded hallway. Jinny whistled at the massacre.

"Impressive."

Alaric ignored her.

"Sentz, we need sentz and a lot of it. Gwenllian should have a lot."

Jinny nodded and moved past him.

After a few minutes, both he and Jinny exited the establishment with many bulging pouches of sentz.

"What is happening at the factory?" He asked.

"It is better if I show you," Jinny said as she rushed through the street.

They stopped a few streets from the factory, where he found out what the problem was.

They stared at the large squadron of soldiers blocking the entrance of the factory.

This is bad.

Want me to slaughter them?

Alaric ignored the voice in his head.

"What shall we do?" Jinny asked alongside him.

"This is bad, but there is at least a bit of good news."

Jinny glanced up at him, wanting him to elaborate.

"They are not charging into the building. This means they are still unaware of the events happening within. It won't last, however. The factory only has one exit, we will have to deal with the soldiers one way or another."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I have a few plans." Alaric did not want to show his hand to the mysterious woman. "Show me to a stable. We will need horses and a lot of them."

Jinny obliged by showing him through the town.

Eventually, they reached a stable. It was run by an elderly man. At first, he was stunned at the blood that covered Alaric, but he tried his best to force a smile. Walking towards the stable, Alaric felt that there was something off about the town. Some people stared at his bloody figure but there had been no sign of any soldiers. It was strange.

"Give me all your horses. I want every horse in this town," Alaric ordered.

"I-I am a-afraid we cannot d-do that, sir." The elderly man said.

Alaric and Jinny placed all the sentz pouches onto the counter.

"I will not ask again." Alaric had not meant it to sound ominous but by the terrified look of the man, he guessed he had.

The man nodded. Alaric turned to Jinny.

"Bring half the horses to Gwenllian's establishment, the other half keep it close to the factory. Try not to get caught."

She nodded. "What will you do?"

"Take care of the soldiers. Oh, and if you betray us."

"I will never think to do such a thing, Lord Alaric." Jinny bowed.

Alaric scoffed as he left the stables. He rushed back to meet with Ashe. He took one glance at the factory. Nothing seemed to change. When he arrived at the establishment, Ashe had freed every slave there. She had been talking animatedly to them. She turned as she noticed Alaric.

"We have bad news," He said.

"Are they fine? What happened? When are we leaving?" Ashe was panicked.

"Calm down. Breathe. There are more soldiers than we expected at the factory. We will have to do the thing."

Ashe's eyes went wide. Then she started shaking her head. "It is way too soon, we don't even know if it will work."

"Ashe, it is fine. It will work, it has to work or we are all dead."

The last word made Ashe freeze. Alaric followed and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He then turned to the slaves, who had been watching them. They seemed to look down when Alaric had been in front of them.

"From today, you all are free. Gwenllian is gone," Alaric announced.

The slaves did not look enthused.

One of the slaves spoke up in a soft voice. Alaric almost did not catch it.

"We…have nowhere to go." It was a skinny woman.

Alaric tried to muster a smile. He was sure he probably looked weird.

"Maybe not, but you will find a place."

The slaves were shocked at his response, choosing to look up at him.

"Horses will arrive here shortly, leave town only a few at a time. Be careful not to raise suspicion. Wait outside of town, later a woman named Thorin will find you and lead you to your new home." Alaric elaborated to them.

Alaric heard murmurs among the group.

"Nezzagwyn, you will find a place there. If you choose not to go. You are welcome to stay here," He said as if answering their looming question.

"Why…why are you doing this?" It was the same skinny woman.

Alaric looked at his bloodied clothing and then spoke. "It is because I know what it feels like to not have hope. And I want to give that hope to all of you. You are not here of your choosing, you have a right to leave."

The crowd seemed content with his answer. Some even gave him a soft smile. He turned to Ashe who was beaming at him.

"Come on, we have to leave," He whispered to Ashe, who nodded.

As they walked through the streets, Ashe spoke up.

"I thought you said Florian was more charismatic than you."

Alaric flushed. "He is, my speech back there was terrible."

Ashe chuckled. "It was perfect for them."

They stopped their walk when the factory came into sight.

"It is a waiting game now, let's practise," Alaric said as he grabbed the tome and paged through it.