What's a dog doing off his leash?

Maria kept her eyes glued on the big fat man, the slave master, as he locked up the newly chained gang member in a cage.

The man was trembling, tears streaming down his face. Maria could see the fear in his eyes and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.

She knew that this could have easily been her fate.

As the slave master turned to leave, Maria studied the key-ring jingling on his belt. She memorized which key he used for the cage. She knew she had to find a way to get her hands on that key if she wanted to help the slaves escape.

But her focus was soon interrupted by a loud cry for help from the slave woman, that she talked to, in a nearby cage. She was begging for water, her voice hoarse and weak. The slave master glanced over at her for a moment, then walked over to a barrel and filled up a ladle with water. He brought it over to the cage and held it out for the woman to drink.

But as soon as she took a sip, the woman lunged forward and grabbed the slave master's hand through the bars of the cage. Maria watched in horror as the woman sank her teeth into the slave master's flesh. He let out a scream of pain and pulled back, but the woman wouldn't let go.

Maria needed just this and quickly crept up behind the slave master, keeping her movements slow and steady so as not to draw attention to herself. She reached out and carefully removed the key-ring from his belt, her heart pounding with anticipation.

The slave master, with his free hand, grabbed the woman's throat and tried to pull her off his arm.

The woman in the cage looked up at Maria with pleading eyes, urging her to hurry. Maria fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking with nervousness, and finally managed to slip the cage key off the ring. She put back the key-ring on the slave master's belt.

The woman let go of the slave master's hand and retreated back into the cage, trembling and scared.

The slave master went off to tend to his wounded hand, leaving Maria to slip away unnoticed.

Maria held the key in front of her face and smiled triumphantly, knowing that she had just taken a small step toward freeing the slaves from their cruel oppressors, and as a result, getting out of this place.

****

Arvish sat next to Gorgon by the dying embers of the bonfire. The raucous feast had finally come to an end, with most of the gang members passed out from the heavy drinking.

Gorgon took down his last drink, then slapped his knees.

"I got a good feeling about you, Arvish. But now, I must retreat back to my tent to," he fondles the beaten up handmaid face, "Blow off some steam"

As Arvish watched Gorgon and his entourage stumble away, he felt a surge of excitement and fear.

As he pondered, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. He quickly turned to see Maria. She held out a key to him, a glint of determination in her eyes.

"We are going to do this or what?" she whispered.

****

Bezix stood in the shadows, watching the couple with a suspicious gaze. Something about their movements, their whispers, told him they were up to something. He brought forth his hook, ready to follow them and find out what they were planning.

But just as he stepped forward, a rock skipped across the ground in front of him. He looked to his left, where Takah stood, swirling another stone in his hand.

Takah knew what Arvish was up to, and he wanted to use this to create chaos, sow confusion and distraction, so he could swoop in and take the crown of Gorgon's head.

"Now, what's a dog doing off his leash?" asked Takah.

Bezix was just an assassin, but he can put two and two together. Bezix had never felt so humiliated in his life. He gritted his teeth and strode towards Takah, his hook at the ready.

Takah just stood there, a smug smile on his face. Bezix felt his rage building as he saw that expression. He knew he was off his task, but the blind fury made him forget all that. He wanted blood for what had been done to him, and he wanted it now.

He charged at Takah with his hook raised, his single-minded desire for vengeance blinding him to the risks.

Takah hid behind his back, a chain with a ball on the end, as his missing right hand. Bezix struck, but the ball on the end of the chain wrapped around his hook, effectively trapping him.

Bezix tried to free his weapon, but it was no use. The chain held it firmly in place.

Takah pulled him closer, laughing as he did so. "Your targets have escaped," he said tauntingly. "Now, what will your master's reaction be?"

Bezix struggled to break free, he felt a surge of humiliation and anger wash over him as Takah spun the chain to free his weapon and then kicked him away like a dog. He hit the ground hard, feeling the impact reverberate through his body.

"Go get 'em, boy!" Takah said with a chuckle, then turned and walked away.

Bezix pounded the ground with his fists in frustration. He knew that Takah was right. The targets had slipped away, and his failure would not go unnoticed by his employer. But he also knew that he couldn't let Takah's behavior go unpunished. After he had found Arvish, he would deal with Takah for what he had done.

****

Arvish and Maria began to move quietly through the camp. The smell of alcohol and sweat hung heavy in the air, and the snoring of the gang members echoed through the night. Arvish's heart pounded in his chest as they crept up on the cages where the slaves were kept.

As he drew closer, he could see the miserable faces of the captives staring out at him through the bars. The sight of their despair filled him with anger and sadness, and he clenched his prosthetic fists in frustration.

He could hear the quiet sobs of women and the occasional grunt of a man, and he knew that their suffering was all too real. These were people who had been torn from their homes, their families, and their lives, and were now being held captive like animals.

Arvish scanned the area, looking for any sign of the slave master. To his relief, he saw that the man was deeply asleep not too far away, snoring loudly and oblivious to the world around him. Arvish knew that he had to act quickly if he was going to help these people.

Maria held up the key and motioned for him to unlock the cages. He moved closer to a cage where the woman who helped was crouched in the corner, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her hair was matted and dirty, and her clothes were torn.

Arvish inserted the key into the lock and turned it. With a soft click, the door swung open. The woman looked up at him with wide eyes, and he motioned for her to follow him. She hesitated for a moment, then stood up and stepped out of the cage.

Arvish nodded, gesturing for her to stay quiet. He moved on to the next cage, and then the next, quickly freeing as many slaves as he could. Maria assisted him, her movements deft and silent. As they moved through the pens, the number of slaves behind them grew larger and larger to around thirty people.

But then, their mission was suddenly jeopardized when the drunk gang member, who had been slumped over in his cage, suddenly woke up and began to stir.

"What is happening here?" he slurred, his eyes bleary and unfocused.

Maria knew that they had to act fast before the drunk man alerted the rest of the camp. She stepped forward, her voice low and urgent.

"Do you want to be free?" she whispered. "Then come here."

The man scoffed and shook his head. "Huh, that drink had to be strong because I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating that a woman is giving me orders," he slurred.

The drunk man staggered forward, his movements unsteady. Maria reached into the cage with both hands, grabbing his head with a swift and practiced motion. And then, with a sickening crack, she twisted his neck, silencing him forever.

Arvish and the slaves behind him stared at her in horror. He had known that Maria was willing to do whatever it took to free herself, but this level of brutality was shocking even to him.

Maria hurried away past them and said, "Hurry it up!"

For a moment, the group was frozen in shock and disbelief. But then Arvish shook himself out of his stupor, gesturing for the slaves to follow him as they hurried out of the camp and into the cover of the night.

As they made their way to safety, Arvish couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that what they had just done was necessary, but the sight of Maria's cold and efficient violence had rattled him to his core. He wondered what other dark secrets she might be hiding.