She waited hours, watching the patterns of the patrol routes to try and determine the best opening. When she found it was near impossible, she would wait for the next shift, and try and find a way past the new group, hoping something new would pop up.
Her waiting seemed to pay off, as she noticed one of the guards had left. Bathroom break. This left a small time gap where she could shimmy in through the windows that normally locked from the outside. To keep someone in, the windows were effective. To keep someone out was a different story.

She walked quietly, staying in the shadows. The sun had set by this point and she could confidently sneak around, edging closer to the building. She waited for her chance then crept out, half running to the building. She had eight, maybe nine seconds before she was discovered.
She fiddled with the lock, clicking it open. She pushed herself up and in, escaping just as the glow of the guard’s torch rounded the corner and bathed the wall in light.
Kamri now fully inside, she slowly and quietly shut the window before the guard passed.

She knew this room was empty. She knew because it was hers.
Looking at the wall though, it was obvious it had been found. It was clumsily boarded over from the outside. She cursed under her breath. Then what became of Cel?
She slowly began to work away the boards, pulling them lose and wriggling them free.

She worked meticulously, being careful not to make a sound.
It was difficult to do with a bad shoulder, it forced her to move twice as slow trying her best only to use her good arm.
Damn that Drien.

She popped open the last board and climbed inside, sucking in her stomach and squeezing in best she could. She inched her way to Cel’s room, listening for anyone who may be in any room adjacent. She heard some snoring and the clank of some armor, but nothing too close that gave her a scare.

She reached his room, adrenaline pumping. Please be here, please be here!
The bed laid empty, and the room eerily silent.
Her shoulders drooped. Did he leave? Was he killed? Moved, perhaps?

Only one real way to find out. She would have to go to the mines and figure it out there. If it remained untouched, chances are he was moved to another location, or worse. If it was open, it means he had made an escape. With luck, maybe he had left and the entrance was still unfound.

The process to getting out was the same as getting in. Kamri waited in the dark, counting the times light hit the window. She knew to leave on the fourth round.

two, three-

She opened the window and made her way out, duking into the underbrush just as the guard rounded the corner again. She took a moment to clear her head and to think. She had made it in and out. Now one variable stood in her way.
Her moment of peace was interrupted by the sound of yelling and screaming, coming from the front gate.

—

Zazel had bailed the second he did a headcount. He jumped into the water and swam to safety, letting the rest of the assassins get overpowered and killed.

He narrowly avoided death that time. And for what? His target wasn’t even there!
He groaned, slogging his body up onto the docks and inching away. What a long night.

He would go back to the inn. He was tired and fresh out of spunk. He needed to recharge.
He would go after Ed tomorrow. He wouldn’t be able to leave within a day’s notice, right?
Right. He had time.

He could smell the smoke all the way back to his in. The pier burned spectacularly, though he didn’t look back at the fire and flames, all the cool people didn’t look at it.
God, he was a stud.

He pushed the door open, placing his eyes on an empty table. He closed the door behind him and took a stride over. Sitting down, he kicked back, and ordered a drink for himself. He deserved it after all.

Yes, he would try again later. And, yes, he was giving up- but only for tonight! After a recharge, he would be back at it.

–

Kamri had made her way down into the mines. She had been caught on the way down twice but had managed to push both guards into the pit that was the quarry before they could call out. Lucky her.
Trekking down wasn’t as easy as It sounded. At least, not quietly. It was a long trip which went without much cover. But lucky for her it seemed the two guards where the only ones who cared to give her an issue.

The tunnels where dark and unlit. She had to feel her way in, and try to get used to the dark. Normally they would be lit at night but it seemed under lockdown they didn’t deem it necessary. Too bad for her.
Trying to find the sewer was difficult. Twice she had gone the wrong way only to realize it far too late and have to hike back.
But with some luck – and allowing her eyes to adjust- she found her way through. She found the all too familiar wall that crumbled when interacted with. Though, that gave her chills. Since the wall was still up, it seemed the last time it was used someone must have exited and sealed it back up. Running down into the darkness, Kamri’s worst fears where confirmed.
The exit still lay blocked.

She sat down on her knees. Did Cel die? Where was he?
She tried not to think about it but the dark thoughts where intrusive. Should she wait? Hope by some miracle he was alive and would meet her here?
No, that would be foolish.
She took a minute, however, to think and process. She had time.

—
Nose called for guards and began to guide them to the front, barking orders. He kept an eye out for Burt, but didn’t see him anywhere.
The attack was getting worse. The two proved to be skilled, and the third only added to his distress.
They wouldn’t attack alone. No. There would be more.
He decided to grab Burt and get out of here.
He turned, running to try and find his companion. Seems their stay had expired.

Ed stood panting, hands on his thighs as he bent double, trying to catch his breath. That run uphill had taken a lot out of him, and right there at the last second he had almost run into a man. That knife throw, though. That had been something special. He was quite proud of himself. Blowing out his breath, he tried to stand up straight and take in the situation around him. Nope, still needed a second to get his wind back. Twinkle, appearing out of the darkness, almost gave him a heart attack as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He spun in place, fumbling heroically for a throwing knife before seeing those glowing green eyes. That could have gone terribly wrong for her. If he had reacted just a little faster then he could have killed her! He told her as much, and was met with a blank stare.

Peabody and the new girl dispatched the injured guards, finishing up as the rest of Ed's troops entered the compound. He strode over, taking command of the situation, but at the same time trying to nonchalantly check the corpses for weapons. It seemed he had forgotten to pick one up before leaving and all he had now was throwing knives. An axe looked like a nice candidate. He scooped it up, giving it a couple of practice swings as his little army formed up. He was no military expert, but he did believe they had successfully gained the element of surprise here. Spinning in place, he turned to face the men, his cape twirling majestically. What he saw was ten crossbows aimed directly at him. What the-

"Sir, please duck." came Peabody's voice from the side.

Ed dropped immediately, hearing the sound of ten strings loosing bolts. His head shot up then to see then man he hadn't even noticed were charging. Looked to be near a dozen of them, far as he could tell. Approaching from what looked like a house in the distance. The bolts took out a few of the guards but the rest just kept on coming. His own hired hands got into position, reading themselves to meet the guards. Shields were raised, spears lowered, and two more of the guards dropped to arrows from Fieri. Incredible. As two more realised how their numbers had dropped, and what they were coming up against, they slowed to a halt. The three that actually made it to the lines of soldiers didn't last more than a couple of seconds. They had no solid figure for how many guards would be in the compound, but already it looked like they were cutting through them with ease. They would go to that house first, see Drien. Have a little conversation with him and find the girl.

Celery approached the slave quarters carefully. He could hear more fighting but couldn't afford to waste the time finding out what was going on. Most likely it was a feud between slavers. The best case scenario would see all the slaves transferred to a new owner, worst case would see them all killed to avoid there being any witnesses. Suddenly it became even more important for them to escape tonight. Since she wasn't at the house she would have to be in the slave quarters. It made sense. They questioned her and then returned her here days ago. There was nobody around as he approached, which was suspicious in itself. He tasted the air, but over all the other smells around here he couldn't pick up on anything in particular. He hissed. He would just need to be prepared for anything. His grip on the spear tightened as he entered the slave quarters.

He searched her room, and then his own. She wasn't here. He went room to room, then, pulling back the bars to unlock the doors. All the slaves seemed nervous, too scared to move. Hissing again, he turned and left the slave quarters, feeling hollow inside. They killed her. It was the only explanation. If any of these slaves escaped, it would cause more commotion. It could be just the distraction needed, on top of whatever else was going on, to provide him a chance at escape through the tunnel. He would need a pickaxe. Perhaps he could break the rocks apart himself, the sound of it covered by the battle. At this point, though, he was struggling to see why he should even bother. If he had been a little faster, a little more decisive, well the girl might be alive right now. The two of them could have escaped days ago. If only he had been faster.

Celery trudged out of the slave quarters and made his way towards the pit, clawed feet dragging along the ground. He made his way sullenly down, not even concentrating on keeping an eye out for guards. As he reached the bottom, a shape caught his attention. There was a body… That of a guard. There, a little further away was another… Someone had been down here already. His grip tightened on his spear again as he suddenly found himself on edge. He moved quickly, keeping low, approaching the tunnel that led to his own secret tunnel. Which was open to the world. They had found it. That was why they had killed her. Probably killed the guards that hadn't noticed him doing it, too. That would explain the bodies.

Burt looked around as he approached the slave quarters. A head was poked out, looking around. As soon as the slave caught sight of Burt they darted back inside though. There was no time to deal with the slaves. He had to find somewhere to hunker down, at least until things had quietened down. Some would call it cowardice, yes. But Burt was just being realistic. There was nothing an old thug with a bad knee was going to do back there that could change the course of battle. The compound was compromised. It was all over for Drien's compound. Perhaps the boss would want to take it back, when the time was right. That wasn't any of Burt's concern right now though. If he could find Nose, maybe the two of them would take a little vacation. His sister lived down in Itjivut. Sure it would be a little chilly, but he had a feeling Nose would like it down there. Yes, that's just what they would do. All he needed was to find Nose first. He sure hoped he wasn't back there getting himself into trouble. That thought was enough to make him pause. He was making a mistake, he had to turn back and find Nose, form a better defense. He wasn't a coward. It wasn't too late..

A shadow at the edge of the pit caught his attention. It was small, carrying a spear. Burt noticed the tail… It was a kobold. It was The kobold. Burt growled in the back of his throat, drawing his sword, sneaking up behind the kobold to follow him into the pit.

Ed had tried to keep up with the others and do his part in this attack, but after the first scuffle with a few guards who ambushed them from the darkness it became obvious he was in no shape for it. His injuries just weren't healed enough yet. The tightness in his arm and chest were too much for him to attack freely. If it came to it, he could use his magic to fuel himself but there was no need right now. Their superior numbers were telling, and there hadn't been any resistance that they couldn't brush aside so far. The house was just ahead and hopefully Drien would be inside.

Aside from the slaves left behind, the house was empty. "So you're saying there is a secret tunnel…" The house slaves had been extremely helpful when they discovered Ed and his company weren't there to harm them. In fact, it turned out they hated the slaver so much they were more than happy to give Ed as many details as they could think of. Drien had taken a lot of men with him, down through the tunnel to wherever it led. In the end, Ed decided he could spare ten men to help the slaves. There were other places where slaves were kept, and he had instructed them to keep an eye out for a girl with burn scars on her face. At the mention of this, one of the slaves stepped forwards.
"I… I think I know who you are talking about, sir. She was only here for a couple of days. Drien, well, he had a fascination with her for some reason. I don't know what happened to her." Ed's vision blanked for a moment, anger coursing through him. Drien had probably taken her with him. He would catch the bastard. He'd kill him himself.

Nose looked across the battlefield for Burt, seeing no one.
A bolt shot across his face, letting him feel the air as it passed by. It was too dangerous to sit around here. He had to start moving.
He quickly ducked out of battle, running to find his companion. Where would he have gone? The safest bet would be the slave house construction wise but it was the heart of the camp currently being attacked. No, Burt wouldn’t go there.

The mines would be a good choice. A dark maze to hide out in until everything blew over. Yes, of course. It was perfect. He would check there first. Grabbing a discarded club, Nose made his way to the quarry.

—

Kamri heaved her body up from the floor of the tunnel. Now what? She thought about scaling the Cliffside but it would be hopeless. The front gates where dangerous right now, too. And the fences she would never get over.
She had decided the best course of action would be to wait and see if these attackers are friend or foe.
She stood and dusted off her pants. Time to head back and do some snooping around.
She heard footprints. Had she been caught? Discovered? She had forgotten to replace the wall.
She tried to devise a plan for the attacker. Would she just doge and try and run? She had the knife.
But with an injured shoulder, she wasn’t sure how much she could do.
She would be stealthy, creeping along the wall. When she got to the opening she could jump out the surprise the guard, hopefully offing him in one quick slash.
She pressed her back against the wall, waiting and listening.

One more step, now.

She lept from the mouth of the cave, Drien’s knife raised above her head ready to strike. She brought the blade down, aiming for the neck. She stopped just in time, the point scratching the scales of the shape in front of her.
She made out the silhouette of a small reptilian man. She dropped the knife. “Celery?” She whispered.
She smiled wide. “I thought you were caught or transferred! Or, or!” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m so glad you’re okay! Are you ready to get out of here?”

Celery looked up and hissed gently, giving Kamri a toothy grin. Relief washed over her. Finally, they could get out.

Someone ran around the corner, rushing at them at reckless abandon. Kamri pulled out her knife, Cel took a defensive stance. There was a light and a second pair of footsteps that followed.

—

Nose reached the mines, knowing that Burt was smart enough to hide here. He had his doubts when he noticed two bodies, both dressed in armor. Who did that? The resilience hadn’t come this far quite yet.
Worry edged his thoughts as he descended deeper into the quarry. Maybe he would have to be more on guard than he thought.
He found a box full of torches by the entrance. He grabbed one and lit it, preparing to go deeper into the mines.

He had not thought about just how many different routes there were to take. No light came from any direction, so maybe Burt wasn’t down here after all. Then again he could also just be hiding.

“Celery?”

He heard a familiar voice. He didn’t know who it belonged to but the voice grated on his ears.
It gave him a lead, though. If not to Burt then to some slaves that where obviously out past hours. He stomped down the hallway, towards the sound.

—

The light shone into the tunnel to reveal the newcomers.
“Burt!” the second man yelled as he rounded the corner. “Slow down! I’ve been lookin’ fer yah. We should-“
The brute stopped, seeing both Kamri and Cel. He looked at his partner, apparently named Burt, catching his breath.
“Ah, this is why you where chasin’ down the tunnel. I remember the girl.” He took a moment to breathe. Looked like another fight.
Kamri stood tall. “Back off! We’re armed and ready to fight.”
Nose chuckled. “Not without magic, mage.”
Celery acted quickly, swerving around and hitting the ground with his tail, sending up a plume of dirt and dust. Nose and Burt shielded their eyes from the attack, not realizing it has also extinguished their torch.
Celery grabbed Kamri’s hand and pulled her into the side tunnel. If they played their cards right, they could hide deep into the darkness, or Celery could sneak attack them from behind.

Gavin had been contracted by the funny little dwarf with the funny little name to do this job. His life had been one interesting turn after another which had all added up to him finding himself here, in a city full of pirates hiring himself out as muscle and a mercenary. He was good enough that he could pick and choose which jobs he wanted to take, and moral enough that he only took the jobs that weren't downright evil. He recognised many of the others he had been working with the last few hours from previous contracts. It seemed like whoever had hired them all was cherry picking the mercenaries in the city who weren't complete bastards for this job. He had seen flyers for other contracts being handed around but the dwarf… Well, the dwarf had offered him a deal he just couldn't refuse. Do this job, take a hefty bonus and some time off. Yeah, he could do this. So far, the job had been easy, very little resistance from any of the guards who were meant to be in this compound. If he was honest, the lack of resistance made him a little uneasy, but being in charge of the other nine men he couldn't let that show. He needed to exude an air of confidence.

They had released the slaves from the main house, where the slaver lived. They were trailing along behind them right now, giving them whispered advice about where to avoid. It turned out there was a building not far off that was the sleeping quarters for all the guards. If there was going to be a counterattack, it was possible it would come from there. Two men were dispatched there to scout it out, see if there was any danger and deal with it if they could. Fire was suggested as a diversionary tactic. A good idea, but not just for the guard's quarters. Two more men were left to ensure the house was empty, liberate anything of worth and burn the rest. He knew the man in yellow had gone on down through a tunnel beneath the house, but there would likely be other ways for him to get back. Gavin's main focus, right now, was to free the slaves and find the girl with the burn scars.

None of the slaves they freed from the main house could tell him where the girl might be. Some suggested the slaver might have taken her with him. If that was true, Yellow and his company would soon get her back. If it wasn't then that where Gavin and his five companions came into play. Three, after he dispatched two more to free the slaves from the quarters positioned near the fig fields. That left the larger slave quarters, the one by the mines. Four men, and the freed women headed towards it.

Nedarius had been the commander of the guards before those two southerners had arrived, throwing their weight around, taking control of things. Look what had come of that! A disaster! Ned knew exactly how to take care of this though, that he did. There would need to be a culling of the slaves after they were done kicking the intruders in the arse. Too many slaves and too few guards was a bad recipe. The one good thing that southerner had done was to bring in more men the day before. They hadn't been patrolling, still being new to the compound. Meant Ned had him some bodies to work with, along with those who had been off shift. Thirty men, in total. If they could gather up any of the surviving patrols outside, they would all stick together and come down hard on the bastards who were attacking. Ned licked his lips at the thought of all the blood he would get to spill tonight. That of his enemies, and of the slaves. He'd had his eye on one in particular. A new girl, all scarred up. Nobody would miss her, since her skin was marked like that. Meant he could have some fun with her before killing her. He was looking forward to that.

Celery backed down the side tunnel keeping the human girl, Thirteen, behind him. He regretted never getting to know her real name, especially since it looked like they were about to die. He had thought quickly, dousing the light and relying on his own ability to see in the dark to gain them the advantage. The truth was bad though. Against two armed and armored opponents, while he was still weak from hunger, he didn't think he would be able to succeed. He would try, though. For the girl. She had been here, trying to escape without him, but that could be forgiven. Just because she hadn't cared enough about him to try and find him when he himself had risked his life… She hadn't turned him in though. That was loyalty enough to be rewarded in turn with loyalty of his own. He could hear the voices and stumbling coming from outside this little offshoot, what had once been his only hope for freedom. He had the girl with him now. With two of them, could they escape still? The two guards, the same two who had taken the girl away days before suspiciously enough, hadn't come down the tunnel yet. A brief thought flashed through his mind, quickly subdued. He didn't think it likely they were using him to clear the blockage. They were obviously much larger and stronger than he was. He decided that now was the time to take a risk. Turning, he gently put his hands on the girl to guide Thirteen back towards the blockage. It might be hard, what with her not being able to see, but they would try. At the very least, he would hear the two guards coming up the tunnel behind him and would be able to turn in time to defend them. He hoped.

Burt cursed, dropping his sword to rub the dirt out his eyes. The lizard had used a dirty trick! Cursing loudly, tears streaming down his face, he began to grope blindly in the darkness in an attempt to find Nose. He hoped Nose wouldn't brain him with that club he had seen him briefly holding moments before. His hands met with an armored chest, running over it for maybe a few second longer than was exactly necessary. Nose was there, and he wasn't swinging the club. Good news.

"Hey, is there still that box of torches back there? Yeah? I'm going to go grab one. See if you can get yours lit, but stay here to make sure those two don't escape."

It took him a few precious minutes to fumble his way back in the darkness. His night vision had been ruined by the light from the torch, however briefly it had been there, and now his eyes were taking their sweet time in adjusting back to the dark. He found the box of torches, produced a flint and steel from his pocket and set to work. A second thought had him reaching back into the box to grab and light a second torch, for Nose, just in case he hadn't managed to get his lit again. Wasn't like he had a sword to hold right now anyway. He'd need to fetch that, wouldn't he?

There was a light up ahead as he rounded the corner. Ah, so Nose had got his lit then. There he was, standing there with that goofy grin on his face, holding Burt's sword in one hand and his own club in the other. The torch was planted firmly in the ground next to him. Burt had to take a moment to appreciate the sight of Nose standing there in the flickering light of a torch, like an avenging angel holding those weapons. He sighed, a gentle sound escaping his throat, before shaking himself out of it. They had business to attend to, slaves to find. There was no way he was letting those two escape, especially not that girl a second time.

The search of the tunnels took fifteen minutes before Nose called attention to a tunnel, a small entrance leading off to the side. There was a lot of dirt piled around the entrance, almost as if it had been hidden until recently. Mighty suspicious, Burt had to agree with Nose on that score. They entered the tunnel, Burt leading the way with sword drawn. There, up ahead, there was a strong smell of sewage building. Large boulders began to litter the tunnel, then. What had they stumbled across, he wondered. Was this an escape tunnel for the slaves? If it was, it could be their ticket out of the massacre going on above.

The tunnel was cramped, causing Ed to have to duck low to traverse it. Some of his people had produced torches and small lanterns and were making their way down carefully, but Ed, Fieri and Twinkle and rushed down ahead as fast as they could. It seemed they all had the ability to adjust their eyes to the darkness magically. Handy trick, that was. If only Peabody had been able to do the same. Someone had to stay with the troops, though. Who better than the manservant turned general? The fact that Twinkle and Fieri had decided to come on ahead with him was comforting, at least he wasn't alone. At the same time, though, he worried for both of them. He still didn't know a lot about the slave girl, and Twinkle… Well, Twinkle was just a small little thing. Far too precious to be dragging into danger. There was no time to argue the point with her though, not with the slaver escaping ahead of them. He had thought he could see a faint light ahead upon entering the steeply descending tunnel, but either it had been his imagination or whoever had been producing it had already exited the tunnel. He hoped it was the former, because if it had been the latter then he was a way behind his prey.

The tunnel finally leveled out and there, up ahead, was a lightening in the darkness. The exit was up ahead! With a laugh, he put on a burst of speed, appearing into the night air onto a sandy beach. The moons above provided him with enough light to see the men arrayed to his right, further down the beach, with bows and wands pointed his way. Balls. There was just enough time to see things start flying towards him before his world tilted.

He found himself on the floor, having been tugged back violently from behind, most of the way back into the tunnel. Arrows landed where he had been stood just a second before, and spells flew by. He looked up to see his savior, having expected it to be Peabody for some reason but instead seeing the slave girl. Fieri. He nodded his thanks to her and then scrambled back into the safety of the tunnel. Looking back up there, he could see the soldiers were close, but with them all being pinned inside there was nothing that could be done. Ed cursed under his breath, trying to think of a way to distract the enemies arrayed against him.

While Ed was deep in thought, Twinkle slipped her obsidian wand out of her robe, along with the black cat Stubble. She handed the cat to Fieri, and strode out into the open. Arrows came flying at her, though they didn't make her scared. The spells would, but she had to hope the guards didn't have a large enough mana pool to be throwing spells around quickly, one after another. If she was right, she had a few seconds. If she was wrong. Well, she would just have to believe she wouldn't be wrong. Calling upon her own magic, she brought wind to the beach, whipping up the sand into a small whirlwind around the guards down the beach. They would be blinded, temporarily. But long enough she hoped.

Ed cried out, seeing Twinkle struck by arrows. He rushed forward, leaping past her and running at the guards assembled to give them a different target. Behind him, he could hear Fieri getting into position herself, and the sounds of dozens of feet moving from stone to sand. His own soldiers were close behind him, but time wasn't on his side if he was going to save Twinkle. He flooded his body with magic, increasing his speed and strength to his limits. He could feel a tearing in his shoulder and arm, stitches coming apart. He had an axe in one hand and a knife in the other. An arrow flew past him, coming from behind. Then a bolt. Random arrows came past him from in front, but none were close to hitting him. The next thing he knew, he was in the middle of all the guards.

Ed opened his eyes, blearily, looking around him. Was he dead? There was just a dark void above him… With a scattering of glowing objects… Stars? He was alive, then, lying on his back. His head hurt like crazy, and his body was on fire in too many places to count. With a groan, he rolled onto his side to see what was going on around him. Others why lying next to him, injured from the looks of them. Was that a ship, there, out to sea? It was close to the beach… Drien's escape plan. Speaking of which, where was the bastard?

Moving the boulders was a difficult task on it’s own. It took strength and stamina- both things which Cel and Kamri did not have. Not to mention the injuries Kamri sustained and the fatigue Celery had to battle, the task was near impossible. The only reasonable explanation was desperation and adrenaline.
They had found a way to open a small opening though, just big enough to squeeze in through. They would have loved to take a moment and rest, but they knew time was running short. They kept moving.

The sewers where disgusting. Inside was dark and dreary and smelled horrible.
Kamri covered her Nose, letting Cel guide her. She wanted to tell him about what had happened and how she had been trying to find him but right now staying quiet was crucial.
There was the looming threat that the sewers would end in a wall or a crumbled tunnel but not trying at all would have guaranteed death.
Kamri felt the pain throb in her shoulder. She felt weak and tired. Seems her bandage job was far from perfect.

The constant sound of water dripping and the tapping on their feet where the only things one could hear. She just hoped it wasn’t enough to be tracked down. Those two guards would be hot on their heels and they were in much better shape than they were. Kamri had hoped that possibly this would be the last time she saw them. Already she had fought them once and fled as well. She was getting tired of their gimmicks. She was glad Celery was there to blind them. She herself would have never thought of that and if it weren’t for his quick thinking they would both be dead by now.

The sound of shouts shook her from her thoughts. Had they been found?
No, no they had not. Those shouts came from the other side of the sewer, not from where they had entered. It opened somewhere else. Hope surged within Kamri. There was an exit! She just hoped it was outside the slave compound.

There was a ‘T’ turn up ahead. Celery quickened pace and rushed to the turnoff. The left led to darkness. The right-
The right lead to a beach. The only beach nearby was the one under the cliff. Kamri had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. They had made it!
A grate covered the exit but it proved weak when tested. Celery and Kamri nudged their shoulders into it, ramming their bodies full force, opening it on the second try.
It fell open with a clank and hit the sand below. They both jumped down into the sand.

“Cel!” Kamri knelt down and hugged him tightly. “We’re out! We made it out!” Her shoulder seared with pain but she didn’t care. She opened her eyes, letting him go, trying to contain her bust of excitement and joy. Celery backed off a little, huffing awkwardly and shrinking away. Kamri smiled sadly at him. Ah, her bad.

It wasn’t until then that she noticed the scene in front of her. Bodies laid across the beach in every which direction. So this was what had happened. There was an attack.
A few stood, and a few pairs still even fought, but it seems the battle had ended with too many bodies to tell who the clear winners where.
Celery brushed himself off, sneezing from the dirt that flew into the air.
They were out of the compound, but not yet free.
Kamri spotted the ship on the shore.
“Come on. That ship is our way out. Do you happen to know how to sail?”
Cel snorted. “HIzzikxx!”
Right. She would take that as a solid maybe.
Her confusion must have been evident as Celery rolled his eyes and shook his head, already walking to the boat.
Kamri followed in tow, ready to get out of this hell of a town. Where would she go now? Did Cel have a place to go? She wouldn’t worry about that now. She would think about it once they were safe to sea.

A groan escaped the lips of someone to her right. Kamri glanced over, seeing a group of guards tied together sitting on the sand. Among them, was Drien.
“Celery, give me a minute.” Celery clicked, walking up to the ship to inspect it and make sure the coast was clear.

Kamri walked to the pile of guards, stopping in front of a barely conscious Drein.
She sat down in front of him, lifting his chin up with the blade so he would look her in the eyes.
“This is hardly the sight I want to see before I die.” Drien Spat in her face. Kamri had a good look at the man in front of her. 
“You’ve caused me a lot of pain.” He had bruises and scrapes, cuts and even a few bites. This man was worse for wear. “You’ve caused a lot of people pain.” She removed the blade and placed her hand around his neck. She pressed her thumb into his throat and forced his head back. He gagged, trying to breathe.
“This one is for all those poor girls you touched and hurt.” She used the blade to pierce his chest. The air left his lungs and he started to shake. Kamri pulled it out and raised it again.
“This one is for Celery.”
Another stab to the gut. He started to spit blood.
“This one is for all the slaves you hurt, bought, sold, and traded.”
She stabbed him again. He stopped responding aside from a few twitches.
“And this one is for me.”
She stuck the blade deep into his right shoulder and dragged it down into his chest and out. He tried to say something, tried to free himself but failed when he found he couldn’t move. The other guards looked at Kamri in horror. This was the sight Drien had come to love so much. Kamri found it hollow.

He shook for a while, blood pouring from his mouth and his wounds. Kamri stood back up and watched as he died, bloody corpse bleeding into the sand.

Kamri turned back to the ship, intending to help Cel scout it out. She noticed a familiar man in the corner of her eye, with a small stone golem.
Peabody and Twinkle fussed over someone laying in the sand. Kamri felt a mixture of emotion. She had no problems with either person- they hadn’t sold her. 

She walked to the group, realizing she probably looked rather ghastly. Pale, covered in dirt and mud. Not to mention her newfound scar. She wondered if she was recognizable. Then again, her previous scars stayed the same, so maybe it wasn’t a totally new look.
She placed a hand on Peabody’s shoulder, asking for his attention. She noticed the body was no other than Ed, still alive. Anger bubbled up inside of her. She turned to Peabody for answers.
“What are you doing here?” She seethed through her teeth. The only thing standing in her way from killing that man was Peabody himself. She knew she could never take him on in a fight. She figured she would give them the chance to at least explain. She didn’t give them that chance for their sake, though. It was for her own.
“If I were you, I would take Ed and leave. He doesn’t sit well with me. I’m taking the boat too. I hope you have another way out of here.”

—

Nose and Burt had been fumbling around in the tunnel for a while. They figured the slave girl and the Kobold had escaped a while ago. The whole compound was probably under flames and destruction by now.
“It’s been a long couple o’… days? Weeks?” Nose and Burt could see by their torchlight, but they didn’t know where the exit was. Part of him had given up on pursuing the girl or the Kobold.
“This was meant tah’ be somewhat relaxing of a sort but I’m thinkin’ of quitting. Taking a long Rest. I’m not too sure, though.”
Silence carried between the two of them for a while. Nose opened up the question to his companion. “Well, a rest is happenin’ either way. Know of any good places tah’ go?”
It would be a long walk. Nose wasn’t one for talking often but he felt somewhat of a pull to do it today. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the sewer. Or the rats. Nose didn’t care.

—

Nedarius watched from the top of the cliff as the girl and Kobold escaped onto the beach.
“No!” He hissed. “My prize! The blood! The body! It won’t escape!” He had no way to get down quickly. If he was fast, he could make it to the beach and stop her before she escaped. No one else would have access to her. She was his enjoyment and no one else’s. If anyone were to-
An arrow struck him in the back. He stumbled forward towards the cliff.
Balls.
He fell down, face first into the sand, dying on impact.

She watched from the ship as two figures emerged from the cliff. They were both small, one of them was obviously a kobold. The others had been calling her Fieri, ever since she had spoken with the stone girl. The name of the ship she was on right now was also the Fieri… What was the meaning behind that? The name was fine, she supposed. She had an arrow drawn, following the two figures as they approached. The kobold immediately came to the ship and began petting it, fondly. Interesting. Their people stuck underground for the most part, save for the few aquatic species. It would make sense, then, that this one would know how to sail. The other figure continued onward to where the slaver knelt, bound. She considered firing on the girl but her actions were acceptable. She killed the man, the slaver who had caused so much harm. He wasn't the one who had captured her but they were all as bad as each other. One less slaver was a good thing. Then she began proclaiming insanity and the urge to release the arrow became stronger… Until the tip of a spear rested against her throat. Interesting. The little kobold was stealthy, wasn't he. She relaxed the string, letting the bow droop. He hissed something at her, she shrugged back at him. There was a bit of a communication issue building here, she could see it already.

Peabody fussed over the captain. He had already performed triage on the soldiers and slaves, finding the ones still fit enough, and with the knowledge to man the ship. With them he sent Fieri. Twinkle refused to leave the captain's side, and Fieri, well Fieri had earned his trust. The slaves and mercenaries had done a good job, but he didn't know them. He didn't know the girl either but… He couldn't explain it. There were eight other people on the beach with him, Twinkle and the captain. Five of those were injured, sitting or laying down around the captain. None of their own people had died though, which was a miracle. Of the five, they would all recover. The remaining three were a bit of an honor guard. Former slaves who wanted to make sure the captain was okay. It warmed his heart to see it. Of the twenty that had taken the beach with them, none of them had wanted to leave. Some of them he suspected just wanted the money that selling the ship would bring in. Others gave the impression that they saw a cause they could gather behind. They could afford to relax, down here. Take their time. Head back up to the compound and take care of the slaves, then return to the city with the ship. Or maybe it would be better for everyone if they just loaded up the ship with all the slaves and took them to another port… A fancy, to be sure. But something that Peabody allowed himself to daydream about as he waited for the captain to regain consciousness. Something floated down, landing on the back of his hand. Strange… It looked like… Ash? He looked up at the cliff above to see the glow of flames. What was going on up…

A voice cut through the night air. A familiar one, even if he hadn't heard it in a while. His head spun, the fire forgotten, to look down the beach at the approaching figure. It was the girl, he was sure of it. He had always been good with names, faces, voices. They stuck with him. There she was, the one they had been searching for. The only reason the had kept the slaver alive was to find her. What impossible circumstances had occurred that led her to finding them, though? He smiled wide, standing, not even noticing that Ed was stirring beneath him. Then her words sunk in. What the devil was she talking about? They had done all of this for her, and she was…

"Why, you ungrateful little-" before he could finish the thought, the sound of someone clearing their throat beneath him cut him off. 
"Peabody, if you wouldn't mind, could you help me to my feet?" Peabody looked down, embarrassed.
"Of course, sir."

***

Gavin had regrouped with all of his men. Not a single man lost, but fires set and chaos sewn. From up here he could see into the city, seeing fires scattered here and there. Something was definitely going on down there, but he couldn't let that concern him. He had a lot of slaves following him now. They had saved the ones they could. Others took off alone, not trusting him and his men. Others refused to move, too scared and broken by their time here. He could only save the ones that wanted to be saved. The truth was harsh. He glanced around, seeing a group of men gathered along the cliff edge. There were a lot of them there… And the rest of his people were down there. They would be massacred by the guards who could easily pick off anyone down below with bows and magic. He turned, looking at the slaves and back at the guards. He didn't have time to think a decision through completely. "Dave, take the slaves and the others and get out of here. Don't stop for anyone. Get them… Get them anywhere. Out of the city. Send a couple of boys to Thrustbunion's, he'll know what to do with them. But don't stop moving. Keep them safe." Orders given, received, and followed, Gavin was left there alone with a crossbow. He took a deep breath and ran into range, picking out one guard. They were all the same, really. He fired, hit his target, then shouted to get the attention of the others.

Burt had been holding his breath for a while now, until he began chatting with Nose. They had been following the sewers, not even knowing where they would lead them. If they would even lead them out of here. The torches would last a while yet but Burt kept looking for any signs of an exit coming up. He should have taken the one at that T junction, that looked like it would have led right outside. But it would also have led him directly to the beach beneath the cliffs. That was a little too close to danger for his tastes. The subject of what to do next came up. "How do you feel about snow?"

***Ed got to his feet, stiffly, aided by Peabody. There she was, the girl with the burns. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He had missed what she said, but he was just happy to see her. She looked filthy, and bloody, but she was alive. In one piece. He let out a breath, not even feeling the tightness from the broken ribs any more. He opened his mouth to say something when an arrow landed in the sand next to him. His eyes darted up to the cliff above. There were an awful lot of soldiers up there. Some of them were turning away, but there were still plenty with bows pointing down at the beach. More arrows began to fall, luckily missing people. That kind of luck couldn't remain with them. "Get to the ship!" He shouted, bending to help up the injured mercenary next to him. As arrows began to fall like rain, everyone began to run.

One person took an arrow on the way to the ship, and Ed remained on the beach until everyone else was aboard. Fieri had tried to return fire, but with her current bow the distance was just too far. It took some magic from Twinkle and a few others, even Ed throwing in whatever telekinesis he could, to move the ship. Soon enough they were in the water. He turned, then, to look for the girl, taking the mask from his face and lowering the hood.

Kamri instinctively took a step back, drawing out her knife for defense at Peabody’s outburst. ‘How dare she? Ungrateful?!’ She was just sold to slavery by that man lying in the sand below. When she called out for help, he merely stood there and watched. He probably enjoyed the reward from it too! Did he honestly think she would welcome them with open arms?
Why where they here anyway? Where they making a deal with Drien for some other poor slave?
The captain’s body stirred, taking her attention off the ex-solider for a moment and onto the man who had gotten her into this mess. For a moment, a brief moment, his eyes fell on her. She could have sworn she saw tears well up in his eyes. Surprise and confusion snuck their way past her initial defenses. She quickly fell back to her survivalist mind. She wouldn’t let them take advantage of her. Not again.

An arrow streaked by, hitting the sand next to her foot. She looked up at the top of the cliff, archers sending their arrows down from above.
She had no time for this, she had to leave. She had no problems with Peabody nor twinkle, she had no reason to wish for their death. But if their damn captain was so damn important to them, then she would let him live. That meant peacefully allowing them all onto the boat.

She swirled around, about the bark the order for everyone to board the boat, but it was the captain who gave the order first. She grit her teeth, chocking down her anger. She would get on the boat, and be dropped off. She didn’t want to have to stay longer than necessary.

Everyone clambered onto the boat with some gear and whatever they could carry. Kamri followed the masses, climbing on as everyone began to push and pull the boat with magic.
Right, magic.
She looked down at the bracers that kept her from casting. This was yet another problem she would have to overcome.
She stood on the deck and watched at the boat slowly pulled from the shore, leaving the flaming cliff behind.
The wounded moaned and the uninured cried in both relief and sorrow.

Cel was with a girl with a bow, Peabody and Twinkle where off with Ed. everyone else was in their own groups.

She walked to the back of the boat to watch the cliff shrink in the distance. She watched the flames lick up the remains of the trees and the slave house that became her prison for a little too long.
She sat, still feeling the heat from the flame tickle her skin as it was slowly dragged away by the cool sea air.
Back turned and wounds bleeding, she allowed herself to quietly cry and let go.
She was ready to leave.

   CHAPTER 2: ESCAPE-  END