Thalia hovered in the sky, her body wreathed in living flame as she glared down at the warehouse. Even her gaze burned—hot, merciless, unblinking.
"Forrest Young, you are surrounded. Come out and surrender." Her voice boomed across the docks, drawing every eye to the blazing star that lit up the night sky.
Below, guards and hired blades shifted into position. Korbin stood at the front with a hardened knot of soldiers ready to storm the building. Elena and Leo held the rear line, watching the movements ripple through Korbin's men as they tightened formation—half circle, they were locking into place like jaws ready to snap shut.
Elena glanced up at her aunt, then at the surrounding guards. Her amber eyes were cold, steady, unshaken by the shouts and scrambling inside the warehouse.
"Damian, Galtin, open the doors," Korbin barked.
Two men in armor quickly rushed to the large doors, both grabbed the handles, and nodded as they started to slide them open. A man charged out, screaming, his spear trying, failing, to hit a guard. But the guard quickly cut him down.
Silencing the man.
"Move," Korbin ordered, and his men followed, as they smoothly went from a half circle into an arrowhead, as they charged in.
Clash of metal rang out as Elena was in the middle, along with Leo, followed.
"Cut those down who have weapons in hand," Korbin ordered, his tone sharp as his curved sword blocked a spear, and he took a quick step forward and cut the man's chest, then he slashed, cutting the man's arm off.
Elena watched the gruesome clash. Elena had only seen fights from a distance, small gangs clashing with knives and blunt objects, the occasional spear, and even rarer sword. Yet she stood tall, not wavering, the weight of being heir to the Falmil house already rested heavily on her shoulders.
She knew she would see more of this type of clash between trained guards going against experienced warriors.
It was bloody. But as her amber eyes watched, her eyes flickered to the cages, and the terrified people in them, the cages were too small, beast-kin, dwarves, humans, all mixed, all bonded in iron chains.
Her stomach twisted at the sight as her eyes searched for the man responsible for this, but a beast-kin that had transformed, a rare ability, halted the guards.
The tiger-kin pounced on a guard, mauling him even through steel, as two guards tried to slash at the beast-kin, it quickly pounced off, leaving their blades slashing only air as it jumped onto a cage, and it leaped at another guard. The fearful shout of the man ended as the tiger's jaws bit through the helmet.
Elena grasped Thimil's hilt as she drew it; heat burst out, and the air around Thimil's blade shimmered.
Thimil's small runes blazed to life, their enchantment activating. Before Leo could say anything, Elena charged at the tiger, the heat of battle taking her as Thimil bit deep in the tiger's paw, the smell of burning flesh flooded the air, the tiger-kin roared in pain, and Elena stepped back, avoiding its massive paw.
She took a step forward, her footwork practiced and clean, as she slashed at the tiger's shoulder, its fur singeing at the cut.
She dodged another swipe, and she stabbed the neck, Thimil plunging deep. The tiger-kin's roars became gurgled as he tried to pounce; she easily avoided the sluggish move, and she dragged Thimil's blade across the side of the tiger as he passed.
The tiger-kin staggered, blood painting the floor with each desperate attempt to find his footing, but another blade plunged into his neck, and the guard ripped it out, as the tiger collapsed.
Dead.
Elena and the guard nodded in respect to each other at the takedown. She breathed, feeling the heat of battle leaving her.
Leo walked up to her, "My lady, that was reckless," his voice stern.
"He killed four men, Leo. He needed to be dealt with," Her gaze landed on him, her voice cold.
She flicked the blood off of Thimil, and she sheathed its blade, its heat disappearing. Yet the air was still warm.
Leo nodded.
Elena glanced upward; she knew Thalia was watching, the air warm like a summer day, due to her presence alone, even far above.
A shrill scream pierced the air as the small engagement began to end, with Forrest running up the stairs covered in blood, gripping his missing hand, and trying to stop the bleeding.
His eyes wide in terror, "Beast, Demon," his voice cracking as his panicked eyes looked around, seeing more men dead, and the Altor guard spread out through the warehouse. His eyes landed on the open door, and he darted. Fire burst through the door, the summer air now hot as if the docks had transformed into the desert itself.
He turned, avoiding the heat, as a figure walked out, flames covering her.
"There you are, you scat," Thalia hissed.
Forrest screamed as he tried to run, but was met with three guards, all eyes focused on him, spears pointed.
Forrest looked back at her, eyes filled with fear, "Demon, beast!" he cried out once more, still remembering the shadow with golden eyes.
Thalia's flaming fist found his jaw, singeing his stubble as he landed on the stone floor.
The few slavers that still resisted, seeing the Flame of Helver and her knocking out their boss, soon surrendered.
"What the seven hells was he talking about?" Thalia muttered, looking upon Forrest's unconscious, limp form. Blood pooling from his stump.
Thalia's eyes narrowed as she looked around and saw a staircase leading down.
"I want this place secured," she ordered, her gaze washed over the warehouse scattered with filled cages, her fist tightening, as her flames extinguished, and she walked to the stairs.
Elena watched her aunt tread down the stairs as she looked around at the cages. Then, to the slavers, her amber eyes flared as she wanted to strike them down, yet she closed her eyes and breathed.
Leo's hand found her shoulder, reassuring her. Elena looked at Leo and nodded a thanks to her friend and personal guard.
She exhaled as she started to walk around, her eyes meeting the trapped slaves, yet each time she either tried to speak or even make eye contact, they flinched away.
Then her eyes landed on a small form, a child.
Her stomach lurches as she looked upon the child, their breath shuddering, their body weak.
She pulled Thimil's blade out once more and pressed the tip to the lock, the metal heating and soon becoming slag, her mind thinking, 'how someone could even stand this. Let alone be the one doing it,' as Leo ripped the door open and called out for a healer.
She let herself breathe only when one of the healers who was with them started to attend the child.
The healer's magic was slow but steady, Elena watching over them, as she saw bits of life starting to return to the child's eyes.
She sighed as she looked back at the cage, a slumped body in the corner. She turned, covering her mouth, as tears welled.
She walked away and sat next to a cage covered in cloth as she tried to regain herself, with Leo standing near.
"Terrible, isn't it?" a harmonic voice spoke, beautiful though weakened
Elena looked up, searching for the voice.
"We never understood why other races have slaves," the voice continued.
Elena looked at the clothed cage, realizing it was its source.
She stood up, Leo beside her, as she looked at it, her eyes searching for hidden threats.
"Are you a slave?" She asked, hand resting on Thimil's hilt.
"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be in this cage," the voice replied wryly.
Elena studied the cage, a strange calmness bloomed in the back of her mind, as she reached out, grabbed the cloth, and pulled, the cloth revealing a much larger cage along with a lone figure.
An Elf.