They parted ways.
After a few minutes, Megdline located a suitable person. It was a slender and pretty young woman with a gold earring. She carried a bag and wore a fine silver collar with a symbol of the man who bought her. In a firm tone Megdline commanded. “You there, follow me. I have a task for you.” The girl looked around and realized she was the one being called. Both Megdline and the girl knew that any mage can temporarily use any slave in exchange for payment of services to the master. Megdline said not another word and turned down an alley. Frill acted superior than anyone and in his walk, people knew he is no ordinary cat. The slave girl followed without question.
In the space where none watched, Megdline turned around to say “I hope you understand later.” Before the girl could understand, Megdline crafted a spell which made the girl fall into a deep slumber and would wake by midnight. The girl would have fallen if Megdline hadn’t held her up with another spell. The earring came out along with undressing her and removing the collar. She felt pity for the life of the girl and though she is beautiful of face, whoever her owners is has marred her breasts and stomach to an unsightly degree. Blue healing magic sealed the girl’s earring hole and dissolved the horrendous scars to make her beautiful again. Megdline held the shoddy cloth and accessories, but she altered the symbol on the collar so if someone had recognized it when Brooke would wear it, there would be more trouble. This way there would be none. The other gift she gave the girl is the only dress Megdline stored and the girl was clothed in a fine dress.
To be sure the girl wasn’t seen she was laid beside a large broken wagon with old hay. Unless someone went deeply looking, they wouldn’t find her. Megdline tried using the sight mirror on Cage, but all she found was white everywhere and couldn’t find anything distinctive. She then remembered that the spell of Twilight prevents anyone from looking for him in any way. She sighed as Frill said “We must hurry, time is against us. We must Jump.”
A glowing yellow archway appeared and both of them stepped through out onto the open area of beach she left the other two in. The light vanished and out came Brooke and Sean from the trees not far away. Brooke walked out naked and clutched her tomahawks in a hand. Sean carried small seashells as small as a fingernail. Megdline handed the cloth over and Brooke wrinkled her nose, but slipped into it. Megdline magically cut the earring’s thin shaft of metal and magnetically charged the front and back with magic since gold won’t hold a charge. Brooke then felt the two metal pieces lightly squeezing on either side of the earlobe. The silver collar slipped on next.
“Mother said I should find these. Will they work?” Sean asked and gave over the handful of shells.
“Splendidly.” She answered. “Frill, take him back to the campfire and wait till I summon you… Sean do you understand what you are supposed to do?”
“Yes. I’m to wait for you and Dad or when Mother comes in a sailboat. I promise to wait until morning. Mother said if none come back by then you didn’t save my other mother and the others. I will hope that doesn’t happen though.”
“We will need all the hope we can get. Be safe, Child.”
“You too, Megdline.” Sean and Frill began walking back down the beach.
“Now to hide those.” Megdline said and gestured to the woman’s weapons. She brought out a flat bag. “Stuff it with some grass to look like you are on an errand. A slave carrying a weapon isn’t allowed without being near an owner.” Brooke went to do just that and tore up some wild grass.
The sack appeared to be full and weighty thanks to the weapons. Megdline made a few adjustments to her student’s lover, smearing on some dirt or adding a little tear to make others look to fine breasts rather than the face. Brooke allowed all this, knowing what is expected. They began walking back towards Bepop where Megdline gave instructions on how to appear and react like a slave.
Reaching the city, they blended right in before separating, but not before Brooke received blood red shells infused with magic. Megdline went in search of Cage while Brooke hung her head and moved towards her designated location. Much of her hair hung over her eyes and she found it odd how none really looked to her as a person or at all. Just another slave. She moved and located the slaver compound with little issue at the noon hour. Brooke found the alleyway that would allow her to see the compound’s lone weakness while being hidden from sight.
Brooke waited patiently and watched how men with crossbows circled and looked inwards at the slaves she couldn’t see behind a thick wooden wall. The weakness she studied from her lover’s sight mirror showed a place she could easily climb and drop inside where five enclosures also hid a slaver’s weapon cache they use to torture others. While she waited in the shadows, Brooke could hear the cries of pain and anguish, the repeated crack of a whip and the rage inducing cry of helpless children.
Just when she thought the distraction would never come she noticed one slaver walking around the wall point and shouted “Fire in the noble’s district!” The men all turned to look. Then suddenly there came a thunderous boom that shook the ground violently before the sound even arrived. Glass in windows shattered and horses whinnied in fear. Brooke’s eyes widened as she peeked around the corner of a building as a tower of flame reached nearly a hundred feet in the air and thick black smoke looked like a mushroom as it rose higher and higher. Flaming debris rained down all around. It wasn’t nearly over yet as another explosion of equal, if not greater, magnitude erupted close to the first as smoke rose moments before. Brooke’s jaw dropped at what her mate had done for he could have been the only one to create such devastation and chaos. People ran to either see what caused such upheaval or to run away for their own miserable lives.
Guards patrolling the wall began shouting and most started running to help, after seeing the slaves were all secured. Brooke waited for the right time to move, when all the guards left the wall as Cage had prophesized would be the likely result of the diversion. Every able bodied individual would be needed.
When she could find no other slaver from her location, she ran out of the alley, getting disguised in the frantic crowd. She moved fast towards the blind spot of the wall and climbed without being noticed. In a few seconds, she slowly peeked over the wall and waited for thirty seconds as the slavers on the ground put those they were beating, back into the iron cells. The slavers checked all the locks before nearly all left the area. A third explosion deafened the city of Bepop. Only about ten slavers remained behind to watch over those they were breaking and couldn’t help looking towards the havoc.
The distraction worked superbly and Brooke pulled herself over, jumped down on the shed five feet below the wall and dropped another ten feet to the dirt ground without drawing notice from the guards. A person in a nearby cell stared at her with wide eyes. It was instant recognition. “Priestess?”
Brooke smiled at the Familiar face. “Hello, Zatal, miss me?”
“But how? Why?” He then turned incoherent, but Brooke noticed how badly these enslaving men beat on a good and kind warrior. Welts, bruises and open wounds from a whip laying open the flesh made him look to have suffered, but his hopeful eye said he is far from being defeated in any way.
“Talk later. I’m getting everyone out..” Brooke turned around to the shed, licked a shell that has lost some redness. She placed the fingernail size shell in the keyhole of the lock and stepped back. Three seconds later there came a sizzling, popping sound from the shell causing a small explosion that blew apart the lock. She opened the door to grin. Inside were whips, crossbows, bolts, metal rods and cruel looking knives. Brooke turned around to lick another shell and put it in the lock for it to be blown apart. Before it did, she said “Stand back.” The cage full of tribal men did so. It came off and she said “Men, get your weapons and turn on those who think that these stupid people can tame we of the Tribal Plains. Be quiet and hunt them down like the beasts they are.” She saw the men have fire and retribution return to their expressions and were about to cheer. “Quiet,
the hunt has begun.” She opened the door for them and they hurried to the once sealed room and began gathering weapons. As priestess, she outranked all of them, even if she was of another tribe and gladly listened. Before Zatal went to hunt the remaining slavers with is fellow brothers, Brooke laid a hand on his shoulder. “No, help me free the others. Get the men and arm them before freeing the young ones.” She gave him half the shells. “These have been spelled. Simply lick one, put it into a lock and step back. You have five seconds before they go off. Do not lick and hold on or you will lose a hand.”
Zatal grinned. “I am glad you came.” He then went to the nearest cell of prisoners and did as she said.
The twelve newly freed men snuck up close with drawn knives as the guards looked away when a forth explosion erupted. One chose to turn around to check on the cages, but he saw men silently running up on them and before he could give warning his throat was slashed by the torturing blades they used on others for fun and pleasure. The other nine went down in an instant as the men came up from behind and stuck as one. They also had enough sense to drag the bodies away and guard the only door in or out of the compound.
Without the need for secrecy, Brooke ran over to the women’s holdings and had everyone back away. The lock broke and the women hurried out. A great many of the captured were from neighboring tribes and in a few seconds all the weapons were gone, leaving most unarmed. “Priestess! Sister Brooke!” caught her attention and she rushed over to find Lanna crying happily and reaching out between the bars to touch and see if she is real. Brooke grabbed her hand as Lanna said “Thank the spirits!”
Brooke noticed four unconscious women, one of them being Moril who had been tortured not long ago as fresh blood trickled from her flayed back. The priestess destroyed the lock and said “Sisters, carry those who cannot walk.”
Then her heart could bare it no longer. Brooke ran towards the gate where she knew Meeka would be. She imagined those blue eyes crying and holding her closely and getting a long overdue kiss. Her feet took her quickly to the enclosure, but she stopped cold. Only one woman in a white dress stood within and it certainly wasn’t what she expected. Her heart seemed to stop as did her mind and she stared in shock, unable to process what happened.
A firm hand gripped her and Lanna turner her around. “Sister Meeka was taken three days ago by a dozen magic men. The others in white were also taken.”
“WHAT!?” She shrieked, coming quickly out of her stupor. “What do you mean they took her? She is supposed to be here! This is no time for a joke, Lanna Sister. Where is my woman? She needs to be here! Meeka, where is my Meeka? She is supposed to be waiting for me right there!” Brooke pointed.
“Forgive me.” Lanna said before painfully slapping Brooke across the cheek. “Get a hold of yourself, Priestess. We must leave. I assume our chief is destroying the city with our people so you can save us all. You must lead us. You have a plan… I hope?”
Brooke fought back the tears that threatened to crush her. Hopes of being reunited with the woman she loved had slipped through her fingers again. She yelled to the sky to vent her frustration, anger and worry. Many turned to their rescuer and understood on some level what her problem is. “You are right.” Brooke finally admitted grimly and hurried to open the last of the cells with Zatal.
A fifth explosion erupted.
Mothers and fathers hurried to be with their remaining children again. Tears of happiness flowed freely and many warriors took position near the gate.
“No, we are not leaving through the door!” Brooke said. “If you want your freedom back, you will follow me!” Her exclamation silenced the area. Those without weapons helped carry those who were injured, unconscious or were recovering. Brooke ran back to the shed and closed the door with everyone following. Several warriors stayed by the door to give them as much time as they could, should the slavers return. “You two men, help me up.” Two large warriors with gold earrings helped lift her the ten feet and she reached down to the largest man. “Grab hold. I’ll pull. You then get everyone up and over the side. Start with warriors with weapons first.” He grabbed her offered hand and jumped, grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up. Brooke stood as he helped another up. “Warriors, on the other side of the wall is two buildings. We must hold the area while the rest run through the alley. The forest is near. We will take it and run around the city’s northern outskirts and rush to the boats floating near the docks. Warriors, we cannot afford to linger. When the last person is out, we run…” Brooke noticed a rather large man holding a pair of knives. “Chief of the Bamana! You will lead everyone around to the docks. When you get there shout ‘Lockdown!’ as loud as you can. It will magically stop the boats from leaving before we steal them. Kill any who get in your way, but get these people on those boats. Kidnap sailors if you must. Hurry, time will not be with us for long.”
The large chief repeated “Lockdown! I will do it. Warriors to the front. Children, stick to the women. Men, when we get outside, spread yourselves around everyone and kill any who try to stop us. If you find weapons along the way, use them!”
By the time he finished, ten warriors stood ready with Brooke and climbed to the top of the wall. Brooke showed them how to climb down and on the ground she gripped her tomahawks and ripped off the dirty cloth covering her and the gold on her ear. The following warriors grinned and they too ripped off their clothes and stood proud. Behind Brooke marched out ten men and four female warriors all naked and looked more dangerous than any armored soldier. Those outside the compound stared openly and realized what was happening. The stupid commoners screamed and fled. Smart.
Thirty more warriors stood with Brooke and blocked the street as one freed slave after another ran through the passage and through the alley. Some warriors loaded the simple crossbows and stood on the wall and readied themselves.
Due to the flashy diversion caused by Cage, most of the city’s guard forces were scattered or in another area far away. This made it easier for the slaves to escape. The first to arrive was a large swordsman, but he saw the large naked men and women and thought wisely and retreated. Within two minutes he returned with forty warriors with drawn swords and six bowmen. One of the tribal warriors was shot in the right shoulder by a crossbow bolt before the opposing force was slaughtered by very upset men and women. The man with a bolt was readily exchanged with another warrior and fled with the others. Weapons from the dead men were distributed. Lanna carried a sword and stood beside her priestess with a stern expression of vengeance.
There was a moment of silence and in it Brooke heard smaller explosions and flashes of light to the south and knew Cage was undoubtedly fighting other mages. She didn’t worry as she usually would for she knew Megdline and Frill would be there. Her mind focused a few seconds later as she heard a command shout “Where?!” and the stomp of many feet running.
A force of sixty slavers came rushing around the side. By far the largest of them all was a man with charcoal skin, huge muscles and carried two very large swords bared and ready. He saw the slaves standing ready as many rushed behind them, between two buildings and fleeing for the woods. He ordered “Do not let the savage’s escape! Kill all who resist!” and the men yelled and rushed forward with weapons and crossbows.
Brooke’s burning anger turned white hot and her hard grip rubbed against a small bump in the leather. She yelled and ran straight at these stupid men, knowing Cage had given her an edge. The other warriors ran with her, not caring if they died in combat. The slaver’s were startled, seeing a beautiful, naked woman running right at them with nothing more than two small axes. They realized she led the revolt and all aimed their crossbows at her, likely to make the savages lose heart. The leader shouted “Loose!” and all the bolts flew straight for her.
The ward Cage instilled in the hidden emeralds flashed when the specific circumstance was reached and for a moment, all the arrows crashed into the barrier. The energy within that had been slowly taken over the past week was drai
ned, but not one bolt made it through. The slavers stared dumbfounded that none hit their mark to bring her down. Their shock wore off as she ran past two, spun and killed them as she continued for the lead slaver while those warriors following met head on.
The large man knew she was protected by magic, but not by how much. He got ready and began swinging the heavy swords. He went for the kill, but Brooke danced aside and her anger turned towards this man. He didn’t stand a chance. His muscles and body were big, but he could not keep up with her speed and grace. She ducked as he swept for her head. Brooke twirled her arms and got in behind to cleanly chop through his hamstrings. The man cried out as his legs could no longer hold his bulk up. He fell to his knees and Brooke spun around, her first tomahawk sliced through his neck from behind and went through bone with little resistance, the second slice completely beheaded the behemoth of a man.
Brooke looked up to see the warriors killing the rest of the slavers who hurt them so much and were enjoying justice. Lanna hacked off an arm of one man before using the tip of her acquired sword to thrust through an eye as she would have with a lance. The slavers all died and all of the freed hurried back to guard the last of those hurrying up and over the wall. Lanna asked “Did the chief save you? The arrows didn’t kill you.”
“The chief is over there fighting. He gave me protection though, but do not count on me ever doing that again anytime soon.” Brooke said.
“Still, I must thank you for coming to save us, Sister. You have allowed us to remember who we are. This land will remember we cannot be tamed.” Lanna said and got a cheer from everyone.
“That is the last!” The large man Brooke helped up first shouted. He then jumped down without harming himself and grabbed an offered dagger. “We leave!” He shouted and all the warriors, Brooke included, rushed for the alley.
The forest appeared in a minute and the whole group rushed as fast as they could go. Children were carried by strong mothers and fathers. Then the tracks cut to the right as Brooke intended and skirted Bepop. Within a few minutes they found themselves near the beach and running towards the docks.
Familiar's Ancient Throne (Book 2 of the Death Incarnate Saga) Page 39