‘Don’t get blood on your clothes.’ She gave a gesture to the men below to quietly make their way up as the pair silently opened the cell door. Adonia clenched her teeth as they saw the brutal treatment they inflicted onto Jenny, but she had to keep her calm as she slowly approached. She was tied down to the table that Adonia once was as a soldier violated her, but luckily for her the soldiers back was to the approaching Adonia. Without a single hesitation she grabbed the soldier’s head and sliced his throat clean open.
‘Are you alright?’ Adonia said as she quickly untied her friend and helped her to sit up.
‘Not my first.’ She hissed as she held Adonia’s hand.
‘But it’ll be my last, fucking pigs.’ She spat at the corpse. ‘The other troop is already attacking the castle, most of the soldiers went to fight except that bastard.’
‘Are you sure you’re alright?’
‘I’m fine Adonia really, we’ve come too far to back down now.’ Adonia pulled the keys from the soldier’s side and handed them to Jenny. ‘Stay down here with the girls, it’s going to be a bloodbath up there.’
‘Fuck that Addie.’ She jumped from the table, shrugging off her assault as much as she could. ‘We’re in this together, I want to watch that snake bleed.’
‘Make sure you stay hidden or at least arm yourselves until we have Griffiths, he’s who were after, if you find him before us, keep him alive until I get there, I can see your anger Jenny, but the snake is mine to kill.’
‘I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ As Jenny went to free the other women Adonia and her troops made her way up to the rest of the castle. With her helmet and chainmail, it did make her appear more masculine and almost impossible to tell that she was a woman.
Adonia gave a hand gesture to the men following her which indicated them to split up and surround the castle. There was another loud bang outside followed by the roar of men.
‘They’re in.’ Fenrir said as they looked out a stained-glass window.
‘Griffiths will go into hiding as soon as he finds out, we need to find him before he slips away.’
‘Got one!’ one of the women yelled out which made Adonia run down the hallway to see her pinning down the terrified Henrick.
‘Henrick!’ the woman backed off as he looked up in disbelief still shaking on the floor in submission.
‘It’s me Henrick.’ She smiled as she lifted her helmet and helped him to stand, without hesitation he tightly wrapped his arms around her squeezing her tightly and clutching her hair as he began to weep.
‘By the Divine Adonia I’m so sorry.’ He sobbed. ‘I should have helped you; I should’ve done something but…’
‘It’s alright Henrick.’ He stood back from her but still held her face but only then realised her clothing and it soon came to him.
‘You’re a part of this?’
‘I will not stand for your father’s ways anymore Henrick, you, your mother and sister are safe under my order, but where is your father?’ Adonia could see the reluctance in his face as he continued to nervously step back from her.
‘I-I can’t let you do this Adonia.’
‘Henrick.’ Her gentle demeanour changed to her recent fiercer attitude. ‘Griffiths had my family killed, didn’t even spare the children there, Faleena was pregnant when he attacked, he raped my friends, he had me in that dungeon torturing me every single day until I felt nothing but hatred. He deserves to die.’ He stood back nervously as Adonia approached. ‘Where is he?’ Henrick’s lip quivered and he clenched his hands tightly before admitting his father’s whereabouts.
‘H-his separate study.’ He pointed down the long hall. ‘It’s down there…He’ll have guards with him.’
‘Thank you, where is your mother and sister?’ without even a response he slowly made his way back to the original study where his family continued to cower. ‘You will all be safe while I am here.’ Henrick entered the room and joined his frightened family before the door was locked and Adonia stabbed a small dagger into the door. ‘No one is to enter this room; they must remain safe at all costs.’ The men in her order gave a single nod of acknowledgment before continuing down to Griffiths.
Griffiths hastily exited his study where he ran into a group of guards.
‘You there, get me out of here as safely as possible, I tire of these savages.’ He snorted to the men, the soldiers glanced at each other briefly, Griffiths had no idea that the men he spoke to where under Adonia’s order.
‘A wagon will be prepared for you; everything is under control.’
‘Good, now guard me.’ Griffiths strode in front of the men down the hall, they all gave one last glance at each other before following him, how easily they could have just killed him, but they knew this fight was for Adonia. They followed him down to the courtyard, which was eerily quiet, Griffiths quickly scuttled down the steps expecting to see his transport, but he was greeted with nothing.
‘Where is my transport?’ he yelled to the guards following him, suddenly more soldiers crept out from the darkness, some wearing the uniform of his soldiers, others the clothing of peasants. ‘W-what in the name of the Divine?’ the men slowly started to circle him, weapons in hand, staring at the man that kept their lives in misery, that saw them as nothing more than barbarians.
‘It’s been a long time Griffiths.’ He quickly swung around to see Adonia and her men walking down the steps, she threw her helmet to the floor and stood halfway down the steps, staring at the man that brought the death to her family.
‘A-Adonia…’ he shuddered. ‘How are you alive?’
‘You have him to thank for that.’ Fenrir stood close behind her before removing his helmet which sent Griffiths into a state of pure terror.
‘B-Blood Elf…’ he backed away nervously, he knew of his crimes and he knew the brutality of the Blood Elf as he won his own fair share of gold in bets.
‘Fenrir found me in your dungeons and saved my life, the men and women you see here nursed me back to health. Then your soldiers, I spared some, but any that would be in my way, I’d slaughter each and every one.’ Her dark tone returned in her voice; the anger started to boil as she took each heavy step down.
‘Adonia please…I-I wanted no part in this, Kinlan, it was all Kinlan he wanted the throne, he wanted your family out the way.’
‘My father was so weak a child could kill him?’ she took another step forward. ‘My mother offered herself to your men to save herself?’ another step. ‘Oh, I remember your words Griffiths, you thought you broke me, but I remember everything.’ She held her hand out to her side and Fenrir handed her a sword, but instead of attacking Griffiths, she threw the blade to his feet. ‘You deserve to be ripped to shreds, but I will at least grant you the dignity to die like a man.’ He nervously picked up the blade which made Adonia unsheathe her own weapon and approach him. The surrounding men shouted for her victory, cheering and whistling, but Adonia took her time as she twirled her sword with a flick of her wrist, circling her prey.
As the crowd shouted for blood Henrick smashed the window of the study, he could barely fit through the narrow gap, but he wept for his father, even with his crimes he was still the boy’s father. Griffiths dashed at Adonia which she quickly dodged, barely even raising her sword. He fell back into the crowd and felt a sharp blade lick up his back which launched him forward in pain. Barmic stood there with his bloodied axe with a glare of pure hatred.
‘Think ye can touch me woman?! End it Addie!’ Adonia felt as if she had intimated him enough and finally took to the offensive and landed her own strikes. Fenrir watched in his own hatred as he saw the man that made his sister a slave being beaten down. All he could see was his sister’s sweet innocence being stripped away with every beating and every violation, Griffiths deserved this and more, how much he wanted to hang Griffiths in that torture chamber and unleash his fury.
Adonia beat him down to exhaustion, she was far more skilled in swordsmanship than he could ever hope, eventual
ly he fell to the ground, bloodied and defeated.
‘…I deserved…More, your family was pathetic…’ he panted even with Adonia’s blade pointing at his face. ‘All because of one ancestor you think your entitled…Your father wouldn’t even consider my children…Like we were less than you…If I had it my way Adonia…I would have had you every single night…You’d be my little slave, bent to my every desire like the fucking whore you are.’ He shuddered angrily knowing he was about to die. ‘Mark my words, Kinlan will kill you all.’
‘Let him try.’ With a final swing his head met the floor separated from his body, there was a silence for a brief moment until the crowds erupted in celebration at the death of the tyrant lord. The Griffiths family above cried out for their father and husband, but their cries of anguish were silenced by the cries of the crowd.
‘Let it be known that this is the end of his tyranny!’ she yelled as she held up her sword. They yelled again but deep down she knew that this was only the beginning, she had avenged her family but only partly, her next target was Kinlan. She knew her army and influence had to grow and with the death of Griffiths she knew that word would soon spread.
It didn’t take long for the crowds to ransack the castle of its luxuries, the alcohol soon began to flow, and celebrations were held, but Adonia had one issue to deal with. A wagon was prepared for the remainder of the Griffiths family, the women eagerly rushed into it but Henrick was a bit more hesitant, especially when he saw the bloodstain on the floor, the last remains of his father.
‘You don’t have to go Henrick, you can stay here if you wish.’
‘I can’t stay here Adonia, these people hate me.’
‘They hated your father.’
‘No, I can see it in their glances, to them I am just another Griffiths and now that my father’s gone it should be my place to take over but…I’m not going to fight you.’
‘My men will take you to safety.’ Adonia sighed as she stood aside to let him to the wagon. ‘There will always be a place for you here Henrick, I will make sure of that.’ He looked over her and saw the people looting his home then looked back down at her.
‘I’m not so sure of that.’ And with that he stepped inside the wagon and set off with his terrified family.
‘In time he will forgive you.’ Fenrir said as he squeezed her shoulder.
‘You sound so sure.’
‘He seems too innocent for vengeance.’
‘So was I…’
The crowds of people happily looted the castle of its riches and many others made themselves welcome within its walls as it had more than enough accommodation for the villagers and more.
‘Can’t believe that bastard had all this stuff.’ A man said to another as he took a swig from a silver goblet.
‘It’s ours now all thanks to-.’ He suddenly tripped over a corner of a giant rug which made the other man laugh until he saw what looked like a hidden trap door.
‘Well, well, well what treasures do you think he has down here?’ the pair swung open the door and prepared to walk down the stairs but it only lasted a few moment before they ran back up into the castle shouting for Adonia.
‘Addie!’
‘Addie come quick you need to see this!’ Adonia quickly left her companions’ side and ran to join the other men.
‘What is it?’
‘We found a trap door, thought there would be more treasure or crap down there.’
‘There’s definitely gold down there.’ The other man shuddered as they reached the open trap door. Before Adonia descended into the darkness one of the men handed her a candelabrum which she then made her slow decent. She nervously looked around but even then, she saw the horror, bodies upon bodies piled together all in chains cowering in the darkness, elves.
‘Brothers! Sisters by the Divine what happened to you all?!’ she yelled as she threw herself to the elves and gently held their faces as she scanned through the crowd. They whimpered and wailed in some form of agonising relief, finally a saviour from their prison.
‘W-water…’ a man hissed as he reached out to Adonia, the chains weighing down his weak arms.
‘I need everyone down here to release these people! Bring water, food, blankets! These people are dying down here dammit!’
The entire village banded together to help these elves, they had clearly been starved and whittled down to terrified husks of their former selves. As the elves were brought up from the darkness, Fenrir found a large book and with Adonia’s teachings he scanned through the pages, this was no simple book, it was a slave ledger.
‘Griffiths was selling slaves.’ Adonia quickly looked over her shoulder to him as she tended an elf.
‘These are travelling elves, some of them can barely speak a word of our tongue, they were taking them for slavery?’
‘And getting a lot of gold for it too.’ He growled as he clutched the ledger tighter.
‘As if Griffiths couldn’t get any lower.’
‘Look at who some are being sold to.’ She approached and looked in the pages, several were sent to the palace itself at a fine price at that and of course the slavery included children.
‘We’ll help them Fen, just like these people here we will help.’ Fenrir scoffed irritated.
‘As long as there’s gold there will always be slaves, we can’t ever hope to save them all.’
‘Better to save one then none at all.’ She said as she held his face and encouraged him to look at her. He gave a sigh as he welcomed her embrace and threw the book to the floor.
The elves were welcomed with open arms with Adonia as the sole translator, a lot of them turned to Fenrir which embarrassed him more than anything as he couldn’t understand them or even communicate to them.
‘Only elf here and I can’t speak to them.’ He sighed to Barmic as he watched Adonia tending to the elves, making sure that they were fed and kept warm.
‘A could talk tae ye in dwarfish if that makes ye feel any better.’ Fenrir gave an unsatisfied, sideways glance which made Barmic chuckle. ‘A wonder why they all kept quiet doon there.’
‘Conditioned.’
‘Even if it meant that they could never be found?’
‘You can condition anyone to do anything if you do it long enough.’ Barmic only glanced up at Fenrir, since his new attire he no longer displayed the scars but knew full well they were still there.
‘Those days are long gone noo Fen.’ Fenrir gave a sigh but couldn’t help but look away as something else was taken up from the cellar, bodies.
‘How many is that now?’ he shuddered slightly.
‘At least twenty…Poor bastards starved tae death, that or naw water.’ Fenrir gritted his teeth in anger but then suddenly jolted by the tugging of his shirt, he quickly looked down to see a little elven girl trying to get his attention. He almost instantly dropped down to her height, but his heart sunk when she spoke.
‘I can’t find my brother.’ She whimpered tearfully. Fenrir gave a heavy sigh and in his best effort he tried to talk to her, clearly at such a young age she saw an elf and thought he was the safest to talk to.
‘I-I’m sorry I can’t understand you.’ She tilted her head like an innocent puppy but nervously held her hands together, looking as if she was about to cry at any moment. He hesitated for a moment but was lost in the girl’s big hazel eyes, some sort of maternal instinct kicked in before he scooped the girl up in his arms and approached Adonia who still tended to the others. ‘Adonia, I think this little girl is lost I can’t-.’ She quickly turned to him once she had given another weak elf a cup of water.
‘Are you lost little one?’ the girl gave her a bewildered look but trusted the kind woman. She clung onto Fenrir tightly but at Adonia’s words she nodded her head that was still pressed hard into Fenrir’s chest.
‘I-I can’t find my brother; we were brought together…’
‘What does he look like?’ she nervously looked up at Fenrir who still held her in his arms.
&nb
sp; ‘He has brown hair and eyes like me, he’s thirteen.’
‘Alright my sweet, let’s look for him.’ Both Jenny and Barmic eyed the two that tried to help the little girl find her family.
‘Cute.’ Jenny smiled. Barmic glanced up at her and scoffed.
‘The day he sprouts offspring A’ll shave me beard.’
‘He was good with Arthur.’
‘Aye.’ He chuckled remembering fond pasts of Arthur as a little boy, Fenrir was cold at first but perhaps as soon as he knew who Arthur was, he almost completely changed to the guardian he became.
‘What do you think they’ll look like?’
‘Whit?’
‘Their children Barmic.’ She laughed which made him cock his eyebrow at her then back at the pair who continued to help the little girl.
‘Like…Them?’
‘I’ve never seen a, half elf before.’ She quickly refrained herself from using the term Split-Ear. ‘Do they look much different?’
‘Naw actually, some look mere elvish, some look mere human, bit of a mix really.’
‘They’ll be handsome looking kids.’
‘Ye women are weird breeds.’ She laughed as he shrugged her off and continued with his own work around the castle.
‘There! Brother!’ the little girl called out to a young elf closer to Arthur’s age. He shot to his feet and took the girl from Fenrir’s arms, the boy looked just as starved as she did, he was nothing but bones but seeing his younger sibling brought a smile to his sunken face.
‘Have you no parents?’
‘We…We lost them fleeing to the north, our camp was destroyed by the Tainted, then the soldiers found us. We were scared at first, but they acted kind, offered us food and water. But as soon as we came near, they put us in chains…I thought they might of sold her.’
‘Have many been sold?’
‘I lost count of how many…Brothers and sisters have come and gone, a lot…Died down there.’ He shuddered nervously as he looked down at the now closed hatch.
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