The Midnight Raid

“It is good to see you are both well, Brothers.” Sebastian commented as the three followed the dirt trail to their separate homes.

“It was nothing to be concerned about.” Commodus added with a wave of his hand. “Just a trip here and there.”

“Though my back is killing me.” Michael complained. “Next time I'll take a cushion...”

“Oh, Brother Commodus.” Sebastian piped up again. “I loaned your cottage out to a wandering passerby during the night. I hope you don't mind.”

“It is of no concern.” Commodus said with a smile, wrapping his fingers around the door knob of his home. “If you trusted him to sleep in my home unattended, then so do ---....”

Commodus opened his door, being greeted by the sight of his beloved books thrown all over the room. He looked over to his bed, his mattress stained with blood with a Jinko monster sleeping soundly in the dried sheets, the blanket barely covering her privates. His glare slowly turned to Sebastian, who could do nothing but give a nervous smile while Michael struggled to stay on his feet as he almost keeled over laughing.
--

“Oh man-” I cursed to myself galloping down the road at full speed. “Oh man, what did I fucking do?”

You know what you did you god damn asshole! Maybe if I wasn't recovering from the demonic equivalent of Ecstasy, then maybe I could have at the very least blamed her and her overwhelming robot strength. But no, I took the fucking initiative, I went in -literally- balls deep all because I couldn't say no or at the very least put up an actual fight.

“She's going to find me...” I hysterically informed myself. “She's going to find me and she's going to make me her bitch. Why the hell did I sneak out? Was I afraid she's drag me back to Whitegale and keep me? Was it shame after trying to prove that I'm not a total whore?”

I shook my head and gave the back of my skull a light slap.

“Pull yourself together, Marcus!” I commanded myself. “You're tougher than this! You've won a boxing match against a Lizardman for Christ sakes! You can handle this, you've handled monsters in the past. She's just... Bigger, and meaner, and she turned your back into a cutting board...”

I slouched against the horses back, “I am so dead...”

I rest of the trip was spent in silence, save for the wind and the galloping hooves of the horse under me. The road to Bouceroc was eerily empty, did another war break out while I was gone? Somehow I wouldn't doubt that...

I spotted the town as soon as I made it up the hill, usually I would see merchants or travellers spread around outside the town walls, or even the guards making their usual patrols. Not this time, this time it was different. A frightening lull hung in the air, like everyone had just abandoned one of the most prosperous towns in the country, leaving an empty shell behind.

When the horse trotted closer, I inspected my surroundings from its back. The gate wasn't just open, it was practically blown off the hinges. Scorch marks licked the stone walls and both carriages and shop stands were ransacked and looted. There were signs of battle, but there wasn't any signs of casualties.

The grass and dirt road wasn't slicked with blood, there were no corpses left behind and no bits of abandoned or lost equipment littered the streets. Though the houses near the wall suffered from splintered wood and shattered windows, the rest of the town seemed fine in comparison.

The guard station wasn't far from here, only another minute before I turned the corner and saw it mostly in one peace, safe for a few boards on some broken windows. After a long trip, I'm sad to have to depart with the boy, he was loyal enough to wait for me back at Whitegale and even at Rexfort. I tied him to the post, giving him a gentle pat on the side.

“Thanks for the help, buddy...” I said to him, the horse flapping its lips against my hand lightly before reaching down to get a drink of water.

Without another word, I removed my bag from its back, throwing the strap over a shoulder and making my way to the guard station door. The door opened with a foreboding creak, poking my head inside to get a look around before entering.

“Hello?” I called out. “Wolfgang, you here, man?”

“False alarm!” A voice called out. “Its just Marcus!”

I almost jumped as six men appeared from behind various pieces of furniture in the main hall, each carrying a crossbow or some sort of melee weapon. I found the owner of the voice, Ivan, one of Wolfgang’s newer and more competent guards. He pulled his helmet from his short blonde hair and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Jesus, Ivan, you scared the hell out of me!” I complained, stepping further into the building.

“Sorry about that, weren't expecting to see you out of all people here.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“I guess it means I owe Harold some coin.”

The other five laughed at his comment before going to more neutral positions around the station.

“What the hell is going on, exactly?” I asked him, leaning against the main desk.

“Shit went south a few days after you left.” Louie, one of the older guards stated in his usual drawl accent.

“A Dark Elf Matriarchy colony made themselves a little home underground a few miles out of town.” Ivan added. “Big cavern, big settlement, lots of knife ears. Dark Elves used magic to do in days what it takes other settlements usually years.”

“So what you're saying is--”
“What I'm saying is Dark Elves wanted themselves some men, and Bouceroc was ripe for the pickings.”

“Never saw them coming.” Louie spoke up again, popping a slice of orange into his mouth. “Busted down all four gates at night, aimed for the guard stations and grabbed whomever they could.”

“We have ten more boys spread out around town doing their best to keep everyone calm. But everyone else--” Ivan shook his head. “Gone.”

“Wait, even Wolfgang?” I asked.

“I saw Wolfgang before I got lost in the chaos.” Ivan informed me. “He managed to knock out three of them before one of them hit him with a spell. Picked him up and carried him off like some sort of goblin party.”

“Damn...”

“Fifty eight of our boys got carried off in less than an hour, including twenty more civilians.” Said Louie before throwing the last slice of orange into his mouth.

“Right, so its up to the seventeen of us to go get them back.” Ivan added.

“Wait, seventeen? You mean me as well?” I asked.

“You can hold your own in a scrap, we've seen that.” Ivan informed me. “So you, and hopefully anyone else worth their weight in shit in a fight.”

I looked down at the ground, sighing and rubbing my hand down my face.

“Well, Wolfgang helped me out when I needed it the most.” I said. “The least I could do is get him home...”

Ivan let out a sigh of relief, “I was afraid you'd refuse after all the garbage you climbed through... But its good to have you on board.”

“I'm going to need a weapon, I lost mine back in Whitegale.”

“No problem.” Louie laughed, reaching behind the desk and drawing a small blackjack from one of the drawers. He spins it on his finger by the strap before handing it to me handle first.

“...Really?” I asked him with a raised brow.

“Damn knife ears melted or shattered any of our real equipment, the only things we have left are the ones we had on us or this little bastard hiding in the desk.”

“Nice...” I complained, tossing the blackjack in my hand before strapping it to my pants. “So we're heading out tonight?”

“As soon as the sun goes down.”

“Right, good, I'll be back in a few hours then.”

“Watch yourself!” Ivan called out as I jogged from the guard station and towards my home.

It takes roughly thirty minutes to get from one side of Bouceroc to another, I got there in twenty and another ten to finally reach my home outside of town. Luckily for me it seems they either skipped their house or were greeted by Cleo at the door. Surprisingly, the door was locked, and I fumbled for my key in my pack.

“Cleo!?” I called into the house, dropping my sports bag on the couch before making a quick jog around the house and up the stairs. “Its Marcus! I'm okay!”

My heart was beating in my chest, I was overly excited to see the Sphinx, and I worried when I didn't hear a response or see her, until I found a note on my kitchen table. The hand writing was messy, but still intelligible.

“Marcus...” I read the letter aloud. “Stayed as long as I could, but I have my own duties and loyalty to the throne must come first. Please forgive me and please be safe. I'll come check for you again as soon as I can. -Cleo”

I put the letter back down on the table and sat in my chair, rubbing my fingers against my mouth and beard that had grown over the past couple days on the road. Throne? I wasn't even aware she was sworn to a lord, I thought she was just a Sphinx that made her home in a magical laced desert.

I had a few hours to spare, enough to prepare myself for the mission ahead. I finally managed to bathe, the hot water relaxed my tired muscles and washed away the sweat and grime against my cut up back, hopefully that Jinko's claws won't leave anything too permanent. The next few hours I will sleep, I have at least that. The mission ahead is going to be dangerous and there’s a damn good chance I won't be coming back at all, a clear and rested mind is what I'm going to need. I fell against my bed, ignoring the burning in my flesh as my back pressed against the mattress, I missed this bed, nothing comfier. My my hands pressed behind my head, I let out a sigh and drifted off to sleep.

--

Long long ago, before even the last demon lord and the lord before him, before man walked on two legs and waged war with monster and blood was spilled in the name of god and glory, a great empire ruled the world. The Lizardmen of the Saurian empire stretched their dominion from one side of the globe to the other, nothing was out of their reach and all creatures, big or small, lived under their iron grip. But their own greed and folly led to their downfall, ravaging their mighty Empire with storms of magic and giving power to their slaves. The Saurians fled underground, and for eons, they lived in obscurity until the demon lord crushed them under his iron fist and forced them under his banner.

It was here they fought man, their great equalizer. For what humans lacked in size and strength, they made up for in savagery and fury. For every man that fell a Saurian would join him in the afterlife, and this continued for thousands of years until the demon lord was finally overthrown by a clan of powerful succubi that ushered in this new era.

Present day, the Lizard queen known as Taicha created a kingdom in the west under the Saurian banner, commanding with the authority of a Saurian royal blood. The Saurian Kingdom expanded its boarders with an army of both Lizardman and human alike, subjugating lawless lands until her dominion touched with the boarders of Vellond, the so-called mightiest Realm in all the world.

Queen Taicha blocked the sun with her hands, shading her eyes from its glare.

“Is Vellond always so sunny?” She asked. “It reminds me of home.”

“It is their cropping season, my Queen.” Dianessa, the black haired and blue scaled adviser to the queen explained. “I've been told that Vellond is mostly cloudy every other time of the year.”

Taicha sighed, rubbing her golden crocodile eyes with one of her claws. Her flowing red hair rested gracefully against her shoulders, her green scales practically glimmering against the beating sun.

“We've been away from home too long, Dianessa.” Taicha complained. “Perhaps we can make this meeting quick so we can start our journey home as soon as possible.”

“Please be strong, my Queen.” Dianessa giggled. “It would be in our best interest to establish good relations with Vellond. Making a friend so powerful out here in the east would do miracles for our frontier.”

Taicha pouted, gazing over at the Vellond natives below from her giant boar while they toiled away in the fields. She spotted a few monsters among them, working as dutifully as any man without complaint or ire from the human folk. Vellond is such a strange place, the humans here don't even bat an eye at her and her personal guard as they stride confidently down the dirt road. Though they watched and waved, the calm serenity of the country side almost put Taicha at ease, like she was marching into a trap.

“I've heard tales of this 'Tiberius Crom'.” Taicha told Dianessa. “They say he is a demon. They say he can't be killed.”

“I'm sure those are just tales of vanity, my Queen.” Dianessa dismissed confidently. “The truth is he is probably just another human with a fancy suit of armour.”

“Of course, all I'll need to do is look pretty and put on my charm and they may as well announce Vellond as just another province of the Saurian Kingdom. Just focus on his basic instinct and this 'Tiberius' will be puddy in my hand.”

Taicha and her personal guard marched down the streets of Vellond's capitol: Aurich. What started as a small tribal village became the heart of Imperial Vellond. Aurich was a meeting place for all tribes to gather to discuss politics, trading, and arranged marriages between the sons and daughters of chieftains. Now it stands as the throne of Emperor Crom who modernized the feuding tribes in just a few short years. The city was grand with each street laid with bricks. Guards roamed between the civilians in groups of two, guiding citizens out of the way of the giant monstrous boars. No man or woman or monster was in rags, their cloths proper with a few rips and scratches here and there. Children of both races ran along side the boars, hollering and shouting at the Saurians that rode atop them.

Taicha was surprised, she was familiar with towns and ruins of cities run by the bandits and warlords she fought in her own conquests, she never truly believed a human ruled city could be so elegant and clean, the buildings were build from brick and wood rather than cobblestone and twigs, lantern posts sat spread from one another, enough to safely light the streets at night. The guards, although dutiful, seemed relaxed and friendly with their civilian charges. The boars had to come to a stop as a cohort of legionaries marched down another street from the left, men and women waving and shouting to them as they moved with discipline.

When the final soldier passed, Taicha and her guard continued their stroll through the city, taking in the sights and sounds until the reached the gates of the imperial palace. Standing in front of the gate was a human woman. Her face was wrinkled with age and her blue eyes were already fading, her brown hair was streaked with grey strands but her body was surprisingly fit, a woman in her prime.

“It is an honour to meet you, Queen Taicha.” She greeted with a courteous bow. “I am Erica Podime: Vicereine of the Imperial court in his Imperial majesties absents.”

“The Emperor is not here?” Taicha asked.

“He was called away on urgent matters in the country of Cartuga south of us. But I have been informed that he could be returning any time now.”

Erica stepped aside and presented the entrance way into the palace, their beasts of burden being shepherded away by several servants.

“Please, make yourself at home, your highness. Although I command in his name, Emperor Crom prefers to handle diplomatic matters with royalty personally.”

“Of course.” Taicha accepted her offer, beckoning Dianessa and four of her guards along.

The main hall was presented brightly through the almost heavenly rays shone in by the stained windows above. A scarlet red carpet led the Saurians through the hall and past many paintings of Vellond's chieftains before Crom's rule before leading them past a long and mighty set of stairs.

“All matters that need to be discussed will be done so in the Imperial court, your highness.” Erica explained. “As per law.”

“I understand.” The Queen remarked. “I would not want to insult your culture.”

When the group approached, two guards saluted the Vicereine before opening the large double doors leading into the imperial court. A large, circular table sat at the centre of the room, the area kept bright by both lanterns and windows.

“Please forgive me for the wait.” Erica requested with another bow.

“I take no offence, I arrived with short warning, after all.”

“Vicereine Podime!” A soldier shouted, entering the room and saluting both her and the Saurian Queen. “Please excuse my rush, but Emperor Crom has returned!”

“Ah, see? No wait at all.” Taicha commented with a smile.

“It is good to hear of his return!” The Vicereine rejoiced. “I shall inform him of your arrival, your Highness.”

Erica left Taicha with her own party, standing in front of the large table.

“Well, we shall finally see the “Butcher” in person.” Taicha remarked to Dianessa.

“Crom has ruled here for forty years.” Dianessa added. “I would not be surprised if he is a frail old man, dragged along as a burden by his personal guard from battle to battle.”

Moments later, the doors to the court swung open and the two turned to meet their host. Taicha's eyes widened in shock as this new person entered the room. His boots thumped heavily against the ground below with every step, the closer he came the larger he seemed, towering over Taicha and Dianessa in both height and muscle. His chest was protected by a large, chiseled chest plate that stopped at the shoulders, revealing his muscular and well sculpted arms, his hands were large enough to completely engulf the Queens entire skull. A red cloak with a fur lined collar drifted behind him as he walked, its cleanliness implied it was something he did not take out to the field with him. Finally, he wore a helmet, a mask to be more exact, it resembled an ogre of the old world, its ugly, roaring maw producing only darkness where the mans face should be.

“You must be Queen Taicha of the Saurian Kingdom.” The man remarked, presenting his hand. “I am Tiberius Crom: Emperor of Vellond. It is an honour to finally meet you.”

Taicha's face went scarlet, biting her lower lip between her fangs for only a moment before reaching out to take his hand. Unsure on how to accept his hand, she wrapped her claws around his index finger, in which he replied by pressing his thumb gently against the back, causing her to yelp softly.

“T-t-the pleasure is all m-mm-mm-mine, Emperor Crom.” She managed to blurt out, releasing his finger and quickly bringing her claw back to her side.

She looked to Dianessa for aid, but the blue Saurian didn't seem to be doing much better herself, staring in awe before finally coming to her senses and bowing in panic.

“It is an honour, your Imperial majesty!” Dianessa gasps.

“Rise, I do not expect foreigners to bow to me.”

Dianessa obeyed his command in an instant, nodding frantically while dusting herself off. Dianessa's reaction was more fear than fondness. The man's size spoke volumes for the stories, he was larger than any human she had ever seen in her life, he was at least nine feet tall without an ounce of visible fat on his body. This was indeed the Butcher of Ardok, and now she believed every tale.

“I believe we have matters to disguise.” Crom spoke up.

Taicha looked up at him with a resounding “Hm?”, shaking her head and snapping herself out of her trance, “Of course, right! The matters of...Political...Matters...Yes!”

The two leaders sat across the table from one another, the human more stoic than the monster of a warrior race known for their discipline. She shook in her seat, trying her best to hold on to her composure under the gaze of this giant of a man.

“Now.” Crom started. “What matters do you bring that required the Queen to stand in place of ambassador?”

“Well, uhm...” Taicha fidgeted, she was more bashful teenager than she was Queen of a powerful nation. “As you know... The Saurian Kingdom's boarders now meet with the boarder of Vellond.”

“Right.” Crom spoke up, ignoring the Queens little tantrums.

“And we thought, that maybe...It would be in our best interests to come to diplomatic agreements to develop relations between our two nations.”

“You're asking for an open boarders policy and a trade agreement, then?” Crom asked.

“Yes! Exactly that!” Taicha exclaimed. “We understand that several products are rare in Vellond and foreign merchants gouge prices for maximum profit. We figured, since the Kingdom has a surplus on many of our goods, we could trade them to your people in return for...lets say.”

“You're looking for our metals.” Crom added.

“Well...Y-yes.” Taicha confirmed.

“Unfortunately that is out of even my power.” Crom explained. “Vellond Steel is very precious culturally to my people. If I were to just hand it to foreigners, no matter how well intentioned, the back lash would be catastrophic.”

“I see...” Said Taicha, disappointed, the idea of having Vellond forged blades in the hand of Saurian warriors excited her to no end, though it seemed she didn't do enough research on the matter.

“The open boarder policy would do wonders for both Vellond and Saurian traders, that much we can do. But Vellond always welcomes partners in trade.”

“Of course!” Taicha boasted as if this is what she planned all along. “Then let this treaty be the first act of friendship between our peoples!”

“Then if this is all there is to discuss.” Crom spoke, standing from his oversized chair. “There are duties I must attend to. You may stay in Aurich as long as you desire as official guests, but I am needed elsewhere.”

Crom gave both Taicha and Dianessa a nod before moving to the exit, the former's eyes trailing with his every move, blossom once again in her face.

“My Queen!” Dianessa hissed in a low hush. “What has gotten into you!?”

Taicha pressed her palms against her cheeks, shaking her head furiously to remove the red from her skin.

“I...I can't control myself.” She told her subordinate. “His body is powerful! His voice commands!”

“Queen Taicha... You don't mean to tell me.”

“The heart is fickle, Dianessa.” Taicha replied with a lovesick sigh. “And I wish for him to be my king.”

She smiled confidently, her tail swishing eagerly behind her. “It does not matter how long it takes, Tiberius. You will be mine...”
--
“Everyone good?” Ivan asked the small group before him.

I was called back to the guard post a few hours into my nap, getting some good, unhindered rest for the first time in days. We all sat in the basement of the small establishment, staying away from the windows and avoiding light. Our eyes needed to to adjust to the dark, we didn't know how long the tunnel leading to the Dark Elf city went, but carrying lanterns down those tunnels would not be a good idea on any account.

“Pass these around.” Ivan ordered, handing one small bottle after another to the men before him. “Doc managed to brew up some Cat for us before we head in.”

Cat, a potion popular among the more notorious thieves and assassins. It heightens the senses and makes the recipient more fleet on foot. Dark Elves, like their fairer skinned cousins, had excellent hearing, and with cat we could at least sneak around them without raising any alarms, though we would still have to hold our breaths on any kind of approach.

“Remember, boys.” He continued. “This is a search and rescue. We get in, grab our guys, and get out. If you're here to pick a fight, then you best just stay in town.”

There were no complaints from the sixteen guards and three other volunteers, me included.  With the bottle downed for the each of us, Ivan led us along outside and into the dark streets. No one had bothered to light most of the lantern posts in town, many were too scared of being whisked away by Dark Elf intruders during the night, only the most stubborn set out to do their night duties.

We moved through town at a brisk pace, leaving through the northern gate and in the direction of one of the only openings in the earth around Bouceroc. After a few more minutes of cautious scampering, we finally spotted a light source emitted from a cave a few yards from our position.

“Two guards at the entrance.” Louie informed us from atop the boulder we were hiding behind. “Cocky little spit fucks, aren't they?”

“We can't go in blind.” I told Ivan. “Its been a few days, right? I'm sure at least one of them knows where the men are being held.”

“Right.” Ivan nodded, waving his hand at both Louie and I, beckoning us to follow. The rest stayed behind as we crept through the shadows, our feet barely even making a sound against the grass below. The potion was in full effect, I could smell the perfume from the dark elves even from this distance. They were talking to one another, mostly about what they were going to do once their shift ended. Some very...Er... Raunchy things.

Ivan picked a rock from the ground, we hid behind the boulders just beside the cave, giving us a good view of the ladies in front of us. He span it once in his hand and gave it a toss, The two Drows brandishing their glaives as soon as the rock bounced against the dirt.

“What was tha-” The guard yelped before her sentence was finished, Louie reaching around from behind and grabbing on to her own weapon before pulling the pole against her neck.

The second guard span to meet us, but was already accosted by both Ivan and I, pushing her off her feet and on to the ground.

“Got her?” Louie asked while gently placing the unconscious Dark Elf on the ground.

“Yeah, she's awake.” Ivan replied, holding her down at the arms.

“Get your hands off me, you filthy humans!” She demanded “How dare you touch me!?”

“We'll be making the demands around here!” Ivan informed the elf, if he had a moustache I'm sure he'd twirl it right about now. “Where are you keeping our comrades!?”

“You won't get a thing from me, no matter what you do to me!” The dark skinned guard shouted before she suddenly glared at Ivan with sultry eyes. “Oh~ What are you going to do to me?”

“W-well.” Ivan blushed, breaking eye contact and falling right into her trap.

“Oh for fuck sakes.” I complained. “Make way, you amateur.”

I crouched down beside the dark elf. “Alright missy, what did you do with Wolfgang and the rest of your prisoners? Where are you keeping them?”

“You won't get a thing out of me.” She boasted. “No amount of whips, or chains will break m- Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow!”

She wailed in pain, my hands holding her head to one side while I bit down on the tip of her ear. It was a harsh bite, enough to leave a mark.

“Okay okay! I'll talk!” She cried, sighing in relief as soon as I let go.

“The...Most of the prisoners were sold to the brothel.” she mentioned while Ivan bound her hands and legs “Blackguard is still small, we only have one...The others were sold to work in the mines...”

“See, was that so hard?”

We left both guards bound at the side of the cave before heading inside.

“What the hell was that about?” Louie whispered. “How did you know that?”

“Always go for the ears.” I gave a hush reply. “Its almost always a weak point, I figured that out really quickly.”

“Wow, you really are a whore.” He said to me, creeping up ahead while I gave him a death glare.

We moved in complete silence, the group occasionally patting one another on the shoulders just to make sure we weren't losing each other in the dark. It was apparent that this Dark Elf settlement was new, from what was explained to me they spread out through the caves with the helps of giant ants and magic, making tunnel systems that will eventually link one town or city to another. This one was rather new, and there was only one tunnel leading into the darkness, making out job a whole lot easier.

“This is fucking stupid.” I whispered, breaking the silence. “Where the hell is the army in all this?”

“King Archibald is off on some goodwill mission to Estova and Prince Alfred won't even acknowledge that the problem exists. The stupid prick is deathly afraid of monsters and would rather hide away in the palace than send even a company of men to help us out.”  Ivan explained, glaring through the dark to make sure we weren't being watched. “So its up to us to play hero...”

The tunnel continued for some time until it finally lit up at the other end. The cave opened up at the end of the tunnel into a enormous cavern. The stone surrounding the pit were licked by the orange light from the town below. Towers built of rock spiralled into the ceiling, forged and twisted with the winds of magic with a quaint appearing town sitting in the centre. Their houses were either of red bricks or wood, it seemed to depend on personal taste. The streets were paved a slick black, from this distance there didn't seem to be any kind of imperfection on the road. The lamp posts above the houses had a strange Gothic design, with orbs of magic sitting in the glass cases, illuminating the streets below. Surprisingly, nothing seemed hard to see, the lighting was spaced out and powerful enough to keep the darkness from encroaching on the road and made everything quite visible.

“I can see the mine from here...” Louie announced, staring into his eye glass as he scoped the surroundings. “A brothel shouldn't be that hard to spot...”

He crouched in silence until he hissed a “There!” and pointed down at the street in the centre of town. “Main street, third house on the right.”

“How can you tell?” Ivan asked.

“The front sign is shaped like a naked man.”

“Oh.”

Ivan turned to the rest of us, giving us each a look like it was our last day on earth.

“Alright boys, we got one shot at this. This is a search and rescue, no heroics, no breaking off into fights, we get in, keep our heads low, grab our guys, and get the hell out of there. Got it?”

We all nod in agreement. “Try not to kill anyone while you're down there. The less of a fiasco we make the better we'll be for it in the long run. Ready?”

Ivan takes a deep breath, nodding and beckoning us along with a motion of his hand. “Okay, go go go!”

Our boots dragged across the sloped dirt until we reached the surface of the town in a orchestra of thuds. From there we made a mad dash to the side of the first building, keeping out of sight of any guard that may be patrolling the area. We split into groups of two, the first heading west towards the mine and the group I found myself with crawling through alleys and openings towards the centre of town. The guard said that these two were the biggest source of our fellow humans, there wasn't much we could do for the ones that were “sold” to other locations, though we could negotiate for them when this shit was all over.

The further into town we got the more our ears filled with chatting from the residents. We had to split up, move in smaller groups, some of us, like myself, ended up moving from alley to alley alone. I hugged a wall at the end of the alley as soon as I saw a shadow heading in my direction. I held my breath and made myself as small as possible, black jack steady in hand. A dark elf peeled around the corner, holding a bag of groceries in hand. I cursed in my head as she turned into the alley, spotting me in the darkness a second after stepping off the street.

I lunged up and got her in a hold, pressing my palm against her mouth before she could scream. I brought her back into the darkness, watching the streets as two more Dark Elves passed the alley without noticing us.

“Shh...” I whispered to her, keeping my hand over her mouth.

I heard her moan seductively through my hand, rubbing my wrists with her fingers and pressing her ass against my groin.

“No!” I hissed. “None of that now! This is important!”

Reluctantly, I placed the rather attractive creature in a choke hold. She struggled in my grip for awhile before her body went limp. She began breathing again as soon as my constriction loosened around her neck, sitting her down against the wall before peaking over into the street. It was empty, at least for now, it was now or never.

I sprinted into the next alley, almost tripping over my feet in panic. The brothel was just around the corner, and the street ahead was lively with activity. This must be the red light district, or the Dark Elf equivalent. The street signs were written in Elvish, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what they were.  Gambling, drinking, night clubs, aphrodisiac sales, and of course, the brothel.

I crept further into the alley, staring off into the street and watching the seemingly endless routine of Elves cross the darkness. I then felt a grip on my shoulder, my heart sinking into my gut as I turned around with club in hand.

“Hey, hey!” Ivan yelped silently. “Its just me!”

“Jesus Christ, Ivan!” I whispered back. “Scared the hell out of me!”

The two of us looked around the corner, spotting the rather large brothel at the end of the street. It was three stories tall, taking up the end of the street all to itself. Why am I not surprised?

“We're not going to make it to the other side.” I whispered to Ivan. “Not with that many Dark Elves.”

“What we need is a distraction...”

Our ears suddenly filled with the sounds of bells ringing all over town, the Dark Elves in the streets looking up and to each other in confusion.

“Intruders!” A guard came shouting down the street, waving a black sword in the air. “Human intruders  in the town!”

The street came to life with shouts of delight and excitement, I guess “intruders” means something different if humans are involved.

“Shit. Must have caught someone...” Ivan cursed. “This'll make things harder, what do we do now?”

I looked around the street and alley, realizing we were hugged against the wall of a restaurant. And restaurants usually have exits into the alley. And look at that, there it was.

“Crime time, mother fucker!” I announced, kicking the door open hard enough to splinter the lock from the door frame. “We out!”

Ivan followed my lead, the two of us charging through the kitchen while the chefs yelped in surprised or hollered out for us to notice them. We smashed through the kitchen door and into the restaurant itself, the patrons leaping to the side as we charged into trays and tables.

“This is your plan!?” Ivan cried out, throwing a table to one side.

“Momentum is key to success!” I called back, smashing through the fire escape by the bathrooms and into another alley. Dark elves sure are an advanced culture.

We bolted out into the red light district, joined by three more of our compatriots as they took our lead and bull rushed down towards the target. The two guards in front of us were foot ball tackled to the ground, their weapons kicked to one side by the men behind us. The brothel was only metres away, the mines off in the distance seemed to explode to life as well, even from here I could see a large group come pouring out from its gates.

“Looks like Louie's ahead of schedule!” Ivan called to me.

We were greeted by the rest of the group, save for one, coming from different directions towards the brothel. Looks like we know which group fucked up.

“No time to plan!” Ivan commanded. “Smash and grab!”

We busted the front doors off the hinges, the group pouring into the brothel and grabbing anyone that looks remotely even male. I sprinted up the stairs, Ivan taking the next to the third floor while I combed the second.

I threw open each door and pulled out whoever was inside if there was any, sometimes even having to go as far as to unbind them from some sort of contraption.

“Get with the group downstairs!” I would order to each guy, thankfully they could all walk, even if sometimes it was with a limp.

Finally, the last door, I smashed it open in hopes that there was at least one more person to get out of here.

“Marcus?” A voice asked. “The hell you doing here?”

Wolfgang was lying in the bed wrapped in a blanket. He looked at me with squinted eyes, rubbing one with his left hand. Dude was sleeping before we got here.

“I'm Luke Skywalker, and I'm here to rescue you!” I barked heroically.

“What?”

“N-nothing...But we gotta go, man!”

Wolfgang looked around the room and sighed. “Yeah...Yeah we do.”

He stood up from his bed, thankfully he was still wearing silk pajama pants. He rubbed the scars on his chest casually and took a long drink from the bottle at the side of the table, blinking twice and shaking his head before putting it back down.

“Okay, lets go.”

“Marcus!” I heard shouted from outside. I ran to the window, sliding it open to see Ivan standing outside with the rest of the team and every man rescued from the brothel. “We gotta go! Town watch is going to be stomping on our heads any second now!”

“Get going!” I shouted back. “Don't wait for us!”

Ivan nodded, shouting at the group to make a break for it before going off in a mad sprint.

“Should take the pressure off us.” I said to Wolfgang. “Come on, lets go.”

“Lead the way.” Wolfgang acknowledged.

“And, Wolfgang.” I stopped, looking back at him.

“Yeah?”

“Who's the whore now?”

“...Just go.”

We borrowed down the stairs like frightened oxes, Wolfgang in front and me a few feet behind. He glanced over to his right at the crowed of panicking Dark Elves, my eyes following his and spotting a rather morose appearing Drow with golden hair looking back at Wolfgang with regretful eyes.

I put the image behind me, my heart pumping out the adrenaline when I spotted the rather imposing mobs of armed guards charging down the streets at both of our flanks. No time to think, just run, run in any direction instinct demands.

Down the streets, through alleys, dodging oncoming threats or anything else detrimental to my health. As long as we were heading in the direction of the entrance then we were making good progress to me.

I took another step forward, the exit was just ahead, and nothing was standing in our way. I brought another foot into the air, only for it to ignore my commands. I lost my balance and fell forward, gritting my teeth and flailing my arms helplessly before I hit the ground. The wind was knocked out of me, my chest smashing into the paved road below, it was a wonder how I didn't break a rib.

I looked back to my foot, a long thorny tendril materialized from the ground and wrapped itself around my ankle. Wolfgang stopped his retreat, turning back to me and hurrying to help me out of the tendril.

“No! Forget about me!” I yelled, waving my hand. “We came here for you guys! I'll be fine, just get lost!”

Wolfgang looked hesitant, he gave me a defeated nod before continuing his charge towards the entrance. I turned around and wrestled with the tendril, futilly attempting to pull it away before it vanished completely. Before me stood the angry army of Dark Elves who were just relieved of their rather large supply of human men. From the weapon brandishing crowed Sauntered a Dark Elf in decorated uniform.

Her straight, shoulder length hair was jet black, her skin a slightly browner tone than her sisters. She wore a steel plate on her chest wearing a symbol that must have signified her commanding role. She glared at me with her one eye, the other apparently no longer being there if that eye patch was anything to go by.

I stood to my feet and drew my blackjack, whatever this damn thing was worth. She scoffed once and drew her blade. A black blade reflected the lights from the lamp post, the handle golden and grooved to fit her grip. It was a curved sabre, the only thing I could compare it to would be the Hindi Tulwar, knuckle-bow and all.

Without missing a beat, she lunged forward, closing in the distance between us before I could even blink. I yelped and stepped back, bringing my blackjack to bare. I didn't even notice the movement of her hand, her blade already above her head and to the side. I was both terrified and impressed at her skill with that sword, my blackjack slid in half and the head fell to the ground. Okay, I will admit, that was pretty rad.

I looked to my weapon and then to her, the hilt of her blade smacking dead against my forehead. I stumbled, but regained my composure. Tossing the grip of the now useless weapon to the side, I brought up my knuckles and took a stance.

“Cute.” The dark elf mocked. “You think you stand a chance.”

“I took down a good few of you getting here, I'll take my chances.”

I will admit, I was rather scared of this women, and judging by their keen hearing, she could tell by the beat of my heart alone. I didn't know how far she would go to assert dominance, a fist to sword fight usually ended with one side losing an arm, and that side was most likely going to be me.

Still, my pride overcame my uncertainty, and I charged  into the fray. She dodged every jab, every hook, and every cut with absolute grace. No amount of foot work or weaving would let me get the upper hand on her. I jumped in one more time, throwing a right straight towards her gut, and to no surprise she dodged it. She span around me, bashing her hilt into the back of my skull.

I groaned and stumbled, my vision went blurry and it became hard to hear. All I could make out were the muffled sounds of cheering while I dropped to my knees. The Dark Elf stood in front of me again, and out of some arrogant and idiotic form of defiance, I tried to attack again with a mix of scrambling and flailing, falling to my stomach and grabbing on to her ankle with my left hand before everything went silent and I blacked out.