Chapter 8: The Price of Freedom (Part 1)

How long had it been? Through hazy eye's I look through the room in disappointment. The pains from hunger stirring me awake. "Ah, you're still alive Finn? Good, I was starting to feel lonely talking to myself in here." Looking at Ren his eyes still resonated, as if being stuck here wasn’t that big a deal. Yet when my eyes fell onto Zefire I gagged. 

His corpse still hung next to him, the smell of death suffocating the room. If My stomach contained anything I might have hurled. Looking at the corpse Ren frowned, "he died just a few hours ago, Celeste made sure to give him a proper prayer to the gods after his passing." Looking at him I could see the pain in his eyes, yet grieving for someone here was something we never had time for. 

"Don't worry, we won't die down here, there has to be a way out of this." His voice didn't match his optimistic words, it was unconvincing but I didn't have the heart to tell him that we would in fact most likely die in this room. "You shouldn't talk so irresponsibly Ren," her words were cold void of emotion as her head continuously hung. "We all know it's only a matter of time before it's our time, you should make peace with it while you're still sane."  

Looking at Celeste I couldn't help but pity her but respected her too much to express it. Keys jingling, the door opened as Wickum entered the room followed by a single beast-men, carrying a wooden wheel. "Hello your highness, care to join us in our discussion?" Ren muttered, earning him a punch to the gut. "Quiet filth unless you want to end up like your friend." Reaching for the wheel he placed it on the table, atop of my necklace.  

Undoing my restraints, I fell to the floor my legs weak from the lack of use or simply from being starved and beaten, I couldn't tell. "You see, I was going to starve you out longer, but time is of the essence." Hoisting the wheel up he attaches it to the table while the beast-men attaches me to the contraption. My bones bend awkwardly as they're wrapped around the wheel, Ren staring in anger at the sight. Celeste refused to lift her head, I feared she knew what they were going to do to me, and didn't want to see the result. 

Unsheathing his dagger his eye's slid across my body as I lay strapped to the wheel. "I'll let you choose where we start," sliding the blade along my back his voice was filled with joy. Yet I accepted my fate, my only regret is not finding Aurora and taking her home from this unfair world. Giggling to himself, the room shook slightly, as screams sound off in the distance. Clicking his tongue, he sheaths his weapon before muttering to the beast-men. Nodding his head, the beast-men scurries out of the room. "What now!" 

"Duty calls your majesty," Ren snickers before he gets an angry glare from Wickum as he stormed out of the room. Seconds later the room shook again much stronger than before, sending swarms of questions in my mind. "What do you think that is?" I mutter. Letting out a breath Ren looks towards the door as if looking for the answer, "I don't know, maybe there's some kind of rebellion going on." Looking back at me a small grin forms on his face, "You know, you don't look half bad in that position, maybe Wickum's into S&M." 

A low giggle escapes Celeste's lips as she raises her head, revealing a smile I hadn't seen in what felt like years. It brought in emotions I had thought I lost, sniffling slightly I show a small smile before the frantic clatter of footsteps can be heard outside the room, racing through the halls, and the sound of blades clashing in the distance. "That doesn't sound like a rebellion," I say as the fighting grows louder. 

The door creaking opens a familiar figure stands in the doorway, causing mixed emotions to turmoil from my heart. Parting my lips, I mutter, "Leo?" 

He was the same from the last time I saw him, yet different. A light shined in his eyes, yet I didn't let myself trust him. The betrayal still fresh in my mind, and the death of our friends brought me back to the reality of where we were. "Hey, porky! Let me down so I can beat your a*s!" Ren hissed his anger all too obvious. Did he really expect to be set free by someone he just threatened? 

Looking around the room Leo's eyes stopped on Zefire's corpse, making his lips quiver slightly before entering the room. "We don't have much time, we need to escape before the rest of them show up." Digging in his rags the keys jingled as he unlocked the restraints that held us, Celeste stared at him her icy rage one plastered on her face. "I know you guys don't trust me but this is our shot to escape, aren't you going to take it?" Glancing at each other we grit our teeth as we struggle to stand, grabbing my pendant, we limp out of the room. 

Looking through the tunnels it was swarmed with dead beast-men, blood splattered all throughout the area. Yet the sight didn't faze me and we continued to stumble through the blood. "What the hell happened here? Did you do all of this porky?" Ren barked, being hoisted up by Celeste. Looking back, he shook his head in denial, "I had nothing to do with their death if you want to thank anyone it should be the Liberators." Letting out a gasp, Ren shouted with excitement "the Liberators? They're here? Holy s**t oh man I wish I could see the look on that b*****d's face when they put a blade through him."  

Confused I asked the question, "Who are the Liberators?" Looking at me dumbstruck Ren blurts, "Are you some kind of a moron, obviously they Liberate people. But man, I didn't think they would strike here, talk about lucky!" Chuckling in delight we continued through the tunnels of corpses meeting up with other slaves along the way, before coming to the exit. A tightness in my stomach formed as the sunlight gleamed through the hole, "If this is another trap I'll kill you myself," I mutter before walking through the exit. 

It was a sight I had only read about that appeared on the other side, war. The black robed beast-men roared as they fought against what I assumed to be the Liberators. Their name not matching their appearance, the armor of all the men cracked and rusted. Wickum roared throughout the battlefield in anger as he plunged a blade through one of them before our eyes met. And a scowl slowly crept onto his face, and fear shined in his eyes before he yelled at the beast-men. All their attention turning in our direction before racing towards us. 

"Quick towards the foot of the mountains!" Leo squealed as his raced ahead of us, he obviously didn't know the full extent of what we experienced in that room because we couldn't keep up with his pace. The Liberators low in number struggled to repel the enemy, that only seemed to be growing in numbers. "The other slaves freed from the shackles of the mines wasted no time in their escape and pushed each other aside to get away, trampling some of the weaker slaves.  

And behind all of them me Celeste and Ren struggled to keep up, the impending mob of beast-men behind us led by Wickum. Stumbling Ren falls in the sands, his legs collapsing from under him. "F**k, get up!" He screamed to himself as Celeste struggle to lift him. Looking back at the sight I could leave them, I had gone back before and It ended with a knife in my back. I don't owe them anything right? Turning away I continue on before forgotten emotions probe my heart "F**K," I scream before scrambling back to them. 

"If I die because of this I swear I'm going to haunt you!" I bellow as I wrap his arm around me, smiling he pats me on the back as we hop towards the base of the mountains. "And here I thought you didn't love me," The gasps escaping Ren's mouth. "Just shut up and run," Celeste retorts just before the crackle of leather wraps around her neck pulling her into the sand. 

"Go!" She bellowed thrashing in the sand. Tightening his grip on my shoulder Ren blurts, "I can make it, just make sure you get her! I'm tired of losing friends." Looking in his eye's I could see the regret in his eyes. Knowing if he was in my position he would go back without hesitation. Nodding, I turn around to Wickum's approach the aura of battle radiating off of him, his grip tight on the whip. 

Limping back, Celeste greets me in anger, "I told you to go! Do you want to die?" Tugging on the leather I retort, "Just shut up and help me!" But it was too late and Wickum hovered overhead unsheathing his dagger he mutters in an angry tone, "If she can't have you no one can." My body to slow to leap away I could only watch at my impending doom. 

Author's Note

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Reviews

[Sinbulvinter]

Good chapter. You build tension very well in the beginning, and write action scenes very well, also. Quite a cliffhanger ending of this chapter this time! I'm excited to see how this escape carries out and what ends up happening with the battle here.
I really am enjoying how you're characters are developing as the story goes on.
I have to praise you on how you carried out Celeste's character development here and the changes in her within the last few chapters after she was assaulted. It's very realistic and well done.
And I have to say, I am just loving Ren's character more and more. Honestly, I think he's becoming my favorite here. I just love his cheeky personality and sarcasm. He really brings light such a dark tale... Hopefully he doesn't get killed off anytime soon.
Leo, I'm not sure if I'd trust him after what he did, but I was relieved to see that it does seem like he was being honest with his intent of helping them.
Finn's reactions and thought process here are very well done. It seems he adjusts to situations pretty quickly, which is a good trait for him.

All in all, great chapter. I'm excited for the next one!