"But eventually survival was no long the main drive of the people, and old traditions are hard to be rid of."
"What the hell is this?" Was Stark first reaction when approaching Newons. There was really only one word to describe it properly; grey. The buildings were as grey as the smoke rising from the Correctional Facility. The whole village had been built in a large hole in the ground, with only a small wall surrounding it to kept the small amount of Grimm that can survive on the surface outside. It was short enough that all three members of team STL could see right over it at the horror that was Newons.
People were marched in chains down into only what could only be a mine. Soldiers were everywhere, guarding the prisoners. But the most incredible thing was the women chained up with them. A guard shouted an order and everyone scrambled to their assigned location. Some went to what looked like a garden and began frantically pulling weeds. Others ran into a building where they would be followed by guards. The remainder snapped into a line where a person with a clipboard began checking people off. When he went by one, a man bolted for the wall. He nearly made it to, before he was shot in the leg. Two soldiers picked him up and dragged him kicking and screaming in the Correctional Facility. There was a line of children next. First some thirteen-year-olds, then after that they got progressively younger. One girl, about ten by the look at her, was carrying a newborn in her arms and was doing her best to hide it.
They watch as a Mistral Hunter walked forward. She wore a slightly more decorated military uniform and was only recognizable as a Hunter by the large sword tied to her back. Aura engines were still a relatively new invention and only Hunters and Grimm Control units were allowed access to them. The Hunter walked down the line of people and would point to one of them occasionally. They stepped forward and looked down as the Hunter passed by them silently. After a few dozen or so she started pointing at the children. And then the Hunter stopped and looked down at the little girl clutching a child in her arms. Stark could almost feel the Hunter smiling as she pried the baby from the child's arms. The little girl carrying the baby started screaming and slashing at the Hunter. She responded by jerking her chin at some guards. They came by and dragged the girl into the Correctional Facility. As soon as the girl was gone the Hunter twirled her finger in the air and everyone she had selected began to march into the tunnel, going the direction they three of them hand just came from.
Tecaelis looked shaken, Stark was furious, and Lucas was solemn.
"Maybe… Maybe it is a prison town." Tecaelis suggested weakly. Stark shook his head.
"No kingdom has that many criminals. No kingdom puts their woman, men, and children all in the same prison. And besides all that, Newons is a staging area for trips to Vacou. They were one of the largest ports for trade in Mistral and they would never turn that into a prison town. And judging by those Airships and Skycarriers, it still is."
"Are you saying that those people are citizens?" Tecaelis was almost pleading. Lucas swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut.
"So much crying." They all looked at him. "They are crying. Screaming. Pleading. But that place, that facility, is silent until they open the doors. Then… Then I don't know. I have never heard those noises before." Lucas shook his head. "Let's find this guy and get the hell out. Damn, this place is just wrong." Stark took a deep breath and turned back towards the town.
"Okay, so anyone here think this guy is anywhere but the Facility?" They didn't say anything. "Hm, I thought I would be a little older before I went to hell and back."
Tecaelis was able to float them up onto the roof without anyone noticing. Except for the guards on the roof, who soon found they had one bullet more than what their skulls could carry thanks to Lucas. Stark had to smile at that.
"A crack shot sober, drunk, on land, or floating in the air," he muttered. After that, it didn't take long to slip inside. But what was inside was beyond words.
Torture. Torture of every sort and then some. Where there weren't holding cells there were instruments of torture. Some they recognized, and many others they didn't.
Stark found someone standing still at a desk, waiting to be given orders. Lucas kept Stark completely silent as he snuck up behind the man. Calmly, Stark wrapped his arm around the man's throat and pulled him backwards.
"I'm looking for a Mantle soldier recent captured by you people. Can you point me in the right direction." The man's eyes wide.
"That would be a betrayal to the Queen. I can not!" Stark took out his spear and stabbed the man through his leg in the hopes that would make him more… pliable.
"Where is he?"
"I can not betray the Queen's love, for she shall lead us to a new age! The Queen will leave those behind who betray her!" Suddenly a booming voice came down the hallway.
"If that my rescue, kill the fool and get me out of these damn chains! If you're someone else… Die!" Stark dropped the man on the floor and motioned to Lucas. There was a silent flash of a shot as Lucas unloaded a bullet in his skull. Tecaelis floated the body and blood away so it doesn't get found later.
It wasn't long before they found him in a below average cell. It was pretty clear why they put him in the smallest cell possible; because he was the largest man possible. He was a monster made out of pure muscle in the shape of a human. He looked like he would need his own skycarrier just to pick him up off the ground. His thick, massive shoulders pressed against the edges of the cell, and when he flexed the bars bent out of his way. The only reason he was still in the cell at all was the fact that they had used nearly every chain in the goddamned kingdom to hang him from the ceiling.
He gave them a toothy grin as all three of them gaped at him. He had a thick, shiny, black hair that grew down to his shoulders and an equally thick black beard.
"What, do I have something in my teeth." He gave a deep, hearty laugh.
"I would hate to see your mother," Lucas said dryly. The enormous man shot him a look.
"Insulting a man's mother is a dangerous game, one you would dare if I weren't chained to the ceiling."
"True," Lucas said with a nod. "But at the moment, you are chained to the ceiling." There was a pause, and then he began laughing again. Stark swore he could feel the building shake because of it.
"Mantle Command sent us," Stark said cooly. "Are you the man they snagged?" The behemoth smiled.
"I suppose so, I suppose so." The guy tried the rise to his feet, but only managed to lean in closer. "Specialist ShieldBreaker reporting in!"
"You're a Specialist?" Tecaelis asked, doubtful. "What are you a specialist of?"
"Shield Breaking!"
"Right," Tecaelis muttered.
"So, what is your name?" Stark pretended like he sizing the man up. But there was no mistaking his size.
"Elic."
"Elic who?"
"Elic ShieldBreaker!"
"Of course." Stark shook his head. "How did they capture you?" Elic instantly soured.
"The cowards ambushed me with a Hunter that can put people to sleep. Best damn sleep I've had in months!" Suddenly it was hard to tell if he was grateful or annoyed. Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Alright we got him, now let's leave before they find out we're here."
"I cannot do that," Elic said evenly.
"What?! We just went through kilometres of enemy territory that might mean war if caught and you're not coming with us?" Elic shift in his binds.
"I didn't say wouldn't, just not yet. You can't honestly tell me you're okay with what going on here? No, it's wrong in every sense of the word. They spent the last few weeks trying to build a machine large enough to torture me!" He looked at Stark with a calmed level expression. "People come in crying, scream, pleading and they leave without a word, their heads hung low and obeying the guards every order. People die here, but their bodies live on." Stark thought about it for a moment.
"It doesn't matter, this is a command straight from The Queen, she can not be ignored."
"I don't serve the Queen." Tecaelis' eyes went wide and Lucas looked a little uncomfortable. Stark remained unmoved.
"Those are treasonous words."
"Ah, bugger that. I was alive for the last Queen, and I was a kid during The Queen before that. Queens come and go, why should I serve them?"
"Because you're part of the military!" Tecaelis stammered. Stark silence him with a look.
"Tell me something young one, do you serve you squad leader?" Tecaelis glanced at Stark and nodded slowly. "And do you think he severs his superior?" Another nod. "And does that man serve a general?" Another nod. "And who does that general server?"
"The Queen of course."
"And who does The Queen serve?" Tecaelis opened his mouth, then closed it. "Bah, there are good generals and bad generals. They come and go just as much as a Queen does. And knowing what makes a good general is above my pay grade, but I know what makes a good Queen.
"A good Queen serves the kingdom. And so I serve the kingdom too. And so long as I serve the kingdom then either I'm serving the Queen by mistake, or the Queen isn't with serving." Tecaelis didn't know what to say, so instead, he hung his head. Lucas made a point of looking anywhere else. Stark considered Elic thoroughly. What he said made a lot of sense, too much sense. Stark had long since accepted that he served people who served people who served The Queen. But this man was someone serving a cause greater than The Queen.
"Alright, let's go liberate the town."
"You can't be serious," Lucas complained.
"Ironwood sir, we'll be tried for disobeying orders."
"No we will not, we already have taken out several places just to get here, one town won't be hard to add to the list. Now, Schnee cut Elic down. Black, you're with me. I'm going to need someone to keep the Grimm out of the city while we do this." Stark spun his spear and if became a rifle at his shoulder.
"Now everyone, move out." Lucas took a very, very, deep drink from his flask.