The wet floor trickled and spattered under Baron's feet as he wandered through the cells of the Slaver complex. He could hear Gronack's labored breathing behind him as the silent bodies cut through the moist air. Gronack had told Baron all about his victory over the Hadil, he had never liked him much. The dark elf felt as through spiders were crawling down his back, the pressure was starting to get to him, he was sure that Gronack's current emotional level was far past nervousness, the rage of battle still pumped through the orcs veins. The two pressed on through the slave quarters. Moans rose up from the cells and lingered in the air like a virus, the prisoners had been living in the dark cells for many months, some of them losing there sanity. Some of the cells even housed dead slaves that had been decaying.
The unlikely couple was almost out of the complex, the work of the last three hours had brought them to this conclusion. After avoiding Twitch and weaving through the twisting hallways of the dungeon they could finally taste victory. It all came down to this long extremely dark hallway that seemed to stretch on forever.
The giant following Baron let out a deep sigh, "We are close now."
The two picked up speed and began running down the hallway. Shouts started from the cells growing louder and louder as the captives felt the presence of others passing there dark solidary caging.
Baron halted holding the brute back as his trained ears picked up noise apart from the rest. It was a woman screaming. The two crouched as they continued down the corridor, trying to meld with the shadows as much as possible. The screams grew as they approached. The soft glow from a torch appeared only a few cells in front of them. They hit the ground hugging the wet floor as it soaked into their clothes. The flame waved back and forth in front of Gronack and Baron taunting them. Another scream came from the torch, it was lowered into a holder on the side of a cell. The flames brightened the hallway revealing the scene. Turin could be seen through the darkness as he stumbled around colliding into cells as he steadied himself. A large bottle of mead could be seen hanging from his hand and he was surely drunk as hell.
He took a giant swig from his bottle and some of the brown liquid dribbled down his lips splattering down his red tunic. He let out a giant belch and stumbled once again. He opened up with a laugh and grabbed the bars on the grimy cell adjacent to him, his mouth curled up into an malicious smirk.
"Hello Beautiful!" He said to the woman in the cell. He took another swig from his mead before reaching into his pocket. As he searched he spoke, his voice dribbling and bumbling in drunkenness. "You are going to spend the night with me tonight lovely." He found what he was looking for as he pulled out a giant ring of keys. The Redguard tried three keys before he found the one he was looking for. He pulled the key up for the woman to see and winked at her before pushing the key into the rusty lock and pulling the large door open. He reached in and grabbed the wrist of the woman pulling her out of the cell and into the torchlight.
Baron squirmed on the floor his longcoat soaked in the ground water. His breath pushed small waves over the water and his heart skipped a beat with every breath. He glanced over at Gronack. The hulking brute groaned impatiently. The two chose this path because they figured it would be the least populated route, it seems they were wrong. Baron lifted a finger to his mouth and quieted the giant beast before pointing up at the cage to his right. Gronack returned the gesture with a look of confusion. Reaching deep into his coat pocket he discovered a small black lockpick. He carefully lifted himself from the water soaked floor. Baron hesitated as he looked up at Turin, making sure he did not hear his movements in the water.
Turin was still struggling with the woman. Carefully Baron slid the lockpick into the lock and fumbled with it. The Orc watched carefully as the elf worked. Baron glanced back at Turin, the woman was now illiuminated by the light and could be seen completely.
Baron's breath left his chest as he watched the young woman. It was a wood elf, her golden blonde hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back. Her face was angelic, Baron couldn't help but stare into her ice blue eyes that complemented her beautiful face and pale complexion. She moved against Turin as he layed his hands on her submitting her to his will. He had already bound her hands behind her back and was lifting her off the ground. Baron's heart was torn from his chest as he stared at the woman only a little distance in front of him. The lockpick he was holding in his hand fell to his side as he watched her delicate movements. Memories from his childhood love flooded back into his memory as he look on her, he was completely entranced by her beauty. She looked up at the Redguard fighting against him to the bitter end. Her icy eyes scanned around for some way to escape with no results, finally her blue eyes caught a glimpse of Baron's. His heart went into his stomach as the beautiful face looked back at his. Longing shown through her eyes and desperation tugged on the expression on her face. Baron needed her.
Gronack growled in frustration as he desperately tried to gain Baron's attention back to his current task. Rage still gripped in his chest and part of him wanted to jump up and break Baron's neck between his giant hands, but then again he also wanted to have a chance of living through this. He glanced back a Turin, The Redguard had brought the bitch to his control by now. His back was facing Baron and himself, but in order for Turin to exit the slave courters he had to go back down the corridor he and the dark elf now occupied. He held her close to him and breathed something in her ear.
Gronack heard the sound of steel and turned his attention back to Baron. The elf had surley lost his mind. His face was plastered with the look of anger and he was drawing a small dagger from his right shin ready to strike. Gronacks calculating mind tried to understand why the Drow would attack a drunken Redguard when we were so close to escaping the very thing that was holding him back. He had to move quickly. The Orc rose and tackled the elf, bringing his large hand over the elfs mouth to silence him and pulled the dagger away from him slamming his body against the gate. Baron tried to resist but his lean muscles were no match for the brute strength of the Orc. They both flinched at the noise they were making and they tried to silence there confrontation.
Turin took a deep breath and let it out quietly. His alcohol stained breath weaved throught her golden hair. He now had her on her knees and he walked around to her frontside, laughing quietly before crouching down to her level.
"I don't think you will make it through the night sweetheart." he seethed, peering deeply into her distracted glance. Turin picked up something different about her nature, she was looking at something behind him. He spun around and peered into the darkness in the corridor. He took a few steps forward, his trained eyes searching for any presence. The torchlight did not emanate enough light to see far enough into the hallway but he did notice the water on the ground rippling. Turin returned the the woman, he lifted his hand and brought it down hard on the elf, cuffing. her head making a sickening crack on the metal bar of a cell, she was knocked out cold. The Redguard scowled and returned to the task at hand. He lifted the torch from it's stand and swung it in the darkness. The Man yelled out to the seemingly invisible presence.
"I know your out there," he scowled, "it is only a matter of time now!" He reached down and pulled one of his silver maces from his belt and swung it in his hand carefully watching the shadows crouch away in the light. His boot splashed through the shallow water as he walked on. He advanced through a couple gates watching the ground, the Redguard turned back, growling with frustration. A slithery voice came from out of a nearby passageway.
"Turin, I think there is something you should see." Twitch said pulling his scaly body out of the shadows and into Turin's torch light. Turin quieted him putting his finger to his lips. The lizard moved up following Turin carefully. There was stagnant silence for a few moments as the figures stood in the dark.
A sudden clang came from there right side as the gate of a cage became opened with extreme force. Twitch took the majority of the blow as he was immediately tossed on his back tumbling and splashing in the shallow water. Turin was blindsided as well, Gronack threw the force of his whole body against the Redguard. Similar to Twitch the man was thrown against the opposite cell. The man slammed against the cells and slid to the bottom. The line of cells rattled and shook with the force of the sudden blast of angry rage. The drow ran with all his might, they had to take advantage of time they had.
Baron was not sure what triggered him to pick up the woman and toss her over his shoulder. He also did not understand why he did not hear the constant screaming protest Gronack was assaulting him with as they ran along the rows and rows of cells. Neither did he hear Twitch pursuing him with unnatural speed. His breaths became heavier and heavier as he heaved his body forward the elf slung on his shoulder. Baron wiped the sweat from his eyes as he saw the door in the distant hallway. Gronack reached deep in his pocket and pulled out the key he had took from Hadil. His feet were beating on the water filled floor.
Twitch leapt forward just as the two reached the door at the end of the hall. The lizard dug his large claws into the drow's back. It tore through the blueish flesh, streaking blood through his long coat. He screamed as the claws dug through his skin. By now Gronack had blasted into the door. The giant rusty lock broke easily under one thrust from Gronack and he swung the first door open. Behind that was a reinforced iron vault door with a key slot.
Baron had been pushing to fight through the pain of the claws that now dug through his back. Gronack slammed the key through the lock and twisted hard. The gears and chambers within the door unlocked and slid out of the way as the Orc twisted the wheel. Turin had his hands full as the lizard pulled the claws out to return for another strike. Baron was ready this time, He brought is elbow into the Argonians face. Twitch stumbled back for only seconds before returning to the fray.
Gronack Pulled the steel open just before Twitch had time to strike. A three of them were taken aback at the light that now filled the tiny dark corridor. The two slipped out into the sunlight and slammed the heavy door behind them. They were now standing in a small cave pond that stood to Baron's knee. Giant trees that seemed to stretch to the heavens blocked the sunlight out of Baron's eyes as he adjusted to the brightness. Gronack grunted with frustration as his throbbing muscles held back Twitch's onslaught.
Baron stumbled away and set the limp body of the elf on the side of the pond. She softly slept in the grass, her golden hair spread across the ground like the paint spread across a canvas. Baron soon remembered the task at hand and ran back to the steel door. He pressed his throbbing back to it assisting Gronack.
"Hold him back!" Gronack screamed as he left the door splashing out of Baron's view. Thoughts raced through Baron's mind, was the Orc abandoning him after all this time. Twitch was breaking through and Baron had noticed. A clawed hand slid out of the giant door as the door opened slightly. Baron watched as the claw swept the air to the right of his head. Baron's blood flicked off the grasping claws and dripped into the pond water.
Suddenly the door was slammed shut as a giant tree branch hit the side of it. Gronack had grabbed the thick branch and was now digging into the bottom of the muddy water. Twitch's claw writhed in pain as the door easily broke bones in his claw. He screamed from behind the door, pulling his claw in through the portal, Squeals of pain could be heard through the thick steel. Gronack had now pushed the end of the tree he was holding into the bottom of the pond. The two stepped back from the steel as soon as the wood was in place.
They could hear Twitch slamming against it from the other side getting more frustrated. After a few minutes the rage filled screams stopped and Baron and Gronack could take a deep breath of the fresh air around them.
"Well, Gronack sighed "we made it." He made his way out of the pond and over the the wood elf that silently sprawed by the water's edge. "I still do not understand why you brought her. You almost got yourself killed."
Baron joined his side and knelt down to check the girls pulse. His bloody back was raging with pain. She was living just knocked out. Baron smiled.
"We better begin moving, they will be on our trail soon." Baron picked up the elf and slung her on his back as the dodged through the undergrowth.
AN- SURPRISE! I am not dead! sorry it took so long I have been extremely busy.