"Do you all use something similar there?" — Olga asked me a question after we finished.
"It's been a couple of hundred years. The era of swords and bows ended a long time ago." — I answered.
"Then I still can't understand why you chose us." — Asked a strange question, in my opinion, the Queen. — "For such a gift, Vault would have made you rich, and if you took the initiative, you could take a high position among his people and have no need for anything. But instead, you came back to the cell for us.
The woman's gaze became very serious. — "Why are you doing this? Why do you enter into a hopeless struggle with an entire army?"
"What's the difference?"— I also became serious. — "Is it so important if the alternative for you is sexual slavery? I'm doing this because I don't want that fate for you. And because my capabilities are enough to break the teeth of anyone who tries to reach out to your side. Anyone, you know?"
"This rabble outside does not realize who they are facing." — I pointed my finger in the direction of the doors. Minting every word, firmly looking into her eyes. Both girls froze as if rooted to the spot, unable to move even a finger — "I was created for a war in which losses are estimated in billions, for killing much more terrible creatures than anything these savages can imagine."
Images of fierce battles with aliens flashed before my eyes, which caused a wave of cold rage to rise from within, making my appearance even more threatening.
"I can kill hundreds of them, and this is not an exaggeration or bragging." — I said, while Olga started to back away, and I followed her and my every step was accompanied by a word. — "It is simple statement. The fact."
I stopped. The memories that had so unexpectedly surged subsided and it became clear to me that I had gone too far. Olga is shaking like an aspen leaf, and Chloe is clutching the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turn white.
"I'm sorry." — I turn away awkwardly, burying my hand in the hair at the back of my head. — "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just... nerves are playing tricks. I did die recently, after all."
"N—it's okay." — The Queen recovered quickly again. I'm starting to like that trait in her. — "It's more like I should apologize. Nowadays, it's rare to meet a truly honest person anywhere, and to my shame, I couldn't quite believe that you were like that."
"Heh. Well, what can I do about it." — I allowed myself a smile. — "I can't just give up on such beauties. It's not long to lose self-respect here."
The awkwardness and heavy atmosphere slowly faded away, and after checking for the last time whether everything was ready, we left our shelter. We have to overcome several floors of the tower, breaking through crowds of enemies, and, therefore, we need to be on the alert.
"Kin, what the fuck?" — Vult was sitting on the throne of the former queen, and the warlock who had been dragged a minute earlier was kneeling in front of him. If it weren't for demon possession, he would have been a cold corpse The dagger thrown by that bastard pierced through the neck, breaking the vertebrae, but for a demon, even a severed head is not such a difficult task to cure.
"My Lord." — The warlock bowed his head in shame, not daring to look at his master. — "This foreigner is strong. At my eyes, he killed the guards in less than a second, and I, despite the new powers granted by our friends, did not follow the throw.
"And where is he now?" — Vult asked the question, boring the negligent subordinate with an unkind look.
"I can't know. I just recently came to my senses." — Kin answered and, hesitating, looked up. — "I can only assume that he went to rescue the elven whores, and probably succeeded."
"I told you that he needs to be killed. But no, he succumbed to your persuasions that he should be interrogated and studied. Well, I've studied it." — Vult said angryly
"I'm sorry..." — Kin bowed again.
"You screwed up, Kin." — The self-proclaimed Emperor of Lust sneered contemptuously. — "Get up! Go and find him for me, no matter what it costs you. That bastard can't hide forever. If the whores are with him, bring them here. I've already postponed my entertainment because of you. Free.
Hicks, help him.
"As you command." — A young man sitting nearby with his hair combed back nodded briefly, and, getting up from his seat, Went to the exit together with the sorcerer.
"And yes, Kin." — Vult called out to his servant.
— "Yes, sir?"
— "Don't shit yourself this time."
"There are a lot of people behind this door. About three dozen." — I whispered, seeing through thermal vision multiple figures of enemies crowded behind the wall. — "They seem to be waiting for us."
"There's no way around it." — Olga answered in the same whisper, stopping next to me. — "It's the only way."
"Hmm... We'll have to make some noise." — I grimaced. It's not working out very well. At least, we've managed to get past groups of mercenaries and monsters looking for us. Olga led us very well in a roundabout way, and, together with my vision, it helped us to remain unnoticed in this anthill. But these bums are also not fools sitting at the head, so relatively quickly they were able to predict where we could go and prepared an ambush.
"Folk wisdom: if the check is pulled out," — I take out the grenade, pull out the ring and show it to the girls. — "then Mr. Grenade is no longer our friend. Press yourself against the wall."
The elves do what they said, and I, opening the door a crack, throw a grenade inside, and then another one, only this time in another corner. I slam the door and jump aside, catching the confused exclamations of the mercenaries out of the corner of my ear. Through the wall it was clearly visible how two explosions mowed down more than half of the enemies. Screams of pain and mats were heard through the closed door. Before anyone comes to their senses, I kick out the door and rush inside. The shotgun in my hands pushes booms loudly, and the charge of buckshot completely blows off the head of some kind of a creepy green humanoid. A whining body moves along his legs, dropping a shoe on his chest, with a crunch of a crushed chest and a gurgling interrupt his existence.
The survivors came to their senses, and, grabbing their weapons, rushed in my direction. Pistol pops were heard from behind and one of the runners, catching three bullets in the chest, falls to the floor. Chloe is well done, even if the shots are not very accurate, but she learns quickly. Besides, there is enough practice for her today. And then the slaughter began.
One shot — one kill, one shot — one kill. When the enemies realized that they were finished and tried to escape, it was too late. Everyone who miraculously survived, either the wounds after the grenades, or the result of Chloe's shooting. However, the girl quickly corrected her shortcomings, skillfully cutting the throats of the nedobitki, and, it seems, experiencing genuine pleasure from this, judging by the slightly insane smile that did not come off her face while another mercenary choked on blood.
"Unbelievable." — Olga said, standing next to me and looking at the carnage. — "I haven't received so many impressions in a short time for a long time."
"Yeah." — I muttered to myself, picking up the last shell casing from the floor. — "Where to next?"
"Go ahead. We will find ourselves on the gallery above the main gate and from there we will be able to get out." — She said.
"Another secret passage?" — I raise an eyebrow. The entire citadel is riddled with these small and narrow corridors and spiral staircases in the most unexpected places. I even lost count of how many times we escaped with their help when we were about to be discovered. Unfortunately, there was nothing like that in this place, otherwise we wouldn't have had to fight here.
"Of cource" — The Queen shook her head. — "Let's hurry. You really made a lot of noise and soon the whole fortress will come running here."
As soon as we turned to the exit, something tinkled from behind us, the air was cut by a whistle from the flight of something sharp. The body reacted on its own, throwing out its hand in front of Olga's head and clenching its palm into a fist. The girl turned sharply at the sound, staring wide-eyed at the crossbow bolt in my hand. I turn back to where he came from and see a small, goblin-like freak convulsively equipping a small crossbow with shaking hands for a new shot. He hid behind a table that had fallen on its side and, due to its size, remained unnoticed.
"Oh, you, little bitch." — I break into a run, and in two jumps I overtake him.
"Stop! Wait!" — This freak screams squeaky voices while I pick him up by the scruff of the neck and throw him into the center of the room right under Chloe's legs and broke his windpipe with her heel, kindly smiling like a maniac.
" If he hadn't got out, he could stay alive." — I say philosophically. — "Fool."
"Thank you". — The black-haired elf shrugged her shoulders, realizing how close she had missed death.
"It's nothing." — I waved my hand, returning to her.
"Let's go already." — Chloe made a sensible suggestion. Everyone agreed with her and so we went on in silence.
"Well, he really is a fool." — The blonde muttered after a couple of minutes on the way. Casting a glance at her, I notice that she looks quite positive. Did the battle really lift her mood so much? It may even be, if I remember with what rapture she was cutting up Vult's people. She also seemed to like the gun. Even now her fingers gently stroke its handle. She's a strange girl. Strange, but funny.
Later.
As Olga said, after a while we found ourselves at the entrance to a narrow gallery encircling a spacious hall. Along the way, we met only one group of mercenaries, which we put down without too much noise, using the effect of surprise. But besides them, we had a lot of their brethren around us. After we carried out the ambush, they seemed to break loose and dug the ground with their noses with a vengeance. If Olga hadn't been with us, they would have jumped in almost immediately, and no vision through the wall would have helped, too many people are looking for us. Heh, secret passages rules. Especially when your opponent does not even know about their presence.
Hiding behind the door jamb, we watched people and inhumans swarming below. Someone shouts at someone, commands are given, groups of five or more people gather and disappear through the numerous doors leading to the corridors of the citadel. At least a dozen people are patrolling from above, but they don't see us yet.
"So, where's the exit here?" — I turn to the brunette in a whisper, so as not to inadvertently attract attention.
"We need to get to the other side." — The woman answers me. — "But there are too many of them here."
"We can make it so that there are fewer of them here." — I had an idea how to take the whole crowd to another place.
"How will you do it?" — Chloe asked.
"If you want to distract the enemy, blow up something." — A grin appeared on my face.
