Chapter 27

Thinking on it, this was the first time I'd ever truly premeditated someone's death. Oh, sure, I'd planned out various plans of action in Orario. Most of those were in the heat of the moment, or as 'last resort' ideas. Like that time where I considered walking up the tower of Babel and throwing Freya off it.

Even the time I put down the remnants of Ishtar's Familia... That was something I needed to do, else my Wife would die.

But this? No. This was one hundred percent murder.

Then I looked at Raphtalia, as she did a weapon's check along with the rest of us.

No, it wasn't murder. It was a duty. The same duty a farmer does when putting down rabid livestock.

Normally, I'd wonder about this. Question Raphtalia's motives, or wonder if she might just be speaking of a past wrong and now that she had help, was seeking revenge. If she had come to me as she is now, asking 'the Shield Hero' to help her... I'd have doubted her. But I had seen her in the throws of her nightmares. I had cured her of that terrible wracking cough she'd gotten. Seen her lose to abject terror.

And I knew those looks from the mirror back home.

"Raphtalia?" I started as the hand holding the whetstone moved away from her katana. "What can you tell us?"

My sudden question made her flinch, but I figured it might. "I... I remember some of his home. He has guards. All human, though most of them are man-at-arms, not knights. They..." She took a deep breath, and her mood was so obvious that Kunshu skipped 'headpats' and went straight to 'warm backpack hugs'. Raphtalia rubbed Kunshu's head gently, took a deep breath, then continued, "Most are like him."

There was a tap at the door, and almost in unison we put hands on weapons. "It's the bird lady." Tetsu said, looking at her hands, "I wonder if I could use claws or something... I mean... metal ones. Rawr rawr." She clawed at the air playfully.

"Enter." I called out, waving a hand so they'd all settle down a little.

"I thought so." Melty said as she entered, looking at all of us. "I could hear you sharpening that from across the hall."

"We do this every morning." Usa said, "though..." He glanced at me, then Raphtalia, "It's a special occasion?"

"I hope you're not planning on going there in the middle of the night and assassinating him like..." She stopped, sighed, "You are, aren't you?"

"Use every advantage you can." I said, "I can see in the dark, and we have magic for making light. I considered just using the front door, but I think going over the wall would be faster."

"Ah... There is another way in." Raphtalia said, "It's the same way he brings in... out of sight from the people."

"Sorry for not letting you finish." I said, "Do you remember the way?"

The trip into Idol's territory was easy. Getting to the outer wall of his keep without being spotted even easier. No one in their right mind would be awake at this hour, except for a handful of very bored guards patrolling and keeping watch from on top of the outer wall. The only real challenge so far was the rough hilly terrain that led us here.

From within sight of Idol's mini-castle, Raphtalia seemed to get her bearings and then led us around, through a narrow strip of forest, over a well travelled road, into another patch of greenery, and then onto a second, less travelled road.

From there, it was really just timing our movement against the bored and lazy guards and keeping the noise down.

Finally, we all got to the 'servant's entrance' to the outer wall of Idol's keep.

"This is all I remember... This place, and that there, the rusty patch on the metal banding on the door..."

She pointed, and in the dim torchlight I could make out something that looked eerily similar to a hand print rusted into the metal reinforcing the door.

"Usa?" I looked over to him.

He took off his helmet and did a slow left/right turn of his head to really listen to the surroundings. "One guard behind the door, one from the right, another from the left on top of the wall."

I nodded, and considered just how much mercy I should have for the 'people getting paid'. On the one hand, they were complicit in Idol's activities. On the other, they were working a job they probably couldn't just quit.

"Bodies and missing guards will raise suspicion." I said quietly as we all hid behind a bush a stone's throw from the 'servant's entrance'. I took a look at the people we had, and pondered a moment. "Kunshu? I'm going to show you something." I summoned the Rope Shield and let out a length of rope.

They all watched as I tied a sliding knot. I couldn't make it the exact size, so I made as simple as possible to adjust the loop.

"This is how you widen the loop, this is how you tighten it." I demonstrated, "When the guards pass each other again, I want you to climb, not fly, up the wall, and hook it over one of the crenellations." I pointed to one of the many squared off 'teeth' on top of the wall. "Understand?"

"Why not just have her fly?" Melty asked, likely guessing part of the 'opening move', "We can't all climb that high..."

"Kunshu's wings are very loud." Usa said, "But she is right."

I smiled a little, mostly because Usa didn't have that edge of self pity in his voice that time. "Raphtalia will climb the rope, unhook it from the top, then pull as much rope as she needs to drop down to the other side safely. She can deal with the guard, and just open the door for us all."

Tetsu sighed, "Being all sneaky is boring..."

The door was a big double door that opened outwards. There was little hope of us smashing through, even with Tetsu's strength. But I also saw no lock, which meant a bolt on the other side. A super simple yet effective way to keep a door shut. Provided you could trust everyone inside.

"Can you do it?" I asked Raphtalia, who nodded, "Good. Clive, once we're inside, we'll find you a good spot to keep watch. Don't be afraid to move, don't be afraid to run. Usa, Melty, Tetsu, you'll be coming with me after Raphtalia opens the door." I looked to Kunshu, "Once your job it done, wait until Clive picks a spot, and keep him safe."

"We... We want to find the cellar entrance..." Raphtalia said. "It's... I think... maybe near the kitchens? I remember the smell of food..."

"Aside from the patrols, I don't hear any other activity." Usa shook his head, "But we're far, even for me."

"Once we get inside, I'm sure you'll hear more. Once we begin, make as little noise as possible." I said, "Hand Clive your spear Kunshu." Clive accepted the spear, and I gave Kunshu the looped end of the Rope Shield. "Ready? Go."

(View change, maybe even some sneaky music?)

At the word 'Go' the seven of them turned and watched the progress of the two guards walking towards each other on top of the wall. Poorly lit with pitch torches, one could only really make out the dull shine of their armour and the sharp tips of their spears. The two guards stopped in front of each other, nodded, then walked past each other, continuing onward and away from each other once more.

Five quiet breaths later, Kodori and Raphtalia dashed across the ten metre span of near barren space between the wall and the scrubby treeline they were hiding in. Kunshu, her wings too loud for the work they were doing, clung to Kodori's back. Almost invisible in the dark with the black fur of Kodori's cape, the giant Bee only moved once they stopped again at the foot of the wall.

Kodori handed Kunshu the end of the rope, and with the same swiftness of any other insect, she darted up the wall, under the slight overhang, and then stopped just as she was about to crest the top. There was a pause, no more than a few seconds, and Kunshu gave the rope a little tug to tighten it in place as well as signal it was ready.

Raphtalia waited until Kodori pulled the rope tight before grabbing on and climbing upwards. As she darted up the rope, she whispered an incantation. "i am the source of all power. Render the sight of my enemies meaningless. Hiding." And just as she reached the top of the wall, her form seemed to bleed away all colour, then vanish as if erased.

There was a short pause, then Kodori felt a little tug on the rope. Quickly, she started to pull more and more rope from the Shield, the weird coil of thick twine spooling out until there was another tug. Above, Raphtalia crouched over the inner lip of the wall, looked left and right, then quickly started dropping the rope down. She didn't throw it, for it might hit the ground with more noise than they wanted. Once all the rope was let down, she rappelled down, half sliding, half climbing, her booted feet making the occasional scrape or scratch on the stone of the inner wall.

As soon as her invisible feet touched the ground, the rope twitched once, then just vanished. On the other side of the wall, Kodori's shield reverted to the default Hagane Red. She then started moving towards the door, waving to the others to dash across the barren gap between the wall and nature.

Kunshu, still clinging to the top of the wall, made her way down as well, keeping out of the torchlight. But when they all converged on the door...

It wasn't open.

Kodori's face was just starting to twist into a frown, and she began to raise a hand up to motion to Kunshu... But then there was a slow sliding rasp of something on the other side of the door. Three long seconds later, the noise stopped, and the door started to open.

The slow motion of the door made the hinges protest, but they had only started to grind and squeak when they door had opened up enough for them all to enter. Raphtalia was waiting for them, her teeth brilliant in the dim torchlight as she smiled.

The seven of them crouched there for a moment, then Usa pointed to a spot that was almost devoid of light, deep darkness made in the shadow of the feeble torchlight. Kodori tapped one of her ears, and Usa nodded again. As one, they all moved, hiding once again, most of them unable to see the person next to them, even as the starlight above cast the inner keep walls in a soft glow.

Left and right they all looked, taking in the placement of the buildings within the wall. It was rather fancy, with heavy stone buildings capped with red steeple roofs and spear pointed towers. The tallest structure was a four towered keep, each tower capped with a sharp point, and the middle spire half again as tall and twice as wide as any of the towers. The next tallest building, set apart from the main keep by a wide courtyard with a large obelisk in the middle, looked to be a large mansion, or perhaps a joined row of four storey houses.

Raphtalia pointed to the mini-castle, and the others nodded. Kodori then pointed to the third tallest building, likely a church with its wide centre tower and a single bell suspended within. A church, or an alarm tower. Clive nodded, and handed Kunshu her spear. The giant Bee wiggled her way under Clive's shadow grey cape of magic fur, and Clive started to slink from shadow to shadow in that direction.

The other four turned to the fifth, who let his tall rabbit ears twitch this way and that, before pointing to a few patrolling figures, wandering up and down the inner streets of this tiny well fortified town of Idol Rabier's.

Kodori glanced back towards the Guard Raphtalia had 'dealt with', spotting the hilt of a dagger holding up his unconscious body by the collar, the point wedged between bricks to keep him from falling over. Then with a nod to the others, they started towards the inner keep.

(Kodori)

I could feel my horns itching as we got closer to our goal. I could take a few guesses why of course. If we simply pulled each guard we came across into the shadows and silenced them as we went, we'd have less to worry about later. Of course, that 'later' might be 'sooner' if they were found missing.

We could have started a fire. A good distraction that required as many people as possible to deal with was a great idea. But, I was not expecting the size of this little fortress castle. You could have fit all of Riyute inside of it, and maybe a little of their farming fields on the side. I had no idea if other people lived here. Not just that filth Idol.

We also might have people to rescue...

Still, my mind kept just... short-cutting my plan to 'violence'.

"sir." Usa mumbled, "glowing."

I almost threw myself backwards into the shadow we just left, trying to clamp down on my emotions to get them back to a less volatile state.

"thank you. That the place?" I pointed.

"yes. We..."

I urged her to silence by putting my hand over hers as we crouched in the darkness. "stay focused. We need a distraction. Tetsu? Do you remember the way we came?"

She nodded just hard enough to hear her hair flutter about, her smile a slash of white under the glitter of reflective gold eyes.

"you can't mean to..." Melty likely sensed where this was going.

"You see that guard there?" I pointed to a guard who had passed nearby, yawning as his spear rested, point up, on his shoulder. "I want you to sneak up behind him, and punch him as hard as you can in the butt." I put a hand on her shoulder as she started to turn to do just that. "not done."

"aww..."

"then, I want you to run back the way we came, along that street there." A street that would take her in plain sight of Clive's sniper nest. "If any other guards try and stop you, punch them too." I had to almost pull her back down to stop her this time. "almost done."

"aww..."

"do not change forms unless you can no longer run away. Hit and run. Remember?"

She nodded again, her hair flying about some more.

"Hold out your hands."

She did, and I took out some leather padding I was planning to use for new gauntlets. Instead, they would protect the little dragon-newt's knuckles.

"remember how I taught you to punch. Fingers tight, thumb under. I will call you when we are done, or have to retreat. Okay?"

She waited until I tied the leather grips down, then rubbed them over her cheeks like they were the best things ever. "okay!" A pause as she tilted her head towards me, "eee headrubs..." And yes, gave her a headpat.

Usa, Raphtalia, Melty and I watched as she all but tip-toed at best speed towards the bored guard. Just before she caught up, she started winding up for an epic punch (almost like she was about to throw a baseball), and called out. "Hey you!"

The guard turned a near perfect 180, "Hu-" And with a dull clang, took Tetsu's full power punch in the groin. He folded up like a paper bag, hung suspended in the air on Tetsu's fist for a split second, then shot backwards like a cannonball, his butt hitting the ground down the street someplace just as his spear hit the ground next to Tetsu. There was a crash, metallic scraping, sparks, then what sounded like a collection of pots and pans rolling over the ground, before the man came to a stop out of sight with a thump of metal on stone.

"go!" I said, running in the opposite direction of the sudden shattering of silence.

(Split view, definitely action music this time)

While Tetsu dashed in the direction of the guard she had just wrecked with a gleeful shout, Raphtalia led the others towards the 'servant's entrance' of the largest building of Idol's property. It wasn't a straight line, the distraction would have been meaningless if they got caught here. So instead, they huddled in the shadows between stone structures, then dashed to the next place of near light-less cover.

Tetsu was laughing as if this were the best thing ever. The first guard she'd hit made such an amusing noise, as did the second. The third and forth actually managed to get their weapons ready, but being only human about all they had to spot their target was the glow of her eyes and the reflection of her teeth in the dim torchlight.

That didn't last however, as the fifth guard called for the alarm, and to light all the torches. However, he was the first actual fatality, when a long shafted arrow went through the side of his helmet.

Oddly, at the exact moment that Kodori, Melty, Usa and Raphtalia got to the side entrance, there was a sudden shout from outside the walls. Rioters. Dozens of demi-humans lit torches, brandishing pitchforks, and started shouting about all the injustices that had been going on since Idol Rabier had taken over the area.

Back at the side door, Usa gave Kodori a couple of quick words, and the Shield Hero put her hand on the door lever and entered.

In the bell tower, Clive and Kunshu could hear booted footsteps stomping up the stairs towards them. And while Clive paid the noise no mind, keeping his body almost completely behind the wall of the window he was at, with only the reflection of the arrowhead he had tracking his next target exposed. Kunshu on the other hand was waiting inside the bell. At the first sign of trouble, they had cut the rope that led up from under the floor, so that there would be no way to sound it without coming up to them, and now, whomever tried would be disturbing a bee nest of One.

(Kodori)

The door wasn't locked. A little surprising, but even if it was, this world was hardly past the 'skeleton key' phase. No one was in the kitchen because of the late hour, but Usa said there was now movement nearby.

"sir." He whispered as we filed in, "I'm almost positive those are the citizens of Lord Van outside the main gate."

"idiot... he didn't need to put his people in danger." I grumbled, my ears picking up noise on the floor above us. "Raphtalia? Pick. Up or down first?"

I was asking her to choose. Vengeance or potentially rescue people first. And to my surprise, she let logic win. "Up." Logic, or anger. Her tail, shorter than mine but not lacking in volume, was puffed out to nearly three times its usual width in angry fluff.

"Melty? Ever been here before?" I asked.

"No." She said shortly, not using any of the usual 'extra formal' language in a combat situation. Good, she'd fit right in.

"Sir, stairs that way, two guards." Usa said as we rounded the corner just outside the kitchen hallway.

I picked up my pace just a little, as did Raphtalia and Usa. The stairs were solid stone and built into the walls with a central pillar to support, making each 'corner' blind. Using this, and Usa's amazing hearing to our advantage, we finally broke our 'stealthy approach'. The instant a booted foot appeared around the corner, Usa's whip cracked forward. Snapping around the guard's leg, I helped Usa pull the man off his feet and down the stairs with a synchronized heave. Raphtalia, before the guard's alarmed cry was even half started, dashed up the last three steps and 'pommel drew' her sword, slamming the rounded pommel of her sword into the second guard's chin, leaving him to clatter to the floor and her blade drawn for the next threat.

Melty, to her credit (I was really impressed with her so far), hardly made a sound as the one guard rolled down the stairs in what would likely be a fatal trip to the bottom.

Of course, this kind of noise inside a stone hallway would give even the most incompetent guard our location, and as we got to the hallway of the second floor Usa said, "Half dozen more."

I considered what to expect from someone like Idol, then said, "Up, Melty? I need you to cast your best water spell." We all started up to the next floor, but I put my hand on Melty's shoulder to 'point' her back down.

She finally hesitated at something, "I'm supposed to be here as a witness..."

"Then hurry up so no one gets caught in it." I said, "You two, hold the next landing."

"Sir." They both answered.

Melty gave me a bit of a puzzled look, but held her hands out in front of her, "I am the source of all power, hear my words and understand them. Push them away with the rage of a wave! Drifta Aqua Blast!"

I could feel the nature of her magic pulling itself out of the energy in the air, and her own mana, as well as see her MP reserves all but vanish as she said the last word. Then it was like she had a fire hose on full blast erupting out from between her upraised hands.

I could see the shadow of a couple of guards just about to enter the stairwell as I clapped my hands together, then formed my fingers into several quick seals. "Hyogo no katachi!"

It wasn't perfect, but the sudden waterfall she had created, suddenly became a hallway of deep blue and white ice. It wouldn't stop them, but a single slip would send anyone who tried to the bottom. I took out two little bottles from the Shield, handing one to her as I swatted her with my tail to get her to follow me up the steps, "Drink, might need you to do it again." I handed her a MP potion, while I drank a vial of 'spirit healing' water.

(Meanwhile, outside)

Tetsu was having a great deal of fun. As much as she looked like a young girl, she was still a dragon, and almost every dragon liked to bully things. Tetsu however, was a good dragon, and her matriarch told her not to be a bully.

Except this time. She was told, specifically, to punch every guard she saw. So she did! Every guard who tried to attack her, found her to be a hard target to hit, and generally only got a single chance to try before a tiny fist with incredible strength forced them to take the rest of the day off.

But as weak as the guards were, they still managed the occasional cut, or kick, or even an arrow, and Tetsu was covered in little hurts.

Wanting to be praised meant she had held off on getting really violent. But with each attack she took, each hurt she sustained, she felt a little voice inside her ask her if it was worth listening to her matriarch.

Clive was starting to run out of arrows. Most of them had gone out the window he had chosen to cover Tetsu. He didn't know what was going on at first, this wasn't part of 'the plan', but seeing how much noise the dragon-newt was making, and the fact she wasn't just stopping and breaking each guard over her knee, he could see the new 'plan' for what it was.

And since he liked the little fireball, he made sure to keep the numbers chasing her down as best he could.

However, this brought attention to his position, and Kunshu had already slain a half dozen guards as they tried to come up the stairs to the bell tower. Though, as expressionless as she looked, she was quite smart. And instead of letting those bodies clutter the floor of the bell tower, she had stuffed them all down the stairs again, making a literal wall braced by their own spears and swords. No matter how temporary, she was protecting her current nest by building a wall with what she had on hand.

(Kodori)

"Sir." Usa put a hand on my arm, getting my immediate attention. "I hear him."

Figuring he had never heard what he sounded like, I asked, "Are you sure?"

"Damn Demi filth." He said without inflection, "Don't they know who they're dealing with?"

I couldn't help but smile. That certainly sounded like who we were looking for. "Right, how far?"

He continued up the stairs, and I noted we were on the forth floor. We followed him, and once we got to the exit to the hallway, he pointed down the hall. Being the only room with the door open and the lights on, it was easy to guess.

"Guards?" I asked.

He paused, then shook his head, "I don't hear anything in this hallway but us and him."

"Good." We jogged towards the partially open door, "I'll kick it-"

Raphtalia put a hand on my elbow, "Let me, please."

I slowed down a half pace to let her get ahead. A moment later, she pushed open the door, and just stood inside the room. The noise brought the attention of the room's occupant, and he turned around just as Usa, Melty and I entered behind the Raccoon Girl.

A squat man with broad shoulders, broad (but not obese) middle, short blond hair and one of those tiny mustachios. He wore clothing that fit his status, with nice black boots, royal purple pants and coat, a matching purple cape, and everything outlined in gold thread. At his hip hung a long thin rapier, his only apparent armament.

And his first words to us were an indignant, "Who dares disturb me?" A pause, "At my gate and now inside my castle? Who do you think you are!?"

Melty, hidden by the three of us, stepped a little to the side and out of our shadows, "Lord Idol Rabier. I am Melty Q Melromarc, and-"

"Remember me?" Raphtalia interrupted, taking a step forward, her tail sticking straight out and looking more like a porcupine than a tail.

Arrogant or not, Idol was professional enough to look at the threat in front of him, "No. But Demi's are hardly worth remembering once I'm done with them."

"I was one of your victims!" Raphtalia spat, "You bought me, broke me, then sold me again!"

Idol's hand went not for the sword, but for a whip hidden under his cape, "Wouldn't be the first time I've done that." He sneered, glancing past her, "Oh, you're the Shield Hero, aren't you?" The end of his whip hit the carpet.

"He's not your concern!" Raphtalia stalked forward.

Without warning, Idol lashed out with the whip. Unlike Usa's whip, it was meant to inflict pain, not injury, the leather thick but not braided or barbed. But even as the whip snapped against Raphtalia's arm, she just took another step forward.

"I've never had a slave come back to me!" He laughed, hitting Raphtalia again and again. "Not even going to defend yourself?"

Three, maybe four paces between them now. "Now that I'm not a child, you're not strong enough to hurt me anymore." She said, her sword flicking out to intercept the next snap of the whip and leaving it in two pieces like a decapitated snake. "There's only one reason I returned to you."

Seeing that his intimidation failed, he pulled the rapier from his belt and met Raphtalia's first actual attack with skill. "Arrogant animal!" He roared, his blade flicking back and forth, his reach and speed giving him an advantage against Raphtalia's inexperience and slower weapon.

I was about to step forward, but it was Usa who stopped me, his hand on my elbow.

Usa was right to stop me, this was Raphtalia's personal demon, and like the two headed dog the entire party was now wearing part of, it was hers to confront.

"What did you hope to accomplish, huh!?" Rabier laughed, leaving another thin cut on Raphtalia's arm, then another on her upper thigh. "Just because the reject hero pulled you from the gutter I left you in, you think you can come here and... what?" He parried a slash from Raphtalia's katana, "Assassinate me? Is that what you-"

Raphtalia slashed again, and Rabier let her blade slide down the length of his sword. But with his blade occupied, she spun with the momentum of her swing and kicked Idol in the gut. The Mule Kick as some call it, slammed him against the wall and blasted the breath from his lungs.

And it started to go down hill for him from there. Even as he tried to get his breath back, Raphtalia started to return every single cut he'd given her. Bits of cape, that silly frilly neck ruff he was wearing, part of his boot, piece by bloody piece.

"Raphtalia." I said as I realized what she was doing. "Don't become like him."

The kick had made him all but helpless, and now she was torturing him. "He deserves it." She said, "For everything he's done, for all the helpless children he's tortured!"

"Ha... hahaha." Idol, monster though he was, took advantage of the pause, "Enjoying yourself? Getting a little payback?"

She went wide eyed, likely realizing what she had been doing by cutting him up, realizing her anger had started to corrupt her purpose. But her only reply was to back up and sheath her sword. "I've proven myself. You are nothing but a cruel heartless monster who has fallen so far that he's even less human than us demi-humans he hates so much."

"Ha!" He laughed, raising his sword as she turned away from him, "You're just too much of a coward to admit you like tormenting people just as much!" He started to wind up for a lunge at Raphtalia's back.

She knew what was coming, and met my eyes as she walked towards me. "Shield Prison." I said as his blade started forward.

From inside the sudden ball of shields, there was rattle of blade on metal then an angry, "Ha! You don't have the courage to kill me, and now the Cursed Shield has to protect you? You demi humans are all the same!"

"Change Shield." I said, the angry sphere of interlocked shields quivering and rearranging itself into a perfect sphere of Black Dog shields. The Change Shield ability was very versatile, and now all those dog heads were on the inside face of the sphere. Beside me, Usa hugged Melty's head to his side, covering her ears.

For the next sixteen seconds, the inside of the sphere was filled with terrified screaming, growling, the ripping of flesh and fabric, and finally, silence. When the ball of converted shields deconstructed itself, there was almost nothing left but a collection of bloody rags, viscera and a rapier that had been twisted into uselessness.

"I fight people, hunt animals, and kill monsters." I said to Melty as Usa let her go and she looked at what was left. "Raphtalia?"

"Thank you." She said getting one last look before turning away, "For letting me prove I was stronger, and making sure he'll never harm anyone else again."

"Let's get to the basement then." I said, giving her shoulder a pat.

"Um, first, let me..." Melty, now that we were out of the room, had recovered her voice, "I can heal those cuts..."

(Outside)

The turmoil at the main gate, the little girl with the godly punch, and the arrows that seemed to just appear in people who started giving orders, broke Rabier's guards.

It almost seemed like they all realized it at the same time, and they started to run away. Most just... ran. They turned towards the closest gate that wasn't the one holding back the mob of torch and pitchfork wielding demi-humans, and just ran. Some of them even took a moment to lift up someone with shattered armour, or an arrow in them that didn't kill them on the spot. But most just ran.

Up in the bell tower, Clive had only a handful of arrows left. And while he had no problems with killing someone, he liked to think he wasn't a coward. But now that all the potential targets were running away, he stopped shooting. Kunshu, who's first kill of the night was the ambush from the inside of the bell, hadn't had anything else to do after she'd bricked up the stairs with bodies and braced it with their discarded weapons. Being the near peak of efficiency, about all she'd done after that was rest over the door, waiting for another chance to ambush someone.

Then there was Tetsu. Bloody, though it was mostly from her victims, she was suddenly out of things to punch. It was obvious she wanted more. The maniac grin on her girlish face was all it took for what ever guards she came across now to run away. But now that they'd stopped attacking, now that they were not providing entertainment, she looked around for something to do, to keep riding the rush of combat, of walking the path of domination.

Then there was that voice again... Tempting, taunting, it wanted her to let loose. To chase down the fleeing humans, to rip down the buildings of stone and wood, to eat the meat of the weak to make her stronger!

She didn't give in. But the voice wouldn't shut up... It kept calling her master weak. Calling her weak. Afraid. Dependent. Domesticated.

That wouldn't stand... A challenge to her master was a challenge to her, and this voice needed to be punished. So, with that half insane grin on her face, she started to look for the voice's source...

(Kodori)

We only had to deal with one more guard, but he was already running away, and 'deal with' was really just letting him run past us with an armful of gold and silver decorations. Ah, the 'last pay' of the survivors.

We went down. The squared off stairs taking us back, past the ice blockage (that had melted, but left a freezer-like chill in the air), past the ground floor, and into the foundation the castle was built on. The chill of the air above cleared the noise, and as soon as we hit the ground floor, I could smell it clearly.

Blood, fear, sweat, sickness... It worried me. Not because I could tell what it was, but because I felt almost nothing. I knew why that smell was emanating from below. Knowing Idol's 'taste' in entertainment, I had a guess on 'who' was down there.

But it was just a smell to me. The lack of reaction made my logical side wonder why. It smelled like the 'bargain bin' of the Ringmaster's slave section, yet... I felt nothing.

My horns itched...

Once our feet were at the bottom of the stairs though, and I heard the children coughing, or sniffling, or sobbing quietly... That's when I felt the disgust I expected to feel a moment ago.

We did a quick look around, but spotted no keys hanging on a wall or something, and there was no guard here either. If I'd been in a better mood, I'd have called Idol a slacker of an evil overlord.

"Nothing?" I asked, looking over a small desk with a well worn chair next to it.

"No." Raphtalia said, "Can't you..." She paused.

"I was hoping I didn't need to." I said, pulling out my lock picks from the Shield, "Melty? If you need any potions to restore you, so you can heal more, don't hesitate to ask. U..." I looked to Usa, but I already knew what he was hearing by the look on his face. "Usa, keep your ears pointed up the steps. Yell if you need us."

"yes sir." He said, seeming to need real effort to turn away from the only other way out of the little guard room.

When we got to the first cell, I felt that I'd let Rabier off too easily. Sixteen seconds of being ripped apart didn't feel... good enough. Maybe next time, I'd use the Acid Worm Shield? Poison bee sting? I had two variations on that one... Chimera Shield? It did have a snake bite option...

The conditions were terrible. There were a couple of rags on the floor of each cell to act as bedding. There was a single bucket in the corner for waste. And the only wooden dish I could see in the cell had maggots crawling on it.

Opening these locks wouldn't... wouldn't be enough. No. I went through the Shield's inventory and pulled out my blacksmith hammer. I handed it to Raphtalia silently, who seemed puzzled by my hesitation. I then took out a water skin from the Shield, and poured some of it over the lock of the cell.

"Hyoketsu." I said, not just chanting 'freeze' along with the hand seals, but summoning a ball of foxfire, pulling even more heat from the lock, making the ice that encased it appear with a snap of a dried stick.

Seeing why I gave her the hammer, Raphtalia waited for me to move aside, then shattered the lock holding the bars closed, forever making it impossible to lock and close again.

From inside the cell, the two children huddled together in fear. I didn't smile, I didn't wave, I didn't assure, introduce myself or even nod my head at them. No. I just moved on to the next cell.

A dozen more cells, most with one or two children, others empty. I didn't care, I broke, no, destroyed those locks. Behind me, I heard Melty carefully gathering the children up into the dungeon corridor to watch me work. I left it to her to calm them down, to assure them it would be alright, to tell them we were here to save them.

I was too busy making a point to do it myself. That is until I got to the last two cells at the end of the hall. One held a boy who was shackled to the wall with a thick manacle on his wrist. The other, a skeleton that had been picked clean, wearing the same rags as all the others. The smell was the worst here, and I had this feeling...

"Raphtalia." I said, speaking the only word other than 'Hyoketsu' since I started freezing the locks.

I froze the lock to the cell with the boy, and dutifully, she smashed it with a good whack with the smith hammer. But when I froze the last cell, I had to call her name again.

"Raphtalia, I need help with the other one before you go in there." I said as soon as the bits of metal lock fell to the floor. She looked like she was going to ignore me, her hand on the bars, the hammer falling from her hand. "We will see to her. But the living take priority." I said firmly.

She turned to me sharply, eyes filling with anger, maybe even hate, but I still had my hand on her shoulder. After a moment she replied with a, "Yes sir."

We actually entered the other cell, the lone occupant half sitting, half dangling, his one arm over his head, the rest of him slumped. The change in the dim lighting made him react though, and he started to raise his head, thin lips and sunken eyes trying to see who it was.

"Keel?" Raphtalia asked, her anger a moment before gone, the shock clear in her voice. "Keel? Is that you?"

The boy shook his head weakly, his lanky dirty white and black streaked hair getting out of his eyes, more or less, "who... who are you?"

I could see Raphtalia realize something, "Oh! It's me, Raphtalia! I..." She looked at me, "The Shield Hero saved me. And I've been helping him..." She looked down at herself, "It shouldn't have surprised me you didn't recognize me."

A little life came back to his eyes, and he looked from Raphtalia, to me. "The Shield Hero?"

"My name is Kodori." I said, "We can..." I suddenly felt my new horns throb, like they'd reversed into my skull and lanced through my brain.

I couldn't help myself, but Raphtalia caught me as I lost balance. "Sir?"

"We have to hurry." I said through clenched teeth. "Something bad is outside. Here." I handed her the hammer again, and pulled out my chisel from the Shield, "Do not miss." I said, "If I freeze this, he'll get frostbite. Keel? Stay still."

"Sir!" Usa called out, "I hear something! Sounds like an earthquake!"

Raphtalia smashed the hammer into the chisel, leaving my hands stinging but a deep gouge in the chain holding Keel's manacles. "Get everyone out, Melty! Go with him! We'll be there soon! Get out of the building!"

The hammer came down again, and I could see Raphtalia glance at me with worry. Not for herself, or me, but for the bones of her friend.

"We can come back after we survive!" I said, "Hit harder!"

The chain rattled and jangled with every strike, but one, two, three, snap! The chisel was through. Instead of moving it to the other side of the link we'd just broken, I lined up the wedge of the chisel to a seam in the stone wall and used it like a wedge to widen the break. One, two!

Keel still hand the manacle on, but the chain only hand two links clinging to the cuff. "Here." Raphtalia knelt, "Get on, we can't delay!"

"But..." Keel hesitated.

I just swatted him with my tail, making him fall onto Raphtalia's back, his arms wrapping around her neck on reflex, "No time. Go!"

There was another rumble, shaking loose a bit of dust from the ceiling, but that was all. Still, we made best speed up the steps and out the side door we came in from, meeting Usa, Melty, and a dozen or so Demi Human children.

My horns throbbed again, though this time I kept my balance. They also seemed to tug my head towards what ever was setting them off.

Tetsu, still in her child form... Was looking up at another Tetsu, though as an actual dragon, the two dragons obviously sizing each other up, glowing with their own aura of energy.

NOTES!

Yeah... a book and a half early for this, but since we're already here...

Thank you for reading! And if you want to see any full colour art, join the discord!

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And my actual book, Were Too? is on Inkitt.

And! I'm looking into getting some story themed merchandise made. Join the Discord to find out more!