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Neo limped behind Seneca as she peered into the next cellar.
She turned and nodded. “Take that side and I’ll take this side. We’ll meet back here and if anyone comes, blast them.”
Neo strolled to the nearest cellar and came across a male who was almost skin and bone.
The man watched through sunken eye sockets. “Was that you causing the ruckus?”
“Friend of mine.” Neo hobbled to the bars and placed his Sword-tip on them. Within seconds, they melted. “Can you walk?”
The man grabbed an unaffected part of the bar and pulled himself up. “Mmm. Yeah. Barely, but yeah.”
“Stay close to me. We’ll get you out.” Neo held the man’s battered cloak and guided him to the next cellar.
Here, two small boys sat, both looking to Neo with curiosity.
Neo forced a smile and knelt. “Where are your parents?”
The first boy shrugged, his eyes darting around the room.
“Let’s find them.” He melted the bars and led them to the corridor.
Two seconds later, screams of gratitude filled the air. “Pierre, Paul!” A female sprinted toward the boys, followed by Seneca.
Seneca grinned as the boys hugged their mother before turning to the woman. “Can you help this poor man get out of here?” She pointed to the man clinging to Neo. “We’re setting you all free before anyone else comes down.”
The woman nodded. “Hurry, they change shifts come sundown.”
Neo furrowed his eyebrows. “What time is it?”
“The bell rang five times twenty minutes ago.”
Seneca eyed Neo before turning her attention back to the woman. “It’s almost time. Go, we’ll hold them off.”
She took her boys’ hands and allowed the rundown man to grasp onto her shoulder from behind. “Thanks again.”
Seneca placed a hand on Neo’s upper arm. “You going to be okay?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“I say we wait, take these cats on, free the rest of the prisoners if there are any, and—let our presence be known in this town before getting back to Tamuria City.”
“Like, let them know we’re not afraid of a fight?”
Seneca walked toward the entrance. “Let’s make this easy on ourselves.”
Neo slouched over. “You could’ve been a military strategist for Tamuria.”
Seneca rolled her eyes and flashed her hands. “Too bad they label bright souls as Untouchables. This is my revenge.”
After ten minutes, voices with Tamurian accents approached.
“Francois sent a messenger boy stating we have two new people tonight.”
Another snickered. “Should be an eventful evening.”
Seneca stepped back and knelt, placing her back against the wall. “Come on, baby, come on.”
Neo did the same and held his Sword at the ready.
Twelve Tamurians stepped into the corridor from the backstreet and headed down the ramp toward the cellars, striding past Neo and Seneca.
Seneca leaped into the air and thrust a fist forward while Neo conjured a fire-blast which met the whirlwind as it traveled toward the men.
Within seconds, the Tamurians’ cloaks caught fire and they yelled, slapping at one another while others drew their own Swords and conjured water.
Seneca walked toward them, clapping. “Hey, boys, you just got your butts shown up by an Untouchable.”
As they turned toward her, Seneca thrust another fist forward, this time a small twister jetted from her knuckles and sucked the men in. She spun again and drove it into the corridor, where the men hit the stone wall with a dull thud.
After another round of knocking out the men in Neo’s cell for a third time (which included Francois’ bones scattering all over the room), they collected the remaining prisoners, six in total, and led them to the cairn at the end of town, where the cover of night proved to be a blessing.
Once they set off on their own again (after finally getting their hands on some food), Neo put an arm around Seneca. “You saved my life back there.”
Seneca stared at the ground and kicked a rock as she walked. “I’ve owed you one since August. Had you not found me that night, I’d have died either from infection or would’ve fallen prey to a predator.”
“Ready for the next leg of this thing?”
“I’m ready to set my people free from tyrants.”