The mood inside the prison was even worse than when they first arrived. The thought of a life and death battle scared everyone, including Vidra, who didn't know what to say after ruining the mood.
There were times like this, when no one talked, and everyone was visibly burdened by their current situation, even if they tried to hide it, hours passed in silence. The warrior brought the usual food, but the children barely touched it.
They were so nervous that the feeling of hunger got replaced by a sense of inner crisis. A few hours after breakfast arrived. The warrior visited them once again, but this time something was amiss. His steps were hurried. He opened the cells one by one. Telling the children to hurry up and get inside the cells located in the other room.
The other room where the cuffed children were kept. Vidra followed the orders without hesitation, and he was the first one to walk across the door leading to the other part of the prison hall.
What he saw there made him hopeful. There was a fat, unshaven man standing by the door. His clothes were made of fine cloth, his fingers adorned with visibly expensive golden rings. This man was none other than the infamous Lord Gord.
He was visibly stressed as he looked at Vidra and the others as they came across the door with hurried steps. The warrior closed the line behind them, urging everyone to go faster. Beads of sweat rolled down Gord's face as the door closed behind the children.
"Everyone is here? Good, good. Let everyone out and bring them up, they're coming."
"Yes, right away, sir!"
The warrior opened the cells where the other villagers were being confined and forced them to group up with Vidra and the rest of the battle slaves. They looked just as confused as Vidra himself. There was an invisible wall between the two groups as they tried to merge.
The treatment they received was simply different. Vidra and the others found themselves unable to initiate a conversation. They didn't have the time even if they wanted to talk. The warrior told them to walk up the stairs and follow Lord Gord, whose face visibly got worse by the second.
Vidra had a sudden urge to annoy him, but restrained himself given the unnatural circumstances. He was the first one to walk up the stairs, right behind the warrior and Lord Gord.
The usually empty living room was filled with a group of people. Their features were hidden by black robes. All Vidra could guess was their height. That alone took him longer than usual, as the mysterious group was defended by something that made others lose focus every time they tried to concentrate on the black robes.
Slowly, the rest of the children arrived, and the room was filled to the brim. Lord Gord visibly tensed as he greeted the mysterious group. Whoever they were, something about them suggested that they were not to be messed with.
"Welcome to my humble slave market. I'm sorry for their condition. We were tight on time, however, I assure you, their quality is top of the line. Elves, from a previously uncontacted region of the Great Forest. As you can see, they're one of a kind. Feel free to inspect them however you like."
Lord Gord tried to shake hands with the members of the group, but they ignored him and walked up to the children instead. They circled everyone, lifting their arms and touching their wounds. Everyone was scared, except Vidra.
The slave mark rendered them defenseless against any kind of harm. As long as Lord Gord willed it. These people could do anything to them.
"Lord Gord, these children, some of them have severe wounds. Would you consider a discount? Don't you think you're being cheap when we're willing to buy them all for this much?"
*Tck*
Lord Gord clicked his tongue. Visibly frustrated by the suggestion. He let out a long sigh and decided to comply. Vidra was surprised, he didn't think that a man of his personality would allow a discount. Whoever these buyers were, they sure must have offered a good amount of money to buy all of them.
"Fine, I'll let go of ten percent, but that is my final offer. These children are one of a kind, and there is no set price for them yet. There is a high chance you won't find them anywhere else."
The robed man in front of the group nodded and signaled to his men to bring in the money. He opened the door, and Vidra was able to take a look outside for a few seconds. It was nighttime outside. There was a black carriage parked in front of the door. One of the black robed brought a big black chest out of the carriage.
Vidra was sure that whatever was inside must have weighed a lot, but the man carried it with seemingly no effort. He put down the chest in front of Lord Gord and slowly lifted the chest lid.
Inside was a red gem surrounded by smaller green gems. One of the gems was missing. Vidra assumed that the ten percent was taken out this way. The red gem crackled with white lightning and radiated power that made Vidra feel nauseous for some reason.
"As you requested, this is the Crinsone Regalie, paired with the sister gems. The user of this gem will awaken a Unique-type skill with a one-hundred percent certainty. Congratulations."
Lord Gord looked at the chest with eyes filled with greed. He ordered the warrior to take the chest, but the warrior didn't budge.
"What are you doing? I told you to take the chest."
Lord Gord repeated himself, this time with irritation apparent in his voice. The warrior, once again, didn't move an inch. Vidra looked at him with amusement as the black robed group guided the other children inside the black carriage.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Lord Gord. You're hereby arrested for slave trafficking and for participating in illegal trade. Based on the severity of your crimes, your punishment is death by beheading."
"What are you talking about?"
Lord Gord slowly backed away as the warrior approached him. The doors were closed by the remaining members of the group. Vidra remained inside the room, the black robed man didn't take him for some reason.
"I should have known something was suspicious when you showed up! Why would you remain when everyone else disappeared right after the raid? You're part of that group, aren't you? Hold on! You're not even from the Assassin's Guild? HAHAHA. I should have kno-"
*shhhiis*
Lord Gord was beheaded in one swift motion. The warrior simply swung his sword to get rid of the blood and took back the black chest inside the carriage. This is how the slave trader who captured them was defeated.
Vidra stood there, utterly shocked by the chain of events unfolding in front of him. The man who enslaved them was busted in a sting operation a mere few days after killing his parents. Vidra knelt on the cold stone floor of the house. His eyes were searching for an explanation.
'Why did we have to go through all of this? This is it? Just like that?'
"Are we free now?"
One of the black robed removed her hood. She was a young woman with captivating white eyes. There was an ethereal aura surrounding her, granting a mysterious beauty. She looked at Vidra with eyes filled with curiosity.
"Yes, the details will be explained to the others inside the carriage. You however... you're coming with me."
....
[CARRIAGE POV]
The children filled the carriage to the brim as they entered one by one. No one spoke a word, not knowing what might happen to them if they did. They learned how to behave, and obey in a mere few days.
The warrior who once tortured some of them entered the carriage with the black chest that was supposed to belong to Lord Gord by now. He looked at the children and spoke with unusual softness in his voice.
"I think the time has come to explain everything. First of all, I would like to apologize for everything I did. I understand if some of you will hold a grudge. Today, the slave trader, Lord Gord, was caught by the Eberhart Knight Order."
"Everyone is free, however, since you don't have a family anymore, we'll be giving you to a well-established orphanage. You will either remain there until you haven't turned fifteen or you will be adopted by others."
The children of Inaka looked at each other for a few seconds. They took their time to process what they had just heard. The first one to cry was Runo, and that final push broke the last wall as everyone started bawling. Not believing that the nightmare was over. Their emotions were so intense, they didn't even notice that Vidra was missing.