Leon

The work floor was almost as dark as I thought it would be. The first casualty of this phase of the assault was the door leading there. As soon as it opened, an arrow pierced the head of my shadows silhouette. I just sighed, nothings ever easy. Footsteps ran away in the dark even as the arrow 'thrum ', vibrated in the door.

"Tsk, Jenny this is your role, I think. Use those skills to find their positions if you can."

"You're thinking mini-map yo, tracking don't work like that. I can follow prey, but that don't stop 'em from circling me with an ambush. Don't sweat it though."

She step out and fades from view, not completely but she's harder to see.

"Good," She says, "I was worried Camouflage wouldn't work here, it's a little weak though. Try to keep up."

I can hear the smile in her voice. This close to her sister must be putting her in a good mood. I go to step out after her, but Zoe bumps me aside.

"Ladies first!" she smiles mischievously and she skips through the door.

I follow and Mr G brings up the rear with our hostage and if need be, human shield Andrew Ambidextrous. I guessing that chosen last name is what let him dual wield those wands. A warlock of level 11, he was happy to fill us in on what has happened here since Jenny left.

Seems their mostly leader Steve, has been out and about more than most of them, recruiting women and even a few men while hunting monsters. The women were basically sex slaves while the men were like minded individuals that happen to have met their kindred spirits with these human monsters.

The ease in which so many men of such rare disposition were able to meet, had me worried about how many people in our village would have fallen to this type of anarchy if not for the village itself. Even with the limited safety it provided, that was still an unresolved issue. We had yet to have to deal with a theft, assault or murder, but it was only a matter of time. Just one of the many reasons you couldn't pay me to be in charge.

This part of the building was stuffed with foodstuff. If we could safely transport it back to the village, we would be well fed for some time to come. The trek here took me four hours at speed, it would be an all day expedition for our people, but well worth it I think. Most of the loading doors were block off with pallets of food, but a few were left unblocked, probably for emergency egress.

As I was observing that, Several arrows, cross bow bolts and bits of magic erupted around us. Ambush!

"Hide!" Mr G yelled out.

Weighing the pros and cons I found it to be good advice and did just that. It was a miracle none of use had been hit, but they were shooting from quite a distance. The closest storage racks, from which the attack originated, had to be 50 to 60 feet away. It was dark over there, no way we were going to be able to fight back from this distance, while the limited light from the loading doors makes us easier targets.

"Can anyone see them!?" I called out. Everyone responds in the negative. Damn.

Jenny fires a few arrows for effect, but I don't believe they do any good. I would join her but I don't think fire would be a good choice given all the wood and cardboard here. Then it hits me. [Mage sight] wont let me see where the arrows and bolts are coming from but the magic is another story. It looks like large christmas lights being fired at us from the tops of some of the racks. Some of the men are surrounded by their magic as they fire.

Ok then, time to get creative. A [Golem] begins to form and as it does I hit it with [Haste]. The yellow mana of Air and the Gold mana I have yet to identify flow into the golem. I thought this form was mostly useless before, but I see now it has its uses. Silently directing the [Air Golem], it flies to the top of the racks closest to us and begins to ram the men stationed there. It's a weak form, but in thee dark and not expecting a close range attack, the [Golem] manages to push two of the magic users I can see to a rather messy and loud fall. I'm sure one is dead, the other is loudly conscious screaming for help.

The attack pauses, as the men try to figure out where they are being attacked from.

"Zoe, shield me! get us close!" I call softly to our young amazon.

"No problem."

Zoe pulls out her shield and club then leads me in a light jog towards the men. Arrows start again, but it's too late, these are metal racks after all.

"Chain Lightning!" If our lives weren't in danger I would be beyond embarrassed about calling out my skill name. But I'll be damn if it didn't do something. I can't be sure but it feels stronger to me. Of course it could just be stress. My [Mage Sight] shows me a channel of air-type mana form between my outstretched hand and the metal storage rack I'm aim for. Then another mana, still yellow to me, but different, uses that channel to reach the racks. To my [Mage Sight] the entire thing lights up like an oddly shaped Christmas tree.

The two magic users I can detect up there seize up, one's spell seems to explode in his face. An arrow come close from the racks to my left. Another [Chain Lightning] lights that one up as well. I alternate between the two, Zoe staying close, though she can't be seeing much, other than my own lightning spells.

"Jenny, Light!" I yell behind us.

A hand taps my shoulder, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin.

"No need to yell." Jenny says calmly.

She and Mr G followed us into the isle. She is still running her [Camouflage] and hard to see but...

"Where's the Warlock?" I ask them.

Mr G is close enough to see the uncomfortable look on his face.

"He didn't have my [Divine protection] on him, he was hit in the first volley of arrows. "

That didn't answer whether or not he lived through it, or whether or not he was still alive, but that didn't make my top ten list of priorities at the moment. Jenny draws back an arrow and lets fly almost straight up. [Light pulse] blinds the men up top, while we know better than to look directly at it.

"Run, move, move!" I urge.

We head down the isle, away from the loading doors and away from the light that made us such easy targets. The racks are station in such a way that the isles run the width of the building but are bisected by two tunnel isles that let the men above us move at will. They can follow us nearly anywhere and precede to do just that. We travel as best we can, running walking and pressed against the racks as we make our way to the opposite corner of the building, dodging arrows, quarrels, and magic of all sorts along the way.

Jenny's [Light Pulse] and my [Chain Lightning] keep the men wary, while we get off with only light grazes and wounds thanks to Mr G's [Divine Protection] and the occasional heal.

Finally we make it to the area called the cage, where the women are being held. The area has two men on the ground as guards. It's set a good distance away from the storage racks. This area has light from the same thick brick-like windows near the top of the building. The cage is a partitioned off section with fencing going about 20 feet up, One apparent entrance and exit, I can only assume against the fire code.

I want to take time to think about the situation but it seems pretty clear cut.

"Rush 'em." I say. And we do just that, though to be fair, I'm fairly certain Jenny started before I said anything.

Arrows, lightning, holy magic, and a weapon's wave of force strike the men at the same time. Zoe throws her club and drops her shield, drawing her axe instead. The club strikes one of he men in the head, dazing him, the axe buried moments later in his chest by a little girl would be humiliating if he wasn't already dying. The other man may have tried to surrender, or he may have been casting a spell for all I know. My [Ice Blade] in his throat makes it hard for him to explain. The arrow in the other side of his neck might have made my attack redundant, but if so he'll have to let me know in another life.

We don't waste time with these men, ducking around the corner of the fencing put us out of sight of the men in the racks. It's covered in some sort of mesh. It won't stop an attack but it breaks their line of sight.

"Julia? Julia!?"

Jenny calls out for her sister while I keep watch to see if those guys plan to rush us. A quick glance behind shows a slew of women, some terrified, some confused. I leave the talking to Jenny and to Zoe who as turned into super cute mode at the flip of a switch. Smart girl. Mr G and I stay a ways back from the women for obvious reasons.

While waiting for her to explain the situation I feel the [Golem] drain on my mana cease. It's air form really is weak, I'm surprised it lasted so long. My MP is in better condition than I thought it would be, but the day is young.

10 minute later Jenny bring over her sister Julia. Tall, pretty and clearly Hispanic. All this time I assumed Jenny just had a tan. I smile at her after the introductions. She she's like she's in a better state of mind than most of these women.

"Hey, I know you've been through hell and all, so let me show you how a real man is supposed to treat a woman one day, assuming we get out of here alive."

She tilts her head at me but doesn't blow up like I was expecting. Jenny on the other hand is giving me a death stare.

"I don't think I'll be letting no man touch me again for a long time." her sister replies.

"Ew, what? No, I was talking about building you a cabin with my bare hands while I train grizzly bears to entertain you, daily."

I give her a goofy grin to show my harmlessness.

She laughs at my poor joke, but that's good too. Jenny's a tough useful girl, seems her sister's the same. There are 16 women here with various classes, but all are between one and three in levels. Seems that their captors didn't want them doing anything that would make them stronger. The only exception is a young girl Sophia A level 6 [Chronicler]. That's not the least interesting thing about her though. She's quiet but not shy and despite what she must have been through, she doesn't hesitate to shake my and Mr G's hand in gratitude.

Most of the women though, aren't as tough. Two clearly aren't even all here at the moment. Mr G's heals takes care of the external stuff, but what's broken doesn't have a hope of being fixed until we get back to the village. I test the women with my crude jokes but mostly just upset everyone except Julia and the three I want to call sisters despite the fact they look nothing alike.

Sophia has white skin and straight red hair you only see in a movie poster, it's too dark to see, but I bet she has green eyes as well. Emmy has 'sporty brunette' written all over her with her short brown hair and protective attitude. I think her [Hunter] class is much like Jenny's [Woodsman]. Claire is black with a stylish pulled back Afro and a direct gaze, well, out of one eye anyway. The other is swollen shut and leaking a bit of blood. She has a cloth wrap around it patch style, but that doesn't detract from the beauty. Seems she was a lot for these guys to handle, always putting up a fight, until they threatened her with the roof. Staring one of the men right in his eyes as he raped her earned her that swollen peeper and she seemed oddly proud of it.

"You're my hero." I told her after hearing that story from Julia.

The tough girl blushed even through her dark skin. She had yet to say anything really, she was even quieter than Sophia. While I may have been joking with Julia, these girls really do have my interest.

After the meet and greet we need a plan. The more catatonic women will be moved by the rest when we move. Rather than trying to make it to the opposite corner of the building, we will exit via the closest loading dock, but for that to work, we needed a distraction. Preparations were made then our plan finalized. An hour has past but, once we were ready to move out, I called out to the men who had to be close and waiting.

"Hey boys! Are you ready to surrender yet!?"

"Who the hell is that!? You and yours best leave here now! maybe if you do, we let you leave alive, hear?" One of them yelled back.

"Fuck that," Another chimed in, "They done killed Charles, man. We gonna have to kill em all."

"Shut up Eric! You lot, just leave now, and we can all just call this a bad day for everyone. You can walk out free and clear right now if you just go." The first voice responded

"Alright," I yell back. "We'll take that last offer."

...

"For real?"

"Of course! But we'll be taking some of these women with us as payment for the headache you caused us."

"Caused you! You piece of shit, I'ma wring ya neck and shit in your face." one of the more belligerent men yelled back.

"Shut it! That's fine! Just take one and go!" The first negotiator yelled.

"One! You must be joking, right!?"

"Argh! Fine, how many you want!?"

"I was thinking all of them."

...

...

"OK boys, don't say we didn't give you a chance." I taunt. Not like it's going to makes much of a difference.

After that I send my new [Golem] out to harass the men and cause a distraction. Then followed it myself with a very dangerous move I wouldn't touch if this wasn't life or death. [Ice Wing] got me to the top of one of the racks while my [Golem] assaulted another by hugging it. I throw [Chain Lightning] and [Fire Shot] wildly without much aim, since I was

supposed to be drawing attention. The top of these racks having been cleared, let me not worry about setting anything on fire.

Arrows bolts and magic once again came my way, but I wasn't sitting still to just take it. I ran along the storage rack I was on, making sure my path was clear with a healthy does of [Flame Thrower], this wasn't the time to be conservative with my magic. The men on the racks to my right were immobilized thanks to the [Golem] holding on to it. As well they should be since it was a lightning golem.

I kept the Ice wings wide as I ran, and by the time I made it half way to the other side of the work floor, they had been shattered beyond use. Letting that spell go I jump off the top rack, feeling more exhilaration than I should, I think.

"Slow Fall!" I called out half way to the ground. I come to a smooth stop inches above the ground. Once there I extinguished the [Fire shot] I was using as a torch and quietly listen with my back pressed against a pallet of foodstuff.

I could hear the men moving about up top, but that wasn't what I was listening for.

I felt My [Golem] once again be killed, but the mana drain wasn't needed any longer. Finally a deep rumble echoed throughout the building. It was easy to hear as I and my pursuers were trying to keep our positions hidden. That sound was one of the loading doors opening up. With it the light levels in this place go up as well, though not by much.

Now it's my turn to make my way to the exit, which surprisingly goes without a hitch. Running though the isles keeps me out of sight long enough to catch nothing more than a few arrows my way. There is a five foot drop out side the loading door, so I cheat and use [Slow Fall] for an impressive long jump effort. It notice how stupid that was when I'm expose to more attacks as I run for the closest corner of the building.

Once there I wait. Soon someone poke their five o'clock shadow out of the door and I barely miss with a [Fire Shot]. The next ten minutes or so go by slowly as i try to keep these guys interested but occupied. The other shattered exit is at the far end of the building on the same side, if they use it I can't reach them, but I'll be able to see them easily. Every few minutes I send a barrage of [Fire Shots] to keep 'em honest, then one last barrage before I [Ice wing] it to the roof.

"Hey lady, you here?" I call out for the woman we rescued earlier.

"I'm here. And it's Silvia, not lady" She pops up from under the same vent I hide near earlier.

"Time to go." I reach out for her, but she instinctively pulls back. I don't blame her, after what she's been through but we don't have time for this.

"Lady, we need to go, NOW. You coming or staying?"

"Where Jenny?"

"Hopefully About ten minute away, we need to catch up. So you coming or you going to stay and be the only toy left in the box for these assholes?"

"The others are.."

"YES woman! talk time is over. you coming or stayin!"

I'm increasingly nervous about being on my own here with no back up. I don't think this is the time to be wasting time on pointless talk.

"I was just asking, of course I'm coming, how are we getting down from here?"

I spread my [Ice wing] and use a thumb to point them out.

"These aren't just for show, lets go."

I pick her up in in a princess carry, she seems embarrassed, but I don't have time to mind that. She's taller and heavier than me, but I know better than to mention that to a woman. I'm not even sure if I should normally be able to carry her, but I have 38 total points in STR and I'm about to work them for all they are worth. Just as I get ready to lift off, the roof door burst open and two men rush at us.

Something or several somethings deplete the last of my [Mana Shield] and we are flying low towards the river and woods and hope fully the rest of my group.