The inside of Arold's family house was bigger than what it looked like from outside.

*Actually, it looks a lot like how a farmer's house would have looked like in my old world in the middle ages.*

Its interior wasn't much bigger than a big single room with one exit leading to a smaller room. The room they entered served like an assembly of kitchen and living room. The fireplace in the middle of the room, right under a simple hole in the roof which let the smoke out, served to warm the food, while a single big table not far from it was where everybody sat on benches to eat. In the corner next to the door was a simple table used to put on different things like cooking tools and other things like that. On the wood walls were old shelves which Molly used to put away her cooking knife to and the bit of spices and dry herbs she had, anything she could salvage to make food tastier. Other than that, the room was quite empty, to be honest.

On the other side of the room was a simple wood door and, on the wall leading to a mezzanine serving as a common bedroom, a wood ladder.

"Please come in, the fire is burning and those walls protect us from the dangers of the night."

Leading them inside, Arold showed them the room. Near the fire sat two children, a young boy looking ten and an older girl, looking sixteen. The two had brown hair and blue eyes, the boy having short hair with a mischievous look in his eyes and the girl long hair descending to her shoulders with some freckles on her face.

"Let me present to you the rest of the family, Evy and Kalem."

The two stood up as the trio entered the room with their father, taking a step back when they saw Octavia.

"Do not worry you two, those three saved me earlier when I was attacked by wolves."

"Really?"

The little Kalem was the one who spoke.

"Are you alright, father? Are you hurt anywhere?"

And that was from Evy, warily looking at the group.

"No I'm fine, thanks to them. How have things been going here?"

The last words were whispered so Molly wouldn't hear them.

"Mama was worried."

"We all were."

"And she said she was going kill you if you weren’t coming back."

"In numerous ways, dad."

Arold laughed a bit, scratching the back of his head.

"I see everything is normal then."

"Yep"

"You still have broom straws in your hair..."

While talking, Evy came near her father to take off the straws his lovely wife put there with her earlier attack.

"Yeah...your mother can be...demonstrative, sometimes."

"It's not funny, dad. She was crying you know, you've been gone for hours without telling us anything."

Evy took her father in her arms, imitated by Kalem.

"We're glad you're okay, dad."

"Thank you, you two. Thank you."

After they hugged, Arold let the children with the group while he went to the door at the end of the room, looking just a second over his shoulder before going in and closing the door behind him.

Feeling at ease, The trio had started putting away their stuff for the night. Maximilian put his gauntlets and Falemgeril on the table then helped Lin-Lin took off the chest part of her armour after she had put her spear on the wall, leaving her wearing the light silk dress under it on her upper body, keeping the trouser and boots on.

"You can let it loose a bit, you will be more comfortable."

Lin-Lin did as told, letting the silk a bit loose, sighing in contempt after the day's walk.

"You're right, it's much better."

.........................................................................................................................................................

Kalem came talking to them.

"Is she gentle?"

Pointing at Octavia, it was quite obvious he was talking about her. Maximilian laughed at the child's question.

"As long as you don't attack her, yes."

"Can I pet her?"

The question surprised Maximilian this time.

*That's new… Though it’s not like we have met many people..*

"I...don't know actually, would you mind?"

The question was for Octavia who advanced in the children's direction. Evy took a step back, not looking really assured, but Kalem smiled as he reached a hand to touch the spider's body, passing on her abdomen.

"She's smooth! I though her fur would be rough when you touch it, but it's not. Touch it, sis."

"I..."

She hesitantly came near the big spider and reached with a trembling hand, touching Octavia's white fur. The texture seemed to surprise her and it calmed her down a bit at the same time.

"You're right, she is smooth."

The scene made Maximilian laugh a bit, he hid it by coughing slightly in his fist. Lin-Lin, observing the scene, did the same.

After a few minutes, the two stopped and Octavia came back to Maximilian's side. Kalem started to talk again.

"Dad said you have saved him, is that right?"

"Indeed."

"Are you soldiers?"

"I can't say we are, no."

Evy seemed worried for an instant.

"You are... mercenaries?"

At the girl's words, a sound of metal hitting the ground resonated in the room. Turning around, Maximilian and the group saw Molly looking at them, the sound was from a filled cauldron Molly had dropped, the water inside soaking the ground.

"You...are mercenaries?"

Molly looked at them for a moment, mistrust in her eyes.

"I didn't say we were, why? Would that be a problem?"

Evy, now in the back of the trio, opened her eyes wide as she saw Lin-Lin’s slave tattoo.

"Mother...the girl is a slave!"

At those words, Molly's eyes got darker, and she took a kitchen knife on the table, menacing Maximilian with it.

"Evy, Kalem, you know what to do."

Maximilian tried to talk but.

"Do not say a word, slaver."

Evy took Lin-Lin's hand, pulling her to the back of the room, in the back door direction. Lin-lin could easily have forced the girl to let go, but Maximilian gestured her not to.

"Master?"

"Do not worry, I'll manage things here. Go with the kids and defend yourself if necessary."

"I said not a word. Do not make me cut you open!"

"Alright, alright, I'm staying here."

Octavia was staying still next to Maximilian, waiting for a simple word.

They stayed like this for a bit, Molly looking at Maximilian, examining every movement he could make. She had taken another cooking knife, ready to threw it at the first move from him.

"May I ask you something?"

"...I guess, but do not move."

"I won't, I won't. You seem to dislike slavers, right?"

"Of course, I do...you slavers, treating people like livestock. You may have power in the cities, but here, in my house, I won't stand watching you taking that poor girl away, doing I don't know what to her. You sick bastard, she's just a child!"

Maximilian stood quietly there, patiently listening to the women's monologue. After she was finished, there was a big smile on the man's face. This seemed to anger Molly even more.

*That's a good person I'm facing here...*

"Don't you dare to mock me! I may be a simple rural woman, but..."

"...but you're also a mother, and as such you despise those who would abuse children, am I wrong?"

"I...Yes, that's exactly that!"

"And even when it's not a child, you do not tolerate those who imprisoned others to make money out of them."

"Yes, we won't let you do as you please here!"

"And that's why you help slaves escape when you have the occasion..."

"YES! Y...wait, what?"

Realising the man had tricked her telling him what he wanted, she exploded in rage.

"YOU DARE TO PLAY MIND TRICKS ON ME?"

"Mind tricks? I didn't use mind tricks..."

Looking at Octavia, as if to confirm, he asked.

"Did I?"

Octavia made her gesture with her two front legs, shrugging in her own way.

"You see, she doesn't think I used mind tricks either."

"AND STOP TALKING TO THAT THING!!!"

"You shouldn't be so rude to her you know..."

Molly smirked, clearly not impressed by the man’s words.

"And why? Because if I am you're going to kill me? You're not scaring me, I dare you to come closer. You'll see how good my aim is with those knives."

"Kill you? Not at all...I'm not going to hurt you. Octavia, on the other hand, may take offence of your words and...spit on you."

The words were said, and two balls of web came from the spider to hit the woman's hands, making her drop the knife as the force fixed her hands on the wall behind her.

"Good aim, Octavia."

"Kash."

Shaking with force, the woman was trying to get free of the web.

"GET THAT OFF OF ME !!!"

And that's when the back door opened to let several people enter.

.........................................................................................................................................................

Around Maximilian and Octavia stood several people, all beastkins. There were three wolfkins, one man and two women, and a rabbitkin man, menacing him with forks or cooking knife, the only weapon they could find in the farmer's house.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the farmer, the two kids and Lin-Lin, but also a clearly pregnant rabbitkin woman and a little wolfkin girl, probably not more than five.

Like Lin-Lin, they had a bit of fur all over their bodies, tails, animal ears showing from their longs hairs, and tiny claws at the end of their fingers, the wolfkins had a dark brown fur and dark hairs with yellow eyes and pointy ears while the rabbitkins had a snow-white fur and hairs of the same colour, although dirty, with red eyes and long rabbit ears falling down behind their heads. They were dressed with the same kind of rags Lin-Lin had on her when Maximilian met her.

"You were right, he is alone. Let's kill him before he alerts the others."

"Why is there a giant spider with him, did he manage to tame one?"

"Who cares, we are beastkin, we are stronger than him!"

The four around him were talking between them, while Maximilian simply waited for a bit.

"This bastard even attacked Molly!"

"Son of a whore!"

"Please don't insult my mom, she has nothing to do with all this."

"SHUT UP, SLAVER!"

The wolfkin man tried to attack from behind, thrusting the fork in his hands. Lin-Lin cried out.

"MASTER!"

Maximilian simply turned around while moving a bit on the left, evading the attack and using his momentum to disarm the beastkin, taking the "weapon" from him.

"I think we should all stop and talk before someone gets hurt."

"DO NOT LET HIM TALK, HE IS A MAGE!"

That came from the rabbitkin women near Arold, who was just talking with her a moment ago.

"No, that's not what I meant..."

The poor farmer, visibly trying his best to not make things harder to deal with, seemed to have made things...well, harder to deal with.

Maximilian quickly scanned the four around him, they were all level fifteen.

*Impressive for slaves...maybe they were used as bodyguards or something like that.*

"Octavia, jump on the ceiling!"

Maximilian didn't want Octavia to be hurt, those four were out of her reach, and, after all, Maximilian wasn't planning to kill them.

Pushing on her eight legs, the giant spider easily jumped on the ceiling, out of reach from the attackers.

"Don't worry about it! We'll take care of the pet after we're done with this one."

The four beastkins attacked at the same time, the one without weapon using his claws.

It all happened in a few seconds, Maximilian used the fork handle to hit the first wolfkin women just under her breasts level,at her sternum's base, making her jump back, coughing loudly as she tried to catch her breath. He evaded a knife attack and hit with the attacker his palm, making the second wolf woman lift off the ground before falling down a good meter away, the power of the hit making it hard for her to get back up. Next was the rabbitkin man, using another fork, Maximilian used his polearm skill to quickly disarm the man and hit him with the handle right in the tummy, also cutting his breath. For the last one, he smiled at the wolfkin-man as he passed the fork he was equipped with at him.

"Here, catch."

The wolfkin, by reflex, caught the fork in his hands, only to be punched in the guts by Maximilian, and he fell down like the other three.

"TITUS!"

"MOM! DAD! AUNT!"

The pregnant woman and the wolfkin girl came running, putting themselves between the four fallen warriors and Maximilian, showing their teeth and claws at him.

"We won't let you take them, slaver!"

"You'll have to kill me first!"

"ENOUGH!!!"

Surprising everybody, it was Lin-Lin who had screamed, making everyone look at her. She came placing herself before Maximilian.

"Master is not a slaver! Stop attacking him, you can't even begin to understand how powerful he is. If master wanted to hurt any of you, he could have when he wanted. But he won't, because master is..."

There were tears falling down the pandagirl’s cheeks as she was taking the defence of Maximilian, who simply was looking at her from behind, a slight smile on his face.

"...MASTER IS THE GENTLEST HUMAN LIN-LIN HAS EVER MET!"

Her voice echoed in the room, making even the wall tremble under the pressure she was emitting, this didn't escape Maximilian attention.

*That...was magic...*

The pregnant Rabbitkin wasn't sure of what to do anymore. She looked at the others, who seemed as lost as she was.

"But...he attacked Molly!"

"No, he didn't. He let Octavia immobilise her so she didn't hurt herself, master would not attack someone without reason."

"But...he is enslaving you..."

The rabbitkin woman was desperately trying to understand why this slave would protect the man keeping her under his control, was she that enslaved that she didn't felt it anymore?

"No...Lin-Lin isn't enslaved..."

Turning around, Lin-Lin faced Maximilian and touched the havenbag.

"Master..."

Understanding what she wanted to do, Maximilian opened the bag for her and let her reach inside. She took out the "clothes log" made of her former slave's dress. Showing it to the others, she said.

"The first night Mas...Maximilian became my master, he said to me he didn't view me as an object, as a mere slave. He gave me food, clothes, he taught me things, and those...those are the clothes representing Lin-Lin's old life..."

She went next to the fire and, while everyone watched, threw it in, making the old rags burn in a few seconds. After it was done, she looked at the beastkins, at everyone in the room, before finally smiling at Maximilian, tears in her eyes.

"...Lin-Lin isn't a slave anymore."

There was silence in the room. Maximilian came to Lin-Lin and hugged her, simply saying.

"I'm proud of you..."

Nobody said a thing for a few seconds, then, a voice broke the silence.

"If you're finished....CAN SOMEONE TAKE THIS SPIDER WEB OFF ME?!"

...................................................................................................................................................

After those events, everything settled down peacefully. Once Lin-Lin had explained the situation to everyone, the beastkins and Molly, who Octavia had set free by eating the web, apologised for their quick accusations.

"You have to understand, it's not the first time we've been attacked since we have fled our master's place."

Maximilian was discussing with the beastkin men and one wolfkin woman while the other beastwoman and Lin-Lin, were helping Molly preparing food for everyone, the wolfkin girl was playing with Arold and Molly's children, as well as Octavia, serving as a false monster for their game.

"You were all serving the same master?"

The wolf-man, named Gang, nodded assent.

"Indeed, we served as fighters for him and other noble’s games."

"I fear I understand what those games were about..."

"Yes...battles to the death, or nearly. They bet on who's gonna win, and if we dared to lose, our wounds weren't even treated."

Speaking, he touched his forearm, marked with several scars of old wounds.

"When my female, Gara, told me she was waiting for a baby, I was helped by my friend Titus..."

He designed the rabbit-man with a head gesture. The rabbit-man simply saluted to Maximilian with a head gesture, to what Maximilian responded with the same gesture.

"...and my younger sister, Giliane..."

This time, he designed the wolf-woman next to him, looking in her twenties, who did the same gesture as the rabbit-man before, although more pronounced, to what Maximilian responded by a similar gesture with a smile. To that, the wolfwoman smiled slightly too, replacing a lock of hair behind her hear.

"...to set a plan to escape. As you can see, it took us a long time, five whole years exactly, but we managed to escape. We killed the guard that was guarding us that night and we fled, taking the bit of food we had to help us on the way. As beastkin, we are fast and strong, we can hunt to survive and find shelter quite easily in the wild...but..."

He didn't finish his sentence, simply looking at the wolf-girl and pregnant rabbit-woman.

"Giriel, my daughter, isn't strong enough to follow our pace yet. And Tilina..."

"My wife."

This was coming from Titus, who was speaking for the first time since the beginning.

*Oh...so he isn't mute...that must mean that he doesn't like me then.*

Gang nodded at him before pursuing.

"She's about to give birth, any moment now and...she isn't in any condition to travel...we've been here for a week now, and we fear that..."

"They could have followed your group till here?"

Maximilian understood what it was all about, it wasn't difficult to do so.

"Indeed. Arold and Moly welcomed us to stay here as long as needed, and we're thankful for that. But our situation makes it difficult to even help them. The first three night, we could at least get by hunting at night, but five days ago, when he came back from town, Arold told us that there were mercenaries looking for us, less than two kilometres away. They are currently staying at an inn and are looking around the village, second by some guards bribed by the noble we have escaped from."

"How do you know that?"

Maximilian was curious.

"What?"

"How do you know they pay guards to second them? You said you were hiding here all that time."

"That's because it's always like that, human."

Titus was speaking again, not making a lot of effort to hide the fact he didn't like Maximilian a lot.

"The human nobles have money, power, and they use it, a lot. The human that used us won't accept the fact that we escaped. He has sent mercenaries, special ones, like he already did before. They are in relation with the slavers, they are slave hunters. They catch the slaves who dare to escape, they make sure we remember well to never try that again. And if we still resist, they take our heads to bring back, because they don't want to be bothered by the bodies, bodies they let to rot in the sun...when they don't abuse the females first."

"Titus..."

The rabbit-woman came to her husband, holding him from behind while he closed his eyes a bit, appreciating his loved one’s embrace.

Maximilian stayed silent for a minute, thinking.

"I think I get the general picture now. I can understand why you attacked me when you did, as well as the fact that you don't seem to appreciate me one bit, Titus."

The said Titus reopened his eyes, only to avert Maximilian's look.

"You don't know what they did to us, human. We've seen so many of our kind die because they wouldn't give us the most basics of things...I had to watch my own brother die because of humans like you."

Raising a finger, Maximilian made him stop.

"Sorry, but I have to stop you there. Apart from the race, I don't think me and your former master are sharing any common points. If your only reason for hating me is the fact I am human, let me remember you it is a human couple who have been hiding you for the last w..."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Maximilian was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

"This is the guards, we have some questions to ask you, open the door."