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

Everybody in the room looked at the door. It was a chance Arold's simple house didn't have any windows, or they would have been already seen. Molly showed the back door. Talking low, she said.

"Go hide, quick."

Maximilian quickly ordered Octavia to hide on the ceiling, not wanting to look too suspicious.

The two beastkin families went to the back room and closed the door behind them, blocking it from inside.

"Do they have somewhere to hide in there?"

Arold answered him.

"Not really, I try to make this room passes as blocked. This is an old house, it's not that unusual, but if they go in there and check, they will find them.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"WE KNOW THERE'S SOMEONE, OPEN THE DOOR NOW!"

Talking louder while knocking harder at the door, they could not pretend to haven't heard anymore.

"Coming, coming, no need to destroy the door."

Molly went opening the door, revealing a tall man in a soldier uniform.

*At least it is easy to recognise.*

The uniform wasn't something very special, a simple brown leather armour with a yellow griffin painted on the torso. On his head was a simple brown leather helmet. He also had a sword and a shield.

"Good evening, sir guard. What can we do for you?"

Hearing Molly forcing herself to be polite was funny, but Maximilian did his best to not laughed at that.

Still seated at the table, he was drinking a bit of water while looking at the scene. Arold was with his wife, their children and Lin-Lin near the fire. The soldier didn't bother returning the greeting

"We're looking for slaves fugitives, four adults beastkins, two men and three women, one pregnant, they also have a young one with them. They have been spotted a week ago not far from here, have you seen something?"

The tone was imperious, coming from a man who visibly had the habit of being feared.

Molly looked at Arold, putting on her best poker face.

"Fugitives, we didn't see anything. Isn't that right, Arold?"

Arold,doing the same as his wife, but not as good, answered her.

"No...did not see a thing."

Looking past them, the guard look stopped on Maximilian and Lin-Lin.

"What about those two?"

He turned his head to talk to somebody behind him.

"There's a beastkin in there."

A smooth man voice answered him.

"Make them come out, I would like to talk to them."

Looking back at Maximilian, the man had a non-pleasant smile.

"You heard. Everybody, out."

Maximilian was gonna say something but was stopped by Molly.

"Of course, sir guard, our friends here have nothing to hide."

Maximilian and Lin-Lin went out with Arold's family, Octavia staying hid on the ceiling.

Outside were a dozen guards, armed with swords and shield, four of them with crossbows, all on foot. Behind them, mounting black horses were two men and a woman.

Those three were dressed differently from the guards, wearing black armour and long black leather coats. The man on the right, tall and big, had a heavy armour under his coat, complete with helmet, and a two-handed hammer in his hand. The woman on the right, with naturally tousled red hair and brown eyes, wore a light black scales armour under her coat, purposely made to look sexy. She had a mage staff richly decorated, making her role in the group quite obvious. In the middle, the leading one was wearing a black doublet cover by a silver plastron under his coat, with shiny leather trousers and black shoes locked with a golden clasp. He had a hat on his head, looking like a musketeer one, also black, with a golden feather on it. He was equipped with a small round shield covering his left forearm, and a richly decorated rapier.

The coat those three were wearing had, stitched with golden wire at their heart level, a symbol Maximilian didn't take long to recognised. The same symbol he had seen on Lin-Lin's scapula, two fists crossed, one holding a whip, the other a pair of medieval handcuffs.

*Slavers...*

He felt Lin-Lin fidgeting next to him, clearly not well in those three presences. He simply touched her shoulder and smiled at her before stepping forward, placing himself before the group.

"To whom should I talk?"

The same voice as before answered as the slavers group leader advanced on his horse, the guards making way for him.

"That would be me."

Taking off his hat a moment, he saluted Maximilian.

"I would like to apologise for this guard lack of manners, be assure we will not take a lot of your time."

The man's manners didn't fool Maximilian, but he chose to play the game, at least for a moment.

"No offence taken. May I ask why you made us get out of the house at this hour?"

"As you've heard this guard saying, we are looking for beastkins. You wouldn't happen to know about them, would you?"

Faking a moment of thinking, he pointed at Lin-Lin.

"She is the only beastkin here."

The slaver looked at the panda-girl for a second, a feral smile on his face.

"Oh, I see. Is she yours? You have my respect, this is a good acquisition you've made."

"How could you know she's a slave?"

The man laughed a bit, followed by the other two slavers and some guards.

"My good man, a pandakin on this land, so far in the west, it is a slave. And if we have a doubt..."

He took from his belt a little sceptre and pointed in Lin-Lin direction. Lin-Lin stopped moving in an instant, terrified by that thing. The sceptre extremity shined red for a second, Lin-Lin screaming in pain as she fell on her knees, the mark on her scapula seemed to burn her flesh once again. This scene made the three slavers laughed as Maximilian came next to her, looking if she were alright.

"See! The mark always reveals the slave. And, speaking of revealing..."

He and the other two, also having the same sceptre, pointed at the house and made their sceptre shined a minute. After a few seconds, a children scream could be heard, Giriel.

"Oh? Isn't that a beast cry I heard...my,my,my, you lied to the guards and to us. This cannot stay unpunished..."

He snapped his finger and the slaver woman, lifting her staff, started chanting a spell. A snake made of fire, measuring five good meters, appeared and flew in Arold's family direction at an impressive speed.

"WATCH OUT!"

Arold and Molly, knowing they would not have time to hide, acted in reflex. Molly took her children in her arms, protecting them, while Arold placed himself in front of the three, making himself as big as possible. He knew this was gonna kill him, but he would protect his family.

"DAAAD!"

Evy and Kalem cried at the same time. Right before the snake came hitting Arold, Maximilian appeared before him, hands up front.

"Earth wall!"

From the ground came a wall of dirt, protecting them from the attack. The attacking lady was clearly shocked, as were the others members of the group.

The leader spoke again, not letting this take him aback.

"Oh, see here. We have an earth mage...DO IT!"

At his order, four crossbows shoot at them from the side, the guards had moved to act. Using earth magic again, Maximilian protected the group before throwing big rocks at the shooter, making them fall back.

But, as he was attacking the guards, the magician had once again called a snake of fire, this time throwing it on the house.

The spell made the snake go inside and started to burned everything before disappearing. In a few seconds, Arold and Molly's farm was on fire.

*If they don't go out now, they will be trapped inside.*

"OCTAVIA, HELP THEM OUT!"

Shouting his order at the white spider, he saw her getting out with Falemgeril between her four front legs, followed by the two families, Gara transporting Giriel as the two males helped Tilina, the sceptres effect really not helping the child and pregnant woman. Giliane had taken Lin-Lin's spear on the way.

They managed to get out before the house crumble under the fire.

"And here they are, our lost animals..."

The slavers laughed, as were the guards. Maximilian came to see Giriel in Gara's arms.

"Will she be alright? "

"I think so, the pain was too much for her and she lost consciousness, but that's all. I'm more worried for Tilina..."

The Rabbit woman sat on the ground, helped by the two males, her face showing the tremendous pain she was in. Titus, eyes filled with hatred, jumped at the slaver leader, who still had a satisfied smile on his face.

"SLAVER!"

He jumped, claws out to try and slashed at him, but the man parried with his shield, before the other man slaver, who had come down from his horse, came ramming in the rabbit man with his armoured shoulder, making Titus fall down near his female.

"DO NOT TOUCH ME, ANIMAL!"

Once again, the sceptre was lifted and started to shine red, making all the beastkin twisted themselves in pain. It went on for approximately one second before the sceptre in the man's hand was cut in two.

"What the...?"

Before him was Maximilian, Falemgeril out of his scabbard, and a very not pleased look on his face. The big guy tried to attack, only to be kicked away like a ball. The mass flew some meters away, followed by all the guards look, before landing head first in the trench. Maximilian showed the big man's sceptre in his hands before breaking it in two.

"You...you would dare to face us? DO IT!"

The two last words were for the magician who lifted her own sceptre to used it again, only to see it enveloped in web, web linked to Octavia who violently pulled at it, the woman forced to let it go to not fall off her horse. Octavia caught it and gave it to Maximilian.

"Thank you, Octavia. Know you stay back, protect them, okay?"

She nodded in assent and stepped back, placing herself between the enemies and the three families, plus Lin-Lin who was still a bit shaken by the pain inflicted by the sceptre.

Maximilian showed the last sceptre here before broking it too.

"Despicable thing...now we can talk."

Having trouble keeping his polite smile on his face, the leader had nonetheless remarked the man wasn't a simple traveller he could underestimate.

"You are right. I see I speak here with a powerful and intelligent man. I truly believe we can come to an arrangement."

Putting Falemgeril point on the ground with his two hands on the pommel, Maximilian simply said.

"I listen."

"Very well..."

The man descended from his horse, imitated by the woman, who stayed on the back, not wanting to be in Maximilian's swords reach. The slaver leader went to one of his big pouches, on the horse's side, and took a little bag of coins from it.

"This is the reward generously offered for the beast capture. There's one gold for each adult, plus two silver for the child and the future newborn. I offer you the money, we take the animals and we will be on our way. Think about it, would it be worth it to risk your life for them?"

Maximilian looked at the little bag of money, then at the beastkin looking at him, too feeble to fight and clearly not believing a second they had a chance.

"I have a counter proposition..."

The smile on the man's face tensed for an instant, but he managed to keep cool nonetheless.

"And what could it be?"

The big guy was coming back, shaking his head after the kick he had taken.

"Simple. You three, you give up your weapons, your wears, your horses and money, as well as all your have with you. After you have given us all your belongings, you will get on your knees and beg for their forgiveness..."

Maximilian pointed at the families as he spoke.

"...and if, and only if, they forgive you, we'll let you go away unhurt. What do you think of that for a proposition?"

Lin-Lin couldn't help but smile at her master's words. Giliane wasn't believing her ears.

"Is he serious? He would be willing to refuse easy money for us?"

Lin-Lin smiled at the wolfwoman.

"I told you, he is the gentlest human I've ever met."

The slaver leader sighed.

"And I thought you were intelligent. Very well, if it's like this..."

The man jumped back quickly, getting behind the guards who started to advance in the group direction, more precisely Maximilian, who didn't seem impressed at all.

*The three slavers are level 25 more or less, and those guards are level from 12 to 15 for the strongest...if it wasn't for those sceptres and the lack of equipment, the beastkin could take care of them themselves.*

As the guards warily advanced, not really knowing what to expect from him, Maximilian raised an arm, making them stopped their advance.

*hmm? Oh, they thought I was gonna incant a spell...well, sorry guys.*

Speaking loud, he talked to the guards, trying to prevent bloodshed.

"Guards, listen to me! This is not a battle you have to fight. Those three are the bad ones trying to capture families. Those beastkins, those people, they only want one thing, to live in peace. Go now, go back to where you come from, and I will let you leave this place. Think about your families, go back to them, do not waste your life here for people who don't deserve it."

Some guards started to talk between themselves, other were just unsure of what to do. The tall one from before advanced still, coming in front of Maximilian, a mocking smile on his face.

"You want us to flee? And why? Because you made three pebbles appeared, you think you can scare us away? We don't fear you, magician. You will put down you weapon and let us take what we want, or else you will die. Those three promised us money and women, and I must say I find this little bitch of yours quite appealing. Tonight I bang panda's ass and get paid for doing so, am I clear?"

"Pretty clear."

And in an instant, the man was dead, cut in two, the left and right part of his body separating themselves to respectively fall on the left and the right.

"Is there anyone else who was hoping to, and I quote, "banging panda's ass tonight"?"

All the guards took a step back, the tallest of them all died in an instant. None of them even had the time to see the attack, all they saw was a slash of light passing through him and then nothing.

The slaver woman spoke.

"If any of you is thinking about fleeing after we paid you, be sure we will find you and your loved one. You don't escape the slavers guild."

Seeing the guards hesitating, Maximilian decided to help them a bit. He pointed at the woman.

"You, the one who is so prompt at menacing others. Come and face me, or are you only able to attack farms?"

"Ha, as if I would dirty my hands in a close combat with a vermin like you, beast lover. Not only do you like those hairy monster, you disgrace the magic power you have by protecting them."

The word "protecting" was spit like an insult at him.

"I asked you to come..."

He hit the floor with his foot and, from under her, a piece of the ground violently pushed up, ejecting her in his direction.

She turned on herself and...

"FIRE CONE!"

Using her staff, a cone of flame came from it and burned the ground under her as she used the power from her spell to slow down her fall. She landed with a knee on the ground and looked at Maximilian, hatred in her eyes.

"You...dare to attack me? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"

"A pompous bitch who have far too much power for her own good?"

"hug..."

The composed insult from Maximilian had the effect to shut the woman up before her eyes started to burn with fury.

"I'LL BURN YOU ALIVE!!"

She pointed her staff at him and...

"FLAME THROWEEEEER!"

A flame came continuously from her staff, right on Maximilian. It enveloped him, under the mad laughs of the magician woman.

"BURN! BURN! BURN!......WHAT!"

She saw the man's silhouette in the flames advancing in her direction. Step after step. With every step he took, the woman was more desperate and...colder?

At first, Maximilian had thought about protecting himself with earth magic once again, but it was risking the flames to be redirected at his friends, and he didn't want that. He then used ice magic on him, creating an ice skin around him,covering his dress, letting the flames do their things as he simply had to advance in the woman direction.

"BURN! BURN!, WHY WON'T YOU BURN!?"

She clearly was desperate. Finally, as Maximilian stood just before her, he put his hand on the staff, covering it in ice. The flames stopped and he shattered his ice protection.

"Not even roast, bitch."

She tried to step back, but her legs gave up and she fell down on her rump. Maximilian reached a hand at her as she tried to crawl on her four.

"NO, DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!!!"

With his index, he touched her back.

"Ice straightjacket."

A layer of ice came from his finger and climbed till the woman's neck before enveloping her, forming a straightjacket of ice around her, immobilising her.

"WHAT'S THIS? LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

He pointed at her face with Falemgeril, instantly making her shut up.

"Be silent or I freeze your face too."

After he took care of her, he faced back the guards, some of them looking more than willing to get the hell out of this place.

"Last chance, I'm getting fed up with you all. Two choices, you go away and live to see tomorrow, or you stay here, try to kill us, and you will be obliterated..."

He made a big rock get off the ground with heart magic and once again asked.

"So? What will it be?"

The slave leader tried to win them other again.

"I double the pay for whoever bring me his head."

The guards look at each other. One of them charged, screaming. Was it in terror or to give himself courage, Maximilian didn't know and, frankly, didn't care. The soldier received a rock as big as him and got crushed in an instant.

That was all it took for the other guards to flee, literally abandoning the slavers and the two corpses of their fallen comrades.

The two slavers looked at each other and turned to go away but Maximilian would not allow that. He used the same earth attack as before to make them land before him. The leader land somehow gracefully, but the big one crashed like a meat bag.

"Where do you think you're going? We haven't finished our negotiation..."

The big one stood up again and lifted his two-handed hammer, aiming for Maximilian's head. Maximilian caught de hammer head with one hand, the weapon not advancing one bit further.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

The big one, with a fat voice filled with scare, answered.

"I...I try...he's not letting me."

The leader didn't wait his turn and draw his rapier to try and pierce Maximilian's neck, only to be parried with Falemgeril.

"You still don't understand? You don't stand a chance against me."

He pushed back the leader and put his palm on the big one armour.

"Now you will take off your armour...or die in it. FIRE HEAT"

The palm of his hand appeared on the armour a few second before the big guy stepped back, looking at himself.

"Eh? What did you do? I don't feel anyth...oh,hot,HOT,HOT, IT'S BURNING!"

The big one started to quickly undress, letting his hammer fall has he threw his helmet down, followed by the rest of his armour. He was only wearing his undies now and, frankly, looked ridicule in them.

"YOU CURSED MY ARMOUR!"

"Cursed? Not at all, it was only a little fire spell used to heat cooking pot. As I had a pork to roast, I thought it was fitting."

"I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU!!"

He went to pick up his hammer, only to find a spear point and a blade pointed at him. Giliane had given back Lin-Lin her spear and had picked up the sword from the soldier Maximilian had cut in two. They were now pointing their weapon at the big guy, who really didn't like that.

"SLAVE CANNOT USE WEAPON!!!"

"Oh yeah, and how about that?"

Giliane gave the big man a violent kick between de leg, making the man squeak before falling on his knees, tears in his eyes.

Lin-Lin nodded.

"Good job, Giliane."

"Thank you, it was a pleasure. If you move again, it will be the blade you receive there, am I clear?"

He simply nodded, not in position to do anything else at the moment.

Maximilian was now facing the leader, clearly not pleased with the situation.

"You fool, do you know what you did today? Attacking us is attacking the slavers guild. You won't have anywhere to hide, nobody will help you. We will find you, hurt you. You will have to watch as we destroy all that you cherish. And only after that will you be reduced to slavery."

Maximilian lifted Falemgeril, pointing at the man with it.

"You talk too much. Fight or drop your weapon, your choice."

The man dashed at Maximilian, using his pointy weapon like a bee's sting. Several times he tried to pierce Maximilian, who simply evaded his attacks, too slow for him. After a while, the man was panting hard, the not-stopping attack he had done taking a lot from him.

"You're finished?"

The calm tone of Maximilian wasn't reassuring the man. On the contrary, it was terrorising him.

"How? How can you still stand, without a scratch, not even a bit tired? What monster are you?"

"A monster? I'm not a monster. If you want to see a monster, look at a mirror. Now, let's get on with the punishment..."

"Pun...punishment? You're going to kill me?"

"Killing you? No. I'm not the one who will decide if you should live or die. Me, I'm only going to give you a good slap in the face for three things..."

Maximilian put Falemgeril back in his scabbard. The man smiled and dashed.

"YOU IDIOT!"

As he came in reach, Maximilian grabbed him and made him dropped his blade by twisting his hand.

Maximilian opened his hand and pull back his arm.

"This is for Molly and Arold's house..."

Maximilian's hand came hitting the man's jaw, and everyone heard it cracked.

For the second time, Maximilian pulled back his arm.

"This is for hurting my friends..."

once again the hand came on the man's face, this time hitting at eye level. The violence of the slap made him lose vision in one eye. Maximilian let go of the man's hand, it wasn't necessary to maintain him in place anymore, the man standing there too groggy to move.

"And this..."

For the third time, his arm pulled back.

"...WAS BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD BUY THEM FROM ME!!!"

And the hand hit a third time, the slaver leader lifted off the ground and turned a dozen time before landing on the ground, head first. His hat, who had lifted from his head when he was turning, fall down on the side, slowly turning around as it landed.

There was silence on Arold's land for a minute, the house still burning.

"Water fog."

Maximilian made a fog filled with water appeared and send it inside the house, quickly taking care of the fire.

Once it was done, He looked back at the three slaver on the ground, simply saying.

"And now, I think there are people you have to kneel before..."