After a few unending minutes, a roar above the cells started to echo from the walls. They heard a mighty beast snore with a lung the size of a barrel and a clogged windpipe. Or someone had hired a hauntingly talentless pipe player to torment the prisoners. Crane couldn’t decide which one it would be.

As the sounds kept a steady pace, Fennec got up and picked the cell’s lock. It took a surprisingly small amount of time. Not even a whole minute had passed since the sounds of the pin entered the lock and it was open in seconds.

Fennec then stepped out of the cell and stretched out in the dark corridor, his spine and neck cracking like a knuckle.

“That felt good.” Fennec gave out a deep breath in relief. “I was starting to think he was never going to sleep. I didn’t want to begin picking the locks and meeting with the Lightbringer again.”

“I wouldn’t want that either.” Crane nodded as the snoring sound got even louder. “But you won't have to worry. He sure sleeps soundly.”

“I might have some part in that,” Endov said. “My mana is still rooted deep within his body. That blessing I gave him. I might have increased the effect a little bit. He won’t wake up for a while.” He calmly continued.

“So, you could have done it any time?” Fennec sighed.

“Not exactly. I have been increasing the numbness for a while. His willpower resisted a lot. Or the fact that he was hungry. Also, this magic isn’t exactly my speciality.”

“Just stop talking and let's get out quickly. My arm is killing me, and I don’t want to spend another second here.”

“Alright, alright.” Fennec started picking the other two cell’s locks. A few clicks and they got unlocked like the little pin he used was actually a key. Crane wasn’t sure if he could open them that fast if he had the keys.

“Let’s see this pretty lady.” Fennec entered Crane’s cell and inspected the shackles. “This is going to take a while.” He continued; brows furrowed; eyes squinted close. There wasn’t much light anyways, so he closed his eyes after a while and listened to the sounds of the needle touching the steel.

“Hmm…” He continued. “They used two different metals. Iron for the hinges and whatever this black thing is for the rest.”

“Dark steel is hard to bend.” Endov sat still in his cell, the door wide open. He pulled out his book and started to read it.

“How in Eilar you can read that in this darkness?” Fennec asked Endov as he tinkered with the shackles. “I can’t see shit here.”

“The word of the Lord is to be sought even in the darkest of times.” Endov replied. “Lack of light is no excuse. Faith is all one needs.”

“You sure you are not enhancing your eyes?” Crane continued. He too could enhance his physical abilities to a degree as well. To run fast and punch hard. Seeing better was not something he could really do but he knew the principles. Mana focused on the eyes, working them multiple times harder and catching even the tiniest shred of light.

This, however, put a great toll on the body. Working a limb or an organ twice as fast tired it at the same rate. It was just borrowing performance from one’s future self as you would lie down tired for a while, depending on how long and hard you used the enhancement. Leaning too much on the power and one could easily break their body beyond repair.

“If I could do that I would have even lesser of an excuse, wouldn’t I” Endov smiled again.

“Just stop talking.” Fennec finally snapped. “I am trying to hear the goddamn thing. I get that you mighty mages don’t understand us common folk but just shut up.”

“I am no mage, brother.”

“You are no priest either.” Crane added.

Endov waited for a second before he answered. “I guess I am not. Not anymore.” The hesitation in his voice was a first. I guess he takes this priest thing very seriously, Crane thought.

“Hey!” Fennec raised his voice again and this time they kept quiet until the man did his job. For a while, the only sound Crane could hear was Fennec’s breath and the pin moving inside the lock. “Quiet.”

After what felt like an eternity, the shackle clicked open, and a sense almost forgotten rushed to Crane. He felt the air, the iron bars of the cell and the walls around. He could feel everything. Except for the shackle. They were a dark spot of emptiness to his senses.

He would cast a spell to numb the pain, but his mana reserves were completely depleted. Other than sense, he couldn’t do anything. The good thing was that he didn’t need that spell too much because Endov immediately entered the cell after Fennec it.

The former priest couched before Crane. Now close at arm’s length, Crane realized how tall the man was. Almost a head taller than Crane and wide shoulders. Too wide for a priest that just preached, read scriptures, and wrote manuscripts all day. Crane wasn’t sure whether the man needed his protection to get out. He felt like the man helped him just to be helping him. What a waste of potential, he thought. He would make a great warrior with that build.

Endov took all the dead vines off and held Crane’s broken arm, eyes closed focusing on his mana.

Crane then felt Endov’s mana invading his skin, then bones. He could push it out if he tried, just like how Spera did to him, but he needed Endov’s power.

As the power seeped through his skin, Crane smelt fresh dirt after a rain. Pure earth that was full of life, almost too much for a single man. That had to be his attribute, but it wasn’t like what he felt from the earth itself, it was different. Of course, the attribute and its counterpart in nature were different things entirely, but they always felt similar.

The mana took hold of his bones, aligning them and mending them as force full of life filled his marrow. That was not what a simple Earthbearer could do.

Soon, the bones were healed completely. As good as new, perhaps even stronger.

“The bones are fine.” Endov said as he let go of his Crane’s arm. “But I’m sorry. I can’t heal the flesh that the broken bones tore. My powers work only on the bones.”

“You have no reason to be sorry, brother.” Crane took a deep breath after a long while. It still hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain he had endured since his meeting with Spera, especially after getting handcuffed.

Also, he could feel like he breathed again after a long while, even in a small room with a goddamn rotten body within.

He could feel Azavel too. The traces were faint, but they were there. To the east a few days' distance on foot. Moving. It was getting harder and harder to feel him each second. Crane had to move fast, or he would lose touch with the little brother.

His arm still hurt but at least he could use it now, even though Endov advised him to not do anything reckless until the flesh and the muscle tissue healed as well.

Crane got up and left the open cell. While Endov healed him, Lance had picked the final inmate’s cell’s lock too and was disturbing the remains, looking for anything useful.

Crane right across the iron bars, the corpse and Fennec only a meter away. He mustered whatever fire within him he could and brought a small flame on his palm, smaller than a candle flame.

Under the dim light, Fennec searched the man for anything useful. The blonde man swept the sweat on his forehead with his arm and pulled out a necklace from the neck of the dead man.

Endov watched this with a face full of disdain. “Is this really necessary?”

“You never know what could be useful in this hell whole and he isn’t going to need them anyways.”

“You could have showed a bit more respect. Perhaps a prayer.”

“I thought I would leave that to you. Mine never got answered anyways.”

Endov sighed. “I have prayed for his soul many times already. But I guess one more prayer and a goodbye wouldn’t hurt.”

Endov closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He put his right fist to his forehead and begin an incantation.”

“Fain ma anyr, ma milin, ma veiran

Ema aeir, ema daeir, zan aran vaella.”

Fennec waited until Endov finished his prayer and when the latter stopped and lowered his fist, Fennec continued searching the body. After a while, Crane’s fire died out, Crane spending all his mana. Fennec only then gave up and got out of the cell, letting out the same stench the laying man gave.

Seeing Crane grimace upon the reek, Fennec pointed at the dead man.

“I am dead only inside. The smell is coming from him.”

Crane tittered, finding the man’s attitude quite amusing. In the depths of a dungeon, ravaging a dead man he had enough energy to make a joke.

“Hush!” Endov looked at them, his index finger pressing on his lips. “The guy is waking up.”

“What do you mean the guy is waking up. Aren’t you supposed to keep him sleeping?”

“I am. But someone’s trying to wake him up. I’m losing him.”

“Got to be quick then.” Crane stroked the marks on his wrists the handcuffs left. “But I’ve got no mana left.”

“We could wait until you got your powers back.” Endov said. “Better late than sorry.”

“I can’t waste another second here.” Crane’s voice rose unintentionally and they heard an unfamiliar voice behind the door at the upper end of the staircase.

“Keep you damn mouths shut, you cunts!” The unknown voice echoed. “And you.” They heard a slap. “Wake the fuck up.”

“It must be another guard.”

“Yes, genius. Thank you for stating the obvious. I thought that was another inmate slapping the fat guy.”

“Great!” Endov smiled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I am glad that I cleared that confusion.”

“Just stop arguing!” Crane shouted. “We need a plan. What are we going to do.”

“I said shut the fuck up cunts!” The door opened, and an angry man entered the dungeon instead of the plan Crane demanded. The dim light entering the room from the open door blinded them for a second and they could barely make out the guard’s surprised face. The man was expecting people in their cells, not inmates out of their unlocked cells trying to discuss how to escape.

He was a man of small stature with a moustache, some sort of old clothes in dark tones and a torch in his hand. The rest, Crane couldn’t figure as the man started rushing the stairs down and jumping at them halfway down with a swing of his torch.

It was Endov that reacted the first. Crane saw the tall black man shooting forward between the guard and Fennec, whose back was turned towards the stairs and his best friend the Lightbringer. Or a cousin of his, Crane couldn’t really differentiate torches.

The guard hit Endov with the torch on the jaw and the former priest fell on top of Fennec with a groan. The guard threw the torch aside and pulled out a dagger from his side, tucked into his belt. He meant to stab Endov but this time Crane jumped to stop him.

He punched the man right in the teeth, scraping his knuckles. He threw the guard to the stairs and punched him again, making him drop the dagger alongside a few teeth.

He quickly grabbed the dagger and pressed it tightly on the man’s neck.

“What the Eilar!” Fennec shouted, still unaware of the recent events and stuck under Endov.

“Check on Endov.” Crane ordered instinctively, his voice stern and precise. “We are leaving immediately.”

Fennec rolled Endov over his body and shook him holding from his collar as Crane picked up the guard, still keeping the blade close to his throat.

Crane’s hand trembled as he realized how close he was to taking somewhat of an innocent life man who could barely protect himself. The guy was not a knight in armour chasing a little girl or a corrupted mage aiming for his life. He was simply a guy doing his job.

So, he pulled the guy upstairs and looked down. Endov was still dizzy and struggling to get up. Fennec checked on him halfheartedly deciding on whether to leave the guy there.

“Pick him up. We’re leaving together.”

“Yes, yes. I was just thinking how to do that. I almost died when he tripped over me. He is damn heavy.”

“Just get a hold of him and bring him here. Wake him up.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll pick him up.” Fennec reached out to Endov but the guy raised his hand, signing for Fennec to stop.

“I’i haii. Lesh go.” He groaned as he got up, and only then Crane realized the blow had dislocated Endov’s jaw. The jaw hung down awkwardly, making the man unable to speak. It took a bit more for Endov to realize until he realized he wasn’t making any sense.

He picked up his dislocated jaw when he found out the reason for the weird looks from both Crane and Fennec. Even the guard was looking at him with a sour face and Crane held that guy with a neck lock with one arm and the dagger was still pressed on his throat with the other hand.

Endov jerked his lower jaw without hesitation and continued after placing it where it belonged to. “I said I’m fine. Let’s go.”

After looking at Endov for a few more seconds and making sure that didn’t collapse Crane left the dungeon and stepped into a torch-lit room. He wasn’t sure if the man just got up, not feeling the pain due to shock or was just taking it like a madman. Both ways, he had Crane’s respect.

The room was small and mostly empty other than a wooden stool and the previous guard that occupied it. The stool looked almost invisible under the man’s colossal body. He was as tall as Endov and almost thrice his width.

His boss must be feeding him well, Crane thought. Too well for his effort.

Seeing Crane get out of the dungeon with a dagger on his friend’s throat, the man got up and picked his stool from one of its legs, ready to smash Crane’s head with it should he find the chance.

“Calm down big guy.” Crane tried to look as harmless as he could but having a guard as a hostage didn’t help that a bit. “You let us go and I won’t hurt your friend.”

The man weighed his options on his head for a while, still tightly gripping the leg of his stool.

“I cut ye loose and me boss cuts me sack instead. Ye ain’t goin’ nowhere.” He tried to take a step further but Crane pressed the knife deeper, drawing blood.

“Calm down buddy. Let us pass.” Crane’s hand kept shaking even harder as adrenaline rushed through his veins. Sensing the weakness in his grip, the guy he was holding jerked his head back, headbutting Crane straight into his nose.

They both fell to the ground, and Crane dropped the dagger, still holding on to the man. As the man tried to wrestle his way out, the bigger guard leaned down to pick up the knife but this time, Fennec jumped inside the room with a dropkick, landing on the leaning guard's butt.

The latter lost his balance and in the hope to gain it reflexively took a few fast steps but hit the wall head-on. When he turned back with a bloody nose and teary eyes it was too late. Fennec had already climbed the stairs leading out of the room and Endov had given a heavy kick to the wrestling guard that almost crushed his skull.

Crane had gotten up as the man let go of him with the shock of the blow and then he ran towards the stairs picking up the dagger.

Endov, just before joining the other two, picked up the laying guard from the ground with one hand on an ankle and the other on the collar. He swung him towards the bigger man with an inhumane strength that outmatched even his size.

“Come back you litthle cunts!” They heard a roar, as they kept on running and guessing from the lack of accent and some teeth, Crane thought it to be the smaller one.