The cracking of a whip echoed, the smell of sweat dripping from the malnourished bodies of overworked slaves.
Lucas followed the crowd and continued to help with carrying stones while looking around. Spotting Rex off carrying a stone as large as his torso, Lucas caught up with him to walk alongside. "Rex, Would you be interested in leaving this place?"
"Who wouldn't? Do you have a plan?" Rex eyes Lucas subtly
"I might, But it's best if everyone is on board. I'd like you to help me pass this news to everyone." Lucas says with a confident tone.
"Alright, I'm in. Don't let us down, Boy." Rex nods at Lucas in acknowledgment before walking towards others.
Not even half an hour went by before all the Prisoners heard the news and kept swiping glancing towards Lucas or Rex in anticipation.
After another hour passed, The Guards lead the prisoners to the river for a drink and to clean themselves off if needed before they'd be locked up again.
While everyone else was busy cleaning themselves and drinking, Lucas was calming, watching everything. The guards would slowly walk back and forth, checking every prisoner, but most of the time, they were a bit lazy and would slack off.
"Bru, Do you think the Captain will let me play with those female prisoners tonight? I want to play too!" A dumb-looking Mole man complained to his friend.
"I sure the Captain will give you a chance! Hold your self." Another Mole men said, followed by spitting on the ground. Looking up, the guard happened to meet, eye to eye. The guard leered at Lucas. "Aye, look at that one. you almost think he was a girl with a face like that, bet you could take out yer frustrations on that one.! haha."
"I think you're right!" the other Mole man ogled Lucas lasciviously.
Stomping over to Lucas, "Oi, the Captain needs to see you. You follow me now! Don't be slow now!" Grabbing Lucas by the broken arm and pulling him towards a nearby shed.
Throwing Lucas to the back of the shed. The Mole man closes the door, making it secure.
Lucas took this opportunity to close in behind the mole man, seeking a knife from his belt. Kicked the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel before quickly cutting his throat. This all happened in one swift motion.
Looking at the Mole man twitch and let out blood gurgling sounds. Lucas didn't waste time, Stripping the Mole man of his clothes and putting them on before quietly opening the door of the shed and closing it behind himself.
The only ones who noticed Lucas return were Rex and a few prisoners with anxious looks.
Creeping up behind the nearest guard, Lucas quickly dispatched him, but not without a blood-curdling scream, which attracted the other three guards' attention.
"Aaahh!
"Look, That little bugger trying to escape! surround him!" One of the remaining Mole men yelled to their companions.
Jumping into battle mode, they quickly surrounded Lucas, Lunging at him. These actions also caught the attention of the other prisoners who were exciting and nervous! Rex personally ran up behind one of the three guards, Grabbing him by the head with two hands and the other two on his shoulders. Rex swiftly snapped his neck, letting a corpse drop to the ground.
The other two guards didn't fare much better, with around 100 prisoners promptly surrounding them, killing them off very quickly.
"Everyone! I'm from the surface! I might have found a way out of here. Will you all follow me??" Lucas called out to everyone, who had dazzled and confused looks on their faces.
"Surface? What's that???" Prisoner A asked with curiosity.
"I've heard of the surface; My father used to tell me that story long ago before our village fell. It's really?!?" Prisoner B informed with hints of excitement.
"Is what you said true, Lucas boy?" Rex also asked with astonishment.
"Of course, I fell in a hole on the surface and found myself in this place. I heard rumor of a way to leave the underground at the top of Valder castle. I did some investigating and found hints of Stalkers on the way. So I'd like to invite everyone. Will you follow me???"
Before everyone could get too excited, a cold, gloomy atmosphere took over. "But do you have a plan to get out of here? That's not an easy feat to make our way all through the town, up into the castle and out."
"I have a plan! All we need is a distraction to lure all the guards away, and I know just the right place!" Lucas smiles confidently.
"We'll follow you as long as we can escape this place!" Shouted a prisoner. All the others nodded in agreement.
"Rex, I'd like you to lead everyone here, I have another part of the plan to take care of."
"No problem, You can count on me, Lucas," Rex says in a low voice.
"Everyone gathers around; This is my plan; listen." They all gather in to listen, expressing their understand and astonishment when hearing the plan.
----------
An hour later, Lucas finds himself hanging outside the outer wall of the castle, climbing his way up vines and other pieces of debris. Looking in from windows, most rooms were occupied by guards.
Sinking his clawed hand into the stone wall like butter, Lucas slowly made his way up. Hearing a low giggle sound, Lucas spotted it coming from a balcony five more meters high. Quitely leaping over the railing, Lucas saw a spoiled Princess Dilla in her bedroom with a little naked, unconscious, Quilscale girl chained to a wall.
"Let's see if I can get your eye this time?! Who told you to take away his attention from me! This is what you deserve for stealing my man!" flicking her wrist, a metal dart was shot at Silvia, sinking into her shoulder. Dilla clicked her tongue in annoyance at her poor aim.
"Tsk, I won't miss next time..."
Feeling a pang of sadness in his chest, Lucas breaths a sigh of relief that she was mostly alright except a few cuts and bruises. Silvia's life wasn't at significant risk.
Rushing in from the balcony, Dilla was caught by surprise and kicked in the back. Seeing the little princess sprawled on the floor with the wind kicked out of her, Lucas kicked all the small darts to the far end of the room and made his way over to Silvia.
Breaking the chains, Lucas lifted Silvia down to the ground on her back and pulled out all the darts. Looking around the room, It was Dilla's bedroom. The same place Lucas accidentally barged in before when hiding.
Seeing a pile of clothes in the corner of the room, Lucas went over searching for something she could wear.
"You've come back for me, my darling! Don't bother with that girl anymore. I'm telling you! "
Looking back at Princess Dilla coldly, Lucas snorted and continued to ignore her while looking through the clothes.
There was a nice pair of shorts and a shirt made of some hemp. The shorts were dyed black, and the sweater was sky blue.
Feeling something press up against his back, Lucas found Dilla pressed up against his body, Looking up at him. Feeling disgusted, Lucas's elbows her to back off, where she fell to the ground. Walking over to Silvia, Dilla screamed. "You can't do this! It was supposed to be me, Darling!! It's all that bitches fault. I'll kill her!!"
"Fuck off; You're insane!" Lucas scowls at Dilla while helping Silvia get dressed.
While hearing noises behind him. Lucas patted Silvia's cheek lightly, calling out to her "Silvia, Wake up, Brother is here to take you home..." Feeling the warmth on her cheek, She slowly opened her hazy eyes.
Taking in Luca's image, She opened them wide and burst into tears and pulled him into a hug.
Hearing the steps of Dilla coming near, Lucas picked up Silvia and turned to face her with an angry expression.
Dilla just crawled towards them, eyeing Silvia with murderous intent. In her right hand was a dart she must have picked up. Getting up from the ground, Dilla staggered a little before getting her balance.
"Give her to me! I must kill her now!" Reaching her hand at Silvia, Lucas slapped her hand away. Seeing that Silvia calmed down, Lucas put her down, and she got behind him.
Lucas pulled out the Knight he acquired from the guard earlier and held it to Dilla's neck. "for now, you're going to be our hostage, Lead us to the top floor, or I don't mind killing you here!" Lucas's expression was ice-cold, looking Dilla in the eyes. She shivered.
Leading Lucas past the guards, it didn't take them long to reach the top floor again, where Lucas could see the barred door heading farther up. Grabbing the bars, Lucas ripping them right out of the wall and with the knife in hand, nudged Dilla to keep walking forward.