"Hurry!" Syri called to Estan as the two ran toward a set of stairs stationed at the end of the hallway. The zeta stepped to the side and let the gamma carrying the girl pass and run up the stairs. Cracks had appeared in the ceiling, and chunks of dirt had begun to fall and crash to the ground. Dust filled the air as Syri raced up the stairs.
The zeta nearly ran into the gamma who had stopped just outside the last step. Syri caught his breath as shouts and yells reached his ears. Flames had erupted everywhere. Alphas were running up and down the room catching the numerous cages on fire. Rage filled the zeta as he saw their captors killing the victims.
"Why are they killing them?" Syri pondered aloud as he watched in horror as the alphas continued to set fire to the cages.
"It means they are losing in whatever battle they are fighting. They would rather kill the victims than set them free because they plan to run themselves and can't afford word of their actions leak," Estan explained as he surveyed the situation.
"Help!" A girl yelled as an alpha neared her cage. The female werewolf reached her hand through the bars and extended it toward Syri and Estan in a plea for help.
'Aska, I need you.' Syri called for the wolf in his mind.
'Syri...'
'I know...I know you're exhausted...' Tears filled the zeta's eyes as he heard the weariness in his wolf's voice. 'But...these people, they don't deserve to die. Please...'
A moment passed before Aska replied. 'Close your eyes, Syri. You don't need to see any more death.'
Aska's request startled the zeta. When had he ever seen death? But Syri did not question his wolf and closed his eyes. Soon, everything turned dark as Aska awoke.
Estan looked to see Aska's aqua eyes shining in the fire-lit room. The gamma watched as Aska closed his eyes, and his brows furrowed in concentration. A wave of chains unlocking pulsed from the zeta as the captives were set free and the cages were opened. Those who survived the flames fled from their cages and began running toward the door at the opposite end of the room.
Aska's eyes remained closed as he completed setting the captives free. "Take the girl and run," Aska ordered the gamma.
"What?!" Estan turned from watching the captives just in time to see Aska fall to the ground unconscious. Estan called Aska's human's name as Syri did not wake up.
"Syri!" Estan called once more. The gamma began to fret as he looked from the incapacitated girl in his arms to the spreading fire to the alphas chasing the fleeing captives to the unconscious zeta on the ground. 'What to do?!! I can't leave Syri, but I can't carry both of them. And I can't leave this girl to die.' Estan took a breath as he thought about the best course of action. 'It would be faster to get the girl out and then come back for Syri as she is lighter and easier to carry. This is the best chance to save them both.' "I'll be right back, Syri. I promise!" Estan voiced before wasting no time in sprinting past the cages and through the door at the opposite end of the room.
Chaos met the gamma as he ran through the door. Estan found himself in an open courtyard containing a scene from a battle. Wolves were running from barrels of fire. Arrows were being shot from rooftops, masked men were attacking the captors, and slaves were running every which way trying to get free.
'Okay. First thing's first. Find a safe place to hide the girl.' Estan began looking around for a safe place to store the girl only to jump out of the way just in time as a masked man fighting the head alpha kicked the alpha through the door out of which Estan had just come. 'Syri is in there!' The gamma watched as the masked fighter waltzed into the room and began fighting the alpha.
To Estan's horror, the masked man shut and locked the doors behind him, locking Estan out of the room where Syri was lying unconscious. 'Shit!'
"P-p-please spare me!" The alpha pleaded with the masked man walking toward him with daggers in both hands.
"Where is she?" The man asked of the bumbling alpha.
"Wh-who?"
"A girl with red hair. You took her two weeks ago. Where is she?"
The man put up his arms in surrender as the masked man raised his blades. "I-I don't know which one you are talking about. We have l-lots of girls."
A growl rippled from the masked man. "Then I will find her myself." The man did not hesitate in slicing the alpha's neck, severing his life force. A sigh left the man as he relaxed his shoulders. He had finally accomplished his goal. He had hunted the traffickers endlessly for half a month and had finally found them. Now, he had to find her.
The man swiveled his head and looked at the burning building. The beams in the ceiling were burning quickly and would soon lose their integrity. The man turned to walk out of the room when a form on the ground caught his attention. The werewolf turned back around to see an unconscious male lying twenty paces before him.
Syri's fingers twitched as he faded in and out of consciousness. The zeta opened his eyes slightly to see leather boots approaching him. Hands rolled the zeta onto his back, and arms went under his back and knees before lifting the small werewolf into the air. Syri's head rolled back to rest on a strong arm, and his eyes opened slightly as he was in a window of consciousness.
'Oh, it's you.' Syri fell back unconscious as he recognized the masked man from the square. The man looked down to see the zeta's eyes were closed before carrying Syri out of the burning building.