The piercing scream originated from a young girl with flowing blonde hair and elegantly pointed ears, unmistakably an elf named Lomelia.
Among the group of captive maids, she stood out as one of the quieter ones, her slender form clad in the standard maid uniform, devoid of the chains that had bound her.
Clementine and the other maids clustered behind her, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief at Lomelia's sudden outburst.
Their plan had been for a stealthy escape, hoping to slip away unnoticed.
"Lomelia, what in the world are you doing?" Clementine exclaimed, her voice tinged with urgency. Another elf, tearful and pleading, echoed their sentiments, calling out for help.
"Okurnion!" Bruger's voice thundered, his eyes ablaze with fury as he beheld the freed maids.
"Yes," Okurnion replied, his resolve evident as he prepared to take action.
With swift determination, Okurnion advanced towards the maids, prompting them to arm themselves with makeshift weapons - broken glass, sharpened edges - anything that could serve as a defense.
They formed a protective line, poised to ward off Okurnion's approach, even amidst the chaos unfolding around them.
"In position! Defend yourselves!" Clementine commanded, her voice a rallying cry as she pushed her fellow maids behind her, shielding them from harm.
"Run, now!" Clementine switched as she noticed the confidence in Okurnion's eyes, fear overtaking her.
But their efforts were in vain, as Okurnion closed in with alarming speed. His blade sliced through the air with lethal intent, only to meet an unexpected barrier - a translucent shield that deflected his attack with a resounding clash.
"A barrier!" Okurnion exclaimed in frustration, his rage mounting at the unexpected obstacle.
"Bruger! There's..."
His words trailed off abruptly as a sharp, ice-disk projectile sliced through the air, severing his head with chilling precision.
Clementine's heart pounded in her chest as she witnessed the grisly scene unfold before her.
"Okurnion!" Bruger's anguished cry reverberated through the center, his shock quickly giving way to panic as he distanced himself from the two elves, his eyes wide with horror and disbelief.
Ramuin, the female elf, lowered her hand, her expression unreadable as she surveyed the aftermath of her powerful magic.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the thud of Okurnion's lifeless body hitting the ground, a grim reminder of the cost of their freedom.
Throughout the revelation, the male elf named Alluin remained kneeling beside Takagi's body, silently inspecting it.
"Get them!" Bruger's voice echoed through the center, his command urging his men to turn and attack.
"The Woods' Graveyard," Alluin muttered quietly, his left hand outstretched upon the ground.
After he spoke, the floor rumbled, and the guards rushed in for an attack. Suddenly, hundreds of wooden stakes emerged from the stone tiles, piercing the air and almost entirely encircling the group of guards.
The Woods' Graveyard was a potent magic spell, known for summoning the roots of nearby trees to create a wide area filled with wooden stakes that could violently impale anything in their path. The only safe area was at the center, as the stakes formed a circular range. The spell's range and the number of stakes summoned depended on the caster's magical power, with the presence of nearby trees reducing its magical cost.
The spell proved devastating, killing every guard that had advanced forward, except for Bruger, who managed to evade the stakes by leaping away. Ramuin, protected by her own barrier, remained unscathed.
"What just happened?" Clementine muttered, her disbelief evident.
"They're the Elf Twins! Powerful magic casters in service of the Great Ruler!" Lomelia explained, a smile spreading across her face.
"Magic casters? The Great Ruler?" Kabi inquired, puzzled.
"Yes, the king of Minrow!" Lomelia clarified, her voice filled with reverence.
"On second thought, I have another offer to propose. How about you die, and I keep all the elves?" Alluin rose to his feet, still facing Takagi with his back to Bruger.
Extending his arm, he caused the wood beneath him to swirl and grow, eventually breaking off a large piece and throwing it into the air. The wooden lance hovered in the air, frozen in place. Turning to face Bruger, Alluin lifted his arms, and all the wooden stakes that had littered the battlefield transformed into levitating lances above him.
With only Bruger remaining, Ramuin focused her magic on him, freezing the moisture in the air and summoning ice lances to match the number of Alluin's wooden ones.
Despite the odds, Bruger remained undaunted, holding onto his pride as one of the strongest under Azuk.
"Do you think a few spikes will work on me? You saw how useless your wooden show was. Don't bother," Bruger taunted confidently.
"There are countless ways to dispose of you easily. It was a pleasure to meet you. May you be remembered as arrogant, foolish, and idiotic," Alluin replied calmly, maintaining his serious demeanor.
"Fucking elf!" Bruger shouted, charging toward Alluin.
Ice and wooden lances flew toward him at high speed, but Bruger skillfully dodged them.
When the ice lances made contact with the ground, they froze the surrounding area, spreading a thin layer of ice. The wooden lances, on the other hand, sprouted sharp branches upon impact with the floor.
Despite sustaining some wounds from the sharp branches, Bruger pressed on. "All you magic freaks are the same. Relying on your weak, pitiful magic until someone with real strength comes along and overpowers you. I could easily crush your necks with one arm, killing you and that bitch!" Bruger exclaimed, breaking an ice lance that landed in front of him with his fist and continuing his advance.
Bruger, dangerously close to Alluin, smirked to show his confidence. Unfazed, Alluin sent a vertical line of wooden lances toward Bruger.
Laughing at Alluin's attempt, Bruger began to taunt, "You're too predicta--"
Bruger's words caught in his throat as he tried to finish his sentence. From his stomach emerged a sharp, pointed object. Unlike a weapon made of silver, it was brown and not entirely sharp, intensifying his agony. Despite his efforts to break the object, he only succeeded in removing the bark, revealing a sharp wooden lance. This lance gradually sprouted sharp spikes, piercing Bruger's hands and rendering them useless.
Staring at the lance in disbelief, Bruger was speechless for once. Blood gushed from his mouth as he realized the severity of his situation. "This can't be happening," he thought as his vision faded, the wooden spikes growing more complex even inside his body.
In his final moments, Bruger looked up at the sky for one last glimpse but was met instead with an ice lance hurtling toward his face at high speed. Then... the lights went out.
The Wooden Lance Fortress granted its user the ability to manipulate multiple wooden lances, even enabling the growth of roots from each lance. This spell originated from an ancient technique used by the old pure elves to terraform areas, transforming dried roots into healthy tree saplings. Over time, it was adapted for other uses, leading to the creation of multiple spells. However, it was a highly draining spell, requiring significant magical energy to cast.
The elves, descendants of the pure elves, did not possess the same natural affinity for magic as their ancestors. After casting the spell, Alluin took a knee and spat out a small amount of blood, a sign of the strain of using such a powerful magic in a short period.
Ramuin rushed to his side, but Alluin waved her off, indicating he was fine. "Just overdid it a little," he reassured her.
"You know that magic is the most difficult to control. Why use it here, with no trees nearby?" Ramuin scolded gently.
"Just testing my limits, that's all," Alluin replied with a chuckle.
"You can be very stubborn sometimes," Ramuin teased.
"Um, Alluin, Ramuin, thank you for giving us the chance to escape!" Lomelia expressed, tears streaming down her face. The other elves bowed deeply, expressing their gratitude.
"No elf should be a slave to an orc. I can offer you safe passage back to Minrow, but the others are not welcome in our lands," Alluin declared, looking down at the maids, including Clementine.
"There's no need; we understand. Please accept our gratitude, although we know our freedom wasn't the reason for your actions. We are indebted to you," Clementine stated gratefully.
Ignoring the others, Alluin turned to face Takagi, who stood among the rubble and bodies in the center, seemingly unharmed. Takagi's turban had unraveled, revealing two horns rooted into his head.
"What kind of freak are you?" Alluin muttered, kicking Takagi's legs to check if he had regained consciousness. There was no response, but his foot hit something odd.
Cutting Takagi's pants to reveal more, Alluin discovered an object poking out— a tail. Disgusted, he remarked, "Such an atrocity shouldn't be allowed to live any longer. I am putting him out of his misery. He should be grateful for my mercy."
"Hold on, don't we need proof of this for the Great Ruler?" Ramuin interjected.
"You're right. But first," Alluin replied, as a sharp wooden stake quickly pierced Takagi's body from his heart area.
"There, no amount of magic could ever heal this. Give me your knife, Ramuin," Alluin instructed, taking the expensive blade and proceeding to hack away Takagi's horns.
"All right. That should be enough proof. Both of these horns should serve as proof. Are you all ready to leave?" Alluin asked the other elves, to which they nodded.
"Clementine, thank you for giving us the courage to escape that wretched place. If it weren't for you, we would still be waiting in that room, chained up and awaiting Bruger's next orders. Thank you for everything," the elves expressed tearfully.
"Don't cry. I couldn't have done it alone. It was a group effort, and now you all get to go home! Take care!" Clementine replied, tearing up as she hugged each elf maid.
"I'm going to miss you three," Kabi said, joining in the embrace.