The Fractured Moon was beginning to wane, in a few hours it'd be sunrise-- and if I failed to rescue Ashari from before then...
I lowered my body into the desert floor, keeping a low profile under the blue hue of the night. I had left the village to the south, where the trading tent was and had circled around the village and the outcrop using the sporadic dunes as cover.
I was now overlooking the outcrop from a dune from the west. I held the spear that Ashari had dropped from before in my hands; its metal felt otherworldly to the touch. I had no solid plan but was hoping that an opportunity would arise to allow me to get close to Vask without alerting the others.
In an RTS, you're often given missions where you're always at a disadvantage-- it's entirely up to your skill as a strategist to make the most of what you're given. For my case, however, I had nothing other than myself and the spear in my hands; and I've never once used a spear in my life before.
Suddenly, there was some commotion occurring in the middle of the encampment.
"Cheers boys! It worked!" Vask danced gleefully amongst the men around the outcrop, there were also wagons around with cages full of slaves.
A wave of hoorahs and wild howling rung out from the men in his camp.
Ashari stood by Vask's side, she said nothing and did nothing as they pranced around her like hyenas.
I took this as my chance to get closer while they were distracted; I was now hiding behind a stray boulder only about fifty feet away from them now.
Then, a sobering slap rang out into the night air.
It was Vask, he had struck Ashari on the cheek.
"Oh, little girl. I can tell there's still hope left in you yet." He hissed.
"Now, let's discuss those details, shall we?" He motioned her to follow him to his tent situated far back into the encampment; it was far away from the rest of the others.
Ashari said nothing as she followed him, the slap hadn't phased her one bit.
"Teach her some manners, Lord Vask!"
"Show her the Aurum way!"
"Enjoy your stay, Demon whore!"
The men in the crowd jeered as they watched Vask and Ashari disappear into his tent. After that, they all dispersed; the excitement of the night washing over.
As they began to walk away back to their tents, and to their guard posts at the front of the outcrop, I began crawling over to a slave wagon to use as cover.
As I reached the wagon, I took notice of the handful of slaves within.
They were most, if not all, Demon children. Of all ages and conditions, there was even an infant; it was cradled by a young girl likely no older than four.
The horror of the sight didn't anger or sadden me, this gaping hole of muddled apathy robbed me of that right. But I did feel my spirit waver, and the humming in my chest rose to a fever pitch as I felt my muscles tighten enough to snap. Whether it was the way of this world, I didn't care-- I had to rescue them.
But I managed to calm my body down, I couldn't lose my cool now; they could be saved once Ashari has been first.
With the wagon's shadow, I waited as one of the patrols took their turn to round the wagon's corner. As they disappeared behind it, I rolled past and behind a handful of cargo crates; I was now in the clear to sneak into Vask's tent.
---
"Ah, what a wonderful night." Vask mused as he took a couple of lazy steps into his tent.
He then waltzed over to his desk and sat down onto his chair. He looked tired, as he was-- he had been chasing after some notably precious cargo for the past few days.
He let out a heavy sigh as he opened a bottle of wine and poured himself a cup. Right in front of him was Ashari, her eyes were like razers aiming directly at his throat.
"One little slap and you want to kill me already? You're such a bore." He chuckled as he took a sip of his wine.
"You will pay for all that you've done." Ashari scowled at him venomously.
"Pay? Sure, everyone pays when it's their due. But for me? I've already paid enough."
"Those slaves that I gave to your village? They're worth a small fortune, so I think I've paid my fill." He mused.
Vask twirled the cup of wine in his hand, bored.
"Now it's time for you to pay, my dear." He said as he pointed to her breasts.
"Strip." He commanded.
"No." Ashari held her ground.
"No?" Vask looked up at her, his eyes darkening.
"You know why you're here, and you know what will happen if I don't get what I want."
"What if I just kill you?" Ashari retorted, she knew she could easily do so.
"You could, but what then?" Vask sighed.
Ashari looked confused over his response.
"You escape off into the night and return to your village. My guards find my body, and they retaliate. A battle ensues." Vask fiddled with some coins on his desk, forming the two parties in question.
"Casualties, death-- victory? Who knows." He shrugged as he brushed the coins away.
"I don't understand." Ashari questioned.
"Of course you don't, you're just a stupid village girl in the ass end of the world." He laughed at her face.
"You don't know the value of sacrifice yet, the chances that we all must balance." He slammed his fist onto the table, his glass fell to the floor shattering on impact.
"Let's say you won-- how will you open the cage?"
"With a key, how else?"
"What key?" Vask sneered.
"W-What?" Ashari stammered.
"Do you think I'd be such a fool to allow that possibility to occur? I've already learned my lesson, with those damnable brats." He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"All you need to know is that if I'm dead, then those mongrels you call children will rot and wither in there with no chance to ever escape." He shouted.
"Now will you strip, or do you wish to continue testing my patience?" He sat back down onto his chair, letting go of his anger as he waited for her to follow his demand.
Ashari stood silent, she didn't know what else to say.
She then slowly began to undo the bindings of the cloth on her chest, tears welling at the edges of her eyes as she writhed in silent anger.
But she stopped as soon as she saw me appear from behind Vask, he hadn't noticed me slip in.