Ezekiel opened the window of their room and the cool night air rushed in.
He wore a brown caped cloak over the noble clothes he had bought in Oakwood Town.
With his outfit prepared, he planned to leave the moment Nivel returned and fell asleep.
Creak...
Only moments later, Nivel returned with a hazy look in his eyes.
"Nothing to out of the ordinary... Let's sleep now."
Upon his return everything came out just as he expected and Nivel fell asleep without batting an eye.
-Now's my chance!
Ezekiel jumped out from his bed and quietly tipped toed his way out to the window.
Just before he left, he looked at Julian who was asleep.
-"One day, these things will no longer exist."
"You're right...and before that happens I'll do something about it first. After all I feel like you're the only one who can understand me."
Those words that Julian spoke resonated deep within him fueling his desire to make a difference.
If slavery still existed in the future he envisioned, then he would accelerate its demise.
Now that the night had reached it's peak Ezekiel knew it was time to go.
"I'm going to save those people."
HEUP!
With a determined leap, Ezekiel jumped through the window.
HWAM....
During his fall he enveloped mana into his feet and the soft winds surrounded Ezekiel stopping him from hitting the ground.
With the release of his element, he landed safely, like a tear-drop on water.
People who passed by Ezekiel didn't pay any mind and continued on with their night.
"I'll do it."
WHOOOOSH!
Ezekiel enveloped his body with mana once more and with a release of his elemental affinity, he leaped forward and shot the ground with wind, bursting himself into the direction of Starta Veil Serfdom.
...
HWAAA!
After a dozen wind-powered leaps, he arrived at his destination.
-Now that I'm here let's see what they're doing...
To avoid detection, he hid behind a dumpster, observing the entrance.
"...!"
As Ezekiel noticed, he saw guards with a strange runic symbol on their clothes leading slaves into different carriages, each designated for a specific race.
They used force to escort the slaves in and out of the building as if it were a routine procedure.
As the guards moved about, Ezekiel realized they weren't mages judging by the weapons they carried. He assumed they were mercenaries rather than the typical, job taking adventurers.
...
A few minutes passed. Ezekiel surveyed his surroundings, and as the last two guards exchanged a salute, it became clear they were preparing for departure. But this time, the horses weren't facing towards Aureus. They were facing the opposite direction.
"If I recall, there shouldn't be any village or town past Nefta. Only the mountains and most likely the Golden Port."
He remembered the geography of the Aethel Continent.
He was certain there were no settlements beyond Nefta; only the High Mountain Peak and the Golden Port, his first point of arrival in Aethel.
He recalled stories about the peak, its connection to the Great Tree, and the taboos surrounding it.
A village was supposedly located at its summit, tasked with guarding against monsters that might emerge from the caves and descend towards the mountain's outskirts.
"We have to get these guys going, boss..."
It is said that horrific creatures reside in the caves above...
-"Very well, I'd hate to delay this any longer. Get Bonrick and our navigators. Have them follow our carriage after the signal."
"Roger, sir!"
Ezekiel waited, and finally, two men dressed in black hoods emerged from the Strata Veil Serfdom.
Their faces and mana signatures were completely concealed.
One was a giant, nearly nine feet tall, while the other was around Mr. Nivel's height.
But with the process of elimination, he knew the small guy had to be the leader.
The other massive giant must be his lackey.
"Is it normal for a person to be that tall?!"
Ezekiel's jaw dropped as he realized the difficulty of his self-appointed mission.
But he had to come up with a foolproof plan.
-Depart!
DING!
A bell rang, and a fancy carriage emerged from a nearby alley. The two hooded figures boarded, accompanied by a navigator who took the reins.
Ezekiel watched as each carriage sped towards the gates of Oakwood.
He waited for the opportune moment, and as the last carriage departed, he launched himself into the air, flying above it undetected.
With a soft thud, he landed on the roof of the carriage.
-Now what? He wondered, how do I save these people?
As the carriage left Oakwood, he realized they were indeed heading towards the High Mountain Peak.
...
...
...
"Okay, lads," the leader announced, "let's set up camp here. This distance should be safe enough, as long as there are no interruptions. If those guards discover we have illegal breeds in our cargo, we'll have to scatter."
The guards nodded and secured the carriages facing the mountain, ready for a quick departure if necessary.
Ezekiel, meanwhile, pressed himself against the roof of the carriage, careful not to be seen.
Okay, I'll wait for everyone to sleep, then free the slaves!
He was confident in his ability to handle the guards. After all his skill and technique
"Everyone will have an hourly rotation for the night," the leader continued. "We leave before dawn."
Ezekiel watched as the leader addressed the soldiers.
He counted twenty soldiers, one leader, and one massive human. The cloaks concealed their mana signatures, making it difficult to gauge their strength. But it didn't matter; there would only be one guard on duty at a time.
As night fell, the guard rotation began.