Chapter 33: Rescue

Sofia quickly moves down the hall, Piper, Zarad, Delphine, and Haden following behind.

They then stopped at a door and Zarad cast a spell.

"Venatus valuso."

The group then felt the air surround them in a mirage. Becoming invisible to the untrained eye.

They then quietly open the door and enters, Sofia looking through cells, of which only housed skeletons or recaptured slaves, while Delphine and Haden assassinate the few guards, much to the trio shock.

She then looked into the last cell and spotted the survivor from the siege and calls the rest.

Haden the opened the door with the dead guards' keys and enters.

"Are you alright?"

The man then raised his head, revealing lacerated face with a mouth of broken teeth and an eye swollen shut, in confusion before relief washed upon him.

The man then told that Soloman in the torture cells when the alarms suddenly blares and footfalls echoes through the halls.

Delphine then quickly orders Zarad, Piper, and Haden to quickly get the man and slaves out of here while she and Sofia rescue Soloman.

The three then nods before helping the prisoners, Haden giving two vials of healing to ease the mans pain, and quickly exits as Delphine and Sofia continues onward.

They quickly climb up to the sixth level, sneaking past the running guards as the invisibility fades, where they see the door with two guards.

Both of then, using the seconds left on their invisibility, charge.

Sofia strike the guards head, stunning him, then chokes him with other hand till he falls unconscious. While Delphine swiftly plunges her stilleto into the others neck.

Then she kills the unconscious guard, causing Sofia to recoil in shock, before asking.

"Why didn't you kill him?"

"B-because he was a simple guardsman."

Delphine sighs, wiping the blood off her blade and finding the keys.

"Trust me dear. One day you will have to kill to save someone. You should try to prevent it but be prepared to take a life. And these guards also work for tyrant meaning they most likely revel in hurting others."

Sofia gulps, afraid of Delphine coldness, and helps look for the keys.

"But their are guards who are just doing their job and don't deserve death."

"Yes. There might be some but you can't take such risks in dire times." Delphine then found the keys.

Sofia then looks to her with shock and ask as she finds the right key.

"Has it become easier for you? Killing others."

Delphine eyes, and ears, lowered.

"No. It hasn't, I can still remember my first and the guilt that followed, but that reluctance means that I'm still human, knowing that I can still sympathizes." She then unlocked the door and Sofia rushes in.

She then sees Soloman chained at the far end, sitting, and runs.

"MENTOR!" Then she stopped in horror.

Soloman face and body was laced with long scabs and many black bruises and horrible emaciated with magic. But the most horrifying thing was his limbs.

Half of his right forearm and both his feet were gone. With his right eye showing only an empty socket without eyelids.

Soloman then look up, scowling.

"Do with me what you want you bastard! Because I will never betr-" he then stops as he stares at Sofia.

Tears began to flow out of his eye and socket.

"Sofia? Is that you? Or is this a foul illusion by Bryan!"

"M-mentor I-I'm," tears began flow from her eyes.

"I'M SO SORRY!" And hugs Soloman, crying into and soaking his shoulder.

Soloman then hugs her with his arm stump as Delphine unlocks the chain.

Soloman then smiles in relief.

"It's truly you. I'm glad that you're ok."

Sofia then let's go and stare at his eye.

"But what about you! I'm so sorry. If only I could have been here sooner. Or if I wasn't so damn stubborn!"

Soloman then rubs her back to sooth her.

"It's ok Sofia. Everyone makes mistakes. And as long they remember and learn it won't happen again."

Sofia then stands up, wiping her tears, as she hears footfalls echoing.

Delphine quickly picks up Soloman, giving him a tonic to sooth his pain and make him sleep, and takes two vials of silver liquid, invisibility potions, and pass one to Sofia.

"Can you take mentor without me. I have a score to settle."

Delphine looks to her with indignation.

"Are you mad! You're just a rookie fighting against one of the broken."

"But Bryan is still human. I just need to sneak up on him. And you know how good I am in that."

Delphine then began to protest. When the footfalls getting louder causing her to sigh and pass two grenades and three more potions, a healing and two invisibility.

"Fine. But be careful! And the invisibility only last half an hour."

They gulpe down the invisibility and quickly gets out and split.