Ch 10: The Basement

"Woah, this basement is pretty large." Remarked Mihikolo.

Eilda and Mihikolo continue walking down the spiraling stairs but they are no longer in a tight narrow space rather they're in a wide and vast area that seems to span the entirety of the City Hall.

"With how many people they keep, it's not surprising it'll be this big." Said Eilda.

Mihikolo looks down and spots something.

"Hey, look down there!" Said Mihikolo.

Eilda proceeds to look down and sees the depressing scene below them. Hundreds of people looking starved, kids crying, mothers trying to console their children, and men lying on the ground not moving.

"These... These are all innocent people right...?" Asked Mihikolo.

"How sorrowful these people are, I can't believe that the Vaskards would do this to their own people!" Heatedly said Eilda.

"I know right, how could this City even manage to still operate with all the people they're capturing?" Curiously asked Eilda.

"I don't know and I wouldn't like to know, We're just here to rescue these people." Said Eilda.

"Right." 

"But it seems like there seems to be no knights here." Said Eilda.

"You're right, I'm not seeing any of those guys with those fancy armors, This might be easier than we thought." Remarked Mihikolo.

They continued walking down, getting closer to the floor, and soon enough, they reached the ground. There were no walls, no objects, or anything at all, it was just a large underground area with only little lights of a hanging lantern at the edges of the area.

Eilda looks around and sees nothing but people in misery. 

"It seems like this basement is just an area for them to keep these people, there's nothing here at all..." Said Mihikolo.

"You're right but that doesn't matter now, since they're going to get out of here soon." Said Eilda as she took a step forward.

"Everyone!" Yelled Eilda.

All of the people or rather all of the ones conscious look at her.

"We've come to help you escape!" Yelled Eilda.

"What?"  "Rescue...?"  "Help us?!" Murmurs of the people.

"You've come to help us...?" Asked one of the men who was close to Eilda.

"That's right! We'll get all of yo-" Yelled Eilda.

"Now!!!" Suddenly yelled out by somebody among the people

Upon the yell, 4 knights emerged among the people right in front of Eilda, they weren't dressed like knights but instead looked like one of the people, they immediately ran up to both Eilda and Mihikolo as if they'd been waiting for them.

"What?! There were knights here?! Were they expecting us?!" 

Mihikolo reaches for his gun but Eilda suddenly raises her hand, blocking Mihikolo signifying him to stop.

"Like I said earlier, I'll handle them so save your bullets." Said Eilda as the four knights are now closing in on both Mihikolo and Eilda.

Eilda suddenly pulled her right arm back, her hand curled into a fist while her left hand gripping her right wrist tightly, It looked as if she was charging up an attack. Her right hand was visibly shaking.

"Uhhh what're you doing?" Confused asked Mihikolo.

The four knights now close enough, all swing their swords at both of them.

"AHHH!!" Screamed Mihikolo as he turned and covered himself with his hand in fear.

*HUMPH!!* Eilda grunts as she lets her grip go on her right hand, releasing her right hand which immediately thrusts toward the four knights.

*Thud* A thud sound was heard, as her fist thrust into the air. Eilda didn't hit anything but a sound was produced just from the thrust alone.

*Shwoooosh*

*Aghk!*

The knights were all thrown back, Eilda didn't hit them but the thrust of her fist was so great, it generated a strong gust that directly hit all the knights, The crowd of people that saw it were all in awe as their eyes filled up with hope as if someone they've been waiting for has arrived.

"H-Huh?" Mihikolo turned around to see what just happened, Mihikolo was surprised he saw that the knights were now all on the ground unconscious and the people behind them looking at them with eyes wide open.

"W-What just happened?! What the hell were those sounds?! How did you deal with them so quickly?!" Shockingly asked Mihikolo.

  As Mihikolo persistently asks Eilda, he soon notices something "Hmm?" along with the crowd of people All their awe stops.

"That's weird..?" Said Mihikolo as he started looking around.

The crowd of people was also in confusion.

"Why is it getting hot..? We're underground shouldn't it be cold here?" Confusedly asked Mihikolo.

"Just what the hell did you do, Eilda?!" Curiously asked Mihikolo.

Eilda looked at her right fist, it was faintly smoking. Eilda looked confused as she also didn't know what it was.

"I don't know, I was always able to do this but I don't know how I could do it or why it would become hot." Answered Eilda.

"I'm slowly getting surrounded by monsters..." Remarked Mihikolo.

"Either way, we need to get out of here now. Lequiss and the two might get into trouble while we're wasting time here." Said Eilda.

"Everybody!" Yelled Eilda, the confused people now shifted to her.

"As you saw, I'm not kidding about saving you. I will get you all out of here, Now will you follow me?" Asked Eilda.

Murmurs of the people fill the area. But one little girl suddenly stood up among the crowd of people.

"I-I'll follow you...!" Said the girl.

Then a mother from a corner with her baby in her hands stood up. "W-We'll follow too!" Said the mother.

Soon one by one the people started standing up, hundreds of people now standing apart from the people who had been unconscious the whole time, Some of them tried to wake them up but it seemed they wouldn't wake up.

"So these are all the innocent people that the Vaskards kept." Said Eilda with an angered look.

"Everybody! Without the knights to stop you, all that's left is just climbing these stairs. We'll climb up first so we can handle anything that might be up there!" Yelled Eilda.

"We get to be free...?" Asked someone in the crowd.

"Yes! After leaving the City Hall, you'll all be free." Answered Eilda.

"W-Wo..."

"Woah!!" Everybody suddenly cheered upon hearing her. Their depressed look from earlier has now faded with them looking happy and tearing up in joy.

Eilda looks at the cheerful view she had created with a serious look. "Now that that's covered, let's go." Said Eilda as she started walking towards the stairs and began walking up, Mihikolo followed beside her. The people noticed them going up and one by one immediately followed them up the stairs. 

"Things are going smoothly, hopefully, it's also going smoothly for Lequiss." Said Eilda.

"Stop worrying about them. Fylo is strong by himself but Lequiss is like a monster compared to him. I don't know about that blue-haired guy but Lequiss is a chosen one so what's the point of worrying about them with him being there?" Remarked Mihikolo.

"That's exactly why I'm worried because he's a chosen one. Quiss users always attract trouble." Said Eilda.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Asked Mihikolo.

"It's mostly not their fault but Quiss users always attract trouble, may it be through people that envy those chosen ones or those that are greedy for the Quiss itself or perhaps even the admiration alone will always be attracted to Quiss users." Explained Eilda.

"That's new, where'd you know that?" Asked Mihikolo.

"I've heard it from someone..." Said Eilda as she looked down dejected.

They continued walking up the stairs, and behind them were the hundreds of people walking up along with them and soon enough they were almost reaching the trapdoor they came from. 

"We're already here? That was fast." Remarked Mihikolo.

They were indeed fast, the time they took to do everything earlier only took about less than 5 minutes. Now just right below the trapdoor, Eilda opens it without trouble, and bright light shines down the stairs, hitting the people below them. The people painfully reacted after seeing the light.

Mihikolo looks behind him "After being in the dark for so long it's only natural it'll hurt after seeing light." Remarked Mihikolo.

As Eilda was about to go out, Mihikolo tried to go too but was stopped by Eilda. "Wait here, I'll check if there's anybody outside."  Said Eilda as she passed through the trapdoor and immediately scanned the area for anybody, As she was looking around, she suddenly froze up.

Mihikolo notices this and asks her. "Eilda? What's wrong?" 

Eilda suddenly dashes out of Mihikolo's sight, Mihikolo instantly goes up the trapdoor and sees Eilda running towards somebody.

"E-Eeek!!" Screamed the person Eilda was running to.

Eilda leaps toward the person and she instantly grabs hold of his whole mouth with one hand and slams him down the floor. 

"S-Someone was here?!" Said Mihikolo as he runs to Eilda.

"Yeah but don't worry, I've got his mouth so he won't be able to make any noise." Said Eilda.

"But... This might help us..." Said Eilda.

"What?" Confusedly asked Mihikolo, Mihikolo stopped beside Eilda to look who she just slammed down. Mihikolo was shocked, his eyes widened upon seeing him.

"What?! It's that ugly guy from earlier! The Mayor's Son!" Said Mihikolo.

Agaleh wiggled his body around as he tried to remove Eilda's hand from his mouth but it wouldn't budge, Eilda was pinning him to the ground as well as keeping his mouth shut at the same time.

"MhHmmPff" Agaleh tried to talk but no words were being said, Agaleh still struggling in Eilda's hand.

"What should we do with him?" Asked Mihikolo.

"I think, we can use him as a hostage against his father. What do you think?" Asked Eilda.

Agaleh shivers in fear and starts crying as he begins to erratically wiggle more.

"That's a good idea! He might help us escape this city!"

"U-Uhm" A girl's voice uttered behind them, They turned around to see the little girl first to stand from earlier, and behind her were the people following them, waiting for them as they looked around the hall, mesmerized by the richness of the place they're in.

"U-Uhm, Mister, and Miss where are we? Have we escaped already? This is an amazing place!" Said the little girl.

"No, unfortunately not yet but we're very close. We're currently at the City Hall, all we need to do is just get out of this building." Answered Eilda.

"What?!" Exclaimed the people.

"We're at the City Hall?! The basement is right below the City Hall?!" Asked one of the people.

"Yes, That's right. The Vaskards kept you right below them." Answered Eilda.

Murmurs of the people start circulating as they talk to each other.

Eilda stands up with Agaleh still in her hand, she doesn't let go of him, still covering his mouth.

"Everybody." Eilda calls out to the crowd. The crowd stops their chatter and looks at Eilda.

"I know everybody wants to escape already but does anyone have anything that can tie up this bastard?" Asked Eilda as she lifted Agaleh high up so that everyone could see him. Agaleh still struggling, wagging his feet in the air, even kicking Eilda but to no avail.

"H-Huh? Isn't that Agaleh? Fattah's child?" Said someone the in the crowd.

"What?! Agaleh?! That's the bastard that took me!" Angrily said someone in the crowd.

"Yeah! He's the bastard that captured me and my daughter!!" Angrily said a mother with her child hugging her leg.

The crowd goes in a fury of rage as they see Agaleh, They run up to Eilda and Mihikolo and try to take Agaleh from her hands, Agaleh is terrified at the sight of them trying to get him but fortunately for him, they are immediately stopped by Eilda's other hand as she gestures to them to stop.

"Stop, I'm sorry everybody but we'll be taking Agaleh with us. We only need something to tie his legs, hands, and mouth up, does anybody have something?" Politely asked Eilda.

The crowd looks at one another to see if they have any.

"You can take my shirt!" Said a man in front of the crowd as he ripped away his torn-out shirt. He stretches his arm out, giving him his shirt. Eilda looks at the torn-our shirt and says. "Thank you but this won't be enough, I'll need about 2 more of this to tie up this bastard's Mouth, Hands, and Legs."

"You can have my shirt too." Said another man on the left of the crowd, he went up to Eilda and gave her his less torn shirt.

"Here you can have my hankie!" The little girl from before went up to Eilda and gave her a dirty pink handkerchief."

Eilda smiles at the kid and pats her head. "Thank you." The little girl smiles back and then returns back to the crowd.

Eilda tosses the shirts and handkerchief to Mihikolo. "Here, you tie him up. I'll keep holding him like this." Said Eilda.

"Alright." Mihikolo grabs hold of one of Agaleh's legs but Agaleh immediately starts wiggling crazily and kicking everywhere almost even kicking Mihikolo's face but Mihikolo didn't let go of his leg and instead was able to grab his other legs, he starts binding Agaleh's legs together then similarly to Agaleh's legs, Agaleh's struggle was similarly put to a stop as Mihikolo ties his hands together at his back.

"Now his mouth, Good thing he hasn't bitten you yet with all his struggling." Remarked Mihikolo.

"With his whole jaw in my hand, it's more like he can't. Now I'm about to let it go, you better not scream." Warned Eilda to Agaleh. Agaleh strongly nods his head in agreement out of fear.

Eilda lets go of his jaw and he drops to the ground.

"HEEEEELP!!!!" Screamed Agaleh to the top of his lungs.

!!!

"HEEEELPP MEEEEAUF-"

Mihikolo immediately starts tying his mouth with the handkerchief. 

"Dammit! I didn't think he would scream out like that! Some knights must've heard us! We need to get out of here!" Worriedly said Eilda.

After finishing tying Agaleh's mouth, Eilda grabs Agaleh's tied-up legs. "We'll go to the front door, we'll get out faster there!" Said Eilda as she started running towards the stairs from earlier while dragging Agaleh by the leg.

Mihikolo and the crowd quickly followed, they quickly and easily reached the front door of the City hall as it was just down the stairs and straight ahead. Eilda just in front of the door with Mihikolo beside her and the crowd just behind them, opens the door.

!?!?!

"WHAT?!" Exclaimed Mihikolo.

Mihikolo and Eilda were shocked at the sight upon opening the doors.

"Ahahahaha! That was easy!"

Lequiss stood there, with more than a dozen knights at his feet, unconscious while Fattah was sweating and trembling on the side.

Lequiss notices somebody at the front door of the City Hall."Oh? It's Eilda! What took you guys so long?" Asked Lequiss.

"What do you mean?! What are you even doing here?! Weren't you supposed to be baiting the knights to another area?!" Asked Mihikolo.

"Told you." Said Jildelmn at the other side with his arms crossed, Fylo and the knight beside him.

"Ehhh but it was so boring just standing there waiting." Lequiss makes a hilarious face as he frowns, this catches Jildelmn off guard. *Pfft*he immediately covers his mouth, trying to hide it.

Eilda sighs "It's fine, as long as you're safe. Plus we got something that can help escape." Eilda pulls Agaleh in front of her showing him off.

"A-Ah! S-Son!!" Fattah yelled out to Agaleh, he looked at Fattah and tried to speak "Mphf Hmff Mfffph!!" 

Fattah ran toward Agaleh but he stopped in his tracks as in front of him were the hundreds of people running out of the City Hall.

"W-What?! How are the people that were in the basement out?!?!" Shockingly Worried yelled Fattah.

People went in all directions.

Some people that weren't from the basement started gathering to see what's the commotion.

"What's happening?" "Why are there so many homeless people running around?" Asked by the people.

Soon knights arrived at the area and blocked the way out of the City Hall.

"Ahahahaha!" Fattah laughs with anxiety. "That's right! Knights block them, don't let anybody escape!" Firmly said Fattah.

But as he said that, the blockade was instantly broken as the knights recognized some of the people that were in the crowd.

"Ahh~ Ahh~" One of the knights slowly walks towards a mother and a daughter with tears starting to form, This breaks the blockade but soon after one by one, the other knights also walk towards somebody among the people that escaped.

"What the hell is happening?!" Asked somebody among the crowds of those who came to see the commotion.

The normal citizens were dumbfounded by the confusing sight in front of them because but unbeknownst to them It was a touching sight of the knights cryingly reuniting with their families that were wrongfully imprisoned. 

Fattah looked panicked, he looked at the crowd that was watching and started babbling "Everybody! D-Don't worry about this, this is nothing more than a-"

"Citizens of Civite!"

Fattah was suddenly interrupted by a voice that could be heard throughout the whole city. It wasn't loud nor weak but rather was just enough to be able to be heard throughout the city.

"Huh? Did you hear that?" Asked someone in the crowd of watchers.

"Yeah! Someone must be using the "Announcer'!" Answered someone in the crowd of watchers.

Fattah was immediately horrified as he realized. "W-What...?! This is...!" 

"I apologize if I have startled you but I must make this announcement, This may come to you as shocking but the one talking right now is someone who was presumed dead a long time ago." Announced the mysterious voice.

"What's this guy talking about? Who the hell is he?" Asked someone in the crowd.

"I am the 1st Son of Dillos Vaskard, the rightful lord of this city. Hans Vaskard." Announced Hans

!?!?!

"WHAT?!?!"