Women of Infernal Jade

Borug's corpse lay still. Despite the apparent death of the fiend, the spindly woman continues to slash at the corpse, her fury unsatisfied by the bulbous thing's death.

"Die! Fucking die!" She gasped, her breath running ragged as tears formed around her bloodshot rage-filled eyes.

The second woman, who Hector had promptly freed after the first, rushed over and pulled the first woman into a hug. Dragging her off the corpse, she gently took the knife from the crazed woman's hand and set it on the table.

"He's dead, Senna. It's okay; you killed him." She whispered, holding the quivering woman in her arms, her own body quivering from the flood of emotions pouring through her.

The woman named Senna curled into her friend's arms, burying her head into the unnamed woman's shoulder.

Hector said nothing, giving the two women time to gather themselves. He gently unclasped his cloak, which he had used to protect himself from the black sun, and placed it over their naked bodies before stepping out of the tent to stand by the entrance.

Hector's own rage continued to simmer beneath the surface, but now was not the time to indulge. The two women needed this time alone. Hopefully, that would be enough to restore at least a small part of their dignity.

As he stood beneath the small overlap of the tent, a group of friends scurried up, wielding short daggers, their postures alert. "Err, Captain. What was that commotion? Where is Borug?" the first one asked.

Still boiling inside, Hector took a deep breath and attempted to calm his anger. Killing one fiend would likely be fine. Slaughtering an entire group of them would be too dangerous. "Borug was insubordinate. He was dealt with." Hector said, turning a challenging glare down at the group. "Am I to take your knives being pointed at me as insubordination?"

The fiends all backed off, immediately sheathing their daggers. The screams they had heard from the tent were violent and primal. None of them were willing to test the man who had apparently tortured and killed Borug, their previous leader.

The one who had spoken earlier bowed his head. "I am sorry, sir. I did not know it was you and had thought that Borug's slaves had ambushed him. I have nothing but respect for you, my lord." Hector nodded his head, allowing his harsh gaze to return to normal.

Taking a closer look, the fiend was much taller and more muscled than Borug had been. While most fiends were about half the size of a human, this new one easily reached Hector's upper chest. Not only that, but his voice was significantly deeper.

"Good. Tell me. Are there any other slaves like those two?" Hector asked.

The tall fiend shook his head. "No, sir. Borug forbade it as he said it would diminish the workforce too much. Are you planning to change that policy?" It asked, a disgusting glimmer of hope in its eyes.

Hector snarled. "No. From now on, if I discover that any of you are using the slaves in any capacity other than as intended…. I'll kill you."

The fiend frowned but nodded its head. "Understood," it growled in an unsatisfied tone.

Hector then paused for a moment before concluding. "What's your name?" He asked the tall fiend.

"Gruda, sir."

"Good. Gruda, from now on, you are second in command. Get things organized and underway, then come back to me. I want a full report on the worksite, including slave treatment." Hector demanded before waving dismissively.

"Err. Yes, sir!" Gruda barked, hurriedly turning away and skittering down towards the quarry with his companions.

Hector sighed, breathing out all of the stress and anger that had caused his body to tense up. A feeling of calm comfort washed over him as he stood under the flap and meditated, the series of deep breaths calming his mind.

Moments passed with Hector lost in the calm serenity of his meditation, the sound of metal on stone ringing out in a strangely pleasant rhythm from the quarry.

Finally, the tent flaps pulled open, and the second woman's head peeked out. "Uh, thank you. Um. Come in?" she asked, her voice soft and breaking in a nervous manner, her almond-brown eyes flickering up and down Hector nervously.

Unlike her counterpart, this woman had long blond hair that cascaded down her torso. Her pale skin was also caked in dirt and riddled with bruises.

Hector moved inside, following the head, which had disappeared behind the long, flowy curtains that acted like a door. Entering inside, he found the two women wearing what appeared to be low-quality clothing, which was barely enough to cover their bodies. These rags were likely the garments they had worn in the quarry.

He stood silent, waiting for the women to speak first. It was a short wait. The girl called Senna spoke first.

She stood up and handed Hector back his cloak, a wary look on her face. "W-who are you? Why did you help us."

"My name is Hector. I am the new Slaver Captain in charge of the workforce."

"Why did you help us? Is it to make us like you and beg you for protection? Are you looking for willing toys?" She hissed, her eyes growing fierce as she angled her body in front of the blond girl protectively.

"No. I helped you because what you were going through was inexcusable. No one should have to go through something like that," he explained gently, trying not to appear threatening. These girls had gone through some horrible things, so they were bound to distrust him.

The two girls gazed at him with uncertainty in their eyes, their postures shifting awkwardly. "What do we do now?" The blond girl asked

Senna turned to her, "Hilda! What are you asking him for? We need to leave!"

Hector shook his head at Senna's words. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."

"What! Why not? Why bother saving us then!" She hissed.

"Senna!" Hilda snapped, her scolding voice causing Senna to turn to her, eyes wide. She was like a child being scolded by their mother. "Even if we were free, where would we go? Until we pass the trial, we will never be free of this place." Hilda said softly.

Hector froze. "Trial? As in, the First Infernal Trial?"

The two girls turned to him and looked at him, confused. "You mean you don't know?" Hilda said, surprised.

Senna chimed in, "Actually, Hilda, I don't recognize him from the others. He's probably a new summon."

Hector paused, confused by what he was hearing. "Wait. New summon? You mean, you guys are all from the Sacred Flame Sect?"

"You're from the Heavenly Demon Cult? I guess that makes sense, considering you look like a fucking vampire." Senna muttered, glaring at Hector.

Hilda shook her head, "No. We are from the Infernal Jade Fortress…."

Hector glanced back and forth between the two before asking, "So, all the slaves are from….

Senna cut him off, her eyes narrowing, "Wait! If you were just summoned, how the hell have you already become part of their cohort? Bastard, have you betrayed us?"

Hilda's eyes also widened at Hilda's words and she took a stance, her frail body tensing as if ready to strike. "Explain yourself." She demanded.