[Complete] the Mana-Wilds #1: A Cataclysmic Conjunction

Chapter 4

"Argh... goinn'ur 'un outta'ere?" Isaiah clarified.

"Wait for nightfall and let's gun for Katheer. Maybe get something out of this looting shit while we're at it for the road." David answered.

Isaiah nodded as he grabbed hold of his new axe and together, they climbed upstairs. Conveniently, they found their weapons and David's Pip-Boy still untouched on the same chest that he saw where the Sarenites had confiscated them too.

"What we dealing with now boy?" David checked his Pip-Boy as he ordered Isaiah to peek at the door.

"Looks like the party ended as soon as it started." Isaiah scouted quietly from the door.

The Nethysian Marauders had finished off the last of the defenders whilst they carried anything of practical value onto carts pulled by oxen-built beasts. Carts upon carts of precious foodstuffs, weapons, tools and all sorts of practicals are being stacked on mounds of loot for these rapacious folks. The rest were being put to the torch, sometimes quite literally by their literal hands, spouting fire forth onto the decrepit Monastery Fortress with their wild magicks. If these Raiders can just leave anytime sooner or at least not bother looking for two missing brethren of theirs, David and Isaiah should be able to flee out of the Castle without being accosted by them, now that they have fattened themselves with the Fortress' plunder.

"Let me go!" a familiarly rash female voice cried forth from amidst the ashes.

It was the two birdie twins that had interrogated them earlier. Tutoria and Tomos. The young girl was being held against her arms by magically conjured chains that bound their feet and hands.

"I thought I told you to kill all of the Paladins!" a dignified looking member of Witnesses of the Dead God reprimanded his subordinate cultists. He drew his sword, still fresh with the blood of the Sarenites he had massacred in the Fortress, readying to taste blood once again.

"Boss! don't you see what we're having here?" the raider who held the hapless Paladin behind her caressed the woman's body ghoulishly with a sagacious eye. "This Sarenite and her stupid twin are Aasimars! Plumekith to be exact! Very rare!"

"Go on..." his superior stayed his blade and began to observe the twins and listened to his subordinate's words.

"This bitch here... will make a fine slave... I am talking about thousands, maybe tens of thousands worth to the right buyer. Young, blonde, and look at her eyes!" She grabbed hold of her chin to help exemplify Tutoria's exotic features to the marauder leader. But the Aasimar wouldn't be so humiliated so easily by him. She bit her captors' fingers, drawing blood.

"Feisty are you!" the marauder tossed Tutoria to the ground and pummeled her defenseless form with two wide slaps. "I think you need to learn some manners!"

"Sister no!" Tomos, whilst bruised and bleeding still with bloodshot eyes pleaded. "Take me instead! Don't hurt her!"

"Brother!" Tutoria gasped for air as she looked at her twin.

"Fuckin' slavers." Isaiah seethed with anger. "We gotta help'em."

"No, we have to get our asses out of here." David attempted to overrule him as he re-attached his Pip-Boy onto his forearm.

"For fuck sake Dave! I thought Rangers are meant to help people!" Isaiah argued back.

"But we also have to play it smart, Ice. We're surrounded by people who can shoot flames out of their asses. Let's just get our asses out of here. They can distract them for us while we make our escape." David rebutted.

Isaiah inhaled deeply and seethed with steam. Conflict between his heart and his head contested for control of his next action in that one second. Morals of rescuing these people and the Pragmatism of running away now while the Bandits havent discovered them, are tussled until one ultimately prevailed.