[Third Person POV]
"Agh!" Tiga grumbled as he was thrown into the cellar.
"Now we'll see the judgment for all your sins," said the Mithril plated knight who had tossed him inside.
"Shut the fuck up!" Tiga tried to get up, but he was immediately kicked in the abdomen, colliding with the wall behind him.
The knights were strong, but the main reason Tiga was thrown so easily was that his mana was blocked by the mana suppression handcuffs placed on his hands.
"Stay put. Tomorrow, we'll present you in front of the seven tribes," the knight announced before leaving the cellar and locking the door behind him.
"Ugh," Tiga groaned as he got up and walked towards the iron bars.
The shipment of slaves they were attempting to transport from Elishia Forest to Viceburg in the Hestia Empire was busted by a female knight named Amelia Clay.
Since then, every day has been a living hell and a nightmare for Tiga and Devon.
They fled wherever they could, but as if fate was against them, they were caught by the knights and thrown into the cellar.
"Boss!" Tiga called out, pressing his face against the cold iron bars.
... Silence...
There was no response from the other side, no sound coming from the cellar besides his own voice. He kept calling again and again until...
"What do you want, you little fuck!" A guttural voice spoke, and Tiga sighed with relief as he saw that his brother was doing just fine.
"What is going to happen to us now?" Tiga asked, his voice filled with worry as he slumped down.
"Haa, I don't know. Maybe they'll present us to the seven tribes, and then we'll face a public execution," Devon replied, his voice sounding distant as he walked away.
The rulers of the Beast Kingdom of Reva were the Seven Tribes, a powerful governing body much like the government of the Grav Kingdom and the royal family of the Hestia Empire, as well as the Eleven Board of Elishia Forest.
Tiga had never felt this scared in his life. He knew what he and Devon were doing was wrong, but they had their reasons, driven by a combination of factors and the legacy of their late father.
"Hey Tiga!" Out of nowhere, Devon's voice echoed from the other side of the wall.
"Boss?" Tiga wondered, looking in the direction of his brother's voice.
"You know, I never liked you from the time your father brought you home alongside that mother of yours," Devon said.
Tiga took a few seconds to digest his brother's words, then replied, "I know, nor did I like you in any way." He chuckled, trying to ease the tension.
"The only reason I am with you is..." Tiga hesitated, his gaze shifting between the dark cellar and his handcuffs. He continued, "The only reason I am with you is because after our fathers and both of our mothers deaths, I had no one else to call family."
"Is that so," Devon responded, his voice falling silent as the two step-brothers shared a moment of understanding in the dark and desolate cellar. No more words were exchanged between them.
The cellar felt colder than before, as Tiga found himself drifting into the depths of slumber. The exhaustion and stress of the recent events weighed heavily on him, and his eyelids grew heavier. The cold, hard floor beneath him became an icy bed in his dreams until...
Bammm!!!
"!!!" Tiga jolted awake, his body thrown backward by an explosive force.
He opened his eyes and looked around, feeling the numbness in his body and the weight of a large boulder on his left leg, making it hard for him to move.
"Agh," Tiga groaned, his breath visible in the frigid air.
"Weak shit," a familiar voice said, and Tiga's eyes shot wide open as he looked ahead.
Devon, the formidable beastman, now stood before him with an air of cold majesty. His golden stripes shimmered like frozen fire, radiant with an ethereal brilliance. His fur had turned an icy shade of silver-grey, flowing like an otherworldly cloak that accentuated his commanding presence.
His eyes, an icy blue, seemed to pierce through Tiga's soul, revealing a glacial wisdom that chilled him to the core. As he lifted the boulder with effortless strength, it was evident that this transformation had granted him a level of power beyond ordinary comprehension.
"Yeah, it's me," he pointed at himself with a pointed nail and then grabbed the handcuffs. With a swift and calculated motion, he shattered the handcuffs, and Tiga felt a sudden rush of freezing mana coursing through his veins.
The weight on his shoulders lifted, and he felt an icy surge of newfound strength and freedom. The suppression he had endured for so long was now gone, and he could feel the icy power flowing through him once again. It was as if he had been reborn, no longer bound by the chilling restraints of the handcuffs.
Devon turned and then blasted off the iron bars, his movements precise and swift like the freezing wind that cuts through the coldest night. He stepped outside the cellar and turned to Tiga, his frosty breath forming a cloud in the frigid air.
"Run, as this is the last time we see each other. I'll stop these Knights and soldiers," Devon commanded, his voice as cold as the winter wind.
"I can't leave you behind!!" Tiga shouted, his words crystallizing in the air.
"Hey!?" A knight ran towards Devon but was met with a chilling blow as Devon's fist struck his ribs with the force of an arctic storm.
"You ain't leaving me, I am leaving you," Devon retorted, his gaze as icy as the frozen tundra. "I've been chosen, so there are things I have to do to complete the deal. So run."
Tiga felt like his feet were frozen to the ground, his breath visible in the frosty air. He looked at the lump of blood that remained after Devon's brutal punch, the crimson contrasting sharply against the icy surroundings.
Without waiting or questioning any further, Tiga tore his gaze away from the chilling scene and ran, his breath coming out in icy puffs as he fled from the cellar. After that, he never saw Devon again.
After that the next stop that Tiga wanted to make was the Viceburg where the other criminal partners of him were waiting and he left for it.
The Separated decision for the slave traders like himself were created, making it hard for him to travel but he somehow managed to get on the ship that will take him to the Hestia Empire.
[Currently-Eastern Sea of Grav and Hestia.]
Breathing heavily, Tiga gasped for air, his disheveled appearance mirroring the state of the woman in front of him. The steamy session of passion had left them both flushed and sweaty, their bodies entwined in the dimly lit room.
Knock*
"!!" Tiga's heart skipped a beat as he heard the sudden knock on the door. His mind raced, wondering who could be at the door at this hour. He quickly glanced at the prostitute, who looked equally surprised.
"Uh, who could that be?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"I have no idea," Tiga replied, feeling a sense of unease. He quickly grabbed his clothes and began dressing, trying to regain some composure.
Knock* Knock*
The knocking persisted, becoming more urgent. Tiga moved cautiously towards the door, his senses on high alert. He cautiously peered through the peephole, but the corridor outside was empty, shrouded in an eerie silence.
Knock* Knock* Knock*
The relentless knocking continued, echoing through the empty hallway. Tiga's heart pounded in his chest as he hesitated, unsure of what to do. Was it a guest from the ship? Or something more sinister?
"Who is it?" he finally called out, trying to sound confident despite the fear creeping into his voice.
Silence.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence, and Tiga's heart raced as he waited for a response. Then, just as he was about to give up, a chilling voice pierced the stillness.
The prostitute looked at him, concern and confusion evident in her eyes.
"What's going on?" she asked, but Tiga was too preoccupied with the voice outside the door.
"I... I don't know," he stammered, trying to gather his thoughts.
Knock* Knock*
The knocking resumed, louder and more insistent than before.
"What do you want?" Tiga called out, trying to sound brave, but his voice trembled with fear.
Knock* Knock* Knock*
The relentless knocking continued, each knock echoing like the sound of a judgment hammer. Tiga's mind raced, trying to come up with a way out of this situation.
He got up, his heart pounding with fear, and approached the door cautiously.
Click*
"I surrender-"As he tried to speak, his voice was abruptly silenced by a silver glow flying past his left ear. A sharp blade had narrowly missed him, embedding itself into the wooden frame of the door.
"Ack!" A small, painful cry echoed behind him, and he instinctively turned to see the prostitute he had been with was now dead while a sword passed through her right eye.
"!!"Before he could react, a strong grip clamped around his throat, choking off his words and cutting off his breath. He looked into the eyes of the human boy standing before him, their golden hue reflecting a twisted sadism that sent shivers down Tiga's spine.
"That prostitute makes a lot of noise, so it's better to keep her silent for a while ....maybe forever, ain't it?" The boy's voice was cold and cruel, matching the sinister smile that played on his lips.
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