Chapter 442 The start of a legend

Looking inside, the children were all sitting beside the wall with dead eyes. Even though Cain had just lit the place, they never reacted. In the corner was a large rusted tub of dirty water beside it a heap of moldy bread.

A quick appraising scan revealed that most of them were alive. Out of the 53 children there, eleven were dead and the other didn’t seem that alive.

Cain approached one of the children and waved his hand in front of his face. He didn’t respond, he was dead sitting there.

“We’re getting out of here. Who can move?” Cain looked around. They responded to his words, barely managing to stand up.

Seeing them act like newborn calves, made him realize how they must have been treated this whole winter. “Forget that, I will carry you out,” Cain said using telekinesis to lift three of them.

“I will help.” Gracie walked out of his shadow.

“We have limited space in the elevator, need to carry them in small batches,” Cain said looking at her.

“How about you open a portal to the maze?” Gracie suggested.

“In their condition? Passing through the magic dense portal might be the last straw needed to finish them. Need to get them out of the mine and treat them there first, we can later send them to their families or create a refugee camp at the mansion if necessary.” Cain started putting the children on the elevator and getting them out slowly.

As Gracie moved the dead ones to the side and covered them with a large cloth, she looked at Cain. “Should we call Alice to heal them?”

“Already did, who do you think is taking the kids out of the elevator? It’s Alice and Spindle.” Cain replied.

“Then I should go help them, you can take care of this alone, right?” She looked at him with a blank face.

“Of course, we have to work fast.”

After about half an hour, they managed to get all the children out. Alice was lining them under the olive tree and treating those who needed it. Most of them had their hands swollen and legs bruised.

“How are they doing?” Cain asked.

“The wounds aren’t so bad, healing magic can fix them right away. But they are famished and am not sure about how are they mentally.” Alice replied.

“What a mess…” Cain sighed.

Thud! Thud! Thud! He heard heavy footsteps approaching, in the distance a squad of Ironlake soldiers was approaching.

Thud! They stood beside Cain and stared at the children.

“Intruder, you’re under arrest for stealing the lord’s property.” The one wearing the best-looking armor approached Cain.

Cain glared at him, “Property? Want me to burn this whole place down? Your lord is no more.” He was serious.

“Empty words! We have hour methods, you’re going with us now!” The man pulled his crossbow and pointed it at Cain’s neck.

BANG! A hole got blasted in the squad leader’s head. Jack was standing in the bushes holding what looked like a steel tube with a wooden handle.

Thud! Jack took a step ahead pulling another tube and BANG! He blasted another hole in the man’s head. BANG! And he fired the third one as well after putting the first tube in his pocket.

The other guards stood then in shock unable to possess what had just happened.

Tuf! Spitting on the dead man’s face, Jack kicked his corpse away, “Shit face, the fuck you’re doing pulling a string at my friend?”

After realizing what just happened, all the guards pulled their swords and crossbows at Jack. “A pirate, kill him.”

Jack slowly turned toward them with a snort, “Get them, boys!” All the sailors that were hiding behind the pushes leaped in surrounding the guards.

“Jack, you were here?” Cain smiled.

“As if you didn’t know. Bet you sensed us a mile away as if we’re a violent storm.” Jack giggled and turned toward the guards. Sitting on the commander’s corpse he stabbed the ground with his curved swords and held his fourth tube in his left hand.

“What are we going to do with you lots now…?” He started shaking the tube.

“Don’t you have any respect for the dead?” One of the guards shouted looking at Jack sitting on the commander’s corpse.

“Respect is gained through actions in a person’s life, he did non to get mine. In fact, got my nerves riling an annoying creek in the deck.” Jack knocked on the man’s corpse with the tube.

“Heartless criminals like you are going to end on the rope.” Another of the guards growled.

Jack looked behind at the children, “Yeah bet, a rope would be more comfortable than standing in your shoes now.”

“Orders are orders, we can’t disobey or the city will fall into chaos.” One of them held his crossbow tight aiming it at Jack’s head.

“If I was in your place, I would have blasted a hole in whoever gave me those kinds of orders. You’re in it as much as the one who gave you orders.” Jack quickly lifted his hand and shot the crossbow in the soldier’s hand to pieces with the tube. “See? Easy. Didn’t take any effort, just some courage, and a fucking heart.” Jack stood with a fire burning in his eyes.

“Tie them, don’t care if you break some bones.” He growled.

Just before the sailors could get to work, “Let me handle that.” Cain said using telekinesis to immobilize all the guards.

“What a nice trick, magic?” Jack turned toward Cain with a smile.

“Yeah, useful isn’t it?” Cain stood up.

“Sure thing it is. How you’ve been lately?” Jack tossed the still smoking tube in his pocket.

“A small cannon, it’s still hot so don’t put it inside,” Cain said looking at Jack.

“Nah, it’ll be fine. Been doing it my whole life and nothing happened.” Jack smirked it off.

“What brought you here?” Cain asked. It was strange to see pirates coming far from the sea.

“Business. Heard the lord here was selling some slaves so I wanted to scam him. Take the money and free the slaves, you know the usual work.” Jack smiled.

“What usual? Bet it was your first time and you failed, need a better informer.” Cain patted Jack on the shoulder.

“Yeah you’re right, gossip and bars are unreliable in forging lands.” Jack sighed with his slightly down. “Forget the hard talk, how are the ladies doing?” Jack took his cap giving Alice and Gracie a slight bow.

“AGRA!” Jack growled as Cain elbowed him to the liver. “Let my wives alone,” Cain growled.

“You two seem to get along pretty well…” Alice gave Cain a suspicious look. It was first Daraku and now Jack, Cain seems to always get along with shady people.

“Are you joking? Your husband here swung a Kraken (“It was an Aboleth Captain” one of the sailors said from behind) like it was a fucking sardine! They tamed the seas!” Jack swung his sword in the air in circles.

“He is better than those idiots for sure.” Cain looked at the tied guards.

…

After an hour had passed, the king’s soldier led by the marine approached the lord’s mansion with the potions that Cain ordered.

The first thing they noticed was that the kingdom’s flag was missing. In its place, a black rug was flapping with the wind.