Chapter 38: Breaking In

IRO

Iro, Cerys, Skalla, and Alethria’s leafy form were huddled at the edge of the Valouri estate, their eyes peeled for any sign of Alethria’s dryads. They were hoping for a clue to Zeltaria’s whereabouts.

Iro had mentioned that he’d made his escape through the canal system, so Zeltaria had to be somewhere linked to the canals. But that still left a vast number of places to search.

Alethria and Cerys managed to narrow down the search area by considering places that could generate a current strong enough to sweep Iro away. That left them with the city outskirts, but progress was still slow.

So, they waited.

Skalla, surprisingly, seemed the most restless. She paced back and forth, her fists clenching and unclenching as she brooded in silence.

Cerys, on the other hand, sat on a patch of grass nearby, her hand absentmindedly caressing the hilt of her sword.

Iro had never seen this armor or weapon before, and he found himself wondering where she’d been hiding them. He also wondered how often she ~used~ them. Probably not at all, at least not recently.

Iro and Alethria’s form spent these quiet moments together, either whispering to each other or simply leaning against one another.

Her form didn’t have any real weight, so it was like leaning against a breeze, but Iro still found her presence comforting and energizing.

“Hey, Alethria, ma’am? One of your dryads is back,” Skalla announced, breaking the silence.

The dryad, like Alethria’s form, was incorporeal but made up of swirling pink and red flower petals, held aloft by a vortex of wind.

“Lu’ji,” Alethria’s form said, addressing the flower petals, “what did you find?”

The petals came together to form a figure resembling a young woman, and quickly glanced at each of them.

The flower petals spoke in a voice that sounded like a man and a woman whispering together on the wind.

“We think we’ve found her, matron. We saw the centaur man throwing away a blue uniform like the one we were told about.

“He went into a big warehouse on the edge of town. There was a drain leading to the canals from the building under the main floor.”

Cerys quickly turned to Iro. The details fit. The centaur looked back at the petals. “Where?”

Lu’ji pointed a fluttering arm toward the southeast edge of town. “On the edge of the industrial sector. The building is alone in its construction, made of cut stone and brick. It’s a cold place.”

Alethria’s form moved closer, and a gust of wind passed between the two dryad forms. The flower petals fluttered under Alethria’s seemingly stronger winds.

“Good job, both of you. Gather the others who are still searching and try to keep an eye on the council. See who runs when we storm this compound.”

The petals fluttered again and scattered into the wind, the pink and red petals floating away quickly.

Alethria turned to face Cerys. “We know where to go. We need to hurry.”

Cerys nodded and looked at Iro, who was dressed in a fresh set of clothes and looked determined, if a bit unsure. She grunted as she got up and walked over to him, her face flushed.

“M-mister Iro, we don’t have much time. I just ask that you don’t mention this to Master Zeltaria.”

Iro looked confused for a moment before Cerys reached down to his collar and, with surprising strength and agility, lifted him up and slung him over her horse-like body.

Iro yelped and scrambled to regain his balance as Cerys helped him get settled.

“Riding a centaur like this is an ~intimate thing~…Master Zeltaria would…~talk~,” Cerys said, blushing as she turned her head to look at Iro on her back.

Iro nodded, understanding the seriousness of her decision. “I won’t say a word.”

Cerys nodded and started to trot, with Alethria’s leaves flowing alongside her and Skalla jogging next to them.

“Miss Skalla, do you think you can find the building from the description?” Cerys asked.

The shark woman grinned, her smile full of teeth and energy. “I’ll beat you there.”

Cerys nodded and broke into a gallop as they reached the edge of a canal. Skalla leaped into a high jump and dove into the water, disappearing into the deep canal and shooting off with the speed of a sea predator.

Cerys and Alethria moved quickly over land while Iro struggled to stay on Cerys’s back.

Every now and then, Cerys would reach an arm back to give Iro something to hold on to when she took a sharp turn or jumped over a barrier or small gap.

Iro could feel his anxiety growing, but he knew he couldn’t let it get the best of him. Zeltaria needed help, and he wasn’t going to let her down.

In thirty minutes, Cerys was within sight of the building described by Lu’ji, a warehouse on the edge of the industrial sector that ~looked~ abandoned, but the people coming and going suggested it was still in use.

Water flowed from a drain at the base of the building, and the structure itself was made of cut stone and bricks.

“Lu’ji did a good job,” Skalla said as she came back from checking the drain, still dripping wet. “The building’s all here, but that drain is way too small to get through. Iro might fit, but if he was washed away once—”

“Then he won’t be able to get back through it. I understand,” Cerys finished, considering her next move. A frontal attack didn’t seem like the best idea, but it was the only option they had at the moment.

Alethria’s green leaves came back together and the dryad’s form spoke softly.

“There’s a basement. I couldn’t see much, but there seemed to be only a couple of guards. If we move quickly, we might catch them off guard.”

Cerys nodded and sighed. “Very well. Mister Iro?”

Iro, who had been leaning against a wall to stay out of the way as Mika had asked, stood up straight. “Yes, Cerys?”

“Ever been in a fight, Iro?” Cerys asked, her voice tight with worry. “We might be heading into a rough situation.”

Iro shook his head. “Only if you count video games or wrestling with Beck.”

Cerys managed a small smile, but it quickly disappeared.

“I’m afraid that doesn’t count. You’ll be our lookout. Stay behind us and let us know if there’s trouble. We’ll keep you safe. Let’s go, we can’t waste any more time.”

Iro, Skalla, and Alethria all nodded, falling in line behind Cerys as they hurried toward a door they’d seen used before.

They reached the door without being noticed.

Cerys paused to listen, then turned to Skalla. “Skalla?” she asked, nodding toward the door.

Skalla grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” She stepped forward, planted one foot firmly on the ground, and kicked the door with all her might. It flew off its hinges and crashed into the warehouse.

Cerys was the first one through the door, sword in hand, with Skalla right behind her. Two large extra-species men, a bull man and a one-eyed shark, rushed toward them.

Cerys held her sword up to the bull, keeping him at a distance, while Skalla landed a powerful punch on the shark, sending him stumbling backward.

Cerys kept the bull at bay, while Skalla danced around the shark’s wild punches, landing precise counterattacks. Each punch from Skalla was a force to be reckoned with, and Iro couldn’t help but wonder what Skalla had done before becoming a chef.

He watched as the shark man fell to the ground, unconscious, blood dripping from his broken nose and cuts from Skalla’s reinforced gloves and artificial claws.

Cerys turned to the bull. “Where’s the red Succubus?” she demanded.

The bull, more focused on Cerys’ sword and Skalla’s fists than anything else, pointed to a door at the back of the building. “The basement’s over there. Just...don’t kill me.”

Cerys scoffed and nodded toward the door. “Skalla, Iro, check it out. I’ll deal with ~this one~.”

Skalla grabbed Iro’s collar and pulled him toward the door. They found a staircase leading down into a dark basement.

Iro followed Skalla through the dark hallway until he recognized a familiar scent.

“This one,” he said, tapping a heavy metal door.

Skalla started to kick the door, but then decided to try the handle. To her surprise, it opened easily.

Iro and Skalla stepped into the room, and Iro immediately felt a chill. He didn’t like being back here.

The basement was dark, but Iro’s heart soared when he saw Zeltaria.

His relief was short-lived when he saw her condition. She was slumped on the ground, barely breathing. Iro rushed over to her, but Skalla was more cautious.

Her caution was justified when Iro was suddenly thrown against the wall by a fast-moving figure.

“~Oh~, hello, puppy,” Ilia cooed, pinning Iro to the wall with a magical binding that secured his arms behind his back.

“That’s enough, Ilia,” a female voice said. Siuei stepped into view, her foot resting on Zeltaria’s head. “And you, shark, stay where you are.”

Skalla bristled at being called “shark,” but her anger was overshadowed by her concern for Zeltaria. “Get your foot off her, or I’ll break it,” she threatened.

Siuei laughed. “As if ~you~ can tell me what to do. Get on the ground and surrender, or I’ll crush her head.”

Skalla growled, but dropped to one knee, raising her hands in surrender.

“Good. Now, Ilia, tie her up,” Siuei ordered.

Ilia looked confused. “But I’ve got this one, and—”

“Do as I say. He’s useless. She’s the one we need to worry about. Hurry up.” Siuei glared at Ilia, then turned her smug gaze back to Skalla.

Ilia let go of Iro and walked over to Skalla.

As Ilia left him, Iro realized that the magical bindings around his wrists had disappeared.

He guessed that Ilia could only maintain one set of bindings at a time, which left him free and unattended.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Siuei, her white wings folded, standing over Zeltaria, who appeared to be unconscious.

Skalla growled as Ilia approached with a magical rope, but the threat of Siuei crushing Zeltaria’s head kept her from attacking.

“That’s better. Beasts like you need to know your place—AHH!”

Siuei’s taunt was cut off as Iro, ~free and unattended~, charged at her, knocking her off Zeltaria and onto the ground.

Skalla, with one hand still free, immediately punched Ilia in the stomach. The magical rope disappeared as Ilia fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

Skalla darted over to where Iro was struggling to keep the woman under control. She placed one of her large, sturdy hands on the woman’s head, freeing Iro from his task.

With a smirk, Skalla looked down at the woman who was now helplessly trapped under her firm hold. “What was it you said about ~beasts like me~ again?”