Chapter 4 – The Four Slaves of the City of Storms (4)

The night was dark and stormy. The moon casts light but the dust storm covered the whole city in storms making the moon’s light sparse. Perhaps it was due to this ‘storm’ that it was called the city of storms in the first place. In a room, the four slaves eyed at their door. The three understood each other while the other couldn’t. He did not know the common tongue and was unable to communicate.

“Looks like the Malfuso and your goddess favors us today,” said Shig smiling.

“Let’s get out of this place, Shig,” Leiko replied with a smile

Nodding, Shig offered the totem to his God. He prayed words of power. Words that even Leiko could not understand. This ‘prayer’ made the totem vanished into thin air. What remained were white particles of light coating Shig’s body. This white particle turned red and Shig’s body became reddish. Coated in red, Shig ripped apart his chains and twisted the handle of the door.

He then turned to the others and ripped their chains away. “Finally no more chains to bind me,” Leiko said while showing a savage’s smile. Shig nodded his head and gestured towards Joshua to follow him. Joshua followed behind as Shig and Leiko lead the way.

“You...guard Kioko.” Leiko pointed at Kioko. Joshua clearly didn’t understand it so Leiko acted as if she was shielding Kioko. This action made Joshua nod his head. He held Kioko’s hand and nodded at Shig and Leiko to confirm that he understood what Leiko meant.

Seeing Joshua take care of Kioko, Shig muttered something and his arms suddenly change. His burly body got covered with a thick black hide, and around his shoulder was a thick fur. His head became that of a bull. Leiko, who like Shig transformed into that of a werecat. She grew claws and her body was covered with black fur resembling her black hair and cat ears.

Joshua who was holding Kioko’s hand got stunned. He looked at the two who transformed and wasn’t able to move. “Come on!” Kioko pulled Joshua’s arm, allowing him to regain his senses. Joshua looked at the two and thought to himself. They are allies. There’s need to worry. This thought allowed him to follow the two who moved under the storm of dust’s cover. The two were swift. Joshua kept his distance as he watches the two predate the guards. In their other forms, the two didn’t have to use weapons. Leiko in particular, who was chained in silver chains, was now strong enough to tear through thin armor. Shig was already strong in his demi-human form. But his demon form made him able to fight two lancers and crushed their armor and uses it to kill the riflemen that targeted Leiko. The two worked together so well that it made Joshua look at them in amazement and fear. Although when hit, he could see red, before his regeneration kick in and heals him fast. He didn’t want to be shot or stab too many times.

So he let the two faced the guards. His job was to keep watch of Kioko. That’s why despite all the guards all alert now. Joshua, who could not understand anything other than the need to escape, decided to be brave. Kioko who was ready to defend herself looked at Joshua. She could see that he was nervous but feeling the tight grip of Joshua's hand, made Kioko smile.

...

Shig and Leiko fought the guards. The ‘noise’ from the fight was muffled so they didn’t have to worry about fighting others. They fought most of the lancers and the heavily armored ones. The riflemen tried to aim at them but the wind from the dust storm allowed Leiko outmaneuver and flank the riflemen.

While they fought, the master of the mansion came out with his guards. He looked at the transformed Leiko and Shig and ordered his guards to fight them. The guards wielded hand cannons and rifles. They wore thick yet light armor so Shig had to hit the dirt and use the furniture and pots around the houses as a projectile to fight back. Leiko encircled them while they were distracted. Because of this Leiko was able to get behind the one wielding the hand-cannon and tear through the wielder’s neck. The Master of the Mansion shouted in panic, he was about to run away only to see Shig in his human form holding a battle axe. Using this battleaxe, Shig split the master of the mansion’s head as promised and took the man’s heavy purse.

“Your transformation reached its limits?” asked Leiko.

“Yes, but we do not need to worry about that.” he pointed at the armor that the man who wielded the hand cannon wore. “That should be useful.”

“I see.’ Nodding her head, Leiko turned towards the two that were approaching. “Kioko are you alright?”

“Yes, Sister!” Leiko was about to asked Joshua only to remember he could not understand her words. Shig finished looting the young master. He then threw the boots and clothes to Joshua and told him to wear them. Shig wore the thick yet light armor of the hand cannon wielder. He invaded the mansion along with Leiko who was still in her beast form.

While they were away, Joshua unclothed the dead guard. He wanted to vomit at the sight of all of this but his fear made him endure it. Despite seeing it as taboo, Joshua wore the guard’s shirt, boots, pants, cloak, and waist cape. He wrapped the belt pockets and then took all the bullets that the guard had. Joshua couldn’t carry all of the rifles so he kept only two of their flint-lock pistols and hung a dagger to his belt where it was easy to reach. Joshua’s equips was quite heavy. Indeed, he looked weak and frail but it doesn’t mean he didn’t have the strength to carry them. He was malnourished, that’s all.

Taking hold of the rifle, Joshua waited for the two to come. After a few minutes inside, the two came back holding leather bags filled with gold coins and trinket. Leiko was back to her human form and she wore a cotton robe padded with leather. She brought another robe for Keiko while Shig had already made the thick yet light armor as his own. With the cloak covering the armor, no one would notice the leather bag and the bandoliers wrapped around Shig.

After looting and killing everyone inside the mansion. Shig realized that his plans of escape turned into a massacre. Indeed, escaping would be easy but he considered their expenses. They have enough coin to pay for half of the trip to the city of Avila. But it wouldn’t be enough. And he had to what he needed to do.

As they leave the mansion. Shig took notice of the carriage. He thought for a while before mounting the carriage, trying to make it work. Although he has experienced a lot, Shig still didn’t know how to operate the carriage automobile.

“Just leave it,” Leiko said. But Joshua, who seems to have understood Shig’s plight, made Shig move away as he fiddled with the carriage. Then, he was able to start the engine of the carriage. Witnessing this, Shig patted Joshua’s shoulder and opened the gates of the mansion. Leiko and Kioko boarded the carriage as Shig then returned and sat beside Joshua and started pointing where he should go.

It could be said that things went well for them. But as they drive away from the mansion, the dust storm that covered the city slowly settled.