“In his way, he was just checking on me. I think what he wanted to know was if we’d keep on helping others like him and Zene.”

“What did you tell him?”

~~~

Claws bore deep into the chest of a soldier. Fear and pain froze to the features of the face as he died. The blood was lost to the darkness of the night as Nevetes shook it clean. The body of the soldier was heavy as it hit the ground.

“Bastard,” the wounded soldier spat up the word.

She was a tough one, for a human. Nevetes hunched down next to her. Death was a fate she was awaiting. And it would come. But not in this moment. He stared coldly upon her, “the key.”

She glared. But after only a moment, she pulled the item from a pouch at her side. The iron key fell heavily in the dirt. Nevetes picked it up. He moved away, turning his back on the soldier. She shouted to the best of her ability, “kill me, dammit!”

He ignored. The key flipped through the air and he caught it again easily. With a sideways toss it left his possession. Small hands held in heavy chains caught it. Large, fearful eyes had been watching him. Two young boys and a young girl in simple off-white clothing, held together by heavy chains. Bruises were heavy upon their young faces and visible upon their arms. The key would release them.

“Please,” a young male voice pled, “take us with you, sir.”

He stopped, his head turning minutely in their direction. Fear of what he was had them cowering. With these words, he moved away, “figure out your own fate, if you have the courage to try.”