Chapter 336: Glimpses of Chaos in the Commonwealth
The artisan had been chained to her work desk for the past five years of her life, ever since she'd fallen into debt. She thought she was a skilled artisan, but materials were so expensive, and when two projects had fallen through in a row, she just hadn't been able to keep up. And now, as a slave, it was obvious that she would never be able to make up her debt and just keep working forever.
The loss of her freedom hurt, but being turned into a piece of a machine was worse. She would never be able to aspire to a better life, not doing the same tasks over and over for the demons. At least they seemed largely uninterested in her, a plain woman with only moderate talents.
Sometimes she dreamed of creating something that could break her shackle and escaping, reaching her family in the south, but it was just a fantasy. Most likely she would work like this for the rest of her life, earning just enough to purchase a little more freedom for herself.
Then one day she heard soldiers shouting outside the workshop door. First ordering everyone into battle, then screaming, then commanding a retreat. She and the others huddled in their places, desperately hoping that no one would start a fire that would kill them all by heat or even smoke. Whoever was attacking, they would soon have new owners and then it would be back to work.
An enormous man with shaggy dark hair entered the chamber, dropping a soldier he'd been carrying in one hand. As he stepped toward her, she shivered and pulled away, for all the good it would do. She had been wrong about the worst: in the heat of the attack, the attackers might take whatever they wanted, even her. He was reaching for her...
But the beast of a man simply tore open her shackle. When he moved back, she saw his eyes and they were surprisingly gentle.
"Go," he told her quietly. "I can't guarantee your freedom, but you have a new chance."
"There..." She almost didn't dare to say anything, since she might anger him, but he looked back to her as if he truly cared. "There's a garrison to the north. They'll just catch us."
The man straightened and she saw the danger in him as his eyes shifted north. "That won't be a problem."