Chapter 70 ‒ The Chains Severed
Chapter 70 ‒ The Chains Severed
Tyler’s boots echoed through the dark, narrow corridors as he stalked forward, his breath ragged and heavy. Blood still dripped from his fingers, leaving crimson smears along the walls. He had one goal left: Drellic Wane. The coward’s scent of fear hung thick in the air, guiding Tyler forward like a bloodhound.
Suddenly, a shadow shifted above him. He spun just in time to see Velin leap from a ledge, a poison gas bomb clutched in her clawed hand. She hurled it down at him, the glass shattering into a burst of noxious green vapor. Tyler lunged backward, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the cloud.
Velin landed with feline grace, her golden eyes sharp and vicious. “Still pretending to be the noble hero? Look at you—drenched in blood, laughing as they fell! You’re no different from me!”
Tyler’s eyes narrowed. “You’re wrong.”
She lunged, slashing with her tail-blade. Tyler blocked her strikes, each blow ringing like thunder in the narrow hallway. He parried her with brutal efficiency, every movement infused with cold resolve. Velin hissed and spat curses, trying to stab him again with a hidden dagger.
With a final shove, Tyler slammed her against the wall, the dagger clattering to the floor. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to squirm free. But Tyler only looked at her, pity and fury warring in his gaze.
“You had a chance to choose,” he said quietly. Then, with a swift strike, he knocked her unconscious, letting her slump to the ground. He stepped over her limp form and continued forward.
Up ahead, a grand chamber opened before him, shimmering with stolen treasures and ornate tapestries. At its centre, Drellic cowered, frantically shoving coins into a sack. His fingers slipped on the golden pieces, his face contorted in terror.
Drellic’s head jerked up as Tyler entered. “Wait! Wait! I can give you anything! Gold! Power! Slaves! Titles! You don’t have to do this!” He stumbled back, nearly tripping over a fallen chest.
Tyler said nothing. His eyes burned, reflecting every sin Drellic had committed, every life he had stolen.
Seeing no mercy, Drellic pulled a hidden dagger from his sleeve and lunged wildly. Tyler sidestepped with ease and smashed his fist into Drellic’s stomach. The manager crumpled, coughing and retching.
“No… please…” Drellic whimpered as Tyler dragged him by the collar through the halls. Drellic kicked and clawed at the ground, sobbing, but Tyler did not falter. Step by step, he pulled him back to the Arena.
The freed fighters gathered around, their breaths heavy, weapons slick with blood. Silence fell as they saw the pathetic figure thrown at their feet.
Kragg stepped forward, towering above Drellic like a mountain. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His voice came low and thunderous. “Where is she?”
Drellic’s eyes darted wildly. “Who? Who are you talking about?!”
“My sister,” Kragg growled. “Where is she?”
Drellic laughed weakly, a mad, broken cackle. “Your sister? That little brat? Oh… I don’t know! I sold her to Dune bandits years ago! Told them to dump her in the desert, far from here. She was just leverage to keep you obedient, nothing more.”
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A shudder ran through Kragg. His entire frame shook as if struck by a quake. His breathing turned ragged, his gaze distant. He saw her again—her tear-streaked face the last time they met, clinging to the prison bars, her voice small and trembling as she called him “Big Brother.” The memory stabbed deeper than any blade.
Drellic kept rambling, oblivious to the gathering storm. “She’s probably dead by now. Starved or sold off again. Who cares? You really thought I’d keep track of some worthless—”
Kragg’s roar cut through the arena like a war drum. With one swing, his massive axe separated Drellic’s head from his shoulders. The head rolled across the sand, eyes wide in a final, frozen terror. The body collapsed, twitching.
Kragg dropped to his knees. His giant hands gripped the sand as he howled, the sound filled with endless grief and fury. The fighters stood frozen, some weeping, others silently bowing their heads.
Tyler approached carefully, placing a hand on Kragg’s massive shoulder. “I promise you,” he said softly, “I will find her. I will search every desert, every city. I won’t stop.”
Kragg choked on his sobs, his voice barely audible. “I don’t even remember my own name anymore… They took that too… But my parents… they called her ‘Sunshine’… that’s all I have left.”
Tyler’s chest ached. He tightened his grip, feeling the tremors wracking Kragg’s enormous body. “Then I will find Sunshine,” he vowed. “I swear it.”
Kragg slowly lifted his head, tears streaming down his broad face. A glimmer of fragile hope flickered in his gaze.
Tyler stood and faced the fighters. His voice rang strong, cutting through the heavy air. “Divide all the gold equally among yourselves. This is your freedom, your future.”
He turned to Kragg. “You will be the new head here. Lead these people, protect them. Show them a new way, free from cruelty.”
Kragg wiped his tears and nodded solemnly. Farnak stepped forward, shaking his head in disbelief. “Me? Managing all this gold? I… I can’t even balance my own pouch!”
Tyler managed a small, tired smile. “You’ll figure it out. Farnak, be the managing director. Help them rebuild, help them survive.”
Farnak swallowed hard, then gave a hesitant nod. “WHAT??! Well… fine… but you better come back and check on us! I won’t do all the paperwork alone!”
Laughter, weak but genuine, bubbled among the fighters. For the first time, a spark of true life seemed to return to their eyes.
Tyler raised a hand. “Those who came from the south, step forward.”
Several fighters moved, faces cautious but curious. Tyler described Kelmo, the bright-eyed boy they had left behind. Immediately, a thin, ragged turtle hybrid staggered forward, eyes wide. He dropped to his knees, tears bursting forth. “Kelmo… my son… is he really alive?!”
Tyler bent down and gripped the man’s shoulders. “He is safe. In Yandi. Waiting for you.”
The man collapsed, sobbing into Tyler’s chest. The others from the south watched with tearful relief, some clutching each other.
Tyler helped the man to his feet. “You and anyone else returning south can come with me. We leave today.”
Kragg straightened, still trembling but more resolute now. “We will make this place a haven… for those who have nowhere else to go. A true mercenary guild… built not on blood sport, but on honour.”
Tyler nodded. He looked into Kragg’s eyes one last time, seeing the broken warrior now mending, piece by piece. “I’ll return. And I’ll find her.”
Kragg gripped Tyler’s forearm, their eyes locking in silent brotherhood. Farnak stood to the side, wiping his nose, trying to look away so no one saw his tears.
Tyler activated teleportation. Light surged around him and the group from the south, including Kelmo’s father. With a final wave to Kragg and Farnak, he vanished.
They reappeared in the sunlit outskirts of Yandi. Before them, Kelmo played with other children. The boy froze, eyes wide, as he spotted the familiar, trembling figure of his father.
“Father!” Kelmo shrieked, sprinting forward. His father fell to his knees, arms wide. The boy crashed into his embrace, sobbing and laughing at once. The man’s fingers buried in Kelmo’s hair as he held him tightly, whispering prayers of thanks and love.
Tyler stood back, watching with tears glimmering in his own eyes. Memories of Milo flickered through his mind, warm and painful all at once. He pressed a hand to his heart, feeling the echo of his own lost family.
“Stay strong,” he whispered to himself, eyes never leaving the reunited pair. “Hold on to them. Hold on to what makes you human.”
As Kelmo and his father clung to each other, Tyler turned his gaze toward the horizon. Somewhere out there was Sunshine. Somewhere, there were still people to save, and pieces of himself to reclaim.
He would find them all.
And he would not stop. Not now. Not ever.