Chapter 224: Battling Through the Goblin Lair
"Impossible!" The goblin chief groaned, slumping to the ground.
Sorrin straightened, pulling his sword from the humanoid monster’s chest. Droplets of blood slid off the blade as he flicked it to the side and sheathed it in one smooth motion. The other goblin corpses dotted the cavern entrance, split by blades, skewered by arrows, or scorched by magic. Their blood painted the floor red, making for slick, treacherous footing.
I ran over to the prisoners, dropping to my knees beside them. There were four of them, a couple and two children, all pale as sheets and eyes wide with terror. Shoddy iron manacles bound their hands and feet, and filthy rags had been stuffed between their lips. They were Deerkin, the male having three-point antlers, and the woman and two little girls covered in soft, downy fur.
I tore the gags away, and they all gasped with breath. The father’s eyes narrowed as he took in my demonkin features, but remained silent and simply bowed his head in gratitude. The children began sobbing, overcome by the trauma of the experience, and even the wife sniffled.
"I’ll get you free," I whispered, picking up one of the manacles. It was poor quality, but the iron was cold and cruel. Memories of my torturous experiences beneath the Western University resurfaced, my hands shaking to the point I nearly dropped the manacle.
I shuddered as a soft hand landed on my shoulder, gently pulling me away. "Allow me," Dyson said, taking the manacle.
He removed a slender pair of lockpicks from somewhere up his sleeve, and, within seconds, the manacle clicked open. I stood back, my tail coiling anxiously about my ankles, forcing myself to watch as he freed them one by one. When the last chain fell to the ground, the family skittered away from the cave, clustering closely around the Glory Chasers.
"You’re alright now," Tana said soothingly, "We’ve come to rescue you."
The Deerkin father took Sorrin’s offered hand, shaking it gratefully. "Thank you. We were just sitting down for dinner when they broke through the door, screaming their awful warcries and waving their weapons. I barely had time to grab a kitchen cleaver before we were spirited away. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did."