A White Dress

Terra is too stunned to speak. Her eyes remain wide open as she just looks at Nartho in absolute shock. Obviously, the immediate answer is no, one thousand percent. The problem is, the swords that are currently pressing against Kyuala and Amilia's throats.

Amilia begins to try and talk through her gag, but it just comes out a muffled annoyed grunts as she slightly leans forward in the chair even with the sword at her throat.

"Shut her up!" Nartho calls to his guard, who swiftly delivers a jab to Amilia's jaw, disorientating the catfolk as she recoils from the hit.

"So, what do you say, Terra? Join me in this holiest of matrimonies, and we can rule this pathetic continent together! We can be the most powerful union this side of the hemisphere!"

"She would rather die than be married to you!" Virra says as she nocks a new arrow, aiming it at Nartho, who doesn't even react.

"Oh, I know. However, if she doesn't get married to me, you and the rest of your friends will perish because of her decision."

Terra continues to be silent as every single idea, every single potential response, and every single action that she has any sort of chance of making, all could result in the death of her sister and her friends.

"C'mon Terra, the clock is ticking. You don't have long to make a choice before we see what's inside the neck of a cat. I am quite intrigued to see how much her fur can soak up the torrent of blood."

As this is all going on, Lani is currently on John's shoulder, just peeking around his head to look at the scarred man ahead. After listening in on this entire conversation, Lani can see that Terra is unable to make a decision, and so, she decides to make one of her own.

Lani then gets completely behind John's head and looks down to see how far the ground is before slowly floating down, making sure to stay behind John's body. As she reaches the ground, she makes a quick dash behind the altar and presses on her ear. "Terra, John. You two need to keep him talking. I'm going to go and free Kyuala and Amilia from their bindings. Once I've managed to do that, I'll give the signal to knock this ass-face into the middle of next year."

Lani then heads to the left side of the altar before peeking out to try and gauge where Nartho's lackeys are currently positioned.

As Lani looks, she sees that all the lackeys are completely focused on the group. Quickly, she decides to scurry across the floor, trying to get behind the closest one before anyone spots her. Not long after beginning to scurry, she gets behind the foot of the closest lackey before surveying the remaining distance between her and the tied up duo. Four lackeys currently separate the fairy from her friends, but the biggest problem is the two men that currently threaten their lives. She knows that getting past these first four will be easy, but she has no idea on how she'll free them without drawing attention to herself.

As she knows that she doesn't have much time, Lani decides to come up with a plan on the move. Lani then begins moving from foot to foot, hiding behind each leg before moving to the next while racking her brain for some sort of plan.

Lani then gets to the last lackey, and a semblance of a plan has formed in her mind. Lani then presses on her communicator and quietly says, "John, Terra, can you two keep them distracted for a few seconds? I'll need to use some magic to remove Kyuala and Amilia's bindings."

The addressed duo don't respond, but Lani sees that they're ready to give her the opening she needs.

After hearing Nartho continuing his babble about being the rulers of the continent, and eventually, the world. How their union will bring them countless riches and how their bloodline would never struggle for money again. Eventually, Terra finally gives a meek response. "If... I join you... you'll let them all go?"

Nartho chuckles, "Of course. I am a man of my word, after all. All you have to do, is say I do, and your friends are all free to go with every hair intact. Well, minus the ones that are already split." Those last words couldn't have been any more untrustworthy, but his point would be made all complete with that signature shit-eating grin.

"So, what do you say, Terra? Are you ready to join me now? Or will you join the worms in the ground?"

"Do you seriously think that shit would work? C'mon, man." John starts, getting Nartho's attention. "You've said that you were this oh-so handsome dude before, but holy fuck, you've got to be the most sanctimonious son of a bitch I have ever met. Seriously, you are genuinely that fucking annoying that I used the word 'sanctimonious' for fuck sake. I mean, if that doesn't tell you something, your head is as thick as the shit that's spewing from your mouth."

Nartho begins to growl, "You better watch your tone, peasant! Do you have any idea of who you're speaking to?!"

"Oh, I believe he knows fine well who he is talking to. The biggest pile of gurogan crap that has ever walked among this world!" Virra fires back in rebuttal.

Nartho growls even more before whipping out a sword from the inside of his coat. "I will skin you from head to toe, you insignificant runts! I shall cut out your tongues for speaking like to the heir to the Knagstun lineage!"

Terra then takes a step forward, almost getting in Nartho's face, "You won't do a damned thing to them if you wish for me to marry you!"

Nartho, for once, stops talking. He simply examines Terra's stern face as she stares daggers into him. The scarred heir of the Knagstun family soon sprouts a sinister grin before saying, "You forget Terra, I don't actually need you to agree. I just need you alive, so I can get a replacement for the priest and make you a mindless concubine, ready to serve my every whim. It would just be easier for you to do it of your own volition."

Nartho then brings his sword up, pointing the tip up toward Terra's neck. "So, what is your answer? Join me and be the Queen you should be? Or be nothing more than a mindless, drooling paperweight that'll just be used like a breeding mare?"

"Guys! I've freed them! Go when you're ready!" Lani sends over the communicator.

Upon hearing Lani's message, Terra begins, "Nartho Knagstun."

"Yes, dear Terra?"

"I would love nothing more... than you castrate you, you vile bastard!"

Just then, the two guards beside Amilia and Kyuala have their swords ripped from their hands before being plunged with them by the recently freed duo.

Nartho hears the commotion, and decides to quickly look over. Terra then takes the opportunity to head-butt Nartho with vile cracking noise coming from his nose upon impact. The head-butt forces Nartho to stumble back as he clutches at his definitely broken nose. Guards then immediately rush the trio at the altar, cutting off their direct path to Nartho who is helped into the darkness by some of his lackeys.

"CUT THEM DOWN! MAKE SURE ONLY TERRA REMAINS!"

Swords clash together as John saves Terra from a swiping attack on her right before Terra plunges her sword into the lackey's chest. Meanwhile, Virra is quickly nocking and firing arrows, helping out Kyuala and Amilia who are making their way over to the others.

"Damn it! They took my axe! These swords are too damn small!" Kyuala comments as she swings the sword which almost looks like a dagger in her hands.

"Then just punch the bastards! Your hands are the fucking size of doors anyway!" Amilia comments as she leaves the sword in the stomach of one guard before pulling out her daggers.

Heavy footsteps then emerge from the shadows, and in the large wolf-man's hands is none other than Kyuala's axe. The orc then grins as she rushes said wolf-man with none other than her fists, taking Amilia's suggestion to heart.

The wolf-man chuffs, seemingly underestimating Kyuala's skill in combat.

Kyuala immediately makes him pay for that mistake as she gives him a lightning quick right cross, rocking the wolf for a good second.

The wolf quickly snaps his head back, looking at Kyuala once more with a pissed off, toothy expression. Rapid swings of the axe follow with Kyuala managing to evade every swing perfectly.

The wolf continues to swing wildly, not giving Kyuala a chance to retaliate or even disarm him as she's purely focused on not getting her head cut the fuck off.

Swipe after swipe, the wolf continues to attack, but is yet to connect with Kyuala. Finally, an opening shows up, but only for the briefest of seconds. Kyuala isn't fast enough to take advantage of said opening. However, Virra, who has an arrow nocked, quickly turns toward the wolf before letting the arrow fly.

The arrow soon finds its target within the wolf's eye. The squelch of the arrowhead entering the eye can be heard through the clashing steel. The wolf lets out a howl of pain as he reaches for the arrow currently embedded in his right eye.

Kyuala takes this new opportunity and sweeps the wolf's leg while pushing his head down simultaneously. A large thud follows as the wolf's body connects with the concrete. Meanwhile, Kyuala has her axe back in her hands, and starts a large swing like an executioner ready to end the life of their quarry.

Another meaty squelch is heard, but this time, it's the wolf's head that has now become separated from his neck with blood immediately pooling from the top of the neck that his head used to reside.

"That was for nearly blunting my axe with that horrible form." Kyuala quips as she walks over to the others as they finish up the last guards.

"Took you long enough to kill him." Amilia says.

"Well, if it wasn't for a certain person talking about jumping down and slaughtering them all, we wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place." Kyuala retorts, causing Amilia to scoff.

"Me? Oh yeah, totally, absolutely, one hundred percent my fault. I mean, surely it wasn't the walking mountain on stilts with an axe that's the size of half the people in here!"

"Oh, you know what?!" Kyuala starts as she begins walking towards Amilia.

Terra quickly stands in-between the two long time friends, "Ladies! Ladies! As much as I have missed the sound of you two bickering, can we please go and kill the bastard who just tried to make me his mindless slave and get out of here before you two go at it again?"

Kyuala and Amilia crumble for a few seconds before Kyuala says, "Sorry, Ami."

"Me too." Amilia replies.

The two friends share a quick fist bump before Terra says, "Good, now let's go. I can't wait until I have that bastards tiny gonads in a box, so I can burn them!"

Everyone is a little taken aback by the fire within Terra. However, Amilia can't help but grin. "Glad to have you back, pointy.

"Glad to be back, fur ball."

Amilia is stunned by the quick comeback from Terra as the elf heads forward to join her sisters side, "Have you spotted anything?"

"I've found the door they used. It's practically invisible in all this darkness, but since I happen to be so amazing, it only took me a matter of moments."

"Great work." Terra responds before looking back to the others, "So, shall we finish this? Or do you four wish to sit by the creepy altar for a little longer?"

Immediately, the four head over to the door, earning a small chuckle from Terra as the group head through the door.

---

ON THE OTHER SIDE:

The group exit through the other side of the door, finding themselves at the top of some stairs that lead down into a large cavern.

Broken and rusted mining equipment scatter around said cavern, abandoned for whatever reason all those years ago.

The group carefully begin to make their way down the stairs, looking for Nartho and the guards that escorted him, but no sign of him or the aforementioned lackeys as of yet.

"Creepy ass building, creepy ass hallways, creepy fucking cavern. What else is this place going to have?" John asks, yet he's not sure that he actually wants a real answer to his question.

As the six get to the bottom of the stairs, Kyuala says, "John, Lani and I will take the left. You three take the right."

The girls nod as they head to the left side of the cavern. Meanwhile, John, Kyuala and Lani do the same on the other side, beginning to search each bit of equipment in a bid to find the bastard that is Nartho Knagstun.

The group are quickly scanning and scouting around the machinery forgotten by time, hoping that the next one they look behind will reveal their quarry, but no cigar.

They pass more and more of the machines and have still yet to find a single sign of anyone which makes the group somewhat anxious.

Eventually, they get to the last line of machines, and are quickly surprised by the six lackeys that saved Nartho. The scuffle doesn't last long as the group quickly dispatch of said lackeys.

Immediately after finishing off Nartho's men, the group quickly search around for Nartho, but there's no sign of him. Terra is obviously frustrated by this as she kicks away a fallen helmet of one of the lackeys.

"Where could that bastard be? It's a damned dead end." Terra says out loud, hoping some trail would magically appear.

Suddenly, Amilia's ears prick up. Quickly, she turns around, and her eyes open wide. Amilia then suddenly rushes over to Terra while saying, "Look out!"

Amilia then pushes Terra out of the way and as she stops where Terra was, a crossbow bolt hits Amilia right in the chest.

"Amilia!" Terra exclaims as she drops down to catch her falling friend.

Everyone else turns around, and not only do they see the now fallen Amilia in Terra's arms, but they also see Nartho holding onto a small one-handed crossbow.

Immediately, Virra fires an arrow, piercing his left hand while simultaneously forcing him to drop the crossbow.

The others then all begin moving toward him, but Terra says, "No! He's mine!"

Kyuala then kneels down, picking Amilia up in her arms as Terra gets to her feet.

Nartho begins to try and run away, but Terra quickly casts a spell. A green rope extends from Terra's hand and it wraps around Nartho's leg, causing him to have a not-so gentle fall onto his side before rolling onto his back.
The rope then retracts, pulling Nartho towards Terra almost like a scene out of a horror movie.

Nartho screams as he claws at the ground, trying to stop himself from being pulled, but to no avail. A few seconds later, and Nartho has been completely dragged back towards the group. Terra's rope then begins to spilt into four smaller ropes and fasten themselves around Nartho's wrists and ankles.

Nartho sees his new restrains and immediately begins to move his hands and feet. Unfortunately for him, those ropes aren't even moving an inch. Nartho then realizes who is standing ahead of him, and slowly, he turns his head to see Terra staring back at him with fury burning in her eyes.

"U-u-uh, w-w-wait, wait, wait! You don't have to do this! You can just let me go, and we can just forget this ever happened, right?!"

Terra doesn't respond. Instead, Terra begins to slowly walk over to the right side of Nartho's trapped body with her sword still in hand.

"W-w-wait! What are you doing?!" Nartho asks, obviously shitting himself.

Terra, still not responding, kneels down and brings the bottom of the handle of her sword down onto Nartho's index and middle fingers. A sickening thud is immediately followed by the cracking of the two bones before Nartho lets out a pained wail with tears quickly falling from his eyes.

Terra then raises her sword up again which causes Nartho to start pleading through his whimpers, "W-w-wait! Please don't!"

The whimpers fall on deaf ears as Terra brings the butt of her sword down again and again. The thuds and howls of agony create a sick symphony that begins to make the others feel uncomfortable being nearby.

Nartho's fingers, thumbs and hands are all crunched by Terra's hammering blows, but that isn't enough. The elf has even removed Nartho's boots and began to hammer down on his toes and feet.

As Terra finishes bludgeoning the last toe, she takes a step back to admire her handy work as it were. The bloody, destroyed remnants of appendages are on full display with some of the nails just dangling off the tips.

Nartho has gotten past the wailing stage, and in a mixed state between breathily sobbing and drifting on the edge of unconsciousness. The blood loss is definitely taking its toll on the self-proclaimed villain.

Terra then walks around Nartho, getting close to his head before kneeling down. She wants to say something, but is interrupted by a mumbling Nartho who says, "Pl-please... n-no more... I beg you..."

Terra is silent for a few moments before asking, "You beg of me?"

"Y-y-yes."

Terra goes silent again for a few more seconds before responding, "Tell me... did you think of sparing me when you tried to make me a slave for you? Did you think of sparing my friends when you threatened their lives? Did you think about sparing Amilia before you shot her?!"

Nartho stammers, unable to even get out a single word.

Terra then says, "I just want you to know one thing. No matter how much you plead, no matter how much you cry and no matter how much you even beg me! After everything you have done, I would never let you go."

Terra then turns her sword upside down before raising it up high. Nartho begins whimpering even more as he sees his impending fate. He then looks at the group and begins to plead through his sobs, "P-P-Please! Don't let her kill me!"

The group all stare at the man, and he sees that there is not a single ounce of pity for him in their collective eyes.

Terra then brings the sword down, sinking into Nartho's chest and continues to push the blade until the tip hits the concrete under his body. Blood begins to pool from the man's body as Terra let's go of the swords hilt. She then walks away from Nartho's body, not even bothering to give it a second look as she heads over to Kyuala.

"How is she?"

"She's breathing. We managed to get the arrow out pretty cleanly considering it didn't go all the way through." Kyuala answers.

Lani then adds, "Luckily, the arrow hit the right side of her chest, so there was no major damage done. However, I did notice something off about the arrow. When we got it out, there was a weird scent coming from the tip, so, I obviously checked it out. It turns out that the arrow was laced with a sleep toxin that comes from the grisantum mushroom species. So, while she isn't in any deadly danger, she will be unconscious for a bit."

Terra lets out a sigh of relief as she places her hand onto Amilia's. "She took the bolt for me."

"Of course, she did." John starts, "She was practically the driving force for us. Anytime we were tired or faltered, she kept on pushing us to keep going. There wasn't a single soul in hell that was gonna stop her from finding you. When we had to stop cause of the hail, she couldn't sit still for a moment. I tried to get her to get some sleep so didn't pass out from exhaustion, but even then, it wasn't much."

Terra looks at John with a surprised expression before looking back to the unconscious cat with a warm feeling growing within her.

"We should get going. If anyone were to see us standing over a dead son of a noble, we'd be in deeper shit that we already technically are." Virra says as she heads toward the stairs.

"Agreed. We need to tell someone about the bodies here as well. But that can wait until after I have had a really warm bath." Terra adds as her and the rest of the group follow the archer up the stairs.