An Average Reincarnation

An Unexpected Rescue

"Our royal highness sure knows how to make an entrance."

"Prisilla, which door?" Donovan asked. This time there were a couple of doors on the opposite side.

"First one from the far left." I said and we made our way towards it.

It opened to a jailing room of some sorts. There were five barred cells on the far wall, one of them had a square hole cut into the bars, and a table with chairs in the middle of the room; a dimly lit by a lantern hung on the ceiling casting a gloomy light on the people in the room.

Sylvestra lay knelt on the floor, bloody daggers at her side and her hands in her eyes. Soft sobbing noises echoed in my ears. Swift sat on one of the chairs, examining a woven sack with a frustrated look. Both of them were a little roughed up, but besides a large cut across Swift's leg they didn't seem too hurt.

A small girl with blond hair in fancy but torn clothing lay shivering in the cells with cut bars, clearly frightened, while a horned girl in rags sat in one of the others.

"Swift, report." Donovan ordered.

"Illegal slaver den, traded with prohibited races and illegitimately acquired slaves." he pointed to the two girls in the cells.

"Did you find Alfon?" Donovan pressed.

"No, his tracking tag was stuck to this sack," he threw the brown bag, sure enough it had a familiar piece of paper with the hunter's mark on it, "was in the room with the human girl."

"Any clues to where he is?"

"Sylvestra interrogated the poor girl, she's the daughter of one of visiting lords, house of Dale, knows nothing."

"And the other?"

"Outland race, doesn't speak common."

Rafine moved closer to the horned girl, "Let me try."

She knelt and they conversed for a short while before Rafine stood up.

"Her name is Ninamoritis of the Blackhorns, she was cast out from her village and left to fend alone before being caught by slavers."

"Cast out huh?" I muttered, staring at the two large white horns on the side of her head, "I'd love to teach her parents a thing or two."

Some people don't deserve to have children.

"None of them have even heard of Alfon." Swift shook his head and turned to Sylvestra, "I... I'm sorry."

Sylvestra knelt motionless.

Donovan let out a long sigh, "Rafine could you treat Swift?"

Rafine replied by taking something out from her long robe.

"For the time being let's bring the girls with us. Prisilla, search the other rooms and see if any of the dead are on the bounty list."

"Alfy is missing and you're concerned with bounties?" A low but sharp tone came from Sylvestra, she raised her tear-filled eyes to look at Donovan.

Oh boy, this has suddenly turned really dangerous.

"Sylvestra, we have no leads. The best we can do head back to the tavern to ask around tomorrow. Returning a lord's daughter and getting rid of a criminal ring might give us enough leverage to mobilize the city garrison." Donovan reasoned, "I know you're upset but we'll do all that we can."

Sylvestra stared at Donovan.

Everyone watched in silence, the only sound was the creaking of the lantern that hung above.