RE:volt! Chapter 45: The Steps to Freedom.

  Racing across the field, Ark's gaze darted left and right, eyeing the fleeing servants escaping from the blaze and the horsemen galloping around.

  None of them were Thirteen or Ninety-Nine so Ark paid them no heed, his only objective being the flaming manor and the two slaves.

  Nearing the solid white structure that was aflame, Ark blinked.

  Up close he could finally tell it's sheer size. It was four feet tall, matte white, about six thousand feet in length with stately pillars that supported the crumbling and burning roof of brick and tile. The windows were melting, the heat so immense the glass was visibly warping.

  Ark looked at the double door left open, the flames inside green and spreading quickly thanks to the added airflow.

  Druid fire? Ark grimaced, recognizing the green flames from a bottled concoction with a flashback of Jasper, Aem, Xon, and he, emptying an entire box of the stuff to melt a dragon after a lengthy lecture from Jasper.

  Ark grimaced at the sight. He could feel the heat tickling his skin, the flames scalding even to his elevated biology thanks to the magical chemical that acted as an accelerant.

  “Ok. Ok. Ok.” Ark took a breath, psyching himself to enter. He lowered his center of mass, preparing to rush in. “Fuck!”

  Ark took off, full sprint, racing into the building only to be suddenly yanked back.

  “Pardon me.”

  Every hair on Ark's body stood on end, his eyes wide as he flew backwards and landed on his feet, skidding across the dirt with his gaze focused on a man in a butler's outfit.

  “Please, there is no need to be alarmed. I mean you no harm.” The white-haired man said, his red eyes turning into crescents as he gave a warm smile, an act that was completely out of place considering the chaos.

  I didn't sense him?! Ark glared at the man. Whoever he was, he wasn't normal! Even as distracted as he was there was no way Ark would allow someone within touching distance without sensing them.

  “Salutations sir. May I inquire why you are rushing to enter a burning deathtrap? You must be aware that smoke inhalation will kill you in less than three minutes, no?” The man asked, his hand over his heart with Ark crouching low.

  “I don’t know who you are, but get out of my way.” Ark hissed, crouching low.

  The man cocked his head, chuckling to himself. “Or what?”

  “You don’t want to find out.” Ark said, adopting a stance.

  “My, aren’t you feisty. Please sir, I mean you no harm.” The man said, bowing to Ark. “I merely wish to fulfill your desires.”

  Ark narrowed his eyes, returning the stranger’s gaze whose pupils were glowing red, indicating another mana user.

  “If that’s so, then get out of my way.” Ark spat, watching as part of the mansion roof collapsed.

  “Are you perhaps in search of the involuntary workers Ninety-Nine and the girl you refer to as Thirteen?” The butler asked, causing Ark’s skin to tingle and his blood to freeze. “I can assure you, you will not find what you seek by entering this estate.”

  Suddenly something rushed out of the flames of mansion, a humanoid something that was naked and covered in flames. At first Ark thought it was a person, but upon quick inspection, Ark was left flabbergasted at the spectacle of a moving statue charging the man in black.

  It didn’t get far, without turn his gaze on Ark, the man reached out, snatching the moving golem by the neck before squeezing with his white gloved hand and decapitating the construct. Ark barely had time to recognize what the creature was before the butler moved his hand in a downward gesture, crumbling the remains of the statue in one lith motion.

  Danger.

  The world flooded Ark’s mind. Whoever this man was, he was dangerous. Potentially the leader of the night raiders. But Ark couldn’t back down, not when he needed to find who he was looking for.

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  Ark took a breath, his face twisted into a scowl. “Who are you? Where are they?!”

  “Turn around.” The man instructed with Ark’s body tensing up.

  “Oh, no need to be coy sir, if I wanted you dead you’d already be.” The butler stated matter of factly.

  Ark took a step back, then another, walking backwards until a pair of familiar forms was within his peripheral.

  Ninety-nine and Thirteen, the two lying unconscious on the lawn of the manor with flames and moonlight illuminating their bodies clearly for Ark to see.

  SHIT!

  Ark took off, racing to the duo where he immediately began checking for a pulse, listening for their heart beat and testing their breathing.

  “Ha…” Ark let out, hearing the familiar thump of a heart under Thirteen’s signed maid uniform before he did the same to the old man.

  Satisfied that the two were breathing, Ark turned to face the stranger yet the man was already gone.

  Ark looked left and right, his eyes scanning through the crowd of fleeing slaves, helpers, and horsemen trotting about through the flames consuming the estate.

  “Who the hell was that?” Ark hissed, but he quickly shook his head and began channeling positive energy through his body, uncorking the flow a bit more and allowing the energy to seep in. A rush of euphoria flooded through Ark’s body, a tingle that traveled through his spine that made his toes curl up as he reached down ripped off the collars binding the two slaves before placing Ninety-Nine on his back while he grabbed Thirteen in his arms.

  “Damn it, you’re heavy!” Ark hissed, his mind getting a bit light headed from the smog flooding the air.

  The chaos of the battle around Ark was now at an all time high, with slaves rushing past each other, pushing one another against the fences to escape the ensuing flames. Ark could see them clearly, the dozens of spasming bodies laying on the ground outside of the wire or near it, the power of their collars too much to bear with more and more spilling over the wire as the massive crowd shifted and push those fortunate enough to make it to the fence first over the wire.

  “GET BACK! PICK UP YOUR ARMS AND FIGHT!” A helper screamed, one of many that were still standing and attempting to re-organize the slaves fleeing from the flames and raiders.

  Ark eyed the struggle, the slaves locked up with fear between being beaten by the helpers and consumed by the encroaching flames. To make matters worse, the slave handlers still had their batons, allowing them to subdue anyone that neared or tried to flee.

  “GET BACK YOU SONS OF BITCHES AND FIGHT!”

  Eyeing the spectacle, Ark stopped what he was doing and quietly approached the fence, slowly walking past the crowd that shot him odd looks as he lay Ninety-Nine and Thirteen on the grass. He ripped off a piece of Thirteen’s dress, wrapping the torn sleeve around his mouth before he walked by the crowd and picked up a spear.

  Ark approached the trio of helpers, the men snarling to keep the crowd at bay before they settled their attention on one slave in particular wearing cloth on his face to conceal his identity and his lack of a collar on his neck.

  “What the hell? Where your coll-” The man never got to finish his sentence.

  With one lithe motion, Ark pierced the man’s skull with his spear. The crowd behind Ark gasped as Ark retrieved his weapon, pulling it from the eye socket of the helper whose body dropped like a wet sandbag while Ark deftly stole the man’s sword.

  The other two helpers were in shock, unable to process that a slave had done the unthinkable. It didn’t matter though. They wouldn’t have time to process everything as Ark charged, the second helper recovered quickly and lifted his baton to stun Ark, however it proved to be ineffective against the slave who wore no collar and with his newly acquired blade, Ark took the life of the second helper.

  The last helper finally shook from his stupor, finally gasping the situation. He turned to run, to flee to get help, yet Ark wouldn’t allow that. He hefted his spear, spinning it in the palm of his hand before he took aim with hyper focused eyes and threw it, spearing the last man into the earth.

  With the helpers dead, Ark began kicking the fence, breaking the stakes and pulling at the wires until a gap big enough for the slaves behind him were able to run through it.

  When he was done, Ark wiped his brow and turned, eyeing the crowd that had visibly thinned from his actions. Several slaves had run off, terrified at the spectacle or perhaps in fear of the consequences of witnessing the murder of helpers. Whichever the case, it didn’t matter as Ark opened his mouth.

  “RUN! GO! GET AWAY FROM HERE!” Ark bellowed, his eyes lighting up with a golden hue that swept over the weak-willed slaves. Immediately they bolted, racing forward like a stampede of deerlings.

  Ark walked to the side, watching as the slaves headed west-ward. Most would probably be caught, some would probably return, but for the few, the miniscule few within the crowd, maybe they could obtain their freedom. Either way Ark would have a distraction for his group, a large body of slaves that the Constantine Estate would now be busy tracking while his tiny party was away.

  He raced back to Ninety-Nine and Thirteen, picking them up and arranging them as he’d done previously before taking off to the north.

  “Six…Two?” Thirteen muttered, the girl’s eyes fluttering, opening as Ark held her close. Despite his face being obscured by fabric, she immediately knew who it was by his touch and piercing blue eyes alone.

  “Quiet.” Ark whispered. “We’re getting out of here.”

  The teen closed her eyes, falling back to sleep as Ark traversed his way across the plantations, only stopping when a cavalryman rode too close or helpers neared.

  Ark could see the northern edge of the property, the fence that was the only thing separating him and freedom.

  He raced forward, kicking with all his strength until he reached the fence where he began climbing the wall. He was home free, he was safe, he-

  “STOP!”

  At the command, froze, his head turning toward a familiar overseer in armor who was covered in blood with soot decorating his now dull and dented armor.