Chapter 30 - Chapter 30- Attack on the Granary

Through the cold, dimly lit streets of Sanctus, Helios, Bow, and Halo ran in silence. The city was half-asleep, its cathedrals towering like silent judges over the cobblestone paths. Their boots splashed through puddles left by the evening rain, each step echoing faintly off the stone walls. The wind cut through their cloaks, cold and sharp, threading through the seams of their clothes and sending chills down their spines. After several blocks of weaving through alleys, they reached a narrow water channel that split through the city, a man-made river lined with iron rails and pale statues. A single bridge stretched across it, guarded by two scouting towers burning pale blue fire from their lanterns. The faint murmur of guards' voices drifted through the night. The three ducked low, climbing to the rooftops overlooking the bridge. From their perch, they could see the granary in the distance, a massive stone complex surrounded by walls, its windows glowing with a sickly amber light. Helios's eyes narrowed as shadows moved in that light. He saw them clearly: small figures shackled together, chains glinting faintly around their necks. Children. Helios's breath hitched. His hands clenched so tight his knuckles went white, and before he realized it, he was halfway to standing, ready to jump down and tear the place apart. A heavy hand caught his shoulder. Bow's. Helios looked back to see Bow shake his head slowly, his grip firm, grounding him. No words were needed, Bow's eyes said it all: Not yet. Stay calm. Helios forced himself to breathe, the anger still burning behind his eyes but caged, for now. He crouched beside them, his jaw tight. The three waited, silent, counting the passing guards and memorizing their patrol routes. Then, through the mist and the hum of the river, a sound, wheels creaking. A carriage approached the bridge, its canopy drawn tight, pulled by two black-coated horses. The emblem of the Chalice gleamed faintly on its side. Halo whispered, "That's our way in." As the carriage rolled closer, the three dropped from the roof like ghosts. They landed softly in the shadows near the rear, keeping low as they moved. With perfect timing, Helios lifted the tarp, and they slipped inside, hiding themselves among the barrels stacked in the back. The carriage lurched forward again, crossing the bridge. Voices called out ahead, guards performing their inspection. The light of a lantern swept over the barrels, pausing for a heartbeat. Bow held his breath. The lantern moved on. The gate creaked open, and the carriage rolled into the granary yard, carrying three silent shadows into the heart of Sanctus's darkest secret. The cart came to a stop. The three of them exchanged a single glance, no words needed. As the slavers lifted the tarp, Helios moved first. His hand, already gripping his father's sword, flashed in a silver arc. Steel sang once, and the first slaver's hand and head hit the ground almost in the same breath. "Hey, Gerald, what's taking so lo…" The second slaver's voice died when the corpse dropped beside him, blood pooling fast around the wagon wheels. He tried to shout, but a shadow moved behind him, Halo, silent as smoke, covering the man's mouth and cutting his throat in one clean pull. By the time the body fell, the yard was quiet again. Helios, Bow, and Halo swept through the granary like ghosts, taking down the scattered slavers before any alarm could rise. Each strike was surgical, fast, efficient, final. When the last torch guttered out in the hallway, they regrouped at a three-way split. "Three paths," Bow muttered. Helios nodded. "We cover them all. Meet back here in five." Without another word, they split, each vanishing into the dark corridors. Helios sprinted down the middle path, his boots echoing softly against the stone. The air grew heavy with the stench of sweat, rust, and something worse, fear. Then he saw it. A narrow iron gate at the end of the hall. Behind it, small shapes huddled together, children, their wrists and necks bound in chains. Helios's eyes widened. Rage burned through him like a sun. He stepped forward, mana flooding into his arms, veins lighting faintly beneath his skin. With one pull, the iron bars shrieked and snapped apart like twigs. The children gasped and scrambled back in terror. Helios dropped his sword, letting it clatter against the floor. "Hey," he said softly, voice steady but gentle. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to take you home." For a moment, the only sound was the children's shaky breathing, then one girl, no older than eight, stepped forward, tears welling in her eyes. She threw her arms around him, sobbing into his cloak. "How do we leave?" she asked, voice trembling. Helios scratched his chin, forcing a small smile. "I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "But I'll make us a way out. So we can all smile again." The children nodded through their tears. As Helios walked, they followed, tugging at his cloak, clutching at his sleeves, as he tore open cage after cage, freeing every child he found. The hall filled with soft cries and whispers of hope. Then, at the corridor's end, Helios stopped. He felt it, a presence. Cold, wrong, and closing in. He turned to the children. "Step back," he said quietly. "One of the bad men is coming." The kids obeyed, retreating behind the broken bars. From around the corner, a man stepped into view, a tall slaver with a cruel grin and blood still splattered across his sleeves. His eyes glinted when they met Helios's. "Well, well, well," the man sneered. "Look at this, a rare hybrid child. A lion, if I'm not mistaken." Helios's gaze sharpened. "How do you know?" The slaver chuckled, dragging a finger along the wall as he spoke. "Easy. Humans and hybrids have tells. For example, a man's jawline, yours is tighter, more defined. And your hair…" He tilted his head. "Wild, thick, lifted at the back like a mane. You tried to tame it, but it still screams beast." Helios tilted his head slightly, the faintest smirk tugging at his lip. "Observant. But tell me…" His tone darkened. "...does that actually help you in combat?" The slaver grinned wider. "It does." He slammed his hand into the wall, tearing out a chunk of stone and hurling it forward. The block thundered through the air, but Helios didn't move. The moment before impact, his sword flashed. One clean arc, and the stone split in two, dust spraying around him. When the haze cleared, Helios was already gone. The slaver blinked, and saw the boy standing behind him. Helios's blade rested at his neck. "Too slow," Helios murmured. Steel whispered. The slaver's grin froze, then his world turned upside down as his head fell away from his body. The children watched in silence, the echoes of the strike fading into the corridor. Helios exhaled once, steadying himself, then looked back to them. "It's over," he said softly. "You're safe now." Helios motioned for the children to follow as he searched through the slaver's pockets, eventually finding a small, rusted key. He slipped it into his pouch and led the group down the corridor, where a hidden door waited at the end. When he pushed it open, a cold night breeze swept through, it led outside the walls of Sanctus. A secret exit. He guided the children a good distance from the city's shadow before stopping. "All of you must wait here," he said, turning to face them. "I need to find my friends and bring back your parents and anyone else still trapped inside." Helios knelt to face the same little girl who had tugged at his shorts earlier. "Can you take care of everyone until I return?" he asked gently. The girl nodded, her small hands clutching his sleeve before letting go. Helios smiled, rose to his feet, and sprinted back toward Sanctus. As he dashed through the tunnel, he reached the three-way split again, where Bow and Halo appeared, surrounded by freed captives. Bow was the first to speak. "Helios! We found more prisoners. Some of the parents said their kids were taken elsewhere, the slavers split them up. There are other carriages headed for different encampments." Helios exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright then… looks like we're not done yet." Halo asked, "Where should we take these people?" "Follow me," Helios replied. "I found a way out." He led them down the same passage he'd taken before. When they stepped outside, the children were right where he'd left them. The moment the parents saw their kids, they ran, crying, laughing, collapsing into each other's arms. The warmth of their reunion filled Helios's chest with quiet relief. Bow wiped at the corner of his eye. "What this Belanor guy is doing… it's evil. How could anyone do this to innocent people?" Helios placed a hand on Bow's shoulder. "We'll stop him. But first, we save everyone else." He turned to Halo. "I need you to climb the tallest building near us. Tell us if you see anything strange in the distance." Halo nodded and dashed off, scaling the wall with practiced ease. From the top, he scanned the horizon, faint glows shimmered in the distance, surrounding strange structures. When he returned, he said, "There are three encampments, southwest, northeast, and east of Sanctus. All glowing with some kind of light." Helios and Bow exchanged a glance and nodded. "Then we split up," Bow said. "It'll be faster if we each take one and free everyone before dawn." Helios placed a firm hand on both of their shoulders. "Don't die out there. I'm counting on you." With that, Bow and Helios took off in opposite directions, disappearing into the darkness. Halo lingered for a moment, explaining the plan to a few of the freed parents. Once they agreed to stay hidden and protect the children, Halo took a deep breath, turned toward the distant glow, and sprinted into the night.