War Beast

Book One: Chapter 16

Two days later, Jenny and Huntar crawled toward the edge of a slope and looked down at the entire mining yard, beneath a rocky mountain. A hundred slaves of different species, horses, reptiles, wolves, cats using pickaxes to chip rocks apart. The guards chained all the slaves in shackles to keep them from running away. They pushed carts down the dirt paths, and the others carried baskets.

The Cocidius guards wore red armor suits with yellow helmets, watching the slaves closely. They whipped those who refused to move on, and they yelled at the others to continue working.

Strange that few guards watched the slave mine. Maybe most of them went off duty to watch Horde triumph over his enemies.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Huntar pointed his finger at a mount pen. "We could use those mounts to escape after we free our companions."

Jenny glanced at the tall log fences, surrounding a pack of four-legged lizard creatures who looked like rhinos, covered in thick armor skin. Huntar called them Rammers, quick running beasts with strengths matching a Tyrant. Some said their horns were even tough enough to shatter a boulder.

"Okay, but first, how do we free the slaves?" Jenny asked.

Huntar pointed at one guard. "The guards should have keys. If that be true, we can free all the slaves here."

"But we are only here for Zena and Torag."

Huntar narrowed his feline eyes at her. "With more numbers, we can escape easily for sure." He grinned. "Don't you think?"

Jenny returned her gaze to the yard.

Huntar was right.

Although the guards have low numbers, they could still stop Jenny and her friends from reaching the pen. The Beastmen didn't deserve to be enslaved. They deserve to fight back.

Jenny and Huntar must hurry before Horde could use his weapon.

"Okay, we will free everyone and start a slave riot to escape," said Jenny.

"Slave riot?"

"It means to revolt."

Huntar nodded his head. "Aye, follow me."

The lion man strolled down the slope while staying perched to avoid the eyes of the guards. Jenny heeled him while keeping her head down.

They approached a cart and leaned their backs against it. Two guards walked past the cart without spotting them. Huntar and Jenny hopped into a trench, leading them into a cave.

They stopped inside a tunnel and looked around.

"This spot seems like a good place for an ambush," said Huntar.

"I will lure one guard here." Jenny stepped out of the tunnel and spotted a guard, drinking a porch of water near a barrel. The keys hung on his belt.

From the ground, she picked up a small rock and tossed it at the guard. The rock hit the ape man's helmet, and he turned around, astonished.

Jenny waved at him with a smile. "Hey, big boy!"

The ape guard growled and charged toward her with his spear. Jenny dashed into the tunnel and hid behind a tall rock.

When the guard entered the tunnel, Huntar landed on top of him and stabbed the guard's neck with his sword. He pulled the keys off the guard's belt and tossed them to Jenny.

"Free our companions first, and then the others," said Huntar.

Jenny nodded and dashed out of the cave.

Outside, she walked through the trench, keeping an eye out for any guards. If she gets caught, then Huntar will have to save her.

Near the mountain range, she spotted Zena and Torag with the slaves. Like the others, they smashed rocks and clipped a few off the mountain wall. What were they mining for?

While keeping her profile low, she crawled toward her two companions. "Zena! Torag!"

"Jenny!" Zena exclaimed, turning toward her. "How did you find us?"

Jenny smiled. "Huntar helped me. We saw what happened."

Zena gave her a sad look. "Then you know....."

"There is no time to moan for our loss. We have to stop Horde." She handed Zena the keys. "We will free everyone here and escape on the Rammers."

Zena looked at the keys and nodded. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Torag!" the rhino man shouted.

Zena unlocked her shackles and handed the keys to Torag. The rhino man unlocked himself and passed the keys to another slave.

As they passed the keys around, the slaves unlocked their chains and shackles. Then they picked up the pickaxes off the ground.

"Alright, everybody!" Jenny shouted. "Fight for your freedom!"

The slaves cheered and charged at one guard. When the guard noticed the freed slaves, it was too late to stop them.

The slaves swarmed the entire yard, attacking the guards from each corner. Huntar joined Jenny, Zena, and Torag as they rushed to the pen. When they reached the pen, they hopped on the Rammers and charged out, riding into the open desert.