Danmachi: My Adventure With a High Fairy Queen, Vol. 1

The Plight of Wiene

Wiene stumbled, her legs shaking with exhaustion as she pushed the heavy cart loaded with weapons and armor. Around her, the other Xenos toiled under the watchful eyes of Medusa's Gorgon-Spawn, their snake-like bodies writhing and hissing as they cracked their whips.

The air was thick with the stench of sweat and blood, the heat of the forge oppressive and suffocating. Wiene's hands were blistered and raw, her skin blackened with soot and grime.

"You slugs!" one of the Gorgon-Spawn snarled, its voice like the rasp of a blade against stone. "Shall I sprinkle a little salt on your slimy bodies? Or would you prefer a good thrashing? Heh, heh, heh."

Wiene gritted her teeth, pushing herself to work harder, to ignore the pain that shot through her body with every movement. She knew that Medusa was deliberately working them to death, that she took pleasure in their suffering.

Around her, the other Xenos whispered amongst themselves, their voices low and fearful. They couldn't understand why one of their own would do this to them, why Medusa had turned against her own kind.

But Wiene knew the truth. She had seen the madness in Medusa's eyes, the hatred that burned within her. The Dark Mother was consumed by her desire for revenge, by her need to make the world suffer as she had suffered.

Suddenly, one of the Gorgon-Spawn slithered up to Wiene, its eyes glinting with malice. "You," it hissed, its forked tongue flicking out to taste the air. "The Dark Mother has something very special in store for you. She can't wait to show it to you."

Wiene's heart sank as the creature led her away from the others, its clawed hand gripping her arm with bruising force. She knew that whatever Medusa had in store for her, it would be worse than anything she had endured before.

But even as fear gripped her heart, Wiene clung to the hope that Bell would come for her, that he would save her as he had done so many times before. She knew that he would never abandon her, that he would fight to the end to free her and the other Xenos from Medusa's cruel grasp.

And so, as the Gorgon-Spawn dragged her deeper into the bowels of the factory, Wiene held onto that hope, that small spark of light in the darkness. She would endure, she would survive, and she would wait for Bell to come for her, no matter how long it took.

Lyd slammed his fist against the wall, his eyes blazing with fury as he watched Wiene being led away by the Gorgon-Spawn. "We can't let them keep doing this to her," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "We have to find a way to escape, to get her out of here."

Rey nodded, her own expression grim. "But how?" she asked, glancing around at the other Xenos who huddled together in the shadows of the factory. "This place is too heavily guarded, and they're armed with those cursed magic rods that go bang and make smoke."

Gros shook his head, his massive frame trembling with barely contained rage. "I don't care," he rumbled, his voice like distant thunder. "I'll tear them apart with my bare hands if I have to."

Fear nodded, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "We need a plan," she whispered, his voice barely audible over the clanging of metal and the hissing of the Gorgon-Spawn. "Something clever, something they won't expect."

The four Xenos huddled together, their voices low and urgent as they discussed their options. They knew that they were taking a risk, that if they were caught, the consequences would be severe. But they also knew that they couldn't sit by and watch as one of their own was tortured and abused.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over them, and they looked up to see one of Medusa's overseers looming over them, its eyes glinting with malice. "What's this?" it hissed, its voice like the scrape of a blade against bone. "Conspiring to escape, are we? A little punishment is in order methinks, heh, heh, heh."