The Falling of Empress Malty

Chapter 12: A Slave's Escape

Remember the slave children? Well it is mid-day at the Notre Dame Cathedral construction site. The slavers were being generous and let the slaves rest for five minutes. And it is during this time one of the slaves began to yearn to escape. The red-haired girl with an eye patch over her right eye looks out her cell window. Ever since her friend was executed by the empress, she couldn't stop thinking if she was going to die at her hands too. She already did it to him, it could happen to her too. She fell into a deep depression and it shown. She has become less productive leading to more whippings by the overseers and punished harder by not being given any food for her to eat. Her friends gave her some of their food to at least keep her alive, but she has become weak. Her friends worry for her, for they know if she can't work... she too will join their friend in the sky.

"Erza" a tan black-haired boy said to her, "Are you okay? You have to eat otherwise the guards will punish you again for not working". Erza continues to stare out the cell in silence causing her friends to worry.

"Erza... please" the boy pleaded, Erza just sat there. But then she turns to the boy.

"Simon" Erza replied to him, "I-I can't, I c-can't g-go on, I just can't go on".

"I know its hard. We all miss him. But Jellal would have wanted us to go on. He would have wanted us to live".

"He would have wanted us to be free" she replied with discontent in those eyes, "He would have never wanted us to stay here and slave over the Romans. I know that Jellal would have wanted us to run back to our homes in Egypt and never again have to worry about torture, punishments, starvation, the cold. He would have wanted us to fight for our freedom". Her voice becomes a little more louder. Simon and the others try to quit her down as to not alert the guards of rebellion.

"But Erza" A black haired, blockheaded boy said, "We don't have anything to rebel. All we know is that the slavers have everything to keep us from trying to rise up".

"I know that Wally. Therefore, I have to do the next best thing" Erza declared, very much saddened to make this choice,

"I h-have to e-escape". Her friends fear for her life. They know if she fails in escaping, it would mean death.

"Sister!" said a blonde tan-skinned boy hugging Erza terrified, "Please don't go. I don't want you to leave us here"

"Shou's right" another girl adds, "What if you get caught? What if you get killed? Then we will never see you again Erzy". Erza knows the dangers of this escape, but she can't let Jellal's death be in vain. There is no other option now. It's either them, or their freedom. She tries to comfort both her and Shou.

"Millianna, please don't worry about me" she says comfortingly, "I'll be fine. Jellal told me of a land up north, where all peoples are free and the slavers won't be able to catch anyone escaping. If I get there, then I might get people to help us escape!"

"But Erza" Simon said, "what about the chance that you would be captured?"

"I have to try Simon, for Jellal". They can't stop her now, she has somehow snapped and is now determined to get out of here. Erza points to a whole in the wall covered by some crates and barrels. "I'll go through that hole we found last week, and I'll continue up north".

"Erza, I'm worried for you. But I can't stop you" Simon says. "Go now, while the guards are not paying attention". And that is what she does. Shou and Millianna look out the cell doors, keeping watch for incoming guards while Simon and Wally assist Erza in escaping through the hole in the wall. Footsteps are heard in the distant by the time they put the plan in motion.

"Sister! Someone's coming!" Shou shouted.

"When will we see you again Erza" Simon asked her.

"I don't know, but until then... we have to keep fighting for our freedom, even if we have to wait". Her friends hurry up and cover any tracks of her escaping through the hole as those footsteps get louder and louder. Then finally Sir Motoyasu appears in front of them with his spear all high and mighty.