Chaos ensued as countless slaves broke into rebellion, they lashed out at the soldiers trying to bind them.
"I'd rather die than to be a slave!"
"Damn the Zeraf!"
The surrounding was pierced by a cacophony of screams and shouts—the sounds of defiance echoed as the footsteps of the slaves began to grow louder.
The rumbling of the footsteps of the slaves filled the area as thousands of slaves moved in panic—the ground slightly shaking during the chaos.
"Are we really gonna be in this sort of situation again?" Orin scoffed as she looked around her surroundings, eyes wide.
"All of you know the drill!" exclaimed Jinn as he noticed what was happening.
"Link arms—now!"
Without hesitation, the group sprung into action, linking their arms as Jinn commanded.
Hector exhaled as he flexed his arm muscles.
"Keep it together!"
The ground shook and trembled as more than thousands of slaves moved in panic—a reminiscence of how the citizens of Leran panicked to get inside the closing dropships.
"What are these idiots doing? Why even fight when you're literally inside the enemy's warship?"
Verhedyn sighed as he saw the chaos ensuing in front of him.
Jinn narrowed his eyes.
"You're right, there's no use in creating chaos nor trying to resist." pausing for a brief moment to continue.
"The moment we got captured. Our faith was already sealed."
Arms linked together, the group of friends huddled together as they observed their surroundings.
"Jinn, there's something going on over there!" Kain nudged Jinn as he pointed with his index finger.
Jinn turned his head to see what the commotion was, before he flinched as his eyes widened to what he saw.
"Shit!"
Jinn's muscles tensed as he saw the massive amount of slaves performing a charge, originating further back from their location. It was as if a stampede of people, rushing to get to the front—for an unidentified reason.
Yet Jinn is certain of one thing—if their small bodies were to be swept away by this wave of crowds, they would surelynot come out unscathed.
And so Jinn sprung into action as he scanned over the surroundings for any potential spots that they could take shelter in.
He shifted his eyes left and right before spotting what seemed to be a wide and giant pillar.
We could use that as a shield! Jinn thought before he beckoned his group with a gesture as he pointed towards the pillar.
"There! We could use the pillar over there to shield ourselves from the crowds!"
Hector nodded as he tightened his arms. "Alright—you lead, we follow!"
Same as when they were attacked at the city of Leran, their small frames were pushed around as the chaos ensued around them. The group continued to proceed steadily and surely—the link on their arms were tight.
"We're almost there!" Jinn exclaimed as he led the group through spots of the crowd that are more peaceful, to avoid getting battered around too much.
A few more steps and the group will be able to reach the pillar—yet they momentarily stopped due to Orin.
"W-Where's my sister's necklace!?"
Orin's eye widened with fear as she looked around—Nevi's necklace no longer attached to her neck.
"Let's find it later!" Verhedyn exclaimed as he was able to see the stampede closing in at the corner of his eye.
Tears started to fall from Orin's eyes before she unlinked her arms to head back and find the necklace, once again going through the sea of people..
"Orin, No!" Ophelia exclaimed before she looked at Jinn—concern evident on her face.
"Jinn—Orin, she just—!"
Jinn's eyes narrowed and sharpened. "Hector you take over, lead the rest to the pillar" he put his hands on Hector's shoulder, putting his trust on him.
"I'll make sure Orin's safe."
Hector nodded as he unlinked his arm on Jinn before leading the rest towards the pillar.
"Godspeed Jinn"
Jinn's muscles tightened as he pushed through the crowd—trying to find Orin, yet he couldn't properly see since the bodies of the other slaves were blocking his view.
His heart started to pound fast—What if I can't find Orin?—terrible thoughts started to appear in his mind.
Even as the chaos around Jinn pushed him around, he took a deep breath before thinking of ways on how to escape the situation he's in and find Orin. He must figure out a way before the stampede of slaves were to crash upon them.
Jinn stared blankly for a second before realizing Amaron's words.
"Take off the eyepatch if you 'really' need to use your other eye" Amaron's words ringed in Jinn's head.
This tech better work Amaron! thought Jinn before removing the eyepatch to use his other eye.
With a subtle click and glow, Jinn's mechanical eye calibrated his surroundings, before focusing on the energy aura of each individual he could see.
"How the hell can I use this in saving Orin?"
Jinn exclaimed before the mechanical eye twitched and whirred—focusing the aura on Orin as soon as he had thought of her.
Orin's energy aura burned a bright violet as her small frame was highlighted by the mechanical eye, her body being already crushed by the multiple individuals being toppled near her.
Jinn gritted his teeth before deciding to climb the bodies of the toppled slaves in front of him to reach Orin—his foot stepping on those who had fallen towards the ground.
He hopped and dodged the multiple bodies blocking his way before finally reaching Orin with a leap—oddly, his body was not fatigued at all.
"Orin, did you find it!?" concern evident on Jinn's voice.
"J-Jinn!" Orin's face is still filled with tears and an expression of fear.
"I-I can't find it, Jinn. Help me—please!"
Jinn looked behind to see that the incoming stampede was merely seconds away before they hit their position.
"Tch!" Jinn greeted his teeth before carrying Orin upon his shoulder.
"What are you doing Jinn!? My sister's necklace—please!" Orin's fingers hit Jinn's back multiple times with a thud.
"We don't have time!" Jinn flexed his leg muscles to sprint. "We'll look for it later—together!"
Jinn continued to sprint as he carried Orin, his body felt warmth as it surged within him, his muscles and heart burned as he moved—pushing him forward until they reached the pillar.
Jinn then settles Orin down the ground—his heart was still oddly calm and his muscles did not feel fatigue.
"That's weird—" Jinn's words were interrupted as he was slapped by Orin, who was visibly crying.
"IDIOT!" Orin exclaimed before falling down to the ground. "That was my last memento of her…you idiot…"
Verhedyn scoffed. "Hey—be thankful at least" he then pointed with his index finger.
"Look. If Jinn was any second later, both of you would've been crushed to death!"
"Oh, should I be hopping and dancing then!?" Orin screamed back.
"I just lost the necklace that 'Nevi', my dead sister—had given to me!"
Ophelia butted in with a concerned face for Nevi.
"Quarrelling with each other will just make it worse—think positively, we'll find it after the commotion dies down.,"
With a sudden resounding crash, the stampede of the slaves crashed towards the front—specifically at the location of the soldiers. The pillar to which Jinn and his friends used as a shield proved effective as it efficiently blocked the incoming crowds.
The stampede seemed to have been caused by a group of resistant slaves, present at the front—seemingly having fist fights with the soldiers.
Yet with a hand gesture that came from the person that commanded the soldier—blasts of energy began to fill the area as the soldiers fired at will at the slaves at the front.
The bodies of the resistant slaves exploded due to the force of the energy rifles fired at them—their blood and innards splattered over the area—creating a macabre mess.
Verhedyn—visibly shocked, spoke. "Damn, I'm glad we're at this pillar."
The sounds of panic and chaos—now long gone, as the soldiers basically demonstrated the fact that anyone who will further resist—will die.
"Warden, shall we proceed?"
Asked one of the soldiers to which was replied by a nod by the warden, prompting the other soldiers to continue what they were ordered to—which was to bind all the slaves in preparation, as they were near Juggenot.
The soldiers then began to bind each slave starting from the front, no resistance this time whatsoever.
Group by group—the soldiers shackled the slaves with thick and heavy iron bindings. On the neck of the slaves, the soldiers also attached to what seemed to be a device choker that beeped as it clicked and attached.
"Ever worn shackles, Jinn?" asked Verhedyn as he looked at Jinn, staring blankly at the air.
Due to what happened earlier—Orin slapping him and Nevi's necklace being lost, Jinn was distraught.
Was I wrong? Should I have helped her find the necklace first? What if Orin hates me for this?
Thoughts lingered on Jinn's mind before a shine glimmered at the corner of his eye, making him turn his head instinctively.
Jinn's eyes widened to what he saw.
At the hands of another slave, an adult man's—was where Nevi's necklace was located.
Yet he and his group had no time to retrieve it as they were already at the front—the next in tow to get bound.
As they stepped forward, each soldier bounded Jinn's friends before it was his turn.
The soldier briefly paused as he saw that Jinn had a synthetic arm attached—which in itself is weird for a child like him.
"Mhm?" the soldier hummed before turning to his officer.
"Warden, this slave has a synthetic arm—what shall we do with it?"
The warden then approached Jinn—gazing at his face momentarily as he inspected his synthetic arm.
"Leave it."
As ordered, the soldier bounded Jinn like the others, but let the synthetic arm untouched.
Jinn remained silent while he looked at the warden before being led to a formation, sorted by soldiers—like cattle.
Jinn's other friends were also finished being bounded—but some were sent to another formation, different from Jinn and Kain which belonged to the same group.
"Shit!" Jinn muttered to himself as he saw his other friends being taken away towards another formation.
Despite this, the adult man he saw earlier who held Nevi's necklace was also sent to his group.
This might be the chance he has to retrieve Nevi's necklace.