-Callen-

  As I overwrote each rune that isolated the sounds of the outside, I started hearing the voices outside more clearly. The initial guard was no longer alone, but they were taking the situation far more seriously than previously. I focused briefly on my eye to shift its perception into mana sight and used it to look out.

  The lines and inscribed words of the runic defenses of the room made it hard to find a clear line of sight outside lots of glowing obstacles, but I managed to find a sweet spot inside the inner sanctum I built that let me see outside. The original guard was now joined by six others, and they were starting to get bold again.

  “Criminal, state your demands, or we will use force.” The leader confidently called out despite having only 6 or so officers with him. Since he wanted to talk, now was the perfect opportunity to buy time.

  “I demand you sit your asses outside and wait for word from someone higher up. This isn’t the kind of problem you or your six buddies are qualified to handle.” Hearing me call out their exact number from behind a sealed room seemed to be enough of a threat to get them to back off. I felt I was leaning a bit too much into the villain role, but I also couldn’t risk trusting random guards. If I surrendered and turned over the store owner, that meant the guy could reach out and contact his allies. Maybe expedite a quiet execution for me or facilitate his escape. No, my best chance was waiting for Sis to get in touch with the imperial guard and have them take over the situation. More and more forces started showing up, surrounding the building and even sending teams into the floors above and below. Another man stepped into the building clearly, someone holding more authority.

  “Mr., the building has been surrounded. I represent the highest authority you’ll be able to reach. What are your demands?” The man confidently waited for my response with a stance that spoke of experience. I almost felt it might be ok to hand the man to a high-ranking cop, but his next statement dashed that hope. “If you are an escaped slave or unmarked criminal, I’m more than willing to offer amnesty for past crimes.” To those outside it sounded like a fair offer, but to those who understood what this place was for, it was a clear admission of association. This guy was framing me as an escaped slave or criminal, which meant he thought I was rebelling against my owner and somehow succeeded. The guy's association with the slave trader became even more apparent when the only way he would likely start with that kind of angle was if he learned about me from the guards who delivered Sis and me here in the first place. His next words were the nail in the coffin. “If you do not submit, I’ll use what resources are available to me to have your sister or elder punished in your place. Do not test me, foreigner.”

  “Sorry, but I’ll be holding on to your black market slave master friend for now. I won’t negotiate with those aligned to criminals. Don’t test me. I'm more than capable of beating the meager force you have. My only demand is you and your corrupt friends sit your asses down and wait.” The guy must’ve thought I was using a high-level listen to identify them since he quietly signalled his team to start their first attack. All around me on the first floor, men surrounded the room, stomping their feet and making noise, but the actual vector for the attack was a bit clever. A team on the floor above me moved into position to try breaking in from above.

  With negotiations broken, I activated the gas emission runes, letting the air outside slowly get replaced. In the meantime I created a runic air burst in the floor above, launching the unprepared guards away from the room above.

  “I’ve released a poisonous yet colorless and odorless toxin into the room. Should any of your officers collapse, remove them quickly, or I won’t take responsibility for their deaths.” Not killing random guards was still in the cards since the whole confrontation hadn’t been particularly elevated. My announcement, as well as the failure of the roof team, made the soldiers withdraw. However, I left the runes at work since it was only a matter of time until the next team acted.

  I made myself a gas mask to protect myself while watching more and more guards begin to assemble outside. It’s clear that whatever the local SWAT equivalent is started showing up in force. Leaned in to carefully listen as the guard captain gave the SWAT captain a report on me. “Uncooperative. . . . uses unique sensory. . . . no, not listening. . . . runes. . . . has the boss hostage.” While I only caught bits of what he was saying, it was enough to suggest that this officer was also in the know regarding the slave trade. With how big the operation seemed to be getting, I was beginning to regret recklessly sacking the place. Why does it seem like the local guard force leadership is all in on the operation?

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  The SWAT captain seemed to lack creativity in his approach. Instead of any fancy maneuvers, he brought a team in with a large battering ram that they struggled to maneuver around the bar. Taking advantage while they lined up the charge, I used runic casting to double cast the front, which was an obvious burst of fire that a pair of shielders were more than ready to intercept, but hidden behind it was a stone shape that I used to anchor one of the leading ram holders onto the ground. The captain gave the order to charge, and the whole formation immediately tripped, collapsing into an embarrassing mess. I took advantage of the chaos caused by the failed charge to cast a woodshaping spell to smooth out the ram, removing all the handholds, making it nearly unusable in the current conditions. The men who had dragged the ram in now started coughing as the lack of oxygen took its toll. The group tried to reorganize, but I generously gave a warning.

  “The coughing is from the early effects of the poison in the air. Withdraw before you lose the ability to do so.” The man on the ground seemed to take the warning seriously. It wasn’t like I was trying to escape with the building now completely encompassed by guards. It felt a bit like I was at a bank holdup waiting for a ransom payment. I watched for a while to see if the guards had any other immediate moves, but instead they seemed content to gradually clear away obstructions. Small teams would enter the premises and pull out or move aside furniture before retreating when the symptoms of suffocation started. Though the most amusing attempt was when a specialist with poison resistance was sent in only to collapse from suffocation.

  However, despite the amusing struggles and determined attacks, the arrival of a large ballista signaled the end of easy mode. Outside the building the ballista was lined up down the hallway that had been cleared of all obstructions like the bar counter and the various furniture. Originally I thought they just wanted a clear shot with the battering ram, but a few more trip-ups made it clear the first failure wasn’t a fluke. I thought the go-to would’ve been bringing in a knight, but the presence of a ballista suggested they didn’t feel comfortable escalating in that manner. Likely because any knight they brought in wouldn’t be in on the arrangements of the guards. They likely thought I held documents that would incriminate them and prove my innocence.

  My musing ended as the first bolt ripped free from the ballista, slamming through the boulder I summoned in its path and nearly exhausting the runes around the room. I realized I made a big mistake. I forgot to disconnect the slave box from the runic defenses, meaning that exhausting the captive would mean triggering an explosion. No time to deal with the ballista. I accepted that my bunker would be breached. Dove into the corner and urgently began cutting off the connection between the box and the room. However, it was too slow. Outside I could already feel the buildup of mana signalling another attack. The bolt flew from the launcher, ripping across the space again, slamming into the barrier at full force, cracking it, and collapsing the runes. The slave in the box disappeared from my mana sight as he was overdrawn to death. The light of the explosive runes flared violently as they activated.

  Getting help

  Callia and the freed slaves made an escape to the outer regions of the city. Once that situation was arranged and a meetup location arranged with Hew to meet up after the whole ordeal was handled, Callia dove into the heart of the city. Asking several nearby city-folk about the Imperial Guard made it clear they didn’t have any public offices, instead working as a force of secret police with a hidden HQ. Still, Callen needed her to get help, so she couldn’t just give up. Since they were associated with the royal family, then the castle guards should be able to get her in contact.

  Arriving at the castle gate, she immediately showed the entry guard her knighthood certificate.

  “I need to speak with a representative of the Imperial Guard urgently. Where do I go?” The guard seemed hesitant at first, but seeing the clear credentials, he gave way, ordering an escort to lead her. The imperial guard's quarters were nothing special on the outside, but on the inside, Callia immediately noticed how many high-level soldiers were present. Callia explained the nature of her visit and was sent into another office where a tired-looking officer was sorting through a large pile of documents that Callia recognized. It was the files that Callen had acquired from the slaver. This time without reservation Callia gave the full story of the encounter as the clerk looked more and more distressed, but hearing how Callen was under siege by guards associated with the slaver seemed to properly convey Callia’s urgency.

  The man went into the higher office while a servant led Callia to a lounge to wait for the news. As time passed, Callia grew more and more anxious. While Callen might’ve been having fun at the moment, the situation was clearly escalating. Finally Eland showed up with a disheveled appearance, but at the same time Callen alerted her to the arrival of the ballista. Callia grabbed Eland and ran off without hesitation, leaving the confused vice captain crying out in alarm as Callia gave no thought to hesitation or delay. They arrived right as the ballista released, and across their bond, Callia felt Callen’s alarm right before the building bloomed in an enormous explosion.

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