The scene was a grisly one. Â Adam Welks and his mercenaries had been merciless against the caravan guards and the workers. Â The dead lay strewn around, weapons and blood lying next to them. Â
Adam Welks strode through the scene, his hands on his hips as he nodded his approval at the work of his mercenaries. He had lost six of his eighteen mercenaries but that was acceptable. More money for the splitting once they got the caravan wagons back to the one who had given them the job.
The mercenaries were cleaning their blood soaked blades and all greedily looking at the wagons and wondering what spoils awaited them. Â They would find out shortly. Â Adam Welks walked over to one of the wagons and waved his hands. Â
“Alright, let’s see what it is we just looted.†Welks shouted and seven of his soldiers rushed to the wagons as they holstered their weapons and crawled up.
Almost immediately screams filled the air, followed by laughter, and Welks turned and walked towards the commotion coming from the last wagon. Â The noise was growing louder and as Welks drew close. Seven humanoids in chains were dragged from the back of the wagon and thrown to the ground. Welks paused and made a very calculating face as he studied the huddled figures on the ground, their heads jerking around from one mercenary to the next with wide eyes.
“Slaves…†Welks said slowly, this an unexpected surprise.  He had expected more from this raid than slaves. But then again, this was just the last wagon. But slaves were a complex situation. They tended to talk and were a commodity that was more difficult to sell.  But, perhaps this was what the men who had hired him had wanted. Or were they just extra commodities at this point.
Welks was chewing on his lower lip as Jin’li stepped up beside him and stood there, blood still dripping from the silver gunblade in his left hand.  Jin’li’s face was covered in splattered of blood and gore from his execution shot of one of a caravan guard but he had pulled out a white handkerchief and was attempting to clean himself as best he could with it while his black eyes studied the slaves.
“Slave.†Jin’li echoed Welk’s words.  “Should we liberate these souls?â€
Welks shook his head and clicked his tongue.
“No.  At least not yet.  We need to find out if this is what we came fo-“
“Captain!†came a cry and Welks turned and looked back at the wagon before the one the slaves had been pulled from.  A mercenary was standing there frantically waving his arms.  Welks raised an eyebrow and turned to walk over.
Jin’li remained behind. His black eyes swept over the slaves and felt a sensation of apathy. He could relate to their plight.  He knew the bindings of their chains better than most and, had Welks not told him they were to wait, Jin’li would have used his weapon to set their souls free. Â
The miqo’te’s eyes continued to sweep and then stopped.  They had come to rest in the gaze of a female hyur with white hair dashed with red highlights.  She was staring at Jin’li with dazzling blue eyes and there was a look of anger in them.  She was almost indignant and wasn’t displaying the fearful emotions of her fellow slaves.  She was displaying a remarkable will.  She was like a blazing candle and Jin’li was the curious moth drawn to the flame.
Slowly Jin’li walked forward, his weight shifted onto the sword he used as a cane.  The blade sunk into the earth before the female and Jin’li gazed down at her with onyx black eyes, his face a blank mask as he looked at her.  Her ice blue eyes shone back, glistening in the light of the sun.
The two of them stood in silence, a few of the mercenaries that stood nearby looking on with mild curiosity.  Jin’li saw in her the desire to break her chains.  To be free. And felt as if she was a kindred spirit. Here, in the world of slaves, was another slave, lower than most, whom wanted freedom even more.  But did she want freedom enough to dare defy death?
Jin’li slowly lifted the gunblade’s muzzle to the middle of her forehead.  The barrel dripped red fluid but the female did not break her hard gaze with Jin’li.  The miqo’te slowly shifted his thumb and lazily drew the hammer back.  As the hammer clicked and the cylinder turned to a fresh bullet, the female lurched to the side and slightly forward.  She then smashed the firearm aside using the thick of her skull with a powerful left swing of her cranium.  Jin’li’s weapon jerked aside and went off, blowing a hole in the ground.  The female lurched forward as best she could and tried to bit Jin’li’s ankle. The white haired miqo’te took a step back from the female’s biting teeth and bowed his head.
Jin’li was satisfied.  She was worthy of his intervention.
“What was that?†Welks shouted and Jin’li turned, slinging his gunblade up onto his left shoulder as he started limping towards the mercenary captain.
“This one was simply surveying.  This one learned what was needed.â€
Welks raised an eyebrow but quickly turned back around and resumed speaking to a few of his mercenaries. Jin’li’s ears flicked around and he shifted his potion once he drew close to see what the excitement was about.
Gold. And lots of it. Â The wagons were loaded with it in large cases. Â
“It’s a small fortune!†one mercenary said, looking at the metal as if it was a dream.
“Aye, and not ours.†Welks said, but was obvious he was thinking about taking it.
“So what do we do?† the mercenary said.  “The guys who hired us know we will have attacked it sooner or later. And this amount of coin is worth going after.â€
“Who cares, no way they’ll pay as well as all this gold!†another man said.
“They probably will come after us.†Welks said, obviously weighing the pro’s and con’s needed for such a huge change in his plans.  He had been expecting wine or drugs or something.
“Then why not take the wagons to the man who hired, collect the coin from them, kill them and take the wagons back?† Jin’li interjected flatly while blinking slowly.
Welks turned and looked at Jin’li. The hyur regarded the miqo’te’s comment and pursed his lip.
“It’s an option.† Welks took a deep breath.  “I’ll need time to think of the best answer.  For now, we are moving these into the woods away from here and set up camp.  We’ll take the slaves to. In the morning we’ll have our answer, but I want you all too know, before you think of slitting throats in sleep, we probably gonna at least take a piece of all this.â€
There was some grumbling but Welks stood up. Â
“Stop your bitching and get moving!  You want the Maelstrom to show up?â€
That was enough. The mercenaries began dividing themselves among the cars and taking the reigns of the chocobos. Â
Jin’li awkwardly hefted himself into the wagon and looked back.  He saw the female slave and her blue eyes and nodded to her.
Adam Welks strode through the scene, his hands on his hips as he nodded his approval at the work of his mercenaries. He had lost six of his eighteen mercenaries but that was acceptable. More money for the splitting once they got the caravan wagons back to the one who had given them the job.
The mercenaries were cleaning their blood soaked blades and all greedily looking at the wagons and wondering what spoils awaited them. Â They would find out shortly. Â Adam Welks walked over to one of the wagons and waved his hands. Â
“Alright, let’s see what it is we just looted.†Welks shouted and seven of his soldiers rushed to the wagons as they holstered their weapons and crawled up.
Almost immediately screams filled the air, followed by laughter, and Welks turned and walked towards the commotion coming from the last wagon. Â The noise was growing louder and as Welks drew close. Seven humanoids in chains were dragged from the back of the wagon and thrown to the ground. Welks paused and made a very calculating face as he studied the huddled figures on the ground, their heads jerking around from one mercenary to the next with wide eyes.
“Slaves…†Welks said slowly, this an unexpected surprise.  He had expected more from this raid than slaves. But then again, this was just the last wagon. But slaves were a complex situation. They tended to talk and were a commodity that was more difficult to sell.  But, perhaps this was what the men who had hired him had wanted. Or were they just extra commodities at this point.
Welks was chewing on his lower lip as Jin’li stepped up beside him and stood there, blood still dripping from the silver gunblade in his left hand.  Jin’li’s face was covered in splattered of blood and gore from his execution shot of one of a caravan guard but he had pulled out a white handkerchief and was attempting to clean himself as best he could with it while his black eyes studied the slaves.
“Slave.†Jin’li echoed Welk’s words.  “Should we liberate these souls?â€
Welks shook his head and clicked his tongue.
“No.  At least not yet.  We need to find out if this is what we came fo-“
“Captain!†came a cry and Welks turned and looked back at the wagon before the one the slaves had been pulled from.  A mercenary was standing there frantically waving his arms.  Welks raised an eyebrow and turned to walk over.
Jin’li remained behind. His black eyes swept over the slaves and felt a sensation of apathy. He could relate to their plight.  He knew the bindings of their chains better than most and, had Welks not told him they were to wait, Jin’li would have used his weapon to set their souls free. Â
The miqo’te’s eyes continued to sweep and then stopped.  They had come to rest in the gaze of a female hyur with white hair dashed with red highlights.  She was staring at Jin’li with dazzling blue eyes and there was a look of anger in them.  She was almost indignant and wasn’t displaying the fearful emotions of her fellow slaves.  She was displaying a remarkable will.  She was like a blazing candle and Jin’li was the curious moth drawn to the flame.
Slowly Jin’li walked forward, his weight shifted onto the sword he used as a cane.  The blade sunk into the earth before the female and Jin’li gazed down at her with onyx black eyes, his face a blank mask as he looked at her.  Her ice blue eyes shone back, glistening in the light of the sun.
The two of them stood in silence, a few of the mercenaries that stood nearby looking on with mild curiosity.  Jin’li saw in her the desire to break her chains.  To be free. And felt as if she was a kindred spirit. Here, in the world of slaves, was another slave, lower than most, whom wanted freedom even more.  But did she want freedom enough to dare defy death?
Jin’li slowly lifted the gunblade’s muzzle to the middle of her forehead.  The barrel dripped red fluid but the female did not break her hard gaze with Jin’li.  The miqo’te slowly shifted his thumb and lazily drew the hammer back.  As the hammer clicked and the cylinder turned to a fresh bullet, the female lurched to the side and slightly forward.  She then smashed the firearm aside using the thick of her skull with a powerful left swing of her cranium.  Jin’li’s weapon jerked aside and went off, blowing a hole in the ground.  The female lurched forward as best she could and tried to bit Jin’li’s ankle. The white haired miqo’te took a step back from the female’s biting teeth and bowed his head.
Jin’li was satisfied.  She was worthy of his intervention.
“What was that?†Welks shouted and Jin’li turned, slinging his gunblade up onto his left shoulder as he started limping towards the mercenary captain.
“This one was simply surveying.  This one learned what was needed.â€
Welks raised an eyebrow but quickly turned back around and resumed speaking to a few of his mercenaries. Jin’li’s ears flicked around and he shifted his potion once he drew close to see what the excitement was about.
Gold. And lots of it. Â The wagons were loaded with it in large cases. Â
“It’s a small fortune!†one mercenary said, looking at the metal as if it was a dream.
“Aye, and not ours.†Welks said, but was obvious he was thinking about taking it.
“So what do we do?† the mercenary said.  “The guys who hired us know we will have attacked it sooner or later. And this amount of coin is worth going after.â€
“Who cares, no way they’ll pay as well as all this gold!†another man said.
“They probably will come after us.†Welks said, obviously weighing the pro’s and con’s needed for such a huge change in his plans.  He had been expecting wine or drugs or something.
“Then why not take the wagons to the man who hired, collect the coin from them, kill them and take the wagons back?† Jin’li interjected flatly while blinking slowly.
Welks turned and looked at Jin’li. The hyur regarded the miqo’te’s comment and pursed his lip.
“It’s an option.† Welks took a deep breath.  “I’ll need time to think of the best answer.  For now, we are moving these into the woods away from here and set up camp.  We’ll take the slaves to. In the morning we’ll have our answer, but I want you all too know, before you think of slitting throats in sleep, we probably gonna at least take a piece of all this.â€
There was some grumbling but Welks stood up. Â
“Stop your bitching and get moving!  You want the Maelstrom to show up?â€
That was enough. The mercenaries began dividing themselves among the cars and taking the reigns of the chocobos. Â
Jin’li awkwardly hefted himself into the wagon and looked back.  He saw the female slave and her blue eyes and nodded to her.
