Ambushed by rogues

Mael adjusted his jacket around Elaina's sleeping body as he stared at her face. He could feel her immense sadness through their bond. He wiped the tears flowing out of her closed eyes while placing gentle pats on her head. 

She must have gone through a lot to be feeling such sadness even while sleeping. He placed his hand on the side of her face, gently caressing and smoothing out her tangled hair when the car suddenly stopped. 

"Y-your Majesty? There is a problem," the driver's voice trembled and Mael looked out of the windshield. He smirked at the sight in front of him.

"Interesting,"

'The right was a trap, Xacier,' he informed him through his mind and Xacier replied,

'So as the left, my lord,' he had taken the left side to see where it led but who would have thought he would be ambushed by the rogues.

'Should I come over, my lord?' he asked and Mael replied while placing Elaina on the free space beside him.

'There is no need. Capture them all and meet me at the clearing in the middle of the forest.'

'Yes, your majesty' Xacier replied and their link disconnected.

Mael adjusted his jacket around Elaina, ensuring she was covered properly before stepping out of the car. He tapped the glass of the shotgun seat calling the driver's attention. "Return to the intersection and wait for me there," he ordered after the glass slid down.

It ought to be safer there than here, he thought as he stood straight. After the driver did as he said, he turned to the rogues waiting. Ten of them stood at a distance while two of them were hidden in the trees, a total of twelve.

"Though rather unexpected, I do appreciate the warm welcome for my arrival," he said to them. He took a step forward and an arrow shot out of one of the trees, heading straight for his heart but Mael caught it with ease. 

"An arrow in this day and age?" he ran his thumb above the head of the arrow. His thumb sizzled and his skin melted off. As he thought, a silver arrow laced with poison. They were well equipped.

"To try and attack your king? Your foolishness knows no bounds," he snapped the arrow in half. 

He sighed then his blue and green eyes glowed, "On your knees, all of you," he ordered.

A blanket of all-consuming dread wrapped around their lungs forcing all oxygen out of them, imprinting the command in their systems, forcing them to obey. They all dropped to their knees and the ones in the trees also dropped to the ground. 

"Which one of you is in charge?" Mael demanded. 

"I-I am," the vampire, Draluc found himself speaking without his control,

Mael's eyes fell on the one that had spoken, a vampire. The pressure on the other rogues intensified crushing their lungs until breathing became a sweet dream forgotten, ending with their unconsciousness. 

"Lead the way," came another order and Draluc found himself standing to his feet without his control. It was a command ingrained in his bones that he couldn't bring himself to disobey. 

***

Draluc took a nervous glance at the man walking behind him whose clothes looked expensive. Everything about him screamed royalty and every movement he made, down to the way his feet touched the floor was made with grace. Was he a high class customer? No, if he was, Theo would have accompanied him or at least told them of his coming. 

Dammit, then was he a member of the council? But there was no way the council would have found this place without their knowing. Then did the man come here on his own? He had to stop him, if he could just contact the rogues that went to the left, then they could attack him all at once. 

But, he took another nervous glance at Mael, he didn't think their presence would change a thing. Whoever the man was, it was certain that he was no ordinary being.

Meanwhile, Mael's eyes moved to the vampire whose thoughts were so loud, he was practically begging to be heard. Theo, huh?

The long awkward walk finally came to an end after three minutes and Draluc finally felt that he could breathe as the cool breeze washed over him. 

While Mael took a quick scan of the environment, he quickly glanced at the other side of the forest in an attempt to call the attention of the rogues though it was a bit odd that they hadn't returned.

Perhaps they went to patrol the grounds, he tried to convince himself but his thoughts were interrupted when the trees rustled and a screamed echoed through the forest. 

His eyes widened and his heart stopped when he heard, 

"Why don't we go on a little tour," from behind, sending shivers down his spine. 

***

Before Mael entered the first tent, grief and fear were the first emotions he sensed before he even saw them. Women of different ages tied up and huddled together. 

"Slave trade," he said aloud. To think these rogues were involved in slave trade, the act they had worked so hard to abolish during his era. 

People were sold to the slave market during his time but he could tell that the rogues killed innocent families to get their slaves. Some looked like they had just been brought while some looked like they had been there for quite a long time. 

"How long has this been running?" he asked the vampire behind him but didn't need his answer as his mind had spoken for him. Ten months.

For them to have been running for ten months without the council's notice meant that an influential person was behind them. A member of the elite society or a member of the upper echelon even. Integra had a lot more work to do. 

Mael turned to leave but before he did, a familiar scent wafted up his nose. It was faint but her scent was in there. So they were the ones who caused her such suffering. He pushed the flaps of the tent aside and stepped outside,

'Are you finished, Xacier?' he called.

'Almost, your majesty' Xacier replied while catching an arrow shot at his head. 'They are quite aggressive' he snapped the arrow in half and dodged a vampire's attack.

'These rogues are running a slave market,'

'Slave trade? Could they be the ones who captured Luna?' 

'Yes'

'Permission to kill, your majesty?' asked Xacier as darkness started to spread around his legs. 

'Do not kill, but leave them barely alive for the council,'

'Yes, your majesty.' Xacier replied before their link disconnected. 

As Mael moved on to the next tent, Xacier fought with the rogues, a black van entered the forest and from far away, Mya and Alexander jumped from tree to tree at high speed in the forest's direction.

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