But not even her dreams gave her an escape. Her dreams showcased her past. Her mistakes that led to this moment. Deep down she knew she deserved this punishment. After all, she was the creator of one of the best slave collars used in the business. She didn't know at the time of creating the device for Augustus, what it would be used for. Surely not people.
She had worked for Augustus for several years, early on in her apprenticeship as an engineer. Long before the Academy or the Vanguard had come around. He was cruel, but smart and rich. Well, at the time he was the smartest and richest man she knew. Now she knew better. She could still remember the conversation they had the day before Elly took off, taking what she thought was rightfully hers with her.
"I finished the collar. But...the specification you wanted wont fit many large animals. Are you training dogs again?" Ever naive, Elly tried to see the best in people.
"No. Not dogs. Dogs do not bring in the kind of gold the new livestock will fetch." It was the way Augustus said livestock, a sneering smirk crossing his features that made a wave of cold fear flood over her.
"Oh...cats?" again even Augustus could hear the hope in Elly's voice.
"Ellithiria, do not be so naive. Do you think we are going to find the next clue to the relic digging into the sand ourselves? You know I do not get dirty. Stupid Girl." he stormed over to her and snatched the collar out of her hand to inspect it. "And this will help us more then you know."
Elly's heart sank, even as she remembered it. Her sinking feeling only got worse as she left his tent and walked to the docks to inspect the new cargo they had gotten just that afternoon. She couldn't hear the rustle of animals. Nor smell them. But she did smell sweat, unwashed bodies and waste. The crewman nodded to her without looking up as she descended into the lower decks. Faster her heart beat until she ran down the steps and looked into the darkness. People. The new cargo was people! Slaves from all races all classes. Chained to the boat behind simple iron bars. Like cattle, they stood body to dirty body.
Elly held back the tears until she was safe in her own tent. Throwing herself down on her cot, she cried quietly. She never would have made that wretched device if she had known! Animals he said! Animals were his newest cargo and he needed something to control them. Wild unsavory beasts! Elly cried and cried quietly for what seemed like hours. But once the tears were gone, she sat up and started forming a plan.
Knowing Augustus schedule was part of the job and at the hour he would be bathing with his newest little boy toy, Raphy, whom Ellithiria couldn't stand. This would provide her just enough time to do what she had to do. Glancing around the tent she began throwing stuff into her travel pack, stuffing it to the brim. She would have to be fast. Pepper looked up from his place at her cot-side and looked at her curiously.
"We are leaving Pep." she said in a more determined voice. She would leave but first she would set those people free. Alliance or Horde, it didn't matter. No one should be treated like that. Pepper gave a gruff of approval and went to keep watch at the tent. This is not the first time they have had to leave a place quickly.
With her bags packed and tied tightly to her body she wrapped several rounds of shells around her waist and took up her shotgun. People around camp have seen her come and go a thousand times so for her to walk onto the ship at night with a more then determined look on her face was nothing new. Acquisitions, which is what Augustus called his line of work, was a dangerous job. Part of what Elly loved about it the most was the fact that she was able to use explosives on a daily basis. She had so much gold she had no place to store some of it. You could not put a price on the value of a person.
Her boots hit the bottom step in the dark,dank cargo hold. The slaves were doing their best to rest despite having no room to lay down. Charging in she plucked opened the drawer where Augustus normally kept the keys to any cargo he has locked up. Elly almost started crying again but she held them back. It was important to be clear headed right now. Walking to the cage door, she looked among them. 25 of them was the quick count, some of them maybe still had strength left to help fight our way out if they had to.
"Listen up." she barked quietly. They scowled bleak eyes at her but the desperation in her voice made them listen quite well. "If you do what I say we can get out of here without alerting anyone. If anyone can translate what I'm doing to Common I would be most grateful. Stay low and quiet, Strong help the weak. Quietly lower the chains do not drop them." she squeezed herself in the cage and started unlocking the cheep cuffs Augustus had made.
She heard low whispers of common and orcish
"Grab what you can from this ship to defend and arm yourself. I can't fight off everyone. But I recommend those that can use ropes to lower yourself into the water and swim far enough down shore and then use cover of darkness to disappear. There are Horde and Alliance outposts not far from here. Good Luck. " the quiet scramble began. Much to her amazement everyone helped everyone. Race, class, allies or enemies. It didn't matter.
The chaos that ensued shortly after was nothing short of spectacular. The slaves were not happy with escape. Some of them took her advice and jumped overboard to swim to freedom. But others..they took to arms and started to slaughter every man they could find. But it didn't matter. Elly's conscious was clear and now that the small camp was in turmoil, Elly headed into Augustus' chambers on the ship. She started picking the lock on his safe and when she opened it, began pushing all the gold into her pouch. Augustus had apparently been holding out on her. Once the safe was empty she turned to look for Augustus greatest treasure. An artifact she herself had found but in her early naivety, and Augustus had talked her into selling it to him for almost nothing. But now she knew better, the piece was part of a bigger picture. Into the knapsack it went.
In her memories (or maybe they were dreams?) as the knapsack closed a large explosion rocked the ship and woke her from the pleasurable dream. From her dark corner, Elly sighed and tried to get comfy. She couldn't escape the fire or the water so why try? As she sat back to accept her fate, her last thought was of Jaen's crooked smile.
"Don't be sad." she whispered.
Another explosion brought a wave of water over the cage of people. And as the water touched the collar, it began to short out and electrocute Elly into unconsciousness.
"Listen up." she barked quietly. They scowled bleak eyes at her but the desperation in her voice made them listen quite well. "If you do what I say we can get out of here without alerting anyone. If anyone can translate what I'm doing to Common I would be most grateful. Stay low and quiet, Strong help the weak. Quietly lower the chains do not drop them." she squeezed herself in the cage and started unlocking the cheep cuffs Augustus had made.
She heard low whispers of common and orcish
"Grab what you can from this ship to defend and arm yourself. I can't fight off everyone. But I recommend those that can use ropes to lower yourself into the water and swim far enough down shore and then use cover of darkness to disappear. There are Horde and Alliance outposts not far from here. Good Luck. " the quiet scramble began. Much to her amazement everyone helped everyone. Race, class, allies or enemies. It didn't matter.
The chaos that ensued shortly after was nothing short of spectacular. The slaves were not happy with escape. Some of them took her advice and jumped overboard to swim to freedom. But others..they took to arms and started to slaughter every man they could find. But it didn't matter. Elly's conscious was clear and now that the small camp was in turmoil, Elly headed into Augustus' chambers on the ship. She started picking the lock on his safe and when she opened it, began pushing all the gold into her pouch. Augustus had apparently been holding out on her. Once the safe was empty she turned to look for Augustus greatest treasure. An artifact she herself had found but in her early naivety, and Augustus had talked her into selling it to him for almost nothing. But now she knew better, the piece was part of a bigger picture. Into the knapsack it went.
In her memories (or maybe they were dreams?) as the knapsack closed a large explosion rocked the ship and woke her from the pleasurable dream. From her dark corner, Elly sighed and tried to get comfy. She couldn't escape the fire or the water so why try? As she sat back to accept her fate, her last thought was of Jaen's crooked smile.
"Don't be sad." she whispered.
Another explosion brought a wave of water over the cage of people. And as the water touched the collar, it began to short out and electrocute Elly into unconsciousness.
