Bound and Broken: An Isekai Adventure Dark Fantasy (Melas Book 1) by V.A. Lewis (autobiographies to read .TXT) 📕

That did not mean the Mancis Company’s guards were untrained fighters who simply charged to their deaths; they were skilled too, strategically using their numerical advantage to take out their foes, while trying to minimize casualties. Plus, Marcus was on their side.

The head guard of the Mancis Company ran up to one of the bodyguards, deflecting bolts of energy as he did. He blocked one, then two, and three; he was getting closer— three, four— then he reached his opponent, and sliced the gun in half. The man tried to back up, but Marcus was fast— faster than anyone on Earth could have been. He impaled the man with his scimitar, before slicing his sword upwards, cutting the man in half.

Another bodyguard saw this happening, and took his chance. He got on his knees, aiming carefully at the head guard’s face, then squeezing on the trigger. Marcus saw this coming, but it was too late; the bullet was already reaching him by the time he had cleaved through the first man, he was going to die—

Marcus instantly rolled his shoulder, harmlessly deflecting the bullet of his armor. In the same second, before the man could take another shot, Marcus quickly drew his own pistol, and hand still on his hip, blasted the man.

A flash of red energy flew across the room into the man, and exploded on impact, completely obliterating the man’s chest. It was like a mini-rocket launcher built in the shape of a flintlock pistol. The head guard of the Mancis Company re-holstered his pistol, and continued tearing through the remaining bodyguards. He was slaughtering them!

The battle was coming to a close. The hundred guards in the Mancis Company were finishing off the remaining few dozen bodyguards of the dead man. It was a massacre. It was… an opportunity.

The chaotic battle gave me my only chance of escaping; I had to somehow free the other slaves and myself. I picked myself up fully, but fell back to my knees. My right leg was not giving me the support I needed to move. I grimaced, trying once again to stand back up. It was no use— I had to have broken my ankle, or at least, sprained it.

If I had the body of an adult, I might have been able to force myself forward— it was hard, but possible. Yet, the body of a kid was much more fragile, especially when injuries were involved. I could not muster up the strength to stand. I was already too physically weak, and being underfed for the past few weeks did not help with this.

I collapsed to the floor, giving up on walking. And just as that happened, I saw one of the bodyguard’s back up to my corner, fighting off three of the slavers. He was cut down before my eyes, and the Mancis Company guards left, moving on to support their other teammates.

I averted my gaze for a moment, but quickly looked back up; the corpse lay there, dead and bloodied. But there was something there I saw— something the man was carrying before he died. There!

It was a pistol. The bodyguard had dropped his rifle as he died, and while his killers sequestered the large gun, they did not see the small weapon hanging around his hips.

If I could get to the gun, I would be able to free myself by shooting the chains free. I might have also been able to pass it to Theodore and get him to free the other slaves. We would be able to arm ourselves off the weapons on the ground, and overwhelm the slavers through sheer numbers.

The hopeful thought forced me to act. I brought one arm forward, followed by another, pushing my body as I did. My hand splashed on a pool of blood, getting bits of gore on my face, and causing me to cringe. But it did not stop me.

It was so far. Too far. I brought my arm out as I exerted the last of my physical strength. If I can only...just...reach...it.

I was halfway to the weapon when I realized that I could reach it. I pulled my hand back, hiding it underneath my body. My fingers twitched, and a small light shone, hidden away from sight. I felt a third arm sprout from me. An invisible arm that could stretch far beyond where my physical body could.

It was the only spell I knew at the moment, and I cast it easily after weeks of practice; I moved it as easily as I would my regular arm now, and I directed it to the pistol on the corpse’s side. I was glad this basic levitation spell only touched what I wanted it to touch, because I was certain I would be puking if I had to actually rummage through the dead man’s body.

I pried the weapon free of its holster, and to avoid as much attention as possible, I slid it towards me with the spell. It stopped within arms reach for me, as I felt the magic dissipate, the glowing circle disappearing along with it. I picked the gun up, aiming it down at the chains at my hands first. I closed my eyes— praying that it would work— and fired a shot.

I heard a metallic clink. I opened my eyes slowly, and sighed in relief to see that not only did I not accidentally shoot myself, it also managed to break the chain connecting the shackles. I broke the bindings at my feet next, then turned to Theodore.

He was a few dozen feet from me, together with the rest of the slaves; they were all watching the battle slowly come to a close. Only a handful of bodyguards remained against the Mancis Company. I called out to the man, waving