The inn was a dead end, the barkeep swore up and down that the people saturn were looking for weren’t here. He’d have to go off the idea that the man wasn’t lying with how scared they seemed to be. Instead he was given the idea of the local black market from one of the patrons and the location of it. It was a back alley sort of semblance here and he’d have to be careful with it. They were very picky about who went in but saturn wasn’t worried about that. Thanking both the bartender and the patron he’d leave. Echo in tow and nervous glances at every shadow from the little mindrache. He was getting more and more nervous regarding it and he couldn’t blame him.

His family was gone; taken from him and he was worried about who was coming after him. It wasn’t long until they found themselves within the alleyways. The guards didn’t think twice about trying to stop him. A knight is one thing, a mad demi-god knight was certainly another. Their weapons were useless as the darkness clasped about the sheathes. Making it impossible for them to draw the weapons. Saturn wasn’t having any of it and would growl softly as some thought better of it.

They got through the first couple layers of defense and it wasn’t long before they were onset by the various vendors trying to sell anything from snake oil to slaves. Saturns hatred for these people blossomed down deep as they asked him about echo. His knuckles popped as he had to clench his fists not to act rashly. Scaring off the vendors and letting the two of them having their space. Echo was now on saturn’s shoulder and he’d have to stay there for the time being.

It was maybe a few hours of poking around; talking to various vendors and the like until he happened across a bustling slave trade. A huge amount of people for sale, from children to monsters. There was even a whole family of some kind of servants that he could only feel bad for. A beast of burden in the form of a very upset werewolf who was constantly pulling on their chains. Somewhere deep down he felt his heart stir and there was a little rumble of irritation.

They were no where near the clues they wanted and they had little else to go on. There was evil all around him and the innocence he felt blossomed into a rage at the idea of people losing their freedom for a mere pittance of coin. A crackle of dark energy went from his hand to the other and he’d huff.

”We’ll ask them after this.”

Echo was about to try to stop what saturn was going to do but he saw the raw emotions and with a motion from either hand there was a sound that every person nearby knew was a bad sign… unless you were those in shackles. The shattering of every single chain in sight, every single collar, every piece of equipment meant to restrain either shattered around their prisoner or simply were pulled into the nothingness of darkness itself. The werewolf stared at saturn for a moment and the demi-god didn’t even hesitate to hoist one guard off of his feet before slamming him down into the pavement with one hand.

Chaos erupted in an instant, people flying this way or that, unarmed slaves taking guard weapons that had been paying attention for a moment only to have it snatched away by the golden demi-god. His shadows were everywhere yanking people off their feet in some cases and throwing them aside away front he violence. Some people didn’t have the option of working anywhere else and he wasn’t about to hurt them.

It was a crazy unhinged fight, the werewolf and saturn working together in some instances while echo hung on for dear life. Saturn didn’t stop; breaking guards and some of the nastier vendors upon his knee. Watching the werewolf toss them around like dolls. Eventually there was nothing but the groans of the injured and some people that were a little less well off didn’t even have the breath to say anything anymore.

Saturn stood there like a vengeful god his knuckles bruised and worn down from how frequently he had made use of them.

”I don’t know where we’re supposed to go now…”

”If you’re lookin for more like him you just missed em. Sold it to some big fella in a caravan. Can’t tell you the route but can tell you where the first lookout is if that helps.”

Saturn’s eyes flicked to the werewolf, who was nursing a large gash on one of his arms. Huffing a bit he’d pour some healing salve over it. The wolf letting out a sigh of relief. They’d talk for a little bit before he got a good picture of what he was looking for.

The caravan came through very frequently and worked with many of the slave traders here; they bought all sorts of people and goods and would leave after a few days. Their last major purchase was the mindrache from echo’s clan. Which made him wonder how they would exactly go about tracking them down if they got too far. In that case… Saturn bit the inside of his cheek and had to admit that they had a pretty solid way of handling this.

”How long have you even been here?”

”Two years. No one wanted to buy me. Now I don’t have to worry about it.”

The werewolf would head out with a group of slaves, likely to protect them or do work together. Saturn would stand there for a few long moments before heading out. He knew that he needed to hurry else they would never catch the caravan.

There were more slaves here or there that had been left unattended, so he’d help them out by breaking their bonds on the way out. It was a somewhat bittersweet experience; knowing he was helping them in the short term but not in the long term. Where would they go? What would they do? He’d point them in the direction of the rune knight headquarters where they could tell them that saturn sent them. He’d tell the werewolf that too and maybe they’d see one another again. He wasn’t sure, some people didn’t like werewolves and he couldn’t imagine why.

At the edge of the black market the distinct lack of guards made him realize just how many people he had likely stripped conciousness from. The violence from within wasn’t something he felt the need to call upon. He wanted to do this in a peaceful way but people weren’t letting him. It was twisted in one way or another and he’d grit his teeth as he realized that if he continued this way there was no going back.

Outside of the black market he could see the ruts in the ground of the wagons, some had feet tracks behind them and others didn’t. About thirty horses, maybe a hundred people. There was a tarp that was being dragged behind them too. In an effort to erase the weight and tracks. Smart move but… Saturn could see beyond that.

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