Finding a few wild green onion plants, I added several of them to the pile of Yams. Jenna and I returned to the Castle, bringing our spoils into the kitchen. Marta was there when we arrived, and squealed for joy at the sight of the Yams and other goodies we had brought. "I can make a great meal with these!" She didn't wait for permission, but simply took the food and started working.

  Jenna and I then went to gather some mussels and sea fish. The corpses of the Lizardmen had drawn a decent amount of larger fish to nibble at them, so it was easy fishing. Marta took the new offerings with joy, and we all worked together to finish what could be considered a feast.

  Tessa's joy at all the food was priceless, even the Yams were a great hit with the little tyke. I had Marta grab her bow and arrows and follow Jenna and me as we walked along the wall. This was fortunate as a group of fifteenish Lizardmen had decided to investigate the Castle just then. Marta made short work of them, but it seemed too easy. "I'm going to scout around, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few more, trying to sneak back to warn the settlement." I leapt off the wall and began running around the Castle on the side nearest the settlement. Soon enough, I found a clear trail leading away from the castle. Hastening my pace, I soon overtook the three Lizards that had attempted to reach the settlement.

  My blade cleaved through them all without them having a second to react before they died. Once again, I stripped them of their valuables, which included ten more water skins. I surmised the others had given most of theirs to allow faster running without the need to source water on the way.

  When I was certain that there was nothing of value left, I threw them into the sea. I hauled my spoils back to the Castle, keeping a second water skin for myself. We cleaned the skins thoroughly before filling them once more. The thought of any Lizard Spit getting into our mouths was extremely unpleasant.

  "Now I'm sure that most of them would be out of that settlement. Marta, you patrol the walls and keep Tessa safe. Jenna and I will scout the settlement, see if we can pick off the last of the Guards there, and rescue our people." Jenna had gathered all the loot off the Lizards by the Castle, so I simply tossed them into the Sea. She and I then departed at a double-time march.

  With our swift pace, we reached the outskirts of the settlement just after dark and settled in for a long scout mission. The few Lizards we saw on guard were moving somewhat sluggishly and making frequent circles by the nearest fire. I only counted six active guards. "There's likely just as many more sleeping. The village head would be in the large central structure where the females are kept."

  I started at that. "Where the females are kept? Kept how?"

  Jenna looked at me, somewhat startled at my aggressive tone. "These Lizard filth treat their females like property, I honestly feel bad for them. I don't know what we could do for them, though; they might not even listen to us if we tried to take them with us."

  My rage at the Lizard filth grew to unimagined heights. I didn't condone slavery by any means, but enslaving their own seemed an even more heinous crime than enslaving my people. My eyes saw red, and I lost control. With speed unrivaled by anything I had done previously I launched myself at the scum on guard. My sword sliced through the first neck with enough speed to send the head catapulting through two more heads, exploding them into a mist of gore. My backhand swing split another in two. Jenna had managed to enter battle in time to kill the filth herself without any cry being raised, and the hurled upper half of the torso I had split knocked the last to the ground and muffled any protest it tried to make before my sword plunged through both necks, severing them from their bodies.

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  No cry was raised. Jenna panted after her run. "Majesty, that was extremely reckless! PLEASE keep your composure, we need to be cautious. This filth will kill our people if they are alerted to what's going on!" I took deep, measured breaths, trying to calm my rage slightly. "I'll slip into the other guards sleeping areas and slit their throats. Please take some time to calm yourself before we kill the Headman." I nodded, and Jenna headed off into the quiet village.

  It didn't take long for Jenna to finish her task. Following her were around fifteen women, collar marks on their necks, and clear rope marks on their wrists. The mangled collars were tied in a bundle in Jenna's hands. "Good work, Jenna. Everyone keep quiet, at least the Headman still needs to die, before he can harm anyone." These slaves were all female, and they nodded. Having the slaves stay put, Jenna and I went to the Headman's hut, the fire was lit, and the Headman's snores could be heard easily. In his bed was a Lizardwoman, completely nude, and obviously disgusted at the situation. Her eyes lifted and locked onto mine. They widened, but she made no noise, instead, she put a claw to her lips, indicating silence.

  I smiled at her and motioned for her to move as far from his neck as she felt safe doing. My sword cut his head off, and Jenna's mace pulped it to mush an instant later. "Asside from the mess, that was the best thing that'ssss ever happened to me. I asssssume the guardsss are all dead too?!"

  "They are very much dead, and twice as ugly as they started." Her hissing laughter was music to my ears. May I assume, that at least you are willing to leave this place and live with us?"

  "Yesss, it would be my pleassure! The femalessss sssent to usss in the ssssanctum would often whisssper of the Queensss of old. I sssee your crown, and have ssseen your power. Not all of usss will come asss not all femalesss of your kind would have sssspoken about the Queensss, but thosssse of usss who have heard will follow you, I'm ssssure your majessssty! I will talk to the othersss, and let them know to prepare for departure." So saying, she left the bed and led us to the sanctum, where several female slaves were huddled in a corner and sixty or so Lizardwomen were also sprawled out sleeping in various positions. "My Sssissstersss, the Queen hasss arrived to free her people. Thosssse of usss who are willing may follow her. The ressst I expect mussst me sssslaughtered to protect her people. Thisss would sssaden me and I sssussspect her ass well. Who will come?" Every single one stood and bowed in respect to me.

  Jenna had viciously ripped the collars off the women and unbound their hands. One of the Lizardwomen spoke. "What of our eggsss? Will you dessstroy them?" I shook my head.

  "I do not kill innocents. Had you refused to come with us, that would have been siding with the Lizardmen, and thus made you enemies. The unhatched need only be raised right, but if there are broken shells somewhere, we could put them where they were; that would help disguise the fact that we took them. Once all is tended to and everyone is free, we will set this place ablaze, so it will look like everyone died in a massive fire that left no bodies to be found."

  Everyone set to work, freeing every human that was yet to be freed, and looting everything we could carry, especially food. The eggs were placed in a sand-filled basket, which I then carried myself, broken shells scattered in the area where the eggs had been kept, and then we set the village ablaze. The fire was so intense that it would have burned every trace of a body to ashes along with the buildings. We all left single-file so as to disguise how many people went along our path, should it be discovered. The Lizardwomen had a decent charge of heat from the fire, but even so, they were quite sluggish by the time we could see the Castle. It was painfully slow going as we dragged ourselves into the safety of the Castle. Marta spotted us and waved, her face splitting with joy at the sight not only of myself and Jenna, but the Lizardwomen as well. "Ssso that'sss where ssshe went, good for her!" One of the Lizardwomen commented, perhaps the first one we had spoken to, but I, however, couldn't be certain. Between how similar they all looked and the early morning light, as well as my exhaustion, it was impossible to pick out one from another.