"We should be in the clear…" Luka muttered under his breath, collapsing against the base of a towering tree.
He breathed heavily, his lungs burning from the sprint, but adrenaline still coursed through his veins.
"…" The elf girl was silent, still shivering slightly from the ordeal.
Luka took a mont to catch his breath, then leaned over and began to peel off the heavy hood that covered her head.
"I doubt you want this on you anymore," he said, his voice softer than usual.
As the hood ca off, her appearance was finally revealed.
Short, light green hair tumbled out, streaked with hints of white.
Her eyes, though half-closed with exhaustion, were a pale, almost ethereal green—like dew on grass at dawn.
She blinked up at him, eyes dazed and unfocused, her small body swaying slightly where she sat.
"Tha—Thank you for saving ," the elf girl whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Luka felt his lips curl into a small smile.
"I'm just glad you're not physically hurt," he replied.
He held back what he really wanted to say:
"I should be thanking you. I'll be getting a damn good reward for this."
Even he knew that would be cruel to say to a terrified little girl.
So, for once, he bit his tongue.
The girl looked up at him, her eyelids heavy with fatigue.
"What's your na…?" she asked sheepishly, her voice trembling as if she might fall asleep at any mont.
Luka paused for a mont before responding, "My na? Luka. Luka Junker."
Her tired eyes blinked again, and she stared at him with mild curiosity.
"So… you're a human?" she asked, almost like she couldn't quite believe it.
She hadn't seen his face clearly, but his na alone was enough to tell her.
Luka chuckled. "A human in the flesh," he said, spreading his arms out dramatically as if presenting himself.
His smile widened.
"But don't worry. I'm not like those bad guys. I won't sell you or harm you. I just want to get you back ho."
The elf girl stared at him for a mont, a flicker of relief crossing her pale features. "Thank you…" she whispered again, her voice even softer than before.
Her eyes fluttered shut, and her small body slumped forward as she finally gave in to exhaustion.
Luka caught her before she fell, holding her upright.
Her breathing was steady, and there were no visible injuries, just pure exhaustion.
He sighed, glancing around the thick forest that surrounded them.
"Damn, I wish I had so water or sothing for her," he muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head.
He gently shifted her, making sure she was comfortable, and then leaned her against the tree trunk, ensuring she wouldn't tip over.
He stretched his legs, feeling the ache in his muscles from running and carrying her the entire way.
But there was no ti to linger.
If those traffickers had any backup, they wouldn't be far behind.
He needed to get her back to the rope ladder and out of this forsaken surface forest before anything else found them.
Luka took one last look at the sleeping elf girl, her chest rising and falling gently.
For a mont, she almost looked peaceful—like she hadn't just been through a life-or-death experience.
He shook his head, picking her up carefully, cradling her in his arms as he rose back to his feet.
"Alright, kid. Let's get you back ho," he whispered, more to himself than to her.
He adjusted his grip on her and began walking back toward the massive rope ladder, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of trouble.
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
"This is going to be hell…" Luka muttered under his breath, staring up at the seemingly endless stretch of the rope ladder. It swayed slightly in the breeze, its wooden rungs creaking as if mocking his intentions.
He sighed deeply, adjusting the unconscious elf girl onto his shoulders, securing her legs in front of his chest with one arm.
Her light fra made it bearable, but the sheer height of the climb would be a test of endurance and grit.
"Well, here goes nothing…" Luka placed his free hand on the ladder and pulled himself up, the weight shifting as he began the slow, agonizing climb.
Each step strained his muscles, and the burn set in much faster than he anticipated.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and he bit down on his tongue to stifle any curses.
"Don't think about it, don't think about it," he chanted to himself, focusing only on the next step and the one after that.
He refused to look down—he knew if he did, the endless stretch of emptiness beneath him would only make things worse.
'This little elf girl should be happy she's not awake right now…' Luka couldn't help but smirk at the ntal image of her freaking out if she were conscious.
After what felt like hours of climbing, he reached the part where the ladder was broken—just one rung, but enough to cause a serious problem.
Luka stopped, panting heavily, and closed his eyes for a mont to collect himself.
His fingers ached, especially with the earlier burns from sliding down.
He opened his eyes, refocusing.
With a sharp breath, he moved his hand to the side of the rope ladder, gripping the rough cord and using only his upper body to pull himself up.
His legs dangled uselessly for a mont before he found footing again.
"Thank the heavens she's so light…" Luka whispered through gritted teeth.
Anyone heavier would've spelled disaster.
His hands burned with every movent, raw and screaming in pain, but he couldn't afford to falter.
He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, refusing to let the pain control him.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his feet found the wooden rungs again.
Relief washed over him, but he didn't stop.
His eyes fixed on the hatch above, and he continued climbing, every muscle screaming in protest.
He forced himself up the last few feet, his forehead pressed against the rough wood of the hatch as he took a shaky breath.
"Let's get this over with…" Luka muttered before slamming the top of his head against the hatch.
It didn't budge.
"You've got to be shitting …"
He readjusted his grip and bashed his head against it again, this ti with more force.
WHAM!
The hatch flung open, and Luka hoisted himself up, still holding the elf girl tightly.
But before he could fully get his bearings, he found himself staring directly into the tips of spears—sharp, glimring, and all pointed directly at his face.
A dozen Elven guards stood in perfect formation.
"Co up slowly and release her, human!" The one in the middle barked.
His armor was gilded with silver patterns.
Clearly, he was the leader.
Luka forced a smile.
"Gentlen, I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here…" he said as calmly as he could, climbing out with careful movents.
He gently placed the unconscious elf girl onto the floor, making sure her head rested comfortably.
"See? All safe and sound."
Before Luka could utter another word, two guards rushed him, slamming him face-first.
His cheek scraped against the rough floor as he felt his arms wrenched behind his back, ropes binding his wrists tightly.
"You are under arrest for the kidnapping of an Elven royal family mber!" the elf captain declared.
Luka turned his head just enough to glance up at the leader of this group of guards, disbelief etched on his features.
"You've got to be fucking kidding ," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't resist as they hoisted him up to his feet, though his mind was already racing with possibilities.
"I save her, nearly die, and this is what I get?" Luka said aloud, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I should've just left her in the cage, huh? Probably would've gotten a 'thank you' from you guys for keeping things simple."
The elf captain stepped forward, his expression unmoved.
"Silence, human. Your tongue won't save you now. You will answer for your cris in front of the council."
Luka gave a long, exaggerated sigh, his head dropping back.
"Perfect. Just perfect."
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
It wasn't long before Luka found himself thrown into a damp, stone-walled cell, the heavy iron bars slamming shut behind him with a resounding clang.
His wrists were sore from the rough rope bindings.
He leaned back against the cold wall, his eyes scanning the barren stone walls and flickering torches.
'Did Serene also get arrested? This is so annoying...'
"Well… this is just nice," Luka muttered under his breath, stretching his sore limbs as best he could in the cramped space.
The silence was suffocating.
Aside from the occasional footsteps of patrolling elf guards, there wasn't a whisper of life around him.
Luka shifted his gaze to the neighboring cells, finding nothing but empty iron cages.
'Not even a rat for company…'
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