"Let's split up," Rogue suggested, pointing out a few strategic positions around the factory. "Samira, you take the high ground and keep an eye on the perimeter. Strax, you're with me. Let's make sure Torrin doesn't have any surprises waiting for us."
Samira nodded, swiftly climbing one of the rusted metal ladders that led to the rooftop. Strax and Rogue entered the factory, their footsteps muffled by the dust and debris scattered across the floor.
"This place brings back memories," Rogue commented with a sigh. "Torrin and I used to use factories like this for our operations in Eudoria. Simple, discreet, easy to abandon if things went south."
[Learn more about the Golden Feline – Rogue]
'So you finally came back... It's been days since you last talked to me, you know? I was starting to worry,' Strax thought.
Strax scanned the surroundings, his senses sharp. "Things gonna go south today?" He asked with a grin, almost hoping for it.
Rogue shot him a cryptic glance upon seeing his smile. "Depends on how you define 'south.'"
Time passed slowly, each minute stretching out like an eternity as they waited. Strax could feel the weight of tension in the air—the kind of silence that comes before a storm. Then, finally, he heard something. Footsteps. Several of them.
"Torrin's here," Samira whispered from her vantage point above, watching the newcomers. "And he brought company."
Rogue's expression hardened as she frowned. "How many?"
"Five, plus him. They look like they're from the Shadow Alliance."
'These dumb names... Black Association, Shadow Alliance... What's next? Alleyway Kidnappers? Armed and Dangerous Thieves? Well, whatever...'
Strax tightened his grip on the blade at his waist, his eyes locked on the factory's main door. "If Torrin's as smart as you say, he knows we're not here alone. That means he came ready for a fight."
"He may be prepared," Rogue murmured, her eyes gleaming with resolve. "But not for what we've got planned."
The factory doors creaked open, and Torrin entered, followed by his lackeys. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered, with a scar that ran across his face, giving him a menacing appearance. His eyes immediately locked onto Rogue, filled with resentment.
"Rogue," he growled, his voice echoing through the factory walls. "I knew you'd come back to Vorah sooner or later. I just didn't think you'd have the guts to face me after the mess you made."
Rogue gave him a cold smile. "Torrin, you never really understood me, did you? I didn't run from you. I just didn't have time to waste on your childish games. I like taller men, stronger ones, and... less cowardly ones," she said with a wink at Strax, which only enraged Torrin further.
He stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "Oh yeah? And now what? Now you think you can come back, start up your little guild, and I'll just let it slide? After you ran with your tail between your legs, you think there's space for you again?"
Torrin turned just in time to witness the last moments of his men's lives. His wide, horrified eyes saw the serpent lift their broken bodies like ragdolls before discarding them lifelessly onto the ground as if they were nothing.
"No..." Torrin stammered, his voice trembling. He took a step back, shaking uncontrollably. Pure fear now coursed through his veins, replacing all the arrogance and fury he had felt moments earlier. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, the bitter taste of despair filling his dry mouth.
Strax, still holding the sword that had summoned the destructive entity, watched with an impassive expression. The dark, intense glow in his eyes was the only sign of the immense power and control he wielded over the creature. He stepped toward Torrin, his voice calm and cold as steel.
"I was going to let you walk away," Strax murmured, his words heavy as a final verdict. "But you called her a bitch, and that got me a little... upset."
Torrin's gaze darted between Strax and the mangled bodies of his men, terror consuming every fiber of his being. He trembled, incapable of speaking or thinking clearly. The power of Ouroboros, that infernal serpent, was something beyond anything he could have imagined. Now, he knew without a doubt that he had faced something far out of his control.
Rogue stood silently beside Strax, her gaze on Torrin emotionless, almost disinterested, as if she had expected this outcome. She stepped closer to Strax, watching as the serpent dissipated into the air, retreating back into the blade, satisfied with its deadly feast.
"Tch, they're getting more pathetic every time," Rogue remarked, her voice dripping with indifference. "What do you want to do with this piece of trash?"
Torrin, still on his knees, finally found his voice, weak and trembling. "Please... let me go... I won't... I'll never..."
Strax looked down at him, his expression cold and devoid of emotion. "You don't deserve the mercy I gave you today, Torrin. Next time, there won't be a choice."
The threat hung in the air like a blade poised above Torrin's head. He nodded frantically, staggering to his feet, barely able to stand. Keeping his eyes fixed on the ground, he turned and fled, leaving behind the mangled bodies of his men and the haunting memory of the serpent that had nearly claimed his life.
Strax and Rogue watched in silence as he disappeared into the shadows of the city. Samira, who had been observing from a distance, finally relaxed, though a dark satisfaction flickered in her eyes.
"Well," she said, sheathing her sword. "That was... unexpected. But effective."
"He won't be back anytime soon," Strax replied, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "Now we have the time we need."
'Maybe I should have killed him... He seems like someone who'll cause trouble, but he was more scared than a stray dog,' Strax thought silently.
Leaping down from above, Samira landed near the entrance. "So, shall we? We've got a lot left to do."
"Yeah, let's go," Strax responded, his voice firm, though still carrying the weight of his internal hesitation. He adjusted the sheath of Ouroboros on his back, feeling the dark energy of the sword pulsing. "We've got a lot to do, and time isn't on our side."
Rogue, who had been staring in the direction Torrin had fled, finally turned to the two. "She's right. This little detour is over, but the real problem still lies ahead."
Samira shrugged, a mix of indifference and eagerness in her expression. "You two think too much. Let's move before the next dog comes to bite our ankles." She walked past Strax, her confident footsteps echoing through the area.