"I am Temur and this is Litha." The big man, Temur introduced them. Temur has a stocky build with high cheekbones and slanted eyes; his dark hair is gathered thickly behind him.
His hands are twice Jael's hands when they shake, and his skin has a reddish tone. He wore black trousers and a brown shirt, but over it, he wore a cloak of skin of some big white-furred animal. "Jael. I am Jael."
Temur beamed. "Nice to meet you. Jael, you have beautiful eyes, it's like the great green sky of my land."
"Is that so? Ah ah ah." Jael scratched his head. To him, Temur looks like the kind of person to laugh easily, a friendly bear.
On the other hand, Litha reminded Jael of a soldier ant that always goes around just to sting people. Her blue eyes aren't cold; it is splitting fire. "I am Litha. Thank you for saving me, now what do you want?"
Litha, on the other hand, is a human. She's as tall as Jael with an oval face and a lithe muscular body. She wore a baggy black shirt.
Jael was baffled. What he did want? All he did was bend the cages, it wasn't as if he did anything spectacular. The cuff even limits their strength. "Huh..nothing?"
Her eyes narrowed as if Jael was making fun of her. "What do you mean nothing? I know you didn't just save us for nothing, you are not Temur."
"Hey!" Temur complained.
"Well, I didn't expect anything from saving you. I just did it because it's what...," he saw the look on Litha's face and quickly said another thing. "Okay. Tell me about this place. Where am I? How do I get here?"
Litha exchanged looks with Temur, she asked with exaggerated slowness. "What exactly do you mean, where are you, and how did you get here?"
Jael swallowed. "Well, I am in another place and then I suddenly find myself here. I woke up in the cage."
Litha looked confused, then it changed to suspicious, but before she could say anything, they heard voices far from the tunnel. Immediately she went on alert. "Quick! We have to get out of here before the ritualists come back."
Jael felt as if a loud noise just went off in his ears. "Dungeon Tower?"
"Ish. They are here."
The voices stopped talking immediately and their footsteps slowed before they came into view. A woman and the Iron rank that went out earlier. They froze when they saw that their captives were now free.
"How did do let them get free!" The woman's voice was sharp beneath her mask.
The Iron rank recoiled from her even though they were both at the same rank. "High priestess, I don't know. When I came to call you they are still locked up."
"Priestess? So you are the one in control here, good. I have wanted to meet you since I woke up in a cage meant for dogs!" Litha started walking towards them.
"Wait!" Temur said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We should be cautious. They caught us once after all."
She shrugged his hands off her shoulder but didn't continue. "They didn't catch us; we are knocked out because you decided you wanted to help a wounded, helpless little girl."
Jael watched the two of them go at it, like two siblings arguing about who should control the remote for the TV. On the other hand, Jael was trying his best to piece together the situation he found himself in.
"Enough!" The Priestess said. "We will have to get them back into their cages. With force if possible. The ritual must continue; I must summon the chaos devourer. Nothing can stand in my way."
Jael and the others tensed, expecting an attack on them but it didn't come. She turned and brought up her heels as if she was performing a ballad.
Everyone was surprised. Most of all was the Iron rank man, whose head spun in the air before it landed with a dull thud with the body.
The Priestess slowly put down her right leg, light caught the blade attached to her heels. "Well then. Let's see what you are useful for, Acolyte."