Chapter 2101 For Freedom!
The ethos of freedom started spreading in the Wind Forest.
Almost every elf could feel the change.
“Slave” was a term that was slowly disappearing, at least in the City of Life.
Only a few conservative and stubborn feudal lords far away from the City of Life were unwilling to let go of the slavery contract and their status of an upper-class member.
However, this situation was starting to be challenged during this period. The elves within the lands already knew what was happening outside. They were longing for freedom as much as those who had been enslaved for more than a century, and they were willing to pay a high price for that.
The Brewster Family’s land was located at the southwestern side of the Wind Forest. When Sally became the new elven princess, Elliot’s status also rose, and the Brewster Family’s land increased by more than two folds.
The Brewster Family had been at the forefront of supplying the elves with food for many years. Their land was far away from the City of Life, and they had numerous slaves and servants.
These slaves were doing the toughest jobs, feeding the entire Wind Forest, but did not have enough food for themselves. In addition, they would often be oppressed, beaten, and scolded by the Brewster Family.
The voices for slaves to be freed had been ringing throughout the Wind Forest. However, this land that was surrounded by metal thorns remained silent, and utilized force and suppression to ensure absolute obedience.
All slaves were cuffed up in heavy metal chains, but their work did not get smaller. They were strictly prohibited from communicating with each other, and all freedom-related news were stopped from spreading If a slave broke the rules, they would be tortured inhumanely, and might even lose their lives because of that.
There was even a corpse half-eaten by vultures hanging high on a pole in the farm.
“We should take Joe’s body back. He was so kind. If not to save his comrade back then, he would not have broken his leg, and would not have been picking dew here for a century and end up being hung dead on the pole by his own people.”
In the dark and damp slave dormitory, an old elf turned over. The shackles on his foot that were cuffed to a wooden pole clanked. He looked at the lonely body hanging on the pole under the moonlight through the small gap between wooden planks.
There were tens of elf slaves in the dormitory, but everyone was silent. “But the door is locked from outside. Besides, there would definitely be someone keeping watch of Joe’s body.”
“They want to hang more bodies on the pole to let us know what will happen if we fight back. This is what I heard in the afternoon.”
“This is a trap,” someone said in the dark.
Someone sighed.
The air was filled with desolation and despair.
“So what? I just want my old friend to return to the arms of Mother Earth in a dignified way instead of letting those disgusting strange birds feed on him in humiliation.” The old man who spoke first sat up on his bed. There seemed to be a glimmer in his eyes in the dark as he said, “Back then, when he threw himself bravely at those demons that invaded the Wind Forest, he did not expect himself to come back alive.
“I want to take his body back. I might be hanging up there with him. At least I would feel a bit better.”
The old man got out of bed, and stood on the narrow walkway. He looked at his fellow elves enveloped in darkness, as though he was waiting for something.
Silence. More silence.
The old man smiled. He turned and walked towards the door.
“I think you would need someone to kick the door down for you.” A fit elf jumped down from the upper deck of the double-decker bed.
“The pole is too high. You might not be able to climb up there. You should leave this to me.” An elf as skinny as a monkey jumped down nimbly without making a single sound despite the heavy chains on his foot.
The old elf looked at the two elves, and a gratified smile replaced the despair on his face as he nodded and said, “Sure.”
“Stand back a little. I’ll kick the door down. When we get out, I’ll run westward and lure them away. You two go get Joe’s body down,” the strong elf said.
“Let me lure them away. I am nimbler,” the skinny elf said. “No, Albin. After you bring the body down, flip over the fence and leave. I know the metal-thorn walls are unable to stop you.” The strong elf grabbed the skinny elf by his shoulder with a smile, and said, “Take a look at the outside world on my behalf. We’ve never left the farm ever since we were born. The world outside must be fantastic.”
“Joe used to tell us about freedom, but we’ve never seen it. Maybe you would see it after leaving the farm.” Anton reached his big hand out and stroked Albin’s head. “Remember, don’t come back.”
“Anton…” Albin choked up.
In the darkness, there were a few stifles.
Anton retracted his hand, took three deep breaths, and dashed forward first, using his side to ram into the wooden door.
The sturdy wooden door flew right out, together with the doorframe.
“For freedom!”
Anton looked back and shouted loudly toward the entire row of slave dormitory, breaking the silence of the night.
The sounds of chains clanked in the dormitories, but all was still.
“Go!” Albin wiped a tear away, and crouched down to run out of the door. In no time at all, he darted into the bushes at the side, like a nimble monkey swinging from tree to tree as he dashed towards Joe’s body, which was hanging on the pole.
Anton glanced in the direction Albin had gone, and took large strides in the opposite direction. On his way, he picked up a long pole, and whacked everything in his way.
The sound of the escape woke the guards at the slave dormitory, and an ear-piercing siren was sounded.
Immediately, torches lit up the entire courtyard. Guards quickly took control of all important routes, and discovered Anton, who was running without a care.
Someone used a low-level ice spell, and an icicle pierced his calf.
Before Anton could even wave his pole at the guard in front of him, he had already fallen to the ground.
The guard went over and lifted the metal pole in his hands as he smashed Anton’s other leg with all his might.
With a thud, that leg was immediately bent in an awkward angle.
“For freedom!” Anton shouted with his head held high. He lay on the ground, waving the wooden pole in his hand hysterically, and smashing that guard in his leg.
Bam!
The wooden pole was smashed into pieces.
The guard’s leg was also broken.
The guard held his leg as he fell to the ground, shouting at the other guards that came over, “Beat him to death! I want him dead!!!”
The other guards rushed over with their weapons, and started attacking Anton without reserve.
“For freedom!”
“For freedom!”
“For… freedom…”
Anton’s voice trailed off, leaving only the sound of weapons hitting meat.
“Anton!”
Albin climbed up to the highest pole and witnessed the scene. He pulled the rope hanging Joe’s body to the pole.
The slaves in the other dormitories who witnessed this started to rebel.
They started hitting the fence and wood as they let out desperate and furious howls.
“Shut up!”
The guards used their metal poles to whack those elves who attempted to stick their arms out of the dormitories to ensure order.
“Someone stole the corpse! Catch him!”
At the same time, a guard discovered Albin who was standing on the pole.
Two flying steeds rose to the sky towards Albin.
The old elf carried Joe’s body on his back as he shouted at Albin, “Albin, leave!”
Albin looked at this familiar farm. There was no warmth at all. It was just like a carnivorous monster, and there was only endless fear of it.
Albin turned to look at the world outside of the fence, the boundless sky and endless vegetation, as well as…
A purple-striped griffin in the sky, diving down.