A scream ripped the air. The others rushed to the window to find the source when another shriek of fear and pain came from the same location, but out of their field of vision.

          “It came from that direction!” Atty called out, pointing toward the corner of the building.

          “Let’s try to find another room where we can see better,” Yulen hastily instructed and ran out the door. He ducked into another room a few doors down. Atty chose to go to the last room at the end of the hallway. Fortune followed her.

          From there, she spotted two horseless wagons parked next to what appeared to be a small park. Unfortunately, the overgrown trees blocked whatever was happening there. Regardless, the sound of chanting could be heard. Someone screamed again. It was followed by an eerie Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! made by many voices. The cry repeated, except this time it was thinner and not as loud. Someone gave a triumphant yell, and was answered by the crowd of voices now chanting Oww! Oww! Oww! They were accompanied by the unmistakable beat of several drums echoing in the still morning air. Figures rushed to a wagon and pulled someone from the back of it. In that instant, both Atty and Fortune gasped in disbelief.

          “That’s Cole! That’s Cole down there! They dragged him off a wagon!”

          Fortune rushed back to the door and called out to the battle lord. “We see Cole!”

          Yulen joined them in time to see the dark figure disappearing underneath the canopy. Pivoting around, the battle lord ran out the door. Out in the hallway, Renken, Thrasher, and Paxton hurried to catch up with the man. Grabbing him by his leather vest, the ex-mercenary jerked hard on it to stop him in his tracks. Yulen angrily swiped the man’s hand away and started to say something when Atty stepped between them. He turned his glare on her, but she refused to be intimidated by it.

          “You’re letting your emotions get in the way! Stop and think, Yulen! We can’t just go blindly rushing in!” she tightly told him.

          “We don’t know how many of them there are!” Paxton added.

          “But we have the element of surprise!” Yulen snarled. “You want to stay here and watch Cole be next on the slaughtering block? Or are you going to join me?” He stared directly into his wife’s eyes. “We came all this way to save him and the others. I’m not hesitating anymore.”