Episode 1

My name is Serena and I am a sorceress from the Planet Maginu, on a mission to save my people who have been captured by leaches.

I ran to the very edges of that planet, weaving and making my way around the arid mountains, with their red earth. Sparse forests were confined to specific areas. I climbed another mountain via a rocky area and perched myself at the summit, looking all around me. I could see the spots that seemed lived-in, as there was a strange circle around them. I ran towards the closest circle. It was a difficult journey, with explosions occurring on the ground as if from geyser, only these spewed fire rather than water as I passed. I had to stay alert to dodge the holes made by these explosions; it was a highly unstable planet and as such, it was the perfect place to hold prisoners for forced labor.

I reached the circle that I had spotted from above and it was indeed large, indicating a spaceship had once landed there and likely there was an underground mine. I search for an entrance and found it at the only point on the circle that was attached to the mountain, the entrance of a cave. Looking around, I didn't see any sentinels or security cameras. The wretched captors were so confident they didn't believe anyone could reach their hideout to save the prisoners.

I crept inside the cave, hugging the wall and using the shadows for cover. I moved deeper into it, and sounds reached my ears - the clanging of machines, groans, and screams. It was a true horror. When I reached the end of the cave floor, it dropped off into a nearly impossible cliffface. Down below, I saw the horror that all those who'd been abducted were enduring.

One side of the cave bottom was filled with mining machines. The red earth was rich in a valuable material they sold on the black market. The prisoners were there, in rags, emaciated, and working as slaves under the watchful eyes of harsh taskmasters who would whip them mercilessly.

On the other side were cages, where other prisoners were held. The rest was the worst part of all – the captors were feeding on the prisoners, who screamed as they were eaten alive. In the center of the cavern was an abnormal fire pit. It wasn't fueled by logwood, but rather, it was a hole in the ground from which fire erupted, similar to the surface explosions. The fire appeared to be the result of an underground element that sparked explosions upon contact -- an element present within the planet's interior.

As a result, no one dared to land or dwell there, except these greedy mercenary traders who used the planet as their main source of raw material and exploited others to do the work they were supposed to do. I observed every detail of that sinister hole and planned my next move. Quick actions wouldn't be feasible, I would approach this cautiously and slowly to not raise suspicion among the prisoners and prevent them from being caught before liberating them all.

So, I waited for the right moment, when they took a break for rest. They only rested for a few hours and I took advantage of this time. First, I ensured all the prisoners got some water. They looked at me suspiciously as I did this but said nothing. I just gave them all a drink. In the remaining water, I added a pure essence which would contaminate the rest of the water. Surely the first thing they would do when they woke up, was drink the water. Even simply touching that water would make them succumb to the essence I added.

I went to one of the smaller cells and there he was, the man I was trying to find; an old friend and a powerful man, reduced to skin and bone, battered, beaten, and wounded. But he was alive. It was him I would release first - I unlocked his cell and helped him out. I helped him to his feet, ready to fight.

I opened the cells one by one and instructed the prisoners to take the path I had marked when I came down. It was a tough and steep climb, but not impossible. During this time, my friend Willow and I went to the excavation area and planted several explosive charges. I only brought a bar of a powerful explosive composition. Just a few disseminated pieces and a specific sound would trigger a massive explosion. With the fire nearby, there wouldn't be any need for a detonator as the fire would act as one, burning everything and causing an explosion in the nearby toxic storage cavern.

After planting the explosives, we ascended to find the released prisoners waiting outside. I showed them the way; we were to turn right, climb and navigate a couple of mountains before we would reach the departure point from the planet. Our journey began, and I was surprised to see them move swiftly - their physiology didn't require constant feeding and they could last a long time without food. The water had revitalized them, so they moved fairly quickly, almost running. We reached the departure spot after a few hours and heard the cave explode behind us. There wasn't even enough time for the captors to communicate with others - they must've died before the explosion.

Upon arriving at the departure point, I immediately activated the portal device and began guiding them through, one at a time. With only Willow and myself left to cross, something went wrong. I spotted a spaceship approaching and starting to fire, the portal began to close unexpectedly. I reached for Willow but was unsuccessful. My arm was halfway through the portal, with me on one side and him on the other. I yelled and urged him to grasp my hand but he couldn't hear me. I felt his calloused hand grip mine, and then I pulled, but the portal was already shut. Neither of us could cross the barrier.

Just then, one of our companions arrived and managed to open a small breach in the portal. With that, I managed to pull Willow through, catching a glimpse of the queen bee of those creatures outside the arriving spaceship, too far away to reach us before we shut the portal. She glared at me with hate, arrogance, and madness, and in that moment I knew I had made a formidable enemy.

After we crossed, many of the rescued were met by their families as we arrived near the military district. The impertinent, red-haired young woman who came to my rescue earlier stormed up to me and started a verbal onslaught. I didn't understand all of her rant but one thing was clear:

"You incompetent, where is Willow?"

Willow had always been a hulky, hairy, and handsome male. I didn't blame her for not recognizing him, but there was no need for her to be rude to me. I made a hand gesture and silenced her rant. She lunged at me with her claws out, intending to claw me up, something she couldn't accomplish because I know how to defend myself well. However, it wasn't necessary; Willow stepped in front of me, lifted the redhead onto his shoulders, and marched her home. I smiled as I released the silence spell and heard the sound of Willow's palm landing on the young woman's round posterior.

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