More warnings on elf abuse, mutilation and rape mentions!

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Seonghwa tried to steel himself and protect his vulnerable soul from the suffering of his people. His empathy tormented him now, feeling the pain of his lost people, even into their deaths. They couldn't do anything for the dead aside from granting them a proper burial, to clean them and bring them back to their families to mourn.

They had to press on and save those who were still alive.

While Onyx sailed outside to alert their soldiers of their find so they could transport the bodies out, Wooyoung poked at a dead orc nearby, completely nude and fallen over from the poison. Morana kicked at the corpse's skull with all her might.

"You dirty bastards! I'm so disgusted, I wish I could kill you all a second time; as brutally as it gets. Torment you back." She stomped down until the sturdy skull of the orc cracked ominously. Then Yeosang tugged her away.

They needed to keep going. Deeper into the horrors. Seonghwa had seen the survivors before, read some of their accounts of the time down here, but witnessing it personally made it all the worse.

This was where Yongguk wanted to send him. Where so many of his people had been taken. The bane of the elves.

Their steps were slower as they descended, almost tentative as they clutched to their weapons. Noises travelled up to them from deeper inside the maze, and they followed the broken calls while Hongjoong sent magical orbs down the tunnels they didn't take, mapping them out in his mind and searching for survivors. An entire swarm of ravens accompanied Morana today, fluttering around their dark princess and rushing down the tunnels at the point of her finger.

Soon, they rounded the corner into the next cave, finally discovering the source of the rustling and whimpering that had haunted them through the tunnels.

Though there were survivors, finding them alive might almost be more depressing than finding corpses. Because despite all that happened to them, they were still going through the pain, conscious and feeling.

This had to be one of the breeding areas. The stench of bodily fluids was overwhelming in this cave, and the orcs had collapsed close to the several dozen elves lined up on the walls. Chains kept them bound to the earth, keeping their wrists in place after exhausted legs had long since given out under them. Fragile bones strained against the brutal hold splaying them apart, naked men and women trying to keep their wits about them as the orcs broke them.

The orcs left traces all over them. White fluid on their thighs and chins, bruises on their hips. They didn't hit the elves, ever careful not to damage their precious goods while they were still alive, but their bodies were wearied.

Near the entrance was a trough filled with unidentified slop, vegetables and rice ground into a depressing grey paste. It was broad enough to feed a bunch of animals, or in this case, elves.

Some of them were crying, confused and terrified what was going on. Others looked into the room with blank eyes, already on the way to having their minds broken. This group would be the ones still fighting the breeding, not allowing the orcs to use them for incubating their young. They had the best chance to heal. To recover from what they went through.

So Seonghwa shook off his terror and sadness and beckoned his husbands inside.

"Search the orcs for a key. Let's save Hongjoong's magic for later," he advised them, and Morana instantly marched at the corpses, kicking and spitting at them as she went. For once, Seonghwa let her.

Their movement startled the elves. They shied away, someone cried out, but the realisation caught up with them quickly.

"I-Is this a dream? Your Majesty?" A girl nearby muttered, not believing her eyes since these people must have been taken in recently. The ones who knew him before the Night of Starfall would be long broken or dead.

Some others looked up, tears drying when they realised the newcomers were no orcs but their allies. And when Yunho made an excited noise and came up with a bunch of keys, hope blossomed on their faces.

"We'll save you," Seonghwa promised, sharing the rush of delight that echoed from their souls. Yunho dashed in to undo their chains while Seonghwa's other husbands supported those who strained worst against their chains and checked on the entranced or unconscious people.

"What of the orcs? They suddenly fell over," a man near Seonghwa croaked and Seonghwa shook his head after poking the nearest orc with his spear, just to be extra safe. Nothing moved anymore.

"Dead. We poisoned them with gas. It's not dangerous for you, so make your way out quickly. There are people waiting to help."

Unfortunately, they had no clothes for the elves to cover up their exhausted bodies, but that was the least of their worries. Their hope succeeded anything else, and the elves thanked Yunho and Jongho when their shackles fell and the golem carefully lifted them onto the ground to sit down first. They got to exhale, rub their sore wrists and bask in their disbelief to find freedom.

"We knew you would come for us," the same woman as before said, gathering all her energy for a smile when she was broken out of her chains, cradling bloodied wrists before her chest. Seonghwa smiled back sadly.

"It took me too long. Others have suffered much worse."

"They took my sister deeper inside two weeks ago. Can you find her, please? She must still be in there. I pray..." Another elf piped up and suddenly, they were all missing family members, children, even friends they had made inside the caves.

Hongjoong beckoned at them all to calm down when their voices buzzed with more and more distress.

"We will continue until no elves are left in here. Everyone will make it out. So please meet our allies and wait for us there. If you linger, we are only held back."

They understood. Accepted their gift and supported each other as they slowly made their way out on weak legs, guided by Onyx. The team waited until the bird returned with a satisfied caw and a few seraphim who could carry the comatose survivors. Once everyone had cleared out, they pushed on.

Morana huffed and rolled out her shoulders as they returned onto their path. Some tension fell off them, but more lingered.

"Feels good to help them," she figured, and Seonghwa couldn't agree more. Too long, they waited and hesitated. Too long, they lived in fear instead of fighting back. Everyone here deserved to be safe and happy.

This time, they carried themselves with more confidence. Determination winged their step as they explored down the tunnels, following Hongjoong's magical alarms. They could probably split up and get more done at the same time, but Seonghwa was worried something might attack them down there. So they stuck together and moved down into the next area Hongjoong had discovered.

The visions were similar, if also more harrowing. They must have stumbled their way into the sleeping chambers, only that sleeping was reduced to a miserable existence in iron cages for the prisoners. Worn blankets were thrown haphazardly across the floors of the several massive cages, providing minimum comfort for the prisoners squeezing tightly together. Their bare bodies were cramped, not cold, but uncomfortable in their quarters. Seonghwa counted six cages, each holding over a dozen prisoners.

He didn't even want to guess why they were here. The freshest ones, perhaps, or those who needed rest before the rape continued. But he wouldn't dwell on it.

Most of the prisoners were awake and in mayhem about the fallen orcs. They had allied, trying to stretch far enough to snatch the keys from their fallen guards. When Seonghwa's group barged in to aid them, they broke out in relieved tears.

No one was injured of this bunch, but one of the elves held them back before they would rush on.

"There is a sick bay... Where they bring people for surgeries. There are others from my village, so, please..." She pointed them down another tunnel and Seonghwa exchanged a look with his family. They nodded, ready to hurry there first in case someone needed urgent medical care after the orcs passed out.

"Do you know other places?" Seonghwa asked her as his husbands sent the elves on their way with Onyx and scouted ahead. Her eyes were both haunted and eager to help.

"Yes... below the next fort, the incubation rooms. There are also the places where they take those who are willing. Baths and bed chambers for their leaders. Go further north," she whispered and Seonghwa nodded at her, not daring to touch her quivering body, no matter how soothing the contact might have been.

"Thank you. Be safe," he asked her and she limped off with the rest, leaving the cages empty.

Seonghwa and his husbands picked up their pace, trying to lose as few as possible while the orcs couldn't tend to their prisoners.

"Those who are willing? How can that be?" Morana challenged what she heard and Seonghwa sighed inwardly. Nothing much he could keep from her after witnessing the terror of elven history right before her eyes.

"Orc sperm has aphrodisiac properties. The elves only feel the pleasure, never the pain. That's how they keep going," he muttered, hands clenching to fists as he thought back to the many times orcs tried to take him against his will. The overwhelming revulsion and fear to be made their object of pleasure.

Morana also made a face. She looked as if she wanted to ask about all the sickening details with some macabre fascination, but they stumbled right into another larger chamber, making her suck in her breath.

This one was worse. More chained elves, but these looked pitiful. All of them were mutilated, missing not only eyes or fingers, but some had been reduced to nothing but a head and torso. They were strapped to wooden tables, elevated for the height of the orcs to abuse. Holes and nothing more. Under their gags was complete silence, empty eye sockets hidden below blindfolds. A few of them were swelling with child, as their bodies resisted the odds and trauma they went through to fulfil the one purpose the orcs wanted them for.

But though they were breathing, they weren't moving. Bundled up into something barely looking like people, they just breathed and accepted their fate.

This time, it was Yeosang who stumbled away from their group with his hands pressed to his lips. He looked ill at the sight, no matter how well the amputations had healed. Hongjoong already extended a hand to the nearest victim, trying to reach their soul, but he got no response. They were completely vacant.

Yunho looked just as green around the nose, so it was Jongho's job to extend a hand to his leafy friend.

"Yeosang...?"

"No, excuse me, I- Not feeling so good right now," Yeosang muttered, turning away to take a breather. It was hard on all of them. Seonghwa felt icy cold inside, shaken by the vision, even if he had known. Those poor people went through so much.

And his brother doomed them to it. Most of them got captured because of what he did. He would have sold out even his own brother.

San must have been thinking the same because he stood frozen in place, blazing eyes directed at Seonghwa and hand clutched into a fist.

Hongjoong shared the suffering of the elves as he wandered past.

"Their bodies echo their pain. So much agony in this place. I wish we could kill Yongguk a thousand deaths," he growled as he tried to get a response from anyone, but they were beyond any reason or pain. They only felt pleasure at the lightest tug of their swollen bodies.

Sickening.

"They are all so broken... Their souls silent," Morana realised with a shudder and Seonghwa was glad when Onyx found them, bringing along some mages to help with the extreme cases. One of them vomited, then they dared closer, unable to look away from the vile scene. Seonghwa allowed them to undo the bindings on the elves.

"We must hurry on, so bring them to the nymphs and see what they can do. Some might be wishing for an end," Seonghwa got out, deeply saddened, but the mages confirmed his order.

"Leave them to us."

It was easy to turn their backs and run, healthy and free as they were. But the visions haunted Seonghwa as they delved deeper and deeper into the madness of the orc tunnels.