[Flashback] The universe does not sing; it hisses

[Silen]

The green light flashed on the control panel next to the lever Silen had just activated. He moved toward the door, witnessing a group of tough men rushing down the corridor, following their leader. Silen nodded to himself and returned to the unconscious guard, searching the body —keys, weapons, anything possibly useful. He took only the baton and a silent walkie-talkie, just in case, and left the control room.

He still had no clue who he was hired to help with the escape. As the whole situation unfolded, the naga began to realize he had been tricked into this mess. Maybe there never was a single hostage to release. Whose den was this in the first place? Kidnappers? Slave traffickers? Was a naive hireling used to provide a distraction while a rival group of criminals dealt with the competition? Probably, but it would be hard to verify anytime soon.

As Silen moved, he immediately ran into a group of women prisoners, led by the same naga he had seen in a cell earlier. Despite the chaos around them, he could not help but spare a thought for the rare beauty of one of his kin. Snakeling was much more accustomed to seeing humans or elfs, making no comparison in how they moved. Now the contrast felt striking. She moved with a fluid grace, far superior to the to the clumsy stumbling of two-legged females around her, imbued with royal elegance, radiating poise, mesmerizing, as a naga should. Her every motion exuding the same grace he himself carried.

Silen cursed under his breath. He, probably, needed to see more women of his tribe, to stop having his will paralyzed by such a mundane scene of a naga-girl rushing to escape the captivity, surrounded by other prisoners.

"You brought the girls," he repeated. "Why?"

That was a stupid question, he realized. For some reasons, she was expecting him to protect the whole frightened flock.

"I have to find someone." Silen muttered. "Is there another prison block? Any other place to keep a hostage?" He glanced at the women questioningly. One of them shook her head.

Distant sounds of gunfire and screams reached, confirming that the naga was right.

"All right", - Silen shoved the guard's baton into her hands. - "Follow me." And slithered back to the prison hall, leading them towards the window he used to break in. "You all'll have to help each other..."

Yes, he felt uncomfortable agreeing to share the responsibility to get them all out. He didn't even wanted to. But there was no time to argue about it now.

"I wouldn't trust the damn snakes," - one of the woman said loudly.

"Than you're free to find your own way," Silen suggested. She shut her mouth, hearing the shooting echoing in a distance.