Gata grinned, putting away his lock pick, “yep! Luzzu was the one to teach me that little trick.”
They walked a little ways into the house, stopping when they heard some tall tale signs of the slavers.
“You hear that?” Baralai asked, putting his ear against a door.
“Yeah, it sounds like snoring.” Gippal said.
Quietly Yuna opened the door. She squinted, looking across the room. “There.” she pointed to two forms slumped over a table; there were many papers scattered around the snoring men.
“Heh… this is going to be a piece of cake.” Gata said with a grin.
“Spoke too soon,” Baralai whispered, when one of the men startled awake.
Gippal tightened his hold on his gunblade, just as Baralai took out his daggers. Yuna readied her staff and Gata clinched his fists.
“Whoa, what’s this?” one of the men muttered, seeing the teens.
Bud quickly stood up, shaking Ned awake, “wake up, you goon!” Bud yelled, “We have a situation.”
“You bet you do,” Gippal growled, “remember me?”
“G-Gippal!” Bud gasped. “You came back! Do you realize how much trouble you caused for us? Your master nearly did us in, but we smoothed things over by giving him a free toy.”
Toy!? Baralai was shocked when he realized Bud was talking about a person.
“It’s time I put an end to your evil doings.” Gippal yelled, “Yuna, now!”
Yuna twirled her staff around, a white smoke leaving it as she yelled slowga.
Bud and Ned gasped, their actions slowing.
“Now!” Gippal yelled. He hit Bud with the flat side of his gunblade, just as Yuna knocked Ned over the head with her staff. That surprised everyone; Yuna was supposed to stay to the back, while the boys took care of things.
“You filth!” Yuna yelled down at Ned, kicking him in the side. “You big meany!” She kicked him again and again.
“Yuna,” Baralai pulled Yuna away from Ned, “he’s out of it.”
Yuna’s eyes went wide, “oooh, I’m sorry, I just lost it.”
“It’s understandable.” Gippal said, glaring down at the men.
“Come on!” Gata yelled, “Let’s go save those three!”
---
“They have to be down here,” Gata said, leading everyone down to the basement. “Ew.” Gata wrinkled up his nose, “that’s the worse smell ever.”
Baralai frowned, “I don’t want to say it, but that smells like… death.”
Gata paled, “Luzzu!” he yelled, running downstairs.
He opened a door, seeing three slumped figures lying on the stone cold floor.
Tears in his eyes, Gata slowly started to walk over to them, the others behind him.
“Gata?” A weak voice filled the room.
Gata’s eyes went wide. “Luzzu!” Gata sprinted across the room, falling down next to a sickly looking teen with red hair.
“You’re all right! I was so scared; I thought you were d-dead.” Gata started to cry.
Luzzu reached out to the younger, pulling him into his arms, “Ha, as if I’d ever die and leave you, Gata.”
“Oh, how very romantic,” a sarcastic voice spoke up.
Baralai gasped. He’d know that cold voice anywhere. “Paine?” he questioned a girl. She looked like Paine, but Baralai hadn’t seen the girl in years.
The girl squinted her eyes, looking at Baralai, “Lai?” she whispered, gasping.
“Yeah,” Baralai nodded, falling down next to her. “Paine, are you okay?”
Paine looked up, “I’m way better off then most.”
Gippal felt a pang in his stomach as he looked at Baralai and Paine. He knew it was jealousy and felt bad that all he could feel at this time was a feeling off anger that Baralai was paying more attention to a girl then him.
“The other person?” Yuna spoke up, pointing to the third person in the room. “Is he okay?”
Gippal looked away from Baralai and Paine, “hey.” He knelt down next to the boy, pulling him into a sitting position. “Are you okay?”
“I’m really hungry.” the small boy whined. He didn’t look any older then eleven.
“We can fix that.” Gippal smiled, helping the boy up. “Who are you?”
“Pacce.” the boy mumbled.
---
After safely getting Luzzu, Paine and Pacce to the lodge, Baralai, Gippal and Gata returned to the slave house; Yuna stayed behind, attending to the others.
“I can’t believe it!” Gippal exclaimed, “They kept records of every slave they ever sold and where they all went. How stupid can they be? This is enough evidence to put them and all their buyers behind bars for life.”
“Look!” Baralai yelled, shoving a something in Baralai’s face, “Tidus is with someone in Kilika.” Baralai grinned, “It’s all written in black and white for us to read.”
Gippal smiled, “wow! I’m so happy! I can’t wait to go save him!”
“And here’s one that says Rikku and Lulu are staying in a whore house in… huh…” Gata blinked, “right here in Besaid.”
“What?” Gippal and Baralai exclaimed.
“That’s what it says; I never heard of there being a whore house here.”
“Well, I’m sure it’s a really hush hush thing.” Gippal said.
“Yeah, its right next door to this place, actually,” Gata said, reading the record.
“Should we just go or should we inform Yuna?” Gippal asked the others.
“Well, I think Yuna deserves to be able to help her cousin and we might need her fire power.” Baralai said, “Though I would hate to put her in danger.”
“Well, of course I feel the same way, but Yuna knows spells and with out her we’d be sitting ducks.” Gippal reasoned.
“Okay, so we go get Yuna then were off to save Rikku and Lulu.” Gata said with a great big smile on his face. He didn’t even care that he was talking about saving people he didn’t know. He just wanted to do all he could to make sure everyone was happy and safe.
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