"You'll get use to it, you'll get use to it," were the only sentences that came from Takana when Sous expressed her dislike in something. But it didn't happen. She didn't get use to it.
As the days and weeks went and she continued on with her apprenticeship, she found herself losing sleep. She found herself drained and mentally exhausted from what she had to witness each time she went to the factory.
It wasn't like she could talk to anyone. They were all on the same page. Even Alana shrugged at some of the events at the factory.
Even if it was true this role was forced onto Dimona by Apex, it doesn't mean the elves had to be complicit.
Sous stared blankly at a white wall on the fourth floor of the factory. On this floor, the goblins were being used to filled the potion bottles by using the machines. They then had to take the bottles from the conveyor belt and pack them in the boxes.
She flinched at first, hearing the whip land on the back of the goblin. It cried out in pain and tried to work faster per the demand of the supervisor elf.
WHACK!
There it sounded again. Although Sous was no longer flinching at the sound, she kept her eyes ahead at the wall. Trying to find some sort of comfort of not being able to see it.
"Alright," Takana walked to her with a clip board. He handed it to Sous. "We have ten units of the material heading out today. Majority of the units will be going to Red Woods and then to The Valley of Trey." He placed his hands on his hips and positioned his body to also be looking at the wall. "The basilisk eggs that were to be delivered to us never came. We were wondering if you could check the coast to see what happened."
WHACK!
"We're hoping nothing to drastic happened to the ship-"
WHACK!
Sous put her hands to her ears. She turned to see the elf still striking the goblin. "Stop..." she said, walking over to the staircase that would take her to the floor. "Stop!" She yelled louder. She ran to the elf and grabbed his hand with the whip. "STOP IT!"
Sous bent his wrist, breaking it as the bone popped out just as the whip landed on the floor. The elf screamed out as Sous placed her hand on the elf's head, and slammed it against the wall.
The goblin crawled away in fear. The goblins paused what they were doing to see Sous assault the elf. She continued to slam his head into the wall and each time she did, more and more of her wolf began to show. Her canines extended, her claws extracted.
She glared at this elf, growled at him. Even as his head began to turn into mush in her hand, she still slammed his head against the wall. Nothing was left of his head so she slammed her fist into the wall, still screaming for the elf to stop even though the elf was dead.
"SOUS!" Takana yelled, too afraid to go near her. "SOUS!"
Sous found herself back at the facility in the royal city sitting in one of the conference rooms. She looked down at her clothes. The blood already dried. When she had asked to clean herself, they told her no.
Back at the factory, they had finally managed to pull Sous away from the wall, away from the dead elf. Apparently she fought hard and against them. That she had injured other workers.
Sous looked down at her hands and then touched the antennas slowly coming to their own on her forehead.
The door opened to the conference room. Alana entered followed by Takana and another elf. All three in business attire.
"Sous, what did you do?" Alana asked, coming to her friend and taking her hand.
Breaking point.
Alana should try going to that factory everyday and listening to the screams of the animals and magae who were there. Maybe she wouldn't be asking such a stupid question. But then, she would probably say what all the elves said who worked there, "you'll get used to it".
Sous took her hand away from Alana's and looked off. Takana and the other elf sat down.
Blah, blah, blah was all Sous heard when Takana explained the situation. That the other elf that was present was a lawyer and Sous was being charged with murder.
"We're going to have to place you under arrest." The lawyer said.
Alana touched Sous on the back shoulder. "Don't worry. This is all discrete. We're going to work out a deal so we can save face and proceed on."
Cuffs weren't placed around Sous' hands and she found herself a bit shocked internally that she was being punished. She had taken the lives from so many people who were no good, and eluded punishment that she honestly expected for them to send her back to Canas.
No. Dimona was a country that had rules and laws just like Nadia. She couldn't do what she just did and walk away from it.
The press was already outside when Sous, Takana, Alana, and the lawyer stepped out. Luckily, Alana cleaned Sous up so she was no longer covered in blood.
The press and journalist swarmed Sous. Their mics and cameras in her face. What Sous didn't expect when she got back to the palace was to have Alana show her what people were saying on the internet.
There were forums and discussion boards of the people who sided with Sous.
She saved our country from that witch. She killed one elf who was being an ass, let her go.
Another comment read:
She's an Alpha with honor. Those slaughter houses are disgusting and its a disgrace that we have them to begin with in this country. We are much better than that.
Another:
Apex may be mad at this.
And another:
Fuck Apex and all those wolves. They brought this shit here.
Alana closed the laptop and placed it to the side. Normally that would have made Sous smile, knowing she had so many that were on her side but she didn't have the strength.
She took the donut bun out of her hair, allowing it to fall down covering her shoulders.
Sous appeared at the courthouse with her legal team by her side. She sat in the defendant's chair where her lawyer and Alana sat next to her.
The court house was packed, mostly with fans of Sous. When looking at the victims side, it was just a small group of people.
Sous never really thought about the effect she had on families upon killing someone. This was her first time seeing the aftermath of her actions and how it impacted others.
"We have Sous, daughter of Puimo and Evelyn-"
Sous snapped her head up. She had never been addressed by the name of both of her parents, only her father.
"Sous, please rise and state your case."
Sous stood up, tucking in her tie as she did. "I killed an elf of Dimona for beating a goblin."
The courtroom erupted in applause and claps just as her lawyer rose. "We apologize for the death of Keo and the pain this has caused the Lyon family. Sous has saved us just a couple of years ago from a witch that plagued this country for five thousand years." He allowed that number to sink in with the court. "Five thousand years...she broke the curse. What happened to the victim was a horrible mistake that Sous is deeply sorry for."
That was a lie. Sous was sorry for killing him. She was only sorry for the pain it was inflicting on his family.
Sous was granted the ability to continue on with her apprenticeship, but she would need to not be in close contact with the goblins of the slaughter house nor the elf workers.
When it was over, Sous hugged her lawyer and Alana. She waved and shook hands with her supporters. The Lyon family dabbed tears and shook their heads at the miscarriage of justice.
Sous didn't go up to them. She didn't apologize nor did she bow her head when she walked past them to exit the court. If they hadn't raised their son to be a brute, he'd be alive.