CHAPTER 29

HAKKEN LEFT for the city of Ager early in the morning before Sollel even woke up. As usual, he slept on the floor, while his lady slept on the bed. Her back was on him again, which Hakken preferred because he didn't know what would happen to him if she was facing him when he woke up.

It was one of the nights Hakken would never forget since he got to talk to his lady until they both fell asleep.

Standing outside Sarnau, Hakken looked at the sky, and when he saw a shadow flying in the clouds, he smiled and whistled. As the flying shadow descended, Hakken looked at the direction of the city of Ager and then at Sarnau before he sighed.

I'll see you again, my lady.

Meanwhile, inside Sarnau, Xeke looked for Cira everywhere when he didn't see her in the healer's house. But the elf he was looking for was in the forest beside Sarnau. Cira had been camping there before the dawn broke, wrapping her essence around the moonrite stone and analyzing the power it held.

After what happened in the noble's hill, Cira was more anxious to finish analyzing the moonrite stone. Her Highness may be powerful, but when facing a moonrite stone, she was weak...and Cira didn't want that. For Her Highness to save the other queens and do whatever she wanted, Cira had to find a solution to Queen Sollel's weakness.

I have to make haste. With that thought, Cira focused her attention on the stone floating in front of her. She didn't let her worry distract her and focused all her essence in analyzing the moonrite stone, as she was the only one who could. If only the whole elven race would help her. It would've been quicker.

Unbeknownst to Cira, who was focused on being useful to Queen Sollel, Xeke found her in the forest and was only staring at Cira and the transparent stone floating in front of her. Seeing that Cira was too open and unguarded against attacks, Xeke sat on a tree branch to guard her from anyone or anything.

Sitting on the tree branch, watching Cira, Xeke didn't know why he couldn't seem to ignore and abandon the elf who caught his eyes. He had traveled far and wide, he had met so many elven races, but still, he had no idea how this adorable petite elf captured his attention.

Xeke didn't even know what was happening to him anymore. He's used to traveling alone because he didn't like the inconvenience a companion might bring, but here he was, inconveniencing himself for the sake of one single "ungrateful" elf.

After worrying about her, she didn't even look at me. Xeke sighed and shook his head. He should stay away from her and leave her alone—that would be the best course of action. But even after forcing himself, he didn't want to move and leave the elf alone.

Xeke sighed and just leaned on the tree. I'll just watch over her for now.

While inside Sarnau, Sollel woke up to Zassia and Grath practicing again. Zassia still had a long way to go, but Grath was already close to awakening his essence without Sollel's help. Hakken was nowhere to be seen, so Sollel assumed that he already left for the city of Ager.

Sollel sighed and went around Sarnau. Wearing her cloak with her hood on, Sollel roamed around. There were no demi-humans on the street, but she saw a store where slaves were sold.

Demi-humans and halflings had always been the target of slavery. Sollel knew that burning the slavery den in Belrac meant nothing as a whole. Yes, they saved a few, but that was it. The main problem—which was slavery—was still rampant, and she had no time to hunt every slave trader in Azitera. And just like what Hakken said, after taking down a slave trader, another one would sprout and replace the ones they took down.

To fully get rid of them, the root should be eradicated before the branches. Wanting to know more about the slavery system and how it worked, Sollel wandered inside the slave store, pretending to be a buyer.

Sollel had to control her flame from unleashing when she saw what was inside the store. Cage after cage, each one had a creature inside, like they were on display. Not only that, but the slaves were also divided into three categories: warriors, pleasure, and toys. And each category was placed and displayed differently.

The warrior slaves were comprised of male demi-humans from different tribes—from black wolf tribe to leopard and tigers. All were wearing slave collars and glaring at Sollel as she passed. From the demi-human slaves' perspective, all the people who entered the store were all twisted and evil. And the slaves hated them all.

"Oh! Who do we have here?" The owner of the store approached Sollel with a fake smile. The store owner believed that the customer had no money, seeing the ragged cloak the person wore. But a costumer was a costumer. "Fancy a slave?"

"How did you capture them?" Sollel asked while pointing at the warrior slaves. She spoke haughtily, making sure that her voice wouldn't reveal her true purpose. "They seem strong, but..." Sollel raised her hand and let her flame surround it like she was playing. "I don't want to buy a merchandise with a defect. How sure are you that when capturing them, you didn't ruin the merchandise?"

The store owner smiled, seeing the lady's hand wrapped in flame. A flame sorceress?! Looks like I'm wrong. I really shouldn't judge a person by their clothes. Flame sorcerers and sorceresses were in high demand. Merchants, noble families, and kingdoms wanted them, so the store owner immediately showed his respect.

"My lady is very perceptive, but I can assure you, every slave here had been fully checked and are very healthy. I cannot deny that we sometimes damage the goods when capturing, but every damage good has already been disposed of."

Sollel clenched her hand that was hidden in the cloak. They killed them? "Is that so?"

"Yes. If you're looking for a warrior, I suggest you choose from the black wolf tribe," the store owner continued. "They are very agile, strong, and sturdy. They have sharp claws that could deal severe damage to enemies. They are our best-selling warrior slaves."

The amount of anger Sollel had to suppress to not blow up was outstanding as she listened to the store owner babble. Then her eyes landed on the pleasure slaves. The demi-humans and the halflings. Sollel was not surprised. Demi-humans and halflings were the popular preys of the slave traders because of their similarities to humans. Not only that; slave traders only had to hire a sorcerer or two to attack a demi-human settlement, and it'd be all right since demi-humans were weak to elemental magic.

Except for Grath since he was the first of his kind to wield flame.

Sollel faced the toy slaves. "What are the toy slaves for?"

"As their name suggests, someone to play with." The store owner grinned maliciously. "They're the useless goods we have that has no use other than to be a plaything. They have no power, no strength, nor beauty. They're usually sold for a low price."

Hearing the store owner, Sollel walked toward the cages for the toy slaves to get a better look. As she got closer, she realized that there was only one slave there—a teenager with obsidian hair and eyes and a long-cut scar from the middle of her forehead down to her left chin.

"From which race is she?" Sollel asked the owner while still assessing the girl inside the cage.

The store owner shrugged his shoulder. "Don't know. I'm guessing human. I got her free from a colleague. No one wants to buy her since her appearance is just horrible."

Looking at the girl's obsidian eyes, Sollel asked the shop owner, "How much is she?"

The shop owner blinked at Sollel a couple of times, like he was waiting for her to say that she was just jesting, but nothing came, so the owner replied, "One gold coin is enough, my lady, but are you certain? I have other merchandise—"

Sollel provided one gold coin from her pocket and handed it to the shop owner. "I'll take her."

Happy that his unsaleable goods were sold, the shop owner immediately accepted the gold coin from Sollel and transferred the ownership of the girl to Sollel via a contract.

"Do you hold all their contracts?" Sollel asked like it was just something that came to mind while keeping an eye to the two mercenaries inside, guarding the shop.

The shop owner didn't answer since it was a taboo for a slave trader to admit that they held the slaves' contracts and just opened the cage and let the girl out. "I hope you enjoy playing with her, my lady," the shop owner said with a happy wide smile as he pulled the girl out of the cage.

"Is your business doing better?"

"It's great." The owner faced Sollel and slightly bowed down. "Have a good day, my lady."

Sollel held the girl's hand and turned around. "Yes. Have a good day too." Sollel wanted nothing more than to burn the shop owner and his mercenaries alive, but if she did, could the slaves escape and leave town? Not only that; humans in Sarnau would persecute these demi-humans and halflings, and they might be blamed for the shop owner's death.

"I'll be back," said Sollel before leaving the store. And that was a promise.

While on the street, Sollel sighed deeply before glancing at the teenage girl, maybe twelve years old, walking beside her. Why did I buy her anyway? Even Sollel had no answer to that. It was a sudden decision. Just an impulse. Was it her scar? Or her obsidian eyes that were filled with rage when I looked at her? Maybe because Sollel had felt it and she experienced being caged.

An impulse decision that might bring the Mistress of Flame luck or misfortune. Only time will tell.

♕♕♕

"WHAT'S your name?" Sollel asked the girl when they reached the inn and entered her room.

The girl remained silent.

"Where are you from?"

No reaction.

"How old are you?"

Nothing.

Sollel sighed and willed the slave collar to open. Since she was the one who held her contract, it immediately opened. "There. You're free." Sollel took the collar off the girl's neck. "I'm not going to enslave you."

The girl raised her head at Sollel, her eyes doubtful. "Why...would you do that?"

Sollel was a little taken aback when she heard the girl talk using the old language. Either she's like Zassia ,or she's from a long-lived race. Sollel concluded before answering the girl with a shrug, "I'm not into slavery."

"Why...did you buy me then?"

Sollel answered honestly, "I saw myself in you...I think."

The girl finally showed a reaction. A frown. "You...were a slave too?"

"Something like that," Sollel answered vaguely as she remembered her prison life. Unlike the slaves, a slave collar didn't work on her for some reason. Maybe because she was blessed by the deities. Who knows.

The girl looked at Sollel like she was inspecting Sollel before she said, "I want to stay with you. You seem strong." The girl took the slave collar from Sollel and put it on her neck herself. "Even if you freed me here, I have nowhere to go, and I might be captured again and returned to the slave market. I know because I escaped a couple of times already and nothing changes, free or not."

Sollel stared at the girl. "You seem like a strong girl."

The girl shrugged. "I have to be, or else I won't get my revenge."

"Revenge on whom?"

"I don't know." The girl gritted her teeth like she was frustrated that she didn't know. "I just have this strong feeling of revenge. I don't even remember my name, let alone the reason why I want vengeance."

Sollel remained calm even though she was curious. "You don't remember your name?"

"I don't remember anything," the girl responded, clenching her fists. "My name, my age, my race, where I came from, and why I'm here..."

As Sollel contemplated if she would trust the girl's words or not, a commotion was happening in the city of Ager, specifically in the palace of the Kingdom of Treterra. All because of an imperial warlord's sudden visit.

A visit that would affect the Mistress of Flame and her companion as they would go forward.



CECELIB | C.C.