A young beast man sat on a branch of a tree not far from the large white house listening as the chaos exploded within the house hold all beginning with a loud scream, the guards that had been walking around outside rushed into the house. The man looked up by the window to see the Duchess standing by the window her beautiful face marred by tears, a sun elf came up and pulled her into a hug as she broke down, crying for the child that she had claimed as hers only a few days ago.

He watched as guards ran out the house some going to the front of the yard but most headed to the back, where he was sitting in the tree, he sighed and coughed lightly holding onto his throat that was slowly healing from the large gash the child had managed to put in it when he went for the boy.

He remembered sneaking into the house and waiting in the child’s room, he had silently watched from a corner in the room as the maid came in carrying the small child that was fast asleep with a smile on her face, she carefully removed his clothing and changed him into his sleeping garb and then placed him in the bed tucking him in, the look she gave the child was so motherly he had second guessed carrying out the request but held fast in his decision, this was not the first child he had been paid to transport to a slave ship.

He waited on the maid to leave the room and pull the door in behind her and then listened as her footsteps faded before he stepped forward uncloaking his presence, the child was letting out soft snores that sounded more like purrs and he knew he would be cursed for what he was about to do to such a child but his family needed feeding, so he would do it.

He stood at the edge of the bed and removed the cover from the child, but as he moved to snatch the child up, the child’s eyes snapped open and instead of the green he was told to expect they were bright blood red eyes and the white part of his eyes had turned a deep black. He was stunned and before he could move back the child had snarled and he had to bite back a scream as he felt thick black claws tear into his neck.

He fought to get the child off of him throwing him back on the bed, he stumbled bag gagging on blood, that poured from his neck and mouth, he had to cough up glob after glob to keep from drowning in his own blood, he still kept his eyes on the child who was ripping the bed apart, his black hear glowing a deep blue and he could see the scales that covered some parts of the child’s neck and arms.

The next thing he knew he had to jump to the side as she child jumped for him instead crashed through the window, he thought the guards would have heard it, so without a second thought he followed the child out the window, he landed in the back yard and ran jumping over the fence only giving the hole in the fence a glance, as he ran for the nearest tree, got on a branch and started pumping his magic into the wound , thanking the heavens that he had had the blood of his father flowing in him.

The man gave the house one more glance and then jumped from tree to tree, he was going to collect his pay and let the woman know she would never see the child again, hopefully.

+

Sin didn’t know how long he had been running or even remembered why all he knew was that his instincts were telling him to run, that danger was lurking behind him and he could not go back to that place or he would die. The person he had woken to find in his room wished him dead and his instincts told him it was not his time to die so he pushed and pushed until he collapsed in a clearing.

The heat that was rushing through his body slowly started to die down, his body stopped feeling as if he was on fire, the pain in his arms faded away and his eyes stopped throbbing, his body felt so weak and he was out of breath with his breathing trying to keep up with his racing heart, he didn’t know when but his eyes closed in and he was fast asleep.

+

At this time Sin wished he had saved some of his energy even if it was just enough to open his eyes to see who was lifting him up off the ground, he wanted to know who the people were that was talking about him and why they sounded so happy as he felt hands running over his skin, someone tugged on his ears another pulled his ears and said something as he twirled Sin’s hair around his fist, what about him was so exciting that they would be happy to find out?

It too much for the little half ling to stay awake, so he slipped off into unconsciousness as the tall river elf that had pale grey skin, that glowed under the light of the moon held onto him with a happy grin on his face, the child was tiny but because of the prettiness of his face he would sell for a good price but now all the young slave trader needed to do, was get him off the landed and unto a ship and he would be paid enough to take a break and visit his ma.

He put the child into a sack and tied the ends with a rope and then threw it over his back, he made sure the child was set properly then mounted his horse, he checked that his companions had done the same and then they rode off into the night, he got off his horse and let his companions go ahead, for some reason there was heavy patrol on the dock, but he wasn’t going to stick around to find out why.

He ran off, going further into the deep thick forest, he ran and ran it was after sun rise when he came onto a cliff, he checked to see the child was still asleep before he retrieved his rope and hook, he tied them together and stomped the hook into the dirt, he wrapped dome of the rope around his hand and lowered himself off the cliff, he swing the rope and the hook came loose so he caught it and was on his was.

It was a good hour’s walk before he came to a large rock and had to climb over it and there he saw a small boat waiting on him, he got on and put the sack that held the child In the bottom under other garments, he rowed the boat and was able to get to, the ship that was waiting a mile off shore he was pulled up after sending the child up, and his mates patted his back before they headed out in a few days they would reach the slave docks and everything would be good from there.

+++

When Sin awoke it was day light and his head was hurting, his body still felt tired but not so much that he couldn’t move, his stomach was vacant it felt as if he hadn’t eaten in a while and for a second he thought that the house mother was punishing him for dropping the box. But then he remembered that the pretty lady with dark skin had taken him home and fed him and that caused him to wonder if he had done something to upset her and she was punishing him the same way the house mother would, he hoped that she wouldn’t take to hitting him with the cane, he didn’t know if he could withstand such a thing.

The fog in his head had cleared up and he slowly blinked open his green eyes, instead of staring at the white ceiling he had seen every time he had awoken for the past week, he was faced with a blue cloudy sky. For the first time he noticed that he wasn’t lying on his soft fluffy bed wrapped up in his baby soft blankets, instead he was lying on something hard and wooden and the world seemed to be tilting from side to side.

He groaned and slowly sat up, he looked around to see other children sitting around some curled up close to others who were petting their heads, some of the younger ones were crying and his eyes widened as he wondered where in the world he was. He looked around to see men and women moving around a room with a open top that seemed to be rocking from side to side.

He tried to stand up but stumbled and fell to his knees, he felt someone’s hand on his back as they leaned down to whisper something in his ear, he couldn’t understand what they said so he looked to the side to see an older girl with dirty pale skin, dull brown eyes and choppy blue hair, her ears were short and round but they flicked around.

He continued to stare at her and she was staring to yell so he shrunk back wondering if he had somehow upset her by not answering her question, if it was even a question. The girl tilted her head and then shook it as she smoothed her hands down his back, she helped him back into a sitting position and he was leaning against her, she shouted again and then a small bowl was passed to her.

She placed her hand under his chin and placed the bowl to his lips, Sin was quick to gulp down the offered water, coughing at its slightly salty taste but drank down the rest, the girl patted his back and then pulled him down so his head was resting on her lap, she ran her fingers through his tangled hair, helping to smooth it out bit by bit.

He wanted to ask her where they were and who she was and why he wasn’t with the pretty lady that loved to feed him and take care of him and buy him sweets, sometimes she would take them away but in the end she would always give them back. Did he upset her and she was so mad she decided that she didn’t actually ant him and she gave him away, or was he taken away from her.

The girl began to hum something as she continued to play with his hair, she leaned down and placed a kiss on his head just as his eyes began to droop and soon he was falling to sleep with thoughts of what happened swirling in his mind.