***

--- Bordan Forest, Jaridor Region (west of Elies), Falmart Uros ---

Date: March 17, 2015

“I have you now,” said a small golden-furred little Neko followed by some childish laughter.

“No, you have to be faster,” replied another Neko, her orange fur shining vibrantly in the sun, contrasting with the brown stripes decorating her body.

“Nelia, Pirila, stop it. We are going to get in trouble again,” a midnight blue-furred Neko chimed in as well.

“Oh relax, Lartia,” Nelia responded while running behind her for cover. She grabbed her shoulders and proceeded to use her as a shield, trying to stay away from Pirila.

“Do not put me in the middle of this,” Lartia said as she’s dragged around by her shoulders. “You know we are not kids anymore. We are thirteen, you know.”

“Nonsense,” Nelia replied while laughing. “You are never old enough to have fun.”

Pirila lunged at them, barely missing. With her quick reflexes she stood up and said, “I nearly had you!”

Lartia, having had enough of being chased, quickly grabbed Nelia so Piri could tag her. “Got you!” In no time Nelia was tagged.

“Ahhh, you are no fun,” Nelia whined.

“Do you want your parents yelling at you again? We all heard them last time.”

Nelia merely shuttered at the thought of invoking her mother’s wrath. “Okay, okay. Let us get back.”

The three young Nekos began making their way back, chatting and teasing each other as they walked. They were each born and raised in the secluded village of Jallua. They spoke about life outside of this boring old town, about wanting to leave and explore the outside world. They fantasized about going on different journeys as an all Neko adventurer group; every so often being reminded of reality by Lartia. But nothing could stop them as they acted out different scenarios on how they would deal with bandits, monsters, and everything else in between. The innocence and optimism of youth still blinding them of the harsh world outside, waiting for them. As they continued their way, Lartia abruptly stopped as she faced the direction of their homes.

“Are you okay?” Pirila asked her.

“What is wrong?” Nelia added.

“Smoke?” Is all she said as she pointed to a massive trail of smoke leading up to the darkening sky. The fumed rose, smothering the sky with ash and embers. Their faces grew pale as their hearts sank.

“Come on. We have to see what is going on. They might need our help,” Nelia shouted as she started to sprint forward toward their village, Lartia and Pirila followed behind her. They ran as fast their legs could carry them, panting hard until they finally reached the entrance to the village. Different emotions swelled within them as they witnessed the place, they once called their home up in flames. Screaming could be heard all around coming from different homes, bodies littering the streets, blood splattered wherever they turned. The three Nekos stood there, frozen, wanting so badly to just run to their families and hold them but their legs just wouldn’t move. A sudden shout soon reminds them of where they were.

“Over here! I see fresh young ones,” shouted a thin, scrawny person. He wore tattered old clothes along with an old, worn-out leather chest armor. The man charged at the girls with a bladed weapon in hand as others, donning similar apparel, followed behind him.

Lartia and Pirila froze up as they approached closer and closer when they felt a sudden tug on their arms. “Run, we need to hide!” Nelia shouted, breaking them out of their gaze. The three began sprinting, faster than they ever thought they could. They ran back out of their village and made their way into the nearby forest, arrows whizzing past them.

“Wait, isn’t there a hiding spot over there,” Pirila pointed out, reminding them of hide-and-seek games they would play in the past.

Nelia and Lartia merely nodded in understanding as they all made their way into a small crevice in between two sizable boulders; the crevice itself hidden away by a few bushes. They hid behind the cover, holding on to each other as Pirila shook from fear.

“It is okay. Shhh, calm down,” Lartia whispered, trying to reassure her while holding her.

Nelia merely watched for any indication that they had been followed. Her breathing began slowing as each exhale felt heavier; sweat began to slowly make its way down her face. She broke her gaze once just to look at her companions, but the moment she did she felt pain take over as a hand reached in to squeeze her ear. Nelia screamed as the hand tried to drag her out but Lartia, acting on reflex, bit down on it.

“Argh! You pointy-eared bitch!” The attacker shouted as he threw a punch at Lartia, forcing her to release her bite. She fell backward with teary eyes as she held her face. The man dragged Nelia out from hiding as she screamed, kicked, and scratched. She gained a lucky hit as she managed to claw a bit of his face, so he threw her hard against the ground, dazing her. Having had enough, he drew his sword, ready to strike but his arm was grabbed by Lartia. He gave her an annoyed sneer and was about to punch her again, but Pirila took hold of his other arm.

“Enough of this!” The assailant shouted angrily as he thrusted the arm being held by Pirila to her, knocking her back. He ripped his arm from Lartia and swung his sword at her as she stumbled backward.

“Aaah!” Lartia shrieked as she held on to one of her ears, blood visibly pouring from it. The strike barely missed her head but slicing the tip of one of her ears. She whimpered as she lay there in a fetal position.

The man, still enraged, lifted his sword to strike once more and brought it down to finish her. She watched in terror as the man stood over her, ready to end her life so she shielded her eyes for the inevitable. However, the next thing heard was a pain filled scream, followed by a light thud sound as she quickly looked to see Pirila laying lifeless in front of her. She was speechless, not really believing what she was seeing. Lartia didn’t feel anything, just numbness and emptiness; her childhood friend whom she shared so many fond memories with was now gone.

Nelia shouted in anger as she lunged at the man, only to be beaten back. He readied his sword again but was stopped by his companions.

“Wait! What do you think you are doing, you lumbering moron!” A lion humanoid reprimanded the man. The lion man walked over to see the mess his subordinate had made and sighed. “We do not get paid for spoiled products,” he said as he slowly pushed Pirila’s body over to confirm her death.

“Collect the remaining two and put them with the others,” he ordered as he moved closer to the injured midnight blue furred Neko. He got her to face him by grabbing her hair to lift her head up. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he looked into her golden, amber colored eyes. “Actually,” he began as he licked his lips and smiled sinisterly. “I will take this one to her cell, after.”

— — later that night — —

Nelia curled herself up in a small corner of the wheeled cage she was being held in. She looked around to see a few other women and girls from her now gone village. Most of the men were taken away long ago, never to be seen again. Fear and despair had gripped her as she made her presence known as little as possible. The sense of loneliness had never been so prevalent as it was this day.

After the raiding had concluded, the assailants celebrated the only way they could for another good haul of product. They drank, sang, ate, and indulged in their new assets, the Nekos. The men were allowed to pick out their desired partners and started to enjoy every inch of them. Mostly female with the occasional few preferring some of the younger males; but they were warned not to impregnate any of them to avoid spoiling their products.

Other female Nekos were returned to this cell as the night progressed; each coming back both naked and broken. With each person that was returned, Nelia looked up to see if one of them was her only friend left, Lartia. She waited most of the night, hoping to find her again until finally, she saw her.

She was being led by the same grown lion humanoid; he pulled her along by her arm as the same light she once had in her eyes had disappeared. The man looked frustrated as he yelled at one of his subordinates to open the cage to which they did without hesitation. As soon as the door flew open the broken body of Lartia was thrown in as the door was locked behind her. Lartia curled up into a small ball as she began to whimper; naked, bruised, and bloodied.

Seeing her friend in distress, Nelia slowly and quietly crawled her way to her to console her. Upon placing her hand on her, Lartia held herself tighter as Nelia began to embrace her. “It is ok, it’s me. I am here,” she comforted her as she helped her towards the back of the cage. Seeing the state of her best friend brought Nelia to tears as well. Unbeknownst to her, the lion hadn’t left yet and watched the whole thing with a grin.

“You,” the man said as he pointed to her. “You seem to still have a bit of a spirit. Maybe you can help satisfy me where your friend could not.” The humanoid continued to mock with a sinister laugh. Nelia merely hissed at the man as she held Lartia tighter.

“Come over,” that man ordered her. Nelia still hissed at him, holding her friend as tightly as possible. “Or do you want me to take her back for another round?” He threatened them both. Nelia looked down at her friend as she shook with that statement. She let out a deep sigh as tears began to form in her eyes and slowly stood up. Lartia still clinged to her, shaking her head, begging her not to go as Nelia reassured her that everything was going to be alright. As she slowly made her way to the now opened gate towards the humanoid, body shaking.

She was led back to the man’s quarters, making their way past the rest of the men; once they sat, their eyes stared at her, making obscene comments, and teasing her as she walked by. As she kept walking, she noticed they were nearing a small wooden cabin, just a bit down from the rest of the camp. Here is where the leader of these thugs held up.

Once inside, he sat comfortably on a chair placed in front of a bed and faced her. “Strip,” he ordered as she refused and backed away a little. She bared her fangs once more and got into a defensive position. The man merely smiled and let out a good hard laugh. “This is what I wanted; I cannot wait to see that defiant face broken. Now, you can strip for me here or you can strip for everyone else out there and believe me, they are not so kind.”

Thinking of what he meant by that filled her with more fear as she held herself. She walked closer to him, stopping in front of him. She slowly removed her clothing, little by little as he watched. Once fully naked, he stood in front of her, looking down and licked his lips as Nelia hissed back once more.

“I hope you can put up more of a fight than your friend did; she did not last that long before she begged me to stop,” he boasted with a laugh. That infuriated Nelia as she tried to land a quick claw on him, but he stopped her, lifted her up and tossed her on the bed. He pinned her quickly and smiled, “careful, if you do something stupid your friend will be the one to pay for it.”

Her anger dissipated as fast as it had come and she was filled with the same hopelessness she had from before, not being able to do a thing. She stopped struggling as he prepared himself, “that is better.” She teared up once more as she looked away. She held onto the sheets tightly as she gritted her teeth for the inevitable.

— — sometime later — —

This time, it was Lartia’s turn to wait for her friend. The cold hard floor of the cage provided little comfort to her naked body as she sat curled up in one of the corners. The night had started to quiet down, except for the noise of chattering teeth. The girls had stopped returning for some time which caused her to worry. She never found out what had happened to her family as her mother wasn’t here with her and her brothers, along with her father, were taken hours ago. She had already lost Pirila and with Nelia taken, it solidified her sense of isolation.

Lartia was beginning to doze off ever so slightly, drooping her head but she stubbornly kept herself awake. Just as she couldn't take it anymore, some commotion woke her. She then watched as the gate opened - another female Neko was then thrown in. Though it was dark, her feline eyes allowed her to see a little more clearly in the dark. She squinted and could make out the silhouette of her friend, Nelia. She quickly crawled over to her defeated friend. The tears had dried long ago as she noticed the cuts, bruises, and blood. She held her tight and began to cry once more, trying to get her friend to respond once more. Nelia slowly started to raise her arm to hold Lartia and she hugged her right back, now being the one comforting her.

“Don’t worry, I was gentle,” the lion teased as he walked away.

Lartia led her friend back to her original spot and held her closer. She slowly and quietly begins to sing her a sweet children’s song. One that spoke of a hero coming to the rescue of children, saving and protecting them from the monsters.

The following days were long and hard as the roads taken had to be out of sight from the common ones to avoid any unwanted attention. These roads were not so well maintained which was noticeable with every bump and crack. The days consisted of the long journey while these slavers had their fun at nights. The humanoid lion himself, taking a liking to both Lartia and Nelia, refusing anyone else from touching them.

Eventually the caravan reached a certain small town as soon as the sun had set. But unlike other nights, a hooded individual came out to the wagon and picked out some Nekos. They were quickly rounded up and chained together in a line. Once they were given one last look over, they were ordered to follow the individual as guards made sure they stayed in line. After that night’s distractions, they moved again but this time without those Nekos chosen first. They never returned, causing many of them to panic. Mothers begged for their daughters while daughters begged for their mothers or sisters. Their cries were left unanswered as they moved out, the pleading turned to wails and, finally, to whimpers. Nelia and Lartia just held each other tightly, thankful they were spared this separation but were now fearful of their next destination.

It was early morning when they reached the next town and the same pattern repeated when they stopped near the next town. But unlike last time, some individuals dressed in military uniform stood out in front of them; they scanned each of the carts as they picked out ones that caught their eye. To Nelia’s despair, one man had pointed at Lartia. “No, no, no… please. Take me too,” Nelia pleaded as the two friends held each other tightly.

The rest of the Nekos started to do the same, holding the ones they held dear. They begged their captors not to separate them as these warriors stood there looking amused. The captors, annoyed, went into the cage and, forcefully, started tearing them apart from their loved ones. Nelia refused to let go, even beginning to claw and hiss at them as she shielded Lartia behind her. But she received a hit across her face, sending her down onto the floor hard. She laid there again, dazed as Lartia was dragged away from her. Blood started to trickle down a little from her head as she recalled being in the same position before when they had struck down Pirila. “Not again,” she groaned as she weakly reached out to her.

***

--- Bordan Forest, Jaridor Region (west of Elies), Falmart Uros ---

Date: March 18, 2015

As Nelia finally awakened, she saw the night had already fallen and they were about to set up camp. Sitting up, she looked around as the horrible truth started to set in; she was all alone. She made her way back to her side of the cage once more and looked up blankly. The tears were all but dried up, she had none left to shed. Staring out into the night, thinking of everything that had happened to her in the last few days, all that she had lost. Robbed from her birthplace, forced into slavery, stripped of all she held dear, stripped of her of worth as a person. ‘Now what?’ She thought to herself as she tried to picture her future. With no future ahead of her, she made up her mind to forge her own. What else does she have left to lose?

The same lion returned to the cage eagerly planning to have his fun with his favorite slave as he licked his teeth until he saw that empty expression on her face. ‘She is completely broken, no real fun anymore,’ he thought to himself.

“Alright, tell the men, they can have her now,” he said to the gate guard as he walked away in disappointment. He nodded and smiled gleefully as he stared right back at the orange haired Neko. He was waiting for his chance at her and was not going to give that honor up to anyone else before he had his taste. He looked inside to see the frightened, broken women inside and decided to take that one for himself. He opened the gate as everyone moved slightly back and climbed in. He made his way over to Nelia, grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her out as she provided no resistance. Seeing only one option to free herself, she waited for that one moment, that one opening.

He looked away for a moment, hearing a beast attacking an animal in the distance. When he faced her again, she lunged at him. But before he could scream, she bit down hard on his throat and tore it out, spitting the content from her mouth out onto the ground. He squirmed all over the floor, holding onto his wound until he finally bled out.

Nelia stood over the man, mouth drenched with blood as she stared down at the dead man with cold eyes. “Here is our chance; you can stay here if you want but I am going,” she finished saying as she began to quietly move away into some bushes and trees nearby. She noticed the others slowly getting out of the cage as well and some began following her. They creeped away slowly until she heard the shouts from the camp and decided to make a run for it. She sprinted as far and fast as her legs would take her, breathing heavily as she heard some of them keep up with her. But she just kept on running, never looking back; she ran until she heard nothing behind her, and she just kept running.

Nelia finally stopped to catch her breath after a good while. She breathed heavily and realized her solitude had crept in once more, she was alone. ‘But I cannot stop,’ she thought to herself as she resumed forward, stumbling all over the place, every so often looking back for her pursuers. She did this for some time, feeling like she’d been running for an eternity; not realizing she was getting closer and closer to another group. She kept looking back until she ran into something and fell backward.

Nelia sat there in shock and quickly looked up to see a large man standing in front of her, donning some type of armor much different than any she had previously seen. He wore a pteruges with varying assorted trinkets attached to his belt; shin and feet guards protected his feet. The heavy armor chest piece had a horrible beast’s face carved into it that looked like it was staring right at her. A short red cape with a peculiar insignia was attached to it. As she continued to look upward, she saw that this man was using the skull of a pointed-faced creature as part of his helmet with feathers protruding from the back. The man himself had an aged and expressionless look on his face.

The shock quickly wore off as she remembered again why she was running. ‘This guy is probably here to take me back,’ she thought to herself as the same adrenaline returned. “I am not going back,” she hissed at him and began to lunge at the stranger. But before she could take a step, she felt her feet get kicked from underneath her, falling face first. As she slowly looked back up, she noticed a small blade pointed directly at her.

It was another girl around the same age as her that drew her short sword with the intention to kill. She wore some type of tribal-like armor with markings; the armor pieces covered some areas, emphasizing speed and maneuverability. She had shin and forearm guards with an armored loincloth. Chest armor that protected her upper back and a plaited headband finished her wardrobe. But what really stood out were the long ears protruding out from the top of her head.

Nelia closed her eyes; her life was now coming to an end, and she no longer had the strength to keep going. ‘Better dead than being sent back to that hell,’ she thought to herself as the Warrior Bunny prepared to deliver the final blow.

“Wait Malena,” a raspy old voice said as the man placed a hand on the Bunny’s shoulder.

“But Atilius, she-,”

“Are you disobeying your Blade Master?” He asked, sounding more like a threat.

Realizing her mistake, she faced down and answered, “no Blade Master.” She finished answering while also sheathing her weapon.

“Your concern is appreciated, Fresh Blood, but unnecessary,” he reassured the Warrior Bunny.

“Now, you girl. You look like you have been through the ruck. What is your name?” Atilius asked, his full attention now on the scared, naked Neko. Nelia just stared back at him, not really sure how to respond to the man so she just remained quiet.

“Hmm, are you mute, just deaf, or… maybe you are just too scared to answer?” He asked as he contemplated. “Maybe, I am wrong about you. Malena,” he began to motion to her student.

“Nelia,” she quickly answered.

“Nelia, huh?” The raspy voiced man repeated. He placed his hand slowly on her head as she slightly flinched. He looked into her emerald eyes, thinking about this lone, scrawny little child and her reason for being out here. He could tell she was a runaway slave, and it wasn’t uncommon for some to escape careless handlers here and there. However, what surprised him the most was the dried blood covering her face that had dripped down and dried all over her chest. That amount of blood loss would kill anyone and yet she, someone so young, was able to end another’s life to survive. He could respect that.

“I admire your courage for making it this far, young one. I can see the rage in you too,” he finished with a hoarsely chuckle. She just stared right back at him with a bit of uneasiness. “Tell me, do you wish to die here?” He asked and paused for an answer.

Nelia’s eyes widened as she gazed at the man called Atilius and slowly responded, “no, I cannot. Not after everything.”

“Then I offer you a choice. Come with me and I can offer you strength. I will sharpen that burning hate in you into a weapon unlike any other. You will never feel this feeling of helplessness ever again or,” he said as he unsheathed a small, darkened blade he had on his side. “I can make it quick, painless. You will never experience anything ever again, you will be free,” he finished while extending both hands. One hand extended to lift her up, the other with the unsheathed blade.

Nelia thought on the offer; to never be in this hopeless position ever again or to be released from these worldly bonds. ‘That sounds nice,’ she ponders to herself. The empty feeling of having nothing left swept over, pushing her to end it. “I just do not want to feel alone anymore,” she quietly said as she hesitantly reached for the blade. Just as she’s about to make her decision, she heard a commotion behind her.

“There is one of them over there,” one of three men shouted as he saw her.

That feeling of loneliness dissipates as anger washed over once more. Nelia reached for the blade, however, not to end her own life, but to end theirs. She quickly regained her footing and turned to face them, but Atilius held out his arm, shielding her. Nelia looked at the man in the middle that appeared to be the one leading this search party, each wielded different sorts of weapons. She scanned his other companions and immediately recognized one of them with a fresh claw mark visible on his face.

Her fur began to rise as she gritted her teeth. Rage filled every inch of her body as she emanated an aura of hate. “You-,” she started but was interrupted.

“Not yet, wait one moment,” Atilius ordered the Neko.

“That slave belongs to us, just hand her over. There is no need for you to get involved,” their search party’s leader said.

Atilius merely stood there eyeing the men, seeing only dead men.

“There are three of us, an old man and only one of you.” he trailed off as he saw the Warrior Bunny standing next to him. “You know what, hand them both over and we will let you go.”

“Oh, I have never enjoyed one of them before, I bet they feel just as good,” another one of them said.

“And do not think I have forgotten about you little kitten. I still have to pay you back for this,” the other finished while motioning to his scar.

“You hear us old man?” Their leader began again as they moved in closer.

Malena moved in front of Atilius while unsheathing two of her short swords. “The Blade Master has no words he would waste on lowly mud crawlers. It is a shame that our efforts will be wasted on you.”

“What did you say, you whore?” The leader shouted. “You-,” he said before he stopped and dropped his weapon with widened eyes. The two others turned to face their leader and saw someone standing right behind him with their arm impaled into his back. Before they could react, a green light emitted around the stranger as their leader bursted into a red mist.

A blue-feathered siren, looking no older than Nelia, stood there with her hand extended where their leader once was. She retracted it and looked into her blood-soaked palm; blood still dripped from her talon-like weapon on her hand. She wore a skirt with faulds armor laid on top with a light armor chest plate, revealing her stomach and lower back region. Two talon-like weapons were fitted onto her hands while an intricate combination of feathers, fabrics and magic gems decorated her arms. Her unique, terrifying appearance was amplified with her armored head piece that displayed two large horns drenched in blood and pieces of their now dead leader.

“So that is what happens when you direct a gust spell into a living person, interesting,” she said nonchalantly.

The remaining two didn’t have much time to react as Malena reached one of them, slicing into his throat and moved onto the last one as the first man dropped his weapon to grab his wound. The last man sporadically swings his weapon at the approaching Warrior Bunny but she maneuvered around and kicked the weapon out of his hand. Inches away from finishing him off, she stopped as her ear picked up an order. She turned to face her Blade Master as he was walking up with Nelia. The last man, the scarred man, started to cry in fear for his life as he saw his companion squirm around on the ground until he remained lifeless.

“Excellent Kryuune, Malena. Wonderfully executed,” Atilius commends.

“Thank you, Blade Master,” Kryuune and Malena answered in unison.

He stops a few inches away from the whimpering man as he pleaded for his life. Disgust now washed over Atilius’ face. “How disgraceful, at least accept your death with some humility.” He turned to the awestruck Neko, blade still within her hands. Atilius kneeled for her and spoke. “Now, if you wish to be set free and reborn again, here is your chance. Your new life begins with the death of his or you can use that blade there to take yours. Now is your chance, young one. Choose.”

Nelia investigated her hands, the darkened blade practically smiled back at her. She was filled with fear once more. ‘Is this really, okay? Should I really do this?’ She contemplated, remembering back to her old life in the village. All that she worried about back then was seeing what fun thing she could come up with to do with her best friends. Sneaking out of responsibilities to laze around and play with Pirila and Lartia. Teasing and playing pranks on her siblings whenever she could.

She snapped back to reality as Atilius stood back up and patted her on the shoulder. Nelia heard the whimpers of the scarred man and was filled with a little bit of pity; her hands shook with the weight of her decision. ‘If I do this, I will truly lose everything, my innocence,’ she finished thinking when she remembered the horrors that she had endured these last few days. She looked over to the man, the claw marks were clearly visible and served as a reminder for his sin; her rage swept over once more like a tsunami.

“No… that was lost the moment I was taken,” she said, confusing the sniveling man. Before he could react further, she lunged at him as Malena stepped back. The man lifted his hand to shield himself, but the knife effortlessly sliced through his fingers. He wailed in pain as he continued to beg but those cries fell on deaf ears as Nelia leapt onto the man, forcing him back. She raised the blade as far up as she could and brought it down hard. Repeatedly stabbing his chest over and over again as his screams were heard throughout the surrounding area, like that of a squealing animal.

Nelia sat on the butchered corpse, breathing heavily with the bloody weapon left lodged into the body. For the first time since she was taken, she felt like she got back control of her own life. A red piece of red cloth fell over Nelia, startling her as she looked up to see Atilius.

“Come with us, my child,” he quietly said as his cape covered up Nelia’s naked body. The adrenaline finally began to leave her as she weakly stood back up so Atilius lifted her up and carried her in his arms. Her face turned a little red from the experience, but his face remained stern as he walked away from the blood bath. Malena collected the darkened blade, cleansed it, and stored it to return it later.

“Nicely done fresh blood,” Kryuune said as she walked up beside Nelia. Not understanding what that means, the Neko tiredly nodded and began to fall asleep. Finally, being able to rest safely since this whole ordeal had started.

***

--- Slave-market, Havcristen, Elies Region, Uros ---

Date: June 23rd, 2015

It had felt like an eternity since the last time Lartia saw her friend Nelia, even though it had only been a few months.

The heavy heat from Flare that sat high in the sky, beat down on the region of Elies. As the Neko, Lartia would have slept the heat off under the shade of a large tree. She was not used to this mind of weather, especially with her fur trapping the heat within her body.

To make matters worse, her hands were tied to the post above her, hanging on a platform surrounded by others who were also tied to it.

Today is market day at Havcristen, the heart of Elies. The buildings, although tall, were not towering like the ones in the great cities of Rondel, Sadera, and Thaluilas. While never visiting this city, Lartia could hear people mentioning the history of the city, being thousands of years old from the Elvish days. Now, the designs and culture was a hybrid of elvish, human, and dwarf with the large Epplis Stream splitting the city into two. All she could see are slaves and agriculture goods being traded.

Below the platform was a red-skinned humanoid known as Pooka, known for their commercial skills yelling his sales pitch. All around were crying, fearful slaves, waiting to be sold to their new masters; each wondering what the rest of their lives might look like

The Pooka shouted and then pointed toward Lartai. This was the third attempt the slave-trader tried to sell her. The first two times she had failed to live up to her previous owners’ expectations and returned her. With each return she was punished and forced to work at the brothel to repay back the loss of profit.

Right now, the Pooka was spinning a story of how Lartai was once a priestess of her clan. She was described as enchanting by most men with her beautiful, amber-colored eyes, and to this day she was still untouched by a man.

While the story was false, the lie was required to sell inferior races like her. Because the Elies economy was agriculture and military heavy, laborers were highly sought after while servants like Nekos were in less demand.

As the betting began, it seemed the only ones who were betting were a male elf and human.

While Lartai could only assume what their intentions were, she had heard stories of two possible outcomes.

The elf most likely wants a neko as a servant, to provide for their comfortable lifestyle. If not, she was worried that she would be used for target practice. Because of a neko’s natural agility, elves who were with the Empire enjoyed using them to hone their archery skills.

Hearing the Pooka announce the winner, Lartai discovered that the Human man won the action. He wore a colorful toga, probably made from silk, showing that he was a member of the higher class of society.

Once the sale was finalized two human guards untied and dragged her to the processing center.

***

Lartai sat, twiddling with her fingers as she tried her best to avoid eye contact with the man who just purchased her. He sat across from her in the same wagon as they leisurely made their way down the road. He just eyed Lartia and her movements which began to eat away at her nerves; his silence didn’t help the mood either.

To distract herself from the situation, she decided to peer out of her wagon. Looking toward the countryside, all Lartai could see were massive fields of farmlands; a sea of crops covered entire fields. Out in the distance were many different races, all picking the crops for their master.

“You must think we are very evil people,” Pelue Muilk said, finally breaking the silence. He pulled a scroll out from one of his bags and began to look it over.

Looking toward the Legatus Propraetor who was sitting across from Lartia, the man was well dressed for this special occasion. Just like all the other human males who served the Empire, Muilk was wearing a carnmoney version of the Imperial armor. She never understood why humans’ males wore such things at every chance they could. Wondering if it was their way of showing status or strength.

Reflecting on the question, Lartai remembered her nightmarish experiences her clan endured. What happened to her two treasured friends, Nelia and Pirila. Her mind raced about what the state of her clan was, what had happened to her dear friend and what fate she might be facing.

“I take your silence that you agree with my question,” Muilk said.

“The world around us is cruel my dear Neko,” Muilk stated. “When I first arrived to this region my son was murdered in an ambush.”

Hearing the hateful tone from the man's voice and how his expression soured, Lartai quickly asked, “why?”

“Do you know what the world was like before the Empire annexed this region?” Muilk asked as he read a scroll. He then looked at the Neko, eyes demanding a response.

“No,” Lartai mumbled, confused by the strange questions. She wondered if this was part of preparing her for her new master.

“Of course not.” Handing the scroll to the other soldier on the wagon, Muilk began reading the next scroll. “This region provides a third of the Empire its foodstuff. Countless regions depend on these exports otherwise starvations like in the days of old would be rampant.”

“Now I am guessing you are wondering what does this has to do with my son,” Muilk stated. “Unfortunately, this region bordered a barbaric kingdom and became the center of the Thirty-Year-War. When I took over as Propraetor of this region we had only just won the war. My duty was to bring peace and stabilize the region.”

As the man informed her of the politics and history of the region, Lartai started to realize how complex the outside world was. Tribal life was simple. Gather food, clean, cook, shelter, fight off predators. Outside concerns were that, outside.

“My job was to enforce the peace treaty with the barbarians, at all costs,” Muilk said. “Month after month I led my Legions and slew anyone who threatened the treaty: Goblins, orcs, trolls, vampires, anyone. Thanks to my efforts, Elies recovered to its pre-war status. All you need to do is look around you, at all these fields, a mere example of my hard work and devotion. But my methods and work done here was not so graciously received by all. As an act of revenge, some murdered my son.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Lartai said.

“No, you are not,” Muilk responded. “Your feign concern is appreciated, but I can see the hate coming from your eyes. I bet you are wondering why I am telling you all this.”

Handing over the last scroll, Muilk looked toward the Neko. “While you only saw chains, cages in our cities or isolation from your tribe life, I see peace and happiness throughout these lands. Traders traveling on the highways without worry of raids. Children playing in towns without the need to worry of smugglers. The townsfolk can carry on with their day-to-day lives without worrying about attackers.”

“That is the problem with you tribal types. For hundreds of years my people have shouldered the burden of being the protector and provider of Falmart. So many races sat on the sidelines, minding their own business while waiting for others to fix the world.”

“As I said, my son sacrificed his life to protect the subjects of the Empire here, elf, dwarf, lionard, human…,” Muilk added. “That is why you are sitting there, why most weaker races are enslaved. It provides the foundation for everyone else to live in peace and thrive.”

The story confused Lartia, not fully understanding the gravity of it. While the man sat there, speaking calmly with his composure remaining strong, she could see that the loss of his son deeply affected him.

Still, she did not understand how this story was related to her.

“In the name of my son, I will do whatever I can to protect this land,” Muilk said. “To protect its people, protect this peace that so much blood has been spilled over for.”

“Now with you,” Muilk continued. “There is a young man I have been keeping an eye on for some time now. He is becoming a man-.”

“So, you bought me as a gift?” Lartia boldly asked, slightly offended.

Muilk faced the Neko, giving a warning glare and responded, “mind your tone, remember what your station is.”

Lartia’s eyes widened as she realized that she overstepped. She took a deep breath to reform herself and remind herself of her new reality. “I am sorry master.”

Muilk nodded and looked away. “It was a good question. As you know, Nekos are natural servants. Mostly good mannered and low upkeep cost. Not being natural fighters unlike your more impressive lion cousins, so less worry of an uprising.”

“I could have picked any slave, but I chose you for a reason,” Muilk contiuned. “He is young, inexperienced as he grew up outside the politics of Sadera. You grew up out here, you have seen the horrors and what it was like not to grow up within a villa.”

Lartia listened carefully to what the man was saying. From what she understood from the conversation was that Muilk wanted specifically her recent life experience to help influence this young man. Based on her past owners, all she expected was to become the boy’s sex slave but it seemed Muilk had something more in store. Either way, she had no choice.

The wagon stopped and as Lartia got off, she saw a modest villa. Seeing vines post with purple and red grapes surrounding the building. A large white wall protected five buildings within, all designed in the standard villa layout.

Following the Legatus Propraetor, Lartia watched as the family heads welcomed them. It was simple human small talk before they turned their attention to her. To her surprise, they complimented the health and color of her fur.

“Our son is in the building over there,” the father said.

Once the greetings were completed, Lartia followed Muilk into the building. Once they entered, she saw this young adult sitting at a table with an elder elf. Both seemed to be playing some game as crafted figures were scattered across the board.

“What are they playing?” Lartia asked.

“It is a strategy game,” Muilk answered. “The objective of the game is to outsmart your opponent, using your mind to best your opponent rather than brute force.”

As Lartia watched, she could see the elf, clearly one of the family elder slaves, teaching the young man the game. She could only assume it was related to war, like most subjects are for humans.

“I think you two can pause your game for a moment,” Muilk said.

The young man noticed their presence and quickly stood up. Rushing over, he was excited to see Muilk, asking about any new adventures and campaigns that he had been on.

“Calm down, I have a story or two to tell but that can wait,” Muilk said. “I came to give you a gift, this Neko. Her name is Lartia. Lartia, this is Fabius Aulus.”

He was awestruck as he gazed at the slave that stood before him. Was it the midnight blue fur or golden eyes, he couldn’t tell, but something about her caught his eye.

“Manners, Fabius,” Muilk said with a smirk.

Snapping back into reality, Fabius lightly pounded his right hand against his chest and said, “nice to meet you.”

Quickly bowing, Lartia responded, “Nice to meet you master, I hope our future adventurers will be eventful.”

“I hope so too.”