Clang! Skrrt!
Chains scraped across the wooden floor, echoing sharply through the tent. The slave-traders were calling roll, one by one, checking who was still alive.
"REN!" shouted a harsh voice.
A frail boy with black hair limped forward, each step slow and heavy. His eyes, once perhaps bright, were now drained of hope. The trader glanced at him, marked his name, and moved on.
Ren had hoped for food, but as usual, there was none. The slaves hadn't eaten in days. Food was too precious to travelers, and especially to the adventurers guarding the traders.
He shuffled back to his cell, watching the traders and adventurers revel in their feasts. Laughter, mugs clinking, scraps of food tossed aside without care. His stomach growled, but he ignored it, lying on the thin, worn bed and closing his eyes. Sleep, however, would not come easily.
A loud bang jolted him upright. One of the traders threw open his cell, dragging a small figure behind him. The child hit the floor with a soft thud.
Ren's eyes met the trader's leering gaze.
"A pretty boy like you can probably handle a girl or two," the man sneered.
Laughter echoed around him, but Ren felt nothing. His freedom was gone; now someone else would invade the small space he had left.
He glanced at the girl, hooded by a tattered cloak. Slowly, she rose, and for the first time in weeks, Ren felt his chest tighten.
White hair shimmered like moonlight. Her eyes sparkled like rubies, bright enough to cut through the gloom. Diamond-like wings stretched across her back, catching the lantern light.
The traders erupted in cheers, mugs raised. One, red-faced and clearly drunk, shouted, "A FAIRY! You don't see that every day!"
Another's eyes gleamed with greed. "She'll fetch at least fifty gold coins!"
Ren's gaze drifted to the wasted food, the drunken men. He felt a familiar heaviness settle over him.
The fairy girl remained on the ground, small and fragile. Ren stepped forward.
"Hey. Get up."
She looked up, startled. Carefully, she straightened, brushing down her ruffled leggings. A bright, almost defiant smile lit her face.
"Hello. My name is Elyn."
She held out her hand. Ren hesitated. He had never met anyone so cheerful here. Most slaves looked defeated, or desperate, or both.
He noticed her hands, scratched, bleeding slightly. Without a word, he grabbed a dirty cloth and tossed it to her.
"Wipe your hands. And don't get too friendly with me. I want nothing to do with anyone."
Elyn accepted the cloth, cleaning as best she could, then tilted her head. "What's your name?"
Ren's eyes narrowed. "Didn't I just say I want nothing to do with you?"
Elyn's smile didn't falter. "Well… who knows how long we'll be stuck in here? Let's at least get to know each other."
Ren hesitated, a twinge of discontent stirring in his chest. He didn't like people. He didn't trust them. Yet something in her calm persistence made him pause, made him consider that talking to her might not be unbearable.
"…Ren," he said finally, his voice flat, almost reluctant.
Elyn's smile widened. "Ren, huh… that's a pretty name. How long have you been here?"
He froze. For all he knew, he had been here forever. Memories beyond this tent were a blur. He opened his mouth to answer, but Elyn cut him off gently.
"It's okay. You don't have to tell me."
Relief washed over him. Yet something about her calmness stirred curiosity. How could someone be so bright here? So alive?
She glanced at the nearly passed-out traders, and her smile faltered for just a moment. "I've been with them for a week. They found me in Korvash, wandering the streets."
"Korvash?" His voice was quiet, almost hesitant. He had only heard stories of the outside world, and the name felt like a whisper of something vast and unknown.
Ren's curiosity surged. "What's it like? Cities? Forests? People? What do they eat?"
Elyn's eyes lit up. She laughed softly, raising her hands. "Woah, slow down! I'll tell you everything."
Hours passed. They spoke quietly amidst the drunken chaos. Elyn's stories painted the world in vivid colors, and Ren listened, first with polite attention, then with genuine interest. Small smiles tugged at his lips, subtle, almost imperceptible, but they lingered a little longer each time she laughed.
He noticed how her excitement made him tense and relax at the same time, how her questions pulled him out of the heaviness that had become his daily life. A warmth crept into his chest, faint but undeniable.
Finally, it was time to sleep. Elyn lay down on her own bed, glancing at him with a soft smile.
"You finally smiled," she said softly.
Ren froze. Smiled?
He had seen the traders laugh, adventurers grin, but he had never smiled himself. And yet, as he thought of her, of her bright eyes and unyielding energy, he realized his lips had curled just slightly.
For the first time, sleep did not come with dread. Tomorrow, tomorrow might hold something new. And for the first time, he wanted to see it.