Kaelen forced his eyes open; His body was stiff and cold, covered in ashes and dirt.
Legs agreed to work after a free minutes, so he stood up when he could and looked around
The district was gone. All the mud houses were now ashen dirt and coal, greenery was gray and water evaporated.
There were no screams. There were no slaves.
Everyone was either gone, or dead.
Slavers have been doing their job, taking slaves and forcing them to work more. Never mattered if it was a girl, boy, child or old man, didn`t matter if they were already owned by someone else ; if they found you, they took you.
Kaelen looked at a strand of red hair on the ground.
"Tsk. They`re going to sell her" Kaelen whispered with a burnt voice "Or worse."
Was the woman yours?
The feather started talking softly, almost conversational, like a shadow leaning in to tell you a secret.
"No...I wanted her to be but ... there were problems"
You wish to have her then
"I don`t want to own her. It`s.....never mind, why do I even bother with you"
We can help with that.
Whatever you wish to do with her, we can help with that
You are already stronger than yesterday, think of tomorrow
If you will not die today, we can help you
"What are you talking about" Kaelen pocketed the strands and looked for any other signs or loot, his fingers kept fidgeting with the hair.
THE FEATHER
WE ATE IT
PIECE OF THE ANGELS
WE ATE IT
The gem on his hand glowed a bit more than before but it also was a bit more...yellow.
Not much, but an honest difference. Just a small yellow spark that was trapped inside it.
"Ah, that`s the second way...I don`t feel a difference" He muttered to himself.
You don`t
WE DO
Kaelen looked back where he woke up ; the pile of ash made of the slave hunter Pierre
"I don`t know about you" He picked up something shiny from the pile "This might make a bigger difference" A good looking and well made dagger made its way onto the rope Kaelen used as a belt.
"So. You have any ideas?"
We do
Follow us and we will bring you to the woman
We know how to make you stronger
---------------------
At a foggy palace at the middle of the Great Tree, there is an old mansion, made of white wood, bricks and stone pillars and a beautiful colorful glass window over the entrance
Its owners changed many many times, as the place held a symbolic value with it.
However owned it , owned the world below them.
The roots, the swamps, even the small villages carved into the tree ; All were below this mansion.
Workers, smiths, food vendors and anyone else that lived around hoped that the owner does not leave the palace. And they were blessed by this for years. But not since the last owner died of "mysterious causes" and the next one replaced him.
Speaking of him, there he goes, entering his property with loud steps that echoed through the clouds that were heavily leaning on the mansion.
The workers from the palace came to visit their benevolent master
"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT"
The Overseer slammed the heavy white doors behind him and the stained glass rattled in the frame above. He didn`t stop, not to leave his coat, not to grab a fresh piece of meat ; he barged straight to the middle of the hall
"TESSEN!!!! Get your ass in here"
And a shriveled man scuttled from the shadows of one of the huge pillars ; Tessen, covered in mud and scarred on the face, and shivering profoundly.
"Sir....we... we got twenty..a few damaged ones....but we got the girl"
"I. DON`T . CARE" Overseer snapped his neck towards him and the shade of his face matched the velvet of his suit. "Why is my Pierre dead:
The servants quietly closed the hall doors and left as fast as they could. Tessed could not.
"I did not....I left as soon as I woke up. There wasn`t anyone left there"
"then HOW" Overseer slammed his hand on the table, and with a burst of splinters it burst into two halves "is everyone here, begging me for mercy, giving me MY SLAVES, and the one guy I hired to do decent job, IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!?!?!?"
"I ... assumed he was here"
Tessen wasn`t able to finish his sentence as he was pressed against the pillar and lifted to the ceiling. The Overseer was standing still pissed off so much, that he didn`t even look at him. Instead, smoke started to come out of him and a pool of sweat under neath him was made.
"Boss.... please..."
The fat man didn`t look.
"The boy.....Kaelen....He`s alive"
Thump
Tessen inhaled as hard as possible on the ground
"Where!?!?!?!" His master, his boss, looked at him finally as he stood upon him with his hand at his throat
"The... slave district. But...it`s gone. Burned. All the slaves were taken away"
"So" The overseer breathed heavily, but calmly. Tired, angry ; but calm
"You don`t know"
"Boss, I don`t..." He was put against the pillar purely by the force of the hand " But but but"
"We have his girl"
"Hmmmm" Dropped on the ground again and the boss sat on the large chair in the middle of chaos. He snapped his fingers and the fireplace came alive. Clearly a good sign for Tessen
"I have .. a proposition for you."
"I will listen" Tessen didn`t stand up ; he stayed in the kneeling position he was dropped to
"We prep the auction of the slaves. With the main attraction of course. Make it loud. Very loud. He`ll come"
"You sure?"
"Well you said it yourself" Overseer grinned towards him "It`s his girl. And besides, the slave just escaped from the life of working for ME. He just got his entire village taken away by ME. The only person he truly ever knows now is ME. Where else do you think he`ll come?"
"You`re right boss. So right" Tessen prepared to leave
"Oh one more thing"
"Yes boss?"
"If he`s not here, I`ll have to replace Pierre`s death and mourning with something else "
"gulp I understand boss" Tessen bowed down and left scared as soon as he could.
He already knew before it was said, Pierre`s death was blamed on him. But he wasn`t scared just because of that. He was scared because the Overseer was already smiling from ear to ear, not angry, not tired ; Happy.
Truly in a good mood.
And that was terrifying.