As the sun began to set, Zell stood before Roshi and ten other children ranging in age from four to thirteen. Six were boys and four were girls. Three of the boys were lizardmen and the thirteen year old girl was dwarven and appeared to be much younger due to her size and round features. They had all been given baths, new clothes, and equipment for their journey north. Roshi wore his short sword awkwardly but promised to keep the others safe.

They were about to depart with the next caravan to Vinia City where they would find Merissa Redwave’s orphanage and give her Zell’s gold coins as a thanks for taking them in. Zell gave each a reassuring touch on the shoulder as they boarded their wagons.

As he returned to the inn, Zell had indeed accomplished his mission. He was copperless once more, had given away a fortune the likes he might never see again but the frown on his face had been replaced by one of the brightest smiles he had ever worn.

He found Agitha and Fargis waiting outside the inn for him. The other sailors had opted for less formal affairs, planning to get blind drunk at the the seediest place in town. Agitha was impatient to join them and had some choice words for Zell for making her wait but kept them inside upon seeing his smiling face.

“Shall we?” Fargis offered his elbow to Agitha who laughed out loud at the offer but took it anyways.

Zell didn’t trail behind and didn’t drag his feet. He smiled at as many people as would look his was way, and noted every slave he passed. He would come back for them all. His determination had only multiplied upon experiencing the warmth in his soul at freeing the kids earlier.

The palace of the trade prince was as lavish and gaudy as anything Zell had ever seen. Servants were dressed in fine clothes and forced into proper posture with smiles but no amount of finery and coaching could erase the hollow sadness in their eyes.

The three guests were greeted in the hall by servants whom took their cloaks and weapons for safe keeping. Finally they were led to a banquet hall that was lit by several candlelight spells and decorated floor to ceiling with priceless tapestries and red silk curtains. The apparent who’s who of Axis City was scattered about the room in cliques of two to four each talking in low voices. Zell caught small snippets of the chatter and some of it made him nervous.

“He paid for each in gold, and never questioned the prices...” A female lizardfolk voice drifted by

“Didn’t even bother to have them removed from the registry..” Said another.

“Bounty hunters are going to take them all back...” The final comment hit Zell like a hammer blow and the smile vanished from his face.

“No.” Zell whispered under his breath, shaking with rage and denial. The faces of the children he had rescued all flashed before him in his mind.

Agitha caught the subtle word and looked at Zell with concern. She had never seen him like this.

“What is it?” She asked him urgently.

Zell quickly filled her in, and her eyes widened at his story. Agitha scanned the crowd for a particular lizardman. The trade prince himself was not hard to spot and she pulled Zell boldly over to him.

“Trade Prince Alas.” Agitha said, bowing.

“Agitha. You know you never need to bow to me.” The green lizardman said, his golden robes shimmered and sparkled with every subtle gesture he made.

“I have a problem, Prince.” Agitha said wasting no words. “My student here purchased several slaves but in his ignorance failed to have them removed from the registry.”

“So I have heard.” Alas replied in a sly tone. “It is unfortunate but even my hands are tied. The word of the law is clear, once the slaves left his custody they reverted to their original owners. Even now I suspect they are being recaptured by our brave bounty hunters.”

“No!” Zell shouted, causing everyone in the room to turn and and stare.

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Zell didn’t notice the stares, and couldn’t hear anything over the blood pounding in his ears. He turned and ran, ignoring all of the astonished reactions. Once outside he continued to run, all the way to the north gate. Once outside the confines of the city, he channeled every bit of mana into his legs and exploded into the fastest sprint he could. The sunset scene around him once again melted into a blur as he ran.

He saw wagons ahead on the road rapidly growing closer. He slowed to a more controlled pace and the situation became clear as he arrived on the scene.

Roshi stood outside of the wagons, facing a heavily armed and armored human man and two similarly armed lizardmen. He held his sword in front of him awkwardly but the determination on his face had actually given the bounty hunters pause. Zell saw the real peril that Roshi was blind to. A fourth man, crouched behind a horse with a crossbow leveled at Roshi.

A subtle gesture from the leading human was followed by a click as the bolt was released. Zell watched the bolt in slow motion as he exploded forward. It was clear in that horrific split second that he would not make it. Roshi staggered, unaware of what had even hit him. A gauntleted fist, holding the hilt of a dagger followed the bolt and smashed Roshi’s nose flat with a spray of blood and saliva.

Zell hit the armored man with his shoulder with such speed and force that he flew more than twenty feet to land rolling and grunting in the mud. Zell knelt down and held Roshi gently in his arms.

The boy looked up through tears and blood at Zell. He managed a weak smile as he recognized his savior.

“I didn’t die a slave.” Roshi said, and his broken smile grew wider and stayed even as his last breath rattled through his thin frame and his eyes lost focus to stare blankly at the darkening sky.

Something in the air shifted in that moment. As though some dark god had suddenly turned its attention on the scene, the air seemed to grow chill and a terrifying sense of dread flooded through the four bounty hunters.

“He just wanted to live.” Zell’s quiet voice reached every one of them. His hand closed over Roshi’s simple sword as he stood. A visible aura began to emanate from Zell, even to the naked eye. It was dark, as though it was literally sucking in all of the light and heat from the world around him.

Agitha arrived on the scene and saw Zell’s fury manifesting. She ran at Zell and wrapped him in the tightest embrace she could.

“Not here Bait!” Agitha said forcefully into his ear. “Please come back. Killing them will just hurt the other kids.” Agitha pleaded, and some part of Zell’s distant mind must have heard her for she felt him relax a tiny bit in her arms.

“It’s not fair.” Zell suddenly said, and tears erupted from his eyes as he broke down.

“I know. It’s not fair Bait, and I’m so sorry.” Agitha held him close as she spoke.

“What’s the meaning of this?” The lead bounty hunter dared to ask after he had recovered from his crashing flight.

“You four are going to send this caravan on its way now.” Agitha said coldly, not even turning as she spoke. “If you have any questions, ask the Trade Prince.”

“Why should we...?” The lizardman that defiantly spoke up trailed off as Agitha released her embrace and turned. Her eyes spelled death as she looked through the four men.

“You have stolen the happiness of someone very precious to me. If I were you I would count my blessings and go.” Agitha’s voice was calm but the tiny quiver of barely concealed rage running through it was enough to send the four men scrambling for their mounts.

Zell took several minutes to himself, kneeling next to Roshi’s now cold form. He memorized those broken teeth and staring eyes, he wanted to be haunted by it. He would never forgive himself if he forgot the pain of this moment or allowed it to fade in his memory. Agitha understood, and did not interfere.

“You did a very good thing.” She finally broke the silence. “All of us hate this system, and you are the only one that had the courage to physically put his hand into it.”

If Zell heard her, he didn’t show it. It was now fully night and a light rain was falling. Agitha saw a huge crossroads looming before her pupil and decided to risk giving him a nudge.

“That boy’s death is yours to own.” She said, her voice turning serious.

That got Zell’s attention and he turned, obviously wounded by the statement. Agitha continued unshaken.

“Every outcome within your influence is yours. You own that death just as you own the ten futures you saved. Your enthusiasm drove you to action without all of the necessary details and a boy lost his life. These are the stakes you are playing with.” She paused to give Zell a moment to reflect.

The words hit him hard, and made sense. His ignorance was not innocence.

“What would that boy want now if you had to guess.” Agitha asked him.

Zell thought about it honestly, setting aside his own self pity as he thought intensely.

“His name is Roshi. He wouldn’t want revenge.” He answered firmly. “He would want me to save as many people as I could. He was so happy when we were helping the others and giving them good food and clean clothes.” Zell managed a grim smile as he wiped his eyes with his new fancy shirt’s sleeve.

“And what do you want?” Agitha asked the more important question.

“I want to tear down their whole system, burn it, and spit on the ashes.” Zell said evenly without a blink.

“You can’t do that by buying the freedom of slaves.” Agitha said. “All you accomplish is drive the demand of the very thing you are trying to fight. You pay for a slave and remove one from the stable, that means you push the demand and price higher which makes slave catchers more active.”

“Then what do I do?” Zell’s shoulders slumped as he realized how foolish he had been.

“Do you know who I admire more than anyone when it comes to systematically destroying an enemy?” Agitha asked Zell with a conspiratorial grin.

“Who?” Zell asked intrigued.

“A man that was so good that by the time he showed up to the battle it was already won. To the hunters and those that employed him he was known simply as Solution. To you, he is known as Dad.” Agitha revealed.

“My father?” Zell blurted incredulously.

“Yes. Arlim Balfonse has a way of finding the ultimate weakness, the structural failing of anything he goes up against and taking it out. What would a man like that see if he turned his mind to ending the slave trade here.”

“He would use the slaves themselves.” The epiphany struck Zell like a hurled stone. “They outnumber their masters and have little to lose.”

“No force can so efficiently destroy an organization as the one that came from within.” Agitha agreed. “All it takes is a push. We will return again this time next year. You will be stronger, smarter, better prepared, and you will have my help.” Agitha said, extending her hand to help Zell to his feet. “Just don’t give up.”

“I love you teacher, but who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” Zell’s determined grin was a hard one, and more grown up than Agitha had ever seen him.

“So long, slave trade.” Agitha said under her breath as she watched Zell gather Roshi in his strong arms.