It was just another business day for Richardson, but one very lucrative.

It's not everyday someone found a Wood Elf, especially one so young. According to Abe and his reports of the boy, he is a hard laborer through and through, doing every heavy service job of the village they had. That's some good news since this increased his slave value up to the roofs. He wasn't handsome by Elf Standards but still could lift the coins that fell on his bag.

Something that intrigued him however was the fact that this Elf managed to hold himself a little longer than most in close quarters combat. He wasn't taking it seriously, sure, but it still counted as potential. And since his job was to get good potential slaves, this was one of the few times he hit the jackpot.

Richardson's job is to get slaves and draft them into the various roles they can get. The male slaves are harder to judge, since their uses can vary by species, age, looks, knowledge and personality, so the usefulness to each one changed and varied a lot. But some of the slaves could turn out to be more lucrative if kept than sold. This could be one of those cases if he counted the other slave he got recently.

Ah yes, profit. The thing that commands and dismantles the Estate he lives in.

Eudora's Elitist Oligarchy.

The Oligarchy lies on the coast of Aurumbras County, a place in the far west of the Petruvian continent. The continent has this name thanks to “Petruvio, The Charter”, an old explorer who first discovered the land centuries ago.

Thanks to Eldora’s maritime location, it has basically all trade routes, whether national, continental or intercontinental, giving broad access to trade and exchange of goods. In reality, any and all merchandise can be traded on the territory of the Oligarchy of Eldora as long as the fees and taxes on sales and products are paid.

Of course, this also means that the morals of suchlike “negotiations” aren't seen in the brightest light. A lot of other nations frown upon such. If one can buy and sell everything, it surely isn't going to stop on slavery. It will go to the likes of drugs, narcotics, weapons, magic items, secrets and documents… The list only increases, making the thought of trusting Eldora be a distant memory.

Then again, if it is legal to buy such things here, no one can really punish you for doing so…

Eldora was governed by six families in total. The Higher Families are the Rothschild, Rockefelle and Du Pont, while the Smaller Families are the Walton, Koch and Bush. Each family held one part of the gigantic amounts of money, as well as taking responsibility for one part of the Estate's basic needs. One would take responsibility on food, another on international diplomacy, another on national entertainment… Y'know, the basics of society.

Even with the ones that does have money not being akin to being able to lead and/or govern, it worked decently well, all things considered.

The political system was not the best, not by a long shot. Since the Elite was in charge of the “yes and nos” and held the majority of the money, the people need to have laws, even basic ones, to have hope they wake up next morning with food on their tables. The people who lived on Eldora were divided by Elite, Middle Class and Low Class, each one taking the roles of one form of power. Sorta…

The Elite, having the money, would work as the Judiciary and Judge of the laws written by the Middle and Low Class working as a Legislation kind of power with each family having their own Middle Class Advisor. This exchange could take a few seconds or months, but at least it got things working, even if a bit convoluted.

The Executive however, were mercenaries paid by the Elite in order to force the laws on the people of the Estate. What was unbelievable was that this worked. Even being mercenaries, working for who pays more, they are stupidly loyal to the Elite, working as if they are their official army. For Richardson this never really nailed in his mind, but he didn't bother with it.

The only thing necessary was to find allies. And they did it.

The important thing would be to please certain political groups that have greater military power than Eldora. With this they could stay safe, as they can provide all kinds of supplies in exchange for safety. In the same way that this State could mediate negotiations with these same military allies for foreign nations. With that in mind, a few names popped up.

The Federative Union of Granits was the first and only other nation to hear Eldora, since Granits was for all intents and purposes, a Military Federation.

Granits was the kind of country that would financially support wars if it benefited the nation, sending money, weapons, soldiers and the like to influence the course of a conflict to their personal interests, and since Eldora was eager to talk, they grabbed this opportunity with open and extended arms. Who would refuse a country that is willingly allowing another nation to buy and sell anything without taxes and fees? Especially a neighboring country?

The Admirals and Grand Marshals of Granits weren't going to refuse and Richardson respected this. The Merchant Bastards and the War Hungry Morons working together.

How delightful.

“Boss? We have about a day of traveling before we get there.”, One henchman said.

“Ugh, I hate the coast. It's always so seamy and hot.”, Richardson commented while taking the sweat off his forehead.

“Can't do much about it boss. Almost all of Eldora is coastal.”

“I know, but still, it's too hot. A shame we don't have mountains so we can escape this sultriness.”, He sighed.

“True. I'm gonna miss the fruits and meat here.”

“Ooohhh don't even remember that. I really liked the pears, sweet and crunchy.”

Yes, when an entire Nation is coastal, anything aside from fish and coconut is a treat. And expensive.

Eldora existed before being this great coastal landscape with little to no laws regarding commerce. Eldora was historically one of the very first nations to colonize another continent thanks to Petruvio’s explorations. Unfortunately, this wasn't done out of power, but necessity since Eldora was located in a desert. So this colonization was more of a migration than anything. Entire families, going to the promised land in search for a better place to stay, in necessity of drinkable water and food.

They found their place, but still couldn't get farms, thanks to the constant salt in the land. Other more powerful nations managed to colonize more freely which limited their opportunity to expand their territory greatly. Hence why they used the merchant strategy. Even so the population was grateful to the sea, the thing that allowed them to leave that hell and reach these lands they now call home.

But for now, he is going to rest. Tomorrow is a big day.

----------------------------------------

It's just like the day he woke up in that tree, only worse.

Connors body was in pain. Constant pain, reminding him of what he last did when awake. Aches, cuts, sores, lots of things he didn't want to feel right now and this dusty and cold ground he's in isn't helping. Was he weakened? Did he get handicapped in some way? He remembered being 100% before those primates attacked him, but when he fought that human—

“Oh, yer' finally awake.”

Connor opened his eyes.

“I don't know that ceiling.”, He quipped before getting up.

He had a feeling this was a reference to something…

The ceiling was pure rock, made out of tiles and bricks, the ground was just rough dirt and the walls looked man-made, but they surely had seen better days. All in all, this place was nothing short of a dungeon, or to be more contemporary, a holding cell. Why was he here now? Did he commit a crime? Or was he here waiting for further questioning? Well, initial questioning. But someone spoke up just now, so…

“Mornin’.”

Connor looked at the voice's direction and if physically possible, his jaw would've hit the ground. The man who was speaking with him was a native, very akin to those found in the American Continents. This had to be a joke, right? How could an aborigine be here of all places?

“Yer’ the quiet fella? No prob’, I guess.”, The man said, a bit creeped out, but still friendly.

Connor shook his head, “No, that's not it! I-I was just… surprised, that's all.”

“Surprised at I? Why ya’ should?”

“I've never seen the likes of you before.”

“The likes of I.”, He emphasized the “I”, “I feel what ya’ mean, but be careful to not get into prejudice chump.”, He warned with a stern face.

“Sorry, not my intention. The name's Connor by the way.”

“Yuri Poatan.”

“Wow, his name is fitting.”, Connor thought.

This Yuri guy spoke funny. He's very informal, using a language that Connor feels it's easier to understand. Not that “etiquette” bullshit everyone seems to talk back at Hellenz or that Primate village. It's a good change of pace.

“Welp, welcome to the club, I suppose.”, Yuri deflated his shoulders.

“Club? Wait, where am I?”

“Oh, so ya' don' know yet?”, Yuri's face showed concern.

“No. Last time I checked I was fighting a human while the Primates just… watched…”, Connor started wondering why they just watched.

“Sorry to break it to ya', but we're kinda stuck, buddy. It's like our freedom got cozy within these prison walls.”

“What?”

“Slaves, ya’ know?”, He clarified.

Oh no. Did that really mean what it meant? Did Connor get backstabbed… again? Again? Why? He did everything right for that village! Why would they just sell him out?!? Is this some kind of joke? Because it surely is getting the opposite effect on him! Just what the fuck was Abe thinking? Didn't they become friends that other day?

…Did Abe just betray him?

“Whoa, chill! You're freakin' me out here! Whatever went down, you can't fix it now, alright? Take a breath and let's chat about it, cool?”, Yuri noticed how his cellmate was getting agitated and immediately tried to calm down the man.

“He sold me! He FUCKING sold me! JUST AFTER I TOLD HIM I WAS BETRAYED, THR FUCKING SNAKE!”

But Connor wasn't having it. He was livid at this point, and nothing could calm him down now, much to the aborigine’s anxiety. Connor walked from one point to another inside the cell, trying to cool his head as best as he could, to not lose control and lash out, to not just bang his head against the wall. He sat down and started breathing slowly but loudly, his hands brushing his scalp like an insane criminal coping with his failures. He just wanted to know why people seemed to just want to screw him up, why they just used him, why they rejected him—

“Rejection?”

No, this line of thinking is just like how he was as a kid. He doesn't need other people's approval, he needs to survive, to understand and to escape this bullshit he's in. Slavery? Why the fuck is he a slave? Why there is slavery around? And where is he?

He managed to get a hold of himself, but he isn't calm, not at all.

“Feelin' more chill now, huh? Ready to spill about what went down, or…?”

“Don't.”

“Got it, yer’ still kinda mad but not raging, cool. But if you're curious about the ropes here, I'd suggest keepin' it together. It's either that or go hungry, ya’ feel?”, Yuri advised, still in his friendly demeanor.

Connor sighed, “Fine, what can you tell me?”

“Alright, so since we're both stuck in this mess, expect some tough gigs. Mining, wood chopping, house-building, hunting… you name it. But there's also the 'entertainment' stuff, like maybe some not-so-great gigs: you know, the arena fights, pleasing the rich folks, or doing odd jobs for the Oligarchy Families. Tough life, huh?”

“Wait what? Like prostitution? And Oligarchy? The hell's that?”

“Wait, you ain't familiar with oligarchy or the Families? Do you even know where you're at or what went down? Feller, you're in a real pickle, let me spill the beans on that mess.”

“Who says “spill the beans” nowadays?”

Yuri explained a bit of history to Connor. The Petruvian continent, The Aurumbras County, The Families and all the stuff that went down in recent years. This guy, Yuri Poatan is a native from this continent, who was forced to get into slavery. He hasn't told much about himself, just enough so Connor could fill the gaps.

Richardson is the Foreman responsible for the entertainment district of Eldora and also a slave merchant. After all, slaves are a commodity with high demand, be it for any desire, from the more libidinous to the more homicidal ones. Connor scoffed at this, people being treated as things. He never liked the idea of being looked down on, not that he didn't underestimate people before, but outright looking past you, that's disrespectful beyond his temper.

When Connor revealed he fought Richardson, Yuri was baffled. The reason? Richardson started his slave merchant business alone. Which meant that he needed to do most of his stuff alone, beating people up to sell them right after, getting coin so he could hire henchmen to work under him, searching for the most valuable species, selling for the right people for the highest price… That's no easy feat, and to do it alone? The man knows his game.

And he knows how to fight, and fight dirty.

“Fucking hell… The guy doesn't have any honor? The fucking cheat!”, Connor got pissed off again.

“Alright, cool it for a sec, you're getting all heated up. The guy sells people. Come on, that's about as dishonorable as it gets. No way a dude like that has an ounce of decency. It's just a downright scumbag move.”, Yuri said the obvious.

“Still… It's wrong!”

“Dude, I totally get that it's messed up. But think about it, you're this rare Elf, like jackpot-level rare. Obviously, the guy's gonna pull every dirty trick in the book. And remember how you felt all queasy the moment you stepped into that tent? They probably used some shady magic or gas to mess with your head. Honestly, the fact that you held out as long as you did? That's like a legit achievement, man. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for.”, Yuri explained to him, using a more comforting tone of voice.

“I… yeah. That's my only trait I'm afraid.”

Connor isn't thinking straight, but that last compliment? That's all he needed to get a sense of self.

“Phew, finally, you chilled out. Was starting to think you'd never pull yourself together.”, He sighed in relief.

Connor let out a chuckle.

“So, you're all about being tough, right? Like, is that your main deal or something? Are you some kind of badass fighter, or am I missing something? Spill the details, man.”, Yuri's curiosity rose up since the mood was better.

“Yeah, I'm a boxer. A fighter, to be clear.”

“Cool! What move ya’ got?”

----------------------------------------

Connor explained him the boxing history, going into details about the intricacies of the fighting style.

“Boxing, huh? The way you broke it down, seems like you've dived deep into it. Ever thrown down with that style in a real fight, or just soaking up the knowledge?”

“I did fight, yeah.”, Connor said solemnly.

“Oh wait, did I say something I shouldn't?”, Yuri worried for his cellmate immediately.

“No, it's just… Bad memories. Regrets I have.”

“Alright, no pressure. If it's one of those topics that needs some cool-down time, that's cool. We're heading into the work grind soon, so whenever you're in the zone to share, hit me up. Don't wanna mess with the vibes, you feel me?”, Yuri said with a small smile.

The amount of positivity and optimism from this guy is… Incredible.

“Thanks.”

They got quiet for a few minutes. Connor looked at himself and his injuries under his shirt (which he just realized he was using). Some bruises here and there, still in pain, but bearable. He's barefoot, just using pants and a shirt with some bracers and anklets, jiggling ever so slightly in his movements. He got deep in thought.

Was this what life got for him? Be a joke, a stepping stone for others to use as they pleased? Was he destined to be a failure?

“Alright, time for you slaves to go to work.”, The jailer said while unlocking the cell.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Connor, time's ticking. Just roll with whatever orders they throw at you, and you'll be good. We'll catch up when we're back, cool?”, Yuri said as he walked to the jailer who had the chains in his hands.

Can't let the slaves rebel, right?

“Cool.”, Connor said without noticing.

----------------------------------------

“Who the hell is that guy?”, A Tree looking slave asks.

“No idea. He's pretty weird, right? Always mumbling something and being shocked at… everyone else.”, A Bird looking slave answered with a disgusted facial expression.

“He's fine with most things, but why people, of all things, startle him?”

“I don't want to figure that out to be honest. At least he isn't a milksop. The Elf works hard.”

“It's a Wood Elf, of course he is going to work hard, it's in their nature.”, A female with snakes for hair kind-of-slave gave her own thoughts, “Now let's work. I want to eat when I get back.”

“Yup.”, both slaves say in unison.

Connor was working on his slave duties, delivering bricks, sand and other supplies to the mason and bricklayers building whatever structure they were working on. He was too busy looking at the people, the slaves that were kept here to care for anything else. How did these species come to exist? Where do they originally live? What do they eat? How does their society work? Is there any difference between his overall knowledge of society and how it works for them? Their cultures, religion and other intricacies work similarly or they are diverse enough to be unique on their own?

These questions flared from time to time. He never truly did want to learn things in his past life, mostly because he was obligated to do so, but also because it was objectively the same.

The only thing he liked studying was Geography, but more on the political side, like borders, culture, territory, maps and rulers. Knowing about the cultural evolution and adaptation, the customs that changed over the years, languages that died because no one cared to actually learn them and now salvage the rest that exists, like Latin, how different countries used the limitations of their territory to solve problems or even disconsider them of actually being a problem… It always fascinated him how people in general are always looking for the solutions.

Of course, for every person who thought about the lightbulb, there is the one that thought about the atom bomb.

Most history classes never affected him or the country he lived in. Hell, not even the Stock Market Crash affected him, and that was bad for EVERYONE. Truth is that he liked these because he wanted to understand how people worked, and of course, instead of talking to said people he decided to go to the less orthodox way.

He hated everyone prior to meeting Serenity. Give the guys a pass.

Going back to reality, things were… actually way better than Connor envisioned. The only real problem of being a slave was the prejudice, being seen worse than dirt (for some stupid reason, since slaves are free laborers). Aside from this, he was informed that he would have, theoretically, a place to stay and sleep, four meals per day, clothes and a job until someone bought him. As long as he didn't do anything wrong or say anything he shouldn't, all good.

And that's all Connor wouldn't stand for.

Being forced to do stuff for other people has been what he did his entire life. The few times he didn't was when he tried to go pro, and even that he was denied. Despite the species he saw, he won't take bullshit with him back to whatever his cell is. Wait, why even go back to that stupid cell? He can just leave and-

“Ack!”

What is this sharp pain in his throat? Connor puts a hand in his neck but finds nothing. What did happen? Is this some countermeasure, as for him not to think about leaving?

“Move on, stupid shit!”, A Keeper said, seeing Connor just stand there, “You can rest when you go back to your cell, or when you die! Otherwise, keep moving!”

“Go to hell! Ack!”, The pain came back just as he finished speaking.

Some slaves gasp at this bold and sudden disrespect.

“Oh, someone wants to learn the hard way, eh? Fine, let's see how you-”

Connor punches the guy on the face, breaking his nose and makes the guy see stars. Some slaves jolt in shock at the act, seeing that he actually knocked the guard out.

“Damn, one punch and he's out cold!”, one of them said.

“Shut up you stupid guard sucking ass shit! I'm thinking! Ack!”, Connor screams in anger.

“Oi! Get that Elf down! Quick, before the others get fun ideas!”, Another Keeper shouts to the backup.

“You shouldn't have done that.”

There is the Erudite Sense tingling. Unfortunately, Connor was too angry and thoughtful to notice that he was surrounded by armed guards. They surrounded him and started screaming insults, yet the Elf kept his “I'm thinking” face.

“Duck.”

“What?”

He ducked. Looking up he saw that a makeshift spear with a collar for the tip almost struck him. That thing had tiny blades in the collar, and as soon as the attack connected they would be able to do anything to him while he worried about his neck. The guard that attacked him was surprised that this skinny and injured Elf managed to dodge his attack.

“Sidestep.”

Connor bent his body sideways, using one foot at a time as fast as he could, managing to dodge a bat on his back. The guard growls in annoyance since he was pretty sure the Elf would just fall on the ground, unconscious. Connor was somewhat surprised that this was happening, since his Erudite Sense only gave him knowledge, not some kind of Danger Sense.

“Enough!”

Everyone looks at the direction of the voice and see Richardson walking in their direction.

“Sir! We've been just doing our job and correcting this stupid slave’s action!”, The guards quickly explain the situation to their Boss.

“A single punch?”, He asks in disbelief.

“Uh, yes sir. Nothing more, nothing less.”, The guard confirmed, slightly unsure how his boss would react.

Richardson looked over at Connor, he was visibly angry meeting his gaze. Despite being beaten and barely recovered from the previous injuries, he not only worked a lot on the building, but also one punched an armored guard. That's an achievement.

“I can't say if I find his feat really impressive or your incompetence really disappointing.”, Richard said after a brief pause.

The guards felt an arrow hit their pride.

“Slave, continue your work. As of tomorrow, you aren't a builder. Hard labor will be another person's problem. I'll have a fight for you next week.”, The boss declared and left.

Connor felt a great amount of animus towards him, but he refocused on the job he has to do.

“You shouldn't be here, Elf.”, A brute voice said.

“I'm a slave now, you dumb fuck. Can't really leave when I see fit.”, Connor insulted him for good measure, shrugging while doing so.

“You might be a slave, Knife-Ears, but that doesn't mean I can't make your life a living hell!”

He now gave the brute his full attention, “Do you have a problem with me?”

The brute was a lizard looking man, not as tall as him, but still tall enough to meet him eye to eye. The tail in his back has the same yellow-ish color as his face, with some teeth coming out of his mouth. The orange like eyes gave him bonus threatening points, but Connor couldn't give a fuck about his looks.

“Play dumb all you want. If we ever meet in the arena, know I'll come for you.”

He walked away, just like that.

“Fucking hell…”

----------------------------------------

“Fucking hell, it's finally over.”

Connor worked on a few things.

He worked under a few households, undertaking domestic duties such as cleaning, cooking, and serving the needs of the owners. It was just like he went on loan? He isn't sure. The most memorable event was taking care of a few children who (with no surprise) treated him like garbage. He did the mining, textile production, and blacksmithing. This was thankfully not that hard since Abe taught him how to do sewing, basically a worse version of tailoring, but still very useful. The only thing needed was for him to learn how to use the machines, instead of going by hand.

“You've been putting in some serious effort, huh? No stress, you'll get the hang of it. Just takes a little time.”, Yuri said while waiting for his food on the cell bars.

“Nah, that Bastard said I won't be doing this anymore.”, Connor referred to Richardson in the only way he gave worth to the guy.

“Nah, trust me. He told me this, spilled it to someone else recently, spills it to everyone. Gotta catch the vibe of how things roll here, you know?”, He got his bowl of meat and sat near Connor.

“Yeah, right.”

“Yo, remember those fights you mentioned with the whole boxing scene? I've been itching to hear the deets. Give me the lowdown, my curiosity's on overdrive.”, Yuri said while slurping the bowl.

Connor grimaced at this remark. He forgot about this the moment they left the cell, but even though it's almost time to sleep, this Poatan guy won't let him be at peace if he doesn't tell him.

“Fine…”, He groaned.

A long explanation later…

“...And then BAM, the guy kicked, again.”

“Ya' fights always rolling out like that?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Hold up, you bagged six outta seven wins just flexing your raw strength? That's badass, but wait, didn't you train in the boxing stuff? You told me it's all about technique and timing. Ain't that crucial for your game?”, He asked, looking directly at Connor's eyes.

“I… I'm not exactly…”

“Not exactly of what, feller?”

“It's… My Grandpa taught me. It was mostly him since I… wasn't the best person to be around. Too prone to lash out in anger, Y'know?”, Connor said regretfully.

“We've all been through those times when we were just a mess, buddy. But look, if that phase is in the rearview for you, it means you've leveled up as a person! At least that's what I think.”, He said, giving a final slurp at the bowl, “And seriously, if I'm gonna judge you by your past instead of who you are now, can I even claim to be a decent person? Nah.”

Connor… wasn't sure how to react to this. He felt, validated?

“Alright, shifting focus here. It's clear skills aren't your weak spot. You laid out your fights in solid detail, so you've got the game down. And tackling Richardson? That's a big move. Now spill it, what's the scoop on your coach? Your grandpa's gotta be a legend in the arena, right? Share the deets!”, The eagerness and overall good vibes of Yuri are just… nifty.

“The old man was a retired veteran. He taught me everything I know-”

“Taught?”, He said in confusion.

“Ye-yeah?”

“Nah, nah, nah, that's off, dude. You can't just learn to throw punches. You need a coach, someone to guide you through the whole shebang, you feel?”

“But aren't they the same?”, Connor said annoyed.

“Absolutely not! A teacher breaks it down for you, guides you step by step, pointing out where you slipped up so you can nail it through repetition. Now, a coach? They toss you a puzzle and it's on you to solve it. In this scenario, the puzzle is figuring out how to knock a dude out without catching one yourself. Huuuuuge distinction.”, Yuri motioned the “huge” part by widening his arms.

“...ok…”, ok.

“Seems like you might be running low on common sense, my friend. No biggie though. Now, if Richardson's boss talk is pointing where I suspect, you could be diving into a serious showdown. Think you're up for the challenge, man?”

Connor tried to ignore the jab at his common sense, “Sure I can.”

“So, when your OBA starts?”

“My what?”

“You catch my drift, right? The OBA. Your game plan, the drill every fighter pulls before stepping into the arena?”

Connor just rolled to his side to sleep.

Yuri was left confused. Maybe he insulted him somehow?

----------------------------------------

Connor worked hard on things here. One of the various “gigs” as Yuri would say, were mainly about fishing. Being in a boat or ship to hunt fish is tough as hell, especially since the main course of fishing is with a javelin, of all things. Sometimes they hunted whales, sometimes sharks and sometimes they used a big net to grab tuna, cod, mackerel, herring… small game, but still. He needs to hit the quota.

Connor never minded the hot weather but he wasn't used to the seamy air at all. Not to mention the fact he never really traveled by ship, only planes, so you can tell how nauseous he was. Thankfully he didn't need to be at the ship at all times, which gave him some room to breath. Call it silly, but he wasn't so envious about the people that kissed the ground as today.

“Connor! Get your sorry ass over here!”

“Yeah?”

Connor wasn't missing the insults anymore. He was too focused on other things to get angry at just insults.

“This shipment got here today, a big cargo of freshly made wine from Grinits. We need to store this in a safe place before we deliver it to the Rothschild Family. Make it quick.”, The keeper said. He sounded pissed.

“To which storage room?”

“Doesn't matter. Just fill the papers and get back here.”

“Sure.”

It was a small cart with a few boxes, an easy job, but with a lot of risk involved. If a single bottle of wine gets broken he is done, reduced to a bloody mess.

He definitely wants to avoid that.

He started pulling the cart and going over the storage area. Connor's mind was still working as his body entered autopilot. Betrayed… twice. This is a lingering thought in his head. Why did Carlos betray him? He did something wrong that pissed him off? Maybe, but weren't they friends? Working together on a common goal? So why did he set that loss with Telemarketing? Did it have a lot of money involved? If so, him winning wouldn't make it a great win? Make it the best case scenario?

And why did Abe betray him? Weren't they like Master and Student? Sure, he did brought up that fight when he arrived, but he helped on the chores and jobs of the village! Isn't that enough? He is a total foreigner and an unknown person, yes, but that outright tagged him as untrustworthy? He didn't talk with the Primates that much, but it wasn't because he didn't want to, he didn't have the slightest idea how to.

He also wasn't really a good guy to talk with, always stuck with a frown on his face, getting angry at stupid shit. This itself made him angry at himself. Why act like this? Why the anger? Why constantly lash out at others? They have their problems, and yet he just ignored whatever story they had so he could get relief from his own problems.

He remembered…

Serenity.

Again, he missed her, longing to just hear her voice one last time. Give a proper goodbye. Connor wasn't a good guy, he was mean and an asshole to everyone, but Serenity kept him in check, always knowing what to say and what to do so he could focus on her instead of whatever he was angry at.

Was he worthy of her? Did he really deserve someone so caring and loveable as Serenity? Maybe he didn't… Maybe he wasn't worthy of having a friend like Carlos? Could he really call Carlos “friend” now, with everything that happened? Probably not for both. And his grandpa? He always looked after him, but did he ever repay his kindness? Did he make his only family proud? Wasn't Connor… No.

Was Daniel worthless?

“You again.”, The familiar brute voice echoed in Connor's ears.

He only looked at the voice's direction, half recognizing who spoke. He chose to ignore the lizardman, looking over the storage room he was supposed to use and out the wine bottles.

“Don't ignore me, Knife-Ears!”, The brute shouted.

“What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?”, Connor said annoyed, but still focused on his task.

The lizardman tackled Connor, putting him against the wall, using his unnatural strength to hold him by the collar, “I don't like the likes of you, always ignoring the others and acting as if they owned the place!”

“What?”

“Don't act like a stupid moron! You know very well what I'm talking about!”

Connor didn't. The lizard spotted the Elf holding a bottle and came with the realization. A devilish idea. He grabbed a bottle from the box and stared at it.

“Made from Grinits. Quite the pricey wine, just like the Families like. It would be really bad if something happened to them, right?”, He had a grin on his face.

Connor understood immediately what he was referring to. If a single bottle was missing, he would be punished, severely, even if it wasn't his fault. The idea of being fucked over for whatever reason this guy has was pissing Connor off! Who did this think he was? Did he want to fucking die?!! It's time fo-

No.

No no no.

This line of thinking is exactly why Connor constantly gets in trouble.

“Ain't got nothing to say??!”

He didn't. He used every single fiber of his being to just shut up.

“He's a fellow slave. We are on the same level. He is just pissed, that's all.”, Connor thought.

He forced himself to just not say a thing. He could do whatever he wanted, he would not react, he wouldn't be the same person, the same Daniel everyone looked down on. He is just going to endure this, quietly but surely not getting in trouble.

“Say something, dammit!”

“I don't know what I did to you, but if you want to harm me, feel free.”, Connor said finally.

“...what?”, His voice was a mix of confusion and disbelief.

While he was in that shocked state, Connor picked the bottle out of his hand and carefully put it in the box, resuming his previous work. He didn't see, but heard the lizard leaving the place, mumbling something to himself.

For now, he's going to try improving himself.

----------------------------------------

“Rise and shine, ladies! Y'all got a job to do!”, The jailer came early today.

Both Connor and Yuri were still waking up from their sleep, not fully processing their surroundings.

“Alright. You two, ya’ got the big time show now. Both are going to the arena to hit our monthly quota. Each will fight once and if you win, you might get some privileges. If not, you either die or get sold for the cheapest price. You don't want to be sold at the cheapest price, believe me.”, The jailer said as he put the chains on the cuffs.

“And why is that?”, Connor asked, yawning.

“Well, ‘cause if that's the case, it implies our owners are the sort who'd be better off six feet under than in charge of anything.”

“Correct.”, The jailer confirmed.

“...fucking hell.”

“Follow me.”, They did, “So, you will be allowed to prepare for the upcoming battle with basic training gear. No, you won't use weapons and no, you can't use anything else aside from your pants. You will be fed after you win, so make the most of it.”

They get close to a wagon, fully closed as to the “goods” to not see the outside world or try to escape.

“Get in here and don't try any funny business.”

They get inside and the door closes. They can't hear or see a thing, but can feel the wagon moving around.

“So, how do the fights work?”, Connor asked.

“What gave you the idea I know how gig works?”

“You told me before.”

“Oh, so he isn't a scatterbrain.”, Yuri thought.

“Alright, you got it. Here's the deal with the fights: They hand us a bracket, lay out the matchups, and it's on us to get ready. Your prep? Totally your call. If you want a sparring buddy, it's gotta be another captive. But let's be real, most folks don't go that route 'cause the options are limited to non-fighters. When it's showtime in the arena, we're scrapping till the other guy taps out or goes still. Whether that's by KO or the less pleasant alternative.”

“And you fought before?”

“Crowd is bothering you? Trust me, when a guy's aiming to break your bones, that's the least of your worries. Fought in the arena, no deaths on my watch. I'm a slave 'cause they're into my warrior lineage.”, Yuri eased the Elf's concerns.

“Lineage?”

“Totally. Back in the day, my tribe was all about warriors, or so the Elders say. Not that I'm griping about it. The whole colonization thing went down a couple of centuries before I popped into the scene, but hey, genetics do their thing, right?”

Wow, Connor learns a bit everyday. He is now curious about his tribe and culture, but for now he needs to worry about who he is going to fight.

Actually… Why is he trusting this guy? Everyone who looked friendly before had hidden intentions, some hidden objective that involved Connor somehow. And yet this guy… being around him is fine? Why? Isn't Connor going to be at least suspicious of him, keeping an eye out for any fishy words, actions and the like? Is he really so desperate to be accepted that he can't push away this guy? Does he want to feel rejected again?!

That thing. That feeling again.

Rejection.

“You feeling good, Connor?”, Yuri asked out of the blue. Well, dark.

“I'm… not sure.”, He hesitated, but answered.

“Go ahead, spill the beans. We've got all the time in the world here. Anything I can do to lend a hand?”

“No, not really.”

“Chill, no need to stress about the upcoming brawl. They'll cut you some slack and give you a day to prep. Happened to me, at least. And hey, even if you don't know who you're up against, trust that raw power you're packing. You got this! Amp up that confidence!—”

“Please, stop.”

“Oh…”

The wagon felt really quiet. Awkwardly so. Until Yuri heard… whimpers? Connor was breathing louder than usual, so was he nervous? An anxiety attack, maybe? Whatever was happening, he didn't sound fine. Not by a long shot.

“Hey, uh… Are you-”

“I'm trying! To calm down!”, Connor shouted in anger.

“Fuck! Lashed out against him! Stupid braindead me!”

“I'll be here if ya’ need me. Well… Can't really leave.”

And yet, the aborigine just… took it.

Connor sighed.