‘Slaves are slaves because they deserve it.’

It’s a sentiment I’ve heard before, time and time again. All slaves are either criminals or monsters, after all. At least, on paper they are...

During a time when demons used to wander the land, a system was put in place where, if one passed an exam and acquired a specific license, one could become a slaver. The role of a slaver gave someone the authority to hunt down and capture criminals, enslaving them, and putting them to work. The purpose of this was to act as both a deterrent for crime, and to create an invaluable workforce of unwilling, but much-needed extra manpower to aid in the rebuilding and bolstering of defenses for any potential demon attacks.

But today we live in an age of peace. The Wandering Calamity disappeared from these lands more than twenty years ago, taking the rest of the demons along with it. And yet, slavery still exists. In the past, it could have been considered a necessary evil to combat the demons. But today, the role of slave and slaver has been warped and corrupted over the years of peace to the point that slaves have become nothing more than ‘property’, serving no grander purpose than to be freely sold, bought, and abused at the owner of said property’s will. And because slaves were all criminals at one point, it’s a just punishment, no different than being confined to a prison cell.

After all, ‘slaves are slaves because they deserve it’...

The clan of centaurs I came from lived peacefully amongst nature in a small, secluded village in the woodlands. Though we had very little interaction with the world beyond, the occasional outsider would sometimes find their way to our village, but they were always kindly welcomed, provided warm hospitality, and sent safely on their way again when they were ready to depart. Not once did we ever steal from, harm, or make trouble for anybody. And yet...

One day, the slavers came out in droves and rounded us all up. Confused and unprepared, we didn’t stand a chance as every single one of us was forced into cages and taken away from our home. It wasn’t until later that I found out what we did wrong.

Trespassing.

Having learnt there were ‘rare creatures’ living amongst the woods, a certain noble had decided that he had the right to claim a portion of the woodlands as his own, and that the land belonged to him. Of course, that portion of land just so happened to be where our village had been peacefully existing for countless generations...

In the end, both he and the slavers walked away from the whole ordeal with bulging coin purses, while me and my clan remain enslaved and scattered across the land with seemingly no chance of escaping back to the place we once called home.

I imagine most of the other slaves in this camp have similar stories to tell. Not that they’d have the strength to tell them. I’ve often heard that, as far as slavers go, Mistress Thea’s group has always been the worst of them all. Physically beaten and mentally broken, all we could do was sit in our cage, too weak to even bash our heads against the metal bars to finally free us from our miserable existence.

At least, until she arrived.

Like a beautiful, black-haired angel, she stood before our cage, glaring down at us with her piercing red eyes.

Who was this woman? She wore a collar so she must have been a slave too. But what was a slave like her doing here? What did she want with us?

Despite the wide smile plastered across her face, her eyes burned with a fiery passion, hinting at something deeper within. I could never forget those burning eyes as long as I lived.

She seemed to be staring intently at my face—my lips in particular—as if urging them to move. As if urging me to speak. To say something. To live.

Just what did those eyes see? What were they looking at? Something deep within my soul? A future yet unwritten? Potential unrealized? Whatever it was, it was something far beyond my comprehension.

“You girls look hungry,” she said, holding a fistful of cooked meat through the bars of our cage in her outstretched hand. “I took these from some of the guys with whips. Want some?”

Again, she urged me to speak. To live. To fight.

“...”

In response, nothing but a dry and silent groan escaped my lips. I was too broken to speak, and I no longer had the energy to even do so.

“Mm! I guess I’ll just have to feed you myself!”

And with those words, she effortlessly tore open the bars of our cage and stepped inside. Kneeling beside me, she took a strip of meat and placed it between my cracked lips.

“...”

I let loose another silent groan in response.

I couldn’t eat. My body wouldn’t allow it. And I no longer had the energy to even chew.

It was hopeless...

“W-well, I guess it can’t be helped,” she said, staring at my unmoving lips again with those burning, passionate eyes of hers. “If you don’t have the energy to chew, I guess I’ll just have to chew it myself and feed it back to you, mouth-to-mouth. It really can’t be helped!”

This woman...

She was willing to feed me, a complete stranger, with her own mouth.

Overwhelmed by her selfless kindness, my eyes stung as the tears I had sealed away years ago found themselves welling up to the surface. Willing myself to fight and live once again, I nibbled at the food between her gentle fingers with what little strength remained in my body and forced myself to swallow it down.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

For the first time in years, I had hope. Because of her, I had hope that I could become a person again.

After this moment, she came to visit us every day—sometimes multiple times a day—breaking into our cage, feeding us, and forcing it shut once again. Slowly, she was building up our strength without the slavers knowing.

As a slave like us, I’m sure somebody with her strength and skill to remain undetected all this time could have easily escaped from this place anytime she wanted. Yet she stayed behind. Putting her very life on the line, she stole from the slavers every night just to feed us. If she was ever caught, I’m sure they would have tortured her beyond recognition before tossing away her disfigured body like dirt. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it happen...

Her intentions were clear to me. She wanted everybody to be free. She wanted to rebel.

One day, while feeding from her nurturing fingers once again, I finally brought it up.

“When do you want to do it?” I asked. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

With my strength now built up, I was ready to fight. Whatever plans of rebellion she had in mind, I was ready to fight with this woman at a moment’s notice with her as our leader. We all were.

“Fweh? D-do it?” she exclaimed, blood suddenly gushing from her nose. “You want to do it with me?”

How hard had she been working towards this goal? Just how much had she been doing for us behind the scenes all this time? From the blood running down her face, it was obvious she had already extended well past her mental and physical limits, yet, in this moment, her eyes were burning stronger than ever.

“Of course. I’m yours whenever you need me, Leader.”

“Fwah~! This will finally be my first of a thousand!”

First of a thousand, she said...

It wasn’t just us she wanted to free. It was everybody. She wanted to free the world from the shackles of slavery once and for all. This camp was just the first of a thousand future battles for her.

Just how far were those crimson eyes seeing? What kind of future did she see at the end of her path? It was one I hoped to see for myself one day...

That night, she left our cage with an odd look on her face. She looked expectant, maybe even a little disappointed, as she gazed longingly at my lips once again.

I knew what she was thinking. I was ready and willing to fight and die for her, but that’s not what she wanted from me. She wanted me to live. She wanted me to tell her I would put my own life first. That I wouldn’t throw it all away for her cause...

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lie to her like that.

I felt the tears well up again as I watched her back as she left, every now and then turning a disappointed glance back in my direction.

The next day, I was beaten by the slavers.

Deciding I was looking a little too ‘lively’ lately, they thought to try to whip that life back out of me again. I wouldn’t break this time though. With her as my guiding beacon of hope, I will never break again.

After they were done, they led me away and threw me in a different cage.

“What the hell are you idiots doing?” a voice scolded from inside the new cage. “Nobody wants to buy a dead slave, moron. I might be a genius, but it’s not like I can bring the dead back to life when you inevitably end up crossing that line!”

“Tch. Whatever... Just fix it up. I’ll be back for it later.”

As the slaver walked away, the source of the voice approached me. It was a girl. Her skin was deathly pale and her eyes were hollow and dead. She was a slave, just like me.

“Keh. Idiots,” she spat, before reaching down and tending to my wounds. “Here, let’s take a look at you...”

I soon learnt that she wasn’t a young girl, but a dwarf. Because she was a dwarf, the slavers had been forcing her to treat the sick and wounded slaves that they sent her way. A dwarf like her was considered a rarity among slavers, but although she was treated with more leniency than the other slaves, she clearly shared the same disdain for them as I did.

Trusting in this woman who was carefully tending to my injuries, I told her about our leader’s plan to rebel.

“Keh-heh! I’m surprised that stupid gorilla is already staging something like this. I’m impressed.”

It seemed that this woman was already familiar with our leader. Her words were harsh, but by the way she spoke, it was clear that they were close friends.

“Sure, I’ll let everyone who gets sent my way know about it.”

And just like that—the flames of rebellion began to spread.

Alighting from those burning crimson eyes, the fires of her passion had quickly taken root in the hearts of every slave in the camp. Planning and scheming in secret at every opportunity we could steal away, soon everybody was onboard with the Leader’s rebellion. We were all ready. As soon as she gave the signal, we would strike.

Days later, we would discover that our Leader had gotten the slave master—Mistress Thea—to lower her guard. Knowing that sadistic witch, the days our Leader spent putting up with such a farce must have been gruelling, but our Leader managed to finally win her affection in the end.

Tonight, they plan to meet in Mistress Thea’s tent. It’s the signal we’ve been waiting for. Without the Mistress to guide them, the slavers will be severely disadvantaged, crumpling under the might of our superior leadership. Tonight will be the night. If only I could see the look on that witch’s face when she learns she’s been tricked and betrayed...

As the evening fast approaches, our Leader pays us one last visit, stopping in front of our cage and letting herself in. After tonight, none of us will have to spend another night in a cage ever again. I’m sure of it.

Feeding us all for the last and final time, we offer our gratitude in her ear.

“Tonight will be the night...”

“Thank you for everything, Leader...”

“It’s because of you, Leader, we’ll finally be free...”

And then, leaving us with a smile and a wave, she exits our cage. Unable to help myself, I leap in from behind, wrapping my arms around her body and burying my face into her back.

“Whatever happens to us, Leader, please don’t look back,” I tell her. “As long as we have you to carry our hopes and dreams, we’ll live on forever. Thanks to you...”

I know she wants us to live and to not throw our lives away, I know it’s not what she wants to hear, but I tell it to her anyway. These are my heartfelt feelings, and I want her to know them before the end.

"Sure thing," she replies, lightly ruffling my hair and giving me a reassuring pat.

Her expression is oddly strained, almost confused, as if conflicted by my words. But she smiles through it nonetheless, accepting my words as she waves me one last and final goodbye.

As I watch her strong and sturdy back disappear into the distance, I can’t help but think about her eyes once again. Although we’re on the very brink of a battle for our lives, her eyes were burning more brightly than I had ever seen before. They were the eyes of someone looking forward to the night to come—for the future to come.

Just what kind of future were those eyes looking towards? After tonight, I hope to be able to see it with her...

As the sun sets below the horizon, I watch as every slave across every cage rises slowly to their feet.

It’s time.