Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV

I watched as Squeaks disappeared into the crowd of slaves. I wanted to ask him more about… well, everything. What was he hiding? Why did he really help me? Who was Squeaks the Bald, Rune covered, and high-pitched Dwarf slave?

I had so many questions, but I knew I wouldn’t be getting the answers. If I wanted to know, I would have to find him again as a free man.

I’ve been dreading this day for a long time. Squeaks helped me out in more ways than he will ever know. I had given up on everything. I was ready for it all to be over. I was so tired of fighting to get out of this hell hole just to end up deeper.

Everyone around me either dies or suffers because I exist. I lost hope, but Squeaks helped me find some of it. I had to get home to my family. That’s what I want the most. Guess it only took some food and a warm smile for me to remember that.

Maybe I’m not that strong after all.

Although his parting words weren’t all that special, I mean, they were things I planned on doing anyway. It was his final gift that left me speechless.

Could it really be? Aren’t these runes?

It was awkward to have an old Dwarf put his fingers so far up my thigh, but I understand now why he did it. Somebody would have to give me a full-body inspection to find these tiny runes. There were two lines of eight characters running across my inner thigh. At first, they burned like hell, but the pain faded away gradually. Now I can’t even feel the runes, and they are already looking more like a scar or birthmark than Dwarven runes.

I can’t understand the runes at all. They just look like random symbols to me. And aren’t runes supposed to be large? Not only that, don't you need mana to make runes? So how did he make these runes when he had a slave collar on and how did he do it without tools? The more I thought about it, the more questions I had.

I tried to probe Squeaks about his origins, but he kept tight-lipped about it. He only told me he might have been a runesmith and that he was from Krunbar. Other than that, I didn’t know much about the old Dwarf.

I wish we had more time…

“Let’s go,” a familiar voice ordered me in rough Elvish. I nodded and followed close behind her.

It was Jessine, the Vampire lap dog taking me wherever I was meant to go. It seemed that having Squeaks around meant I got hurt less, making Jessine’s blood-draining sessions less frequent. Something she is not very happy about.

At first, she took every opportunity to drink my blood under the guise of healing me. I was familiar enough with the sensation of healing to know she was doing the bare minimum. I was confident that her Vampire healing was the cause of my suffering.

The phantom pain in my ears and chest have yet to recede. It’s been almost a year, but the pain levels are still the same. Now I have another phantom pain coming from my calf. Unfortunately, Jessine never healed me entirely, so I have a limp that won’t seem to get better.

When I was still of a sound mind, I tried my best to rehab myself but with limited food and being constantly worked, my mind began to slip further. And that’s not even including what Alnwar did to Deya.

I’m so sorry, Deya. I won’t ever forget your kindness. Even in your final moments, you tried to comfort me. Thank you, I’ll make sure Alnwar pays for what he did.

“I’ve brought the boy, sir. The Dwarf is headed to the auction as we speak.”

“Good work. I might have lost a bit on the gamble with the Dwarf, but after the huge success that my most prized possession gave me, I was willing to take the risk,” Alnwar said while grinning at me.

We had arrived at what must be a backroom. Alnwar was behind a makeshift desk doing paperwork. It was rare to see this lowlife do anything meaningful so even I found it a surprising sight.

“Sir, why didn’t you just force an Obedience collar on the Dwarf and have him do your bidding?” Jessine asked.

“Come now, Jessine, use your head, please. Collars block mana, right? And rune smiths need to be able to use their mana in order to make rune weapons. So even if I forced him to do it through an Obedience Collar, it wouldn’t work. Also, the collars don’t always work the way they are intended to.”

Jessine just tilted her head in confusion while Alnwar sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “If you put an Obedience Collar on a slave that was a carpenter and told them to build the best house they could, the results would be different from what I wanted. What’s best to the carpenter and to me are two different things. If I wanted that Dwarf to make me the best sword in the land, and that was my order, he could interpret it a hundred different ways. Best in what land? Would it be the best in Krunbar or Tel'an'duth? What does land even mean? The ground outside or a country? Obedience Collars are a fickle thing,” Alnwar explained exasperatedly.

“I think I get it…”

“It’s okay, Jessine. I don’t need you to understand these things. Anyway, shackle him up. We are going to meet our buyer,” Alnwar ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

Jessine shackled only my hands together since it’s not like I could run away. Alnwnar guided us through the maze of back rooms. Slaves and masters alike moved through these halls, heading to various different auctions. Apparently, there was an auction for just about every type of slave. This winter auction covered everything from hard labor to prostitution, at least that’s what Squeaks told me.

We moved deeper into the building when Alnwar stopped dead in his tracks, and Jessine yanked me by the collar.

“Sir, they are—”

“I know,” Alnwar interrupted.

I imagine they were talking about the person standing in front of us. She looked like a female knight wielding a large two-handed long sword. She had shoulder-length black hair, and her burnt orange tabard had the insignia of two snakes coiling around a chaff of wheat.

She spoke out in a haughty voice. “Are you the owner of that slave?”

“And what if I am?” Alnwar snapped.

“Then I’m going to have to ask you to speak to my lord. He wishes to purchase that boy.”

“Is that so? That’s a shame, honestly. You see, I already have a buyer lined up for this slave.”

“I’m afraid this isn’t a request you can refuse,” a man’s voice called out from behind.

Flanking from behind was a tall, lanky Human man wearing a brown robe holding a spear staff. It wasn’t entirely a spear, nor was it ultimately a staff. It had multiple rings at the tip, and the gold metal caught the candlelight from the hallway.

He seemed to be in his late forties. He had a five o’clock shadow and looked like he was ready to take a nap on the spot. His blonde hair was disheveled, and he had sleepy eyes that were barely open. Behind him were more armed men in full plate metal bearing the same insignia as the women.

“And if I say no?” Alnwar said dangerously.

His bloodlust rolled off him like waves of suffocating death. If I hadn’t felt it before, I might have been stressed out. But it was nothing new.

The other two emanated their bloodlust while the woman spoke again. “Disregarding a request from Mayor Sandervile will be met with harsh judgment, slaver,” the female knight spat.

“The mayor?” Alnwar said, slightly shocked. “Fine, I’ll accept Mayor Sandervile’s invitation. Please do take me to him,” he said with a half-hearted bow.

The mayor? If I’m not mistaken, the mayor is essentially the king of Sandervile. Why would the mayor of Sandervile want anything to do with me? How does he even know I exist? Could it be that he is a friend of my family? I doubt it… I feel like Dad would have mentioned to me if he knew a king personally.

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The three of us were led into a room that was guarded by another squad of knights. Upon entering the room, a lone man stood at the center. He was a tall and burly man with brown hair that had streaks of gray running through it.

Although the man had a gut, he looked the part of a retired general turned feudal lord. His hair and beard were trimmed to perfection while he rested his hand on his sword hilt. He didn’t seem to be doing it maliciously. Rather the man just found touching his weapon to be a sort of comfort. Maybe even second nature.

The man and woman took their places behind Mayor Sandervile while Alwnar greeted him.“Good day, Lord Sandervile. How can a humble slaver be of service to you.” Alnwar’s tone was borderline mockery, but the Mayor didn’t seem to care.

“I prefer to speak face to face on such occasions.”

Mayor Sandervile’s voice was deep yet clear. It carried across the entire room and straight into my head even though he wasn’t speaking loudly. I could imagine his voice yelling orders out on a hectic battlefield and still being able to hear him easily. He had the voice of a commanding officer that always demanded attention.

I couldn’t see Alnwar’s face, but I imagined he was grinning. “And what could you possibly mean, my lord? I am here in front of you now, am I not?”

Mayor Sandervile sighed. “Do not play stupid with me, Alnwar Strongfold. I only have so much patience for these types of games. If you wish to make a mockery of me and yourself, I’ll have you captured right now.”

Upon hearing his name, Alnwar just laughed. “Well, I guess the jig is up. You’re no fun, Mr. Mayor…” Alnwar said with faux dismay.

Alnwar reached down his shirt and pulled off a necklace. The necklace didn’t seem like much but as soon as it left his body, the youthful appearance of Alnwar appeared as if that was how he always looked. “I’m curious. How exactly did you find me?”

“Your dogs have been spotted nearby in my villages. It’s not hard to figure out their master must be near. The stories of your Vampire second in command only make it easier to find you,” Mayor Sandervile responded.

“Well, it can’t be helped,” Alnwar shrugged.

“Sorry, sir…” Jessine said meekly.

“It’s fine. Also, speaking of dogs, would you kindly tell yours to calm down a bit? I’m getting a little antsy over here,” Alnwar said while rubbing his shoulders as if he was cold.

The openly hostile environment has yet to cease as Alnwar fiddled with his short sword. The mayor didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the atmosphere as he ordered his guards. “Stand down, Ester, Martin. We are here to do business with Sir Strongfold.”

With the order from their liege, the mage and female knight ceased their bloodlust. A few of the knights on standby let out strained breaths. “So about that, Mr. Mayor. I’m afraid I already have a buyer lined up for this slave,” Alnwar commented.

“That is unfortunate indeed. However, I have my own ways of negotiation. How much is your buyer paying for this slave?”

“Fifty gold marks.”

Fifty gold?! That has to be a lie, right? There was no way. That’s more money than some families see in their entire lives…

“Fifty gold, you say?” Mayor Sandervile said while stroking his beard. “I’ll give you one large gold mark for him.”

The fifty gold got a few breaths of surprise from people, but the offer of a large gold coin made some gasp in shock. I had to hold in my gasp of surprise since I wasn’t supposed to know the Human language. Even Alnwar let out a whistle.

One large gold coin… what is going on here? That’s a hundred gold coins for a single slave? Should I be happy or frightened that I’m potentially worth that much?

“One large gold for a single slave? You sure about that, Mr. Mayor?”

“I know you inflated the price of this slave. Even the most high-class imperial whores wouldn’t fetch such a price at their prime. You see, this is a personal request. Surely you won’t turn down my offer a second time?”

Although the mayor phrased it like a question, the undertone of a threat was present. Everybody in the room tensed again. Hands drifted to swords, and guards shuffled nervously.

Of course, Alnwar just chuckled and slapped his leg a few times. “Haha, sure—sure! I think we can make a deal! I’d be a fool not to accept such a generous offer from a most benevolent ruler. I’ll part with the slave and forget about my old buyer for the large gold and a question.”

“Go on then,” the mayor urged.

“Why are you really paying so much for this slave? You have asked me almost nothing about it, but yet you seem determined besides that. So tell me, Lord Sandervile, what are you getting at?” Alnwar asked seriously.

“I have no deeper meaning behind my actions, Sir Strongfold. You see, my daughter simply took a liking to the boy, and that is all there is to it. She expressed an interest in him, and as a loving father, I shall grant my dear daughter her desires,” the mayor responded flatly.

His daughter? When could I have possibly been seen by his daughter? I tried to think of a time, but… Could it have been that carriage? Nothing more than a passing glance down the road, and I somehow gained the attention of someone equal to a princess?

“You have a daughter? I wasn’t aware of that. But you have a deal, Mayor Sandervile. This slave is yours. Perhaps this can open up a new line of communication between us?” Alnwar asked, the grease practically oozing from his tone.

“Unlikely. I have no need for men who fight for coin. Tell me about this slave’s history in detail.”

Alnwar clicked his tongue. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”

Alnwar went on to describe me. Everything from how he enslaved me to what kind of work I had been doing. Of course, he omitted the fact that he was the one that had me injured. Nor did he tell them about what he did to The Keepers.

“So that’s pretty much it. This slave can’t even speak Human, so not sure what you are going to have him do.”

“Is that so? Tell me, slave, can you understand me?” the mayor asked me.

The mayor hadn’t even so much as glanced in my general direction. It was almost like he was purposely ignoring my existence. But now his gaze fell upon me, and so did everyone else’s.

Mmm, I could lie. But I have a feeling that would probably come back to bite me. So perhaps in my final moments, I can stick it to Alnwar.

“Yes, sir. I can understand you,” I responded in Human.

Jessine and Alnwar couldn’t hide their surprise. Alnwar mouthed out. “Really?” like a gaping fish. I imagine for someone so observant and careful; even he couldn’t imagine I’d know two languages.

Now it was the Mayor’s turn to chuckle. “I see even you didn’t understand the value of your slave, Sir Strongfold.”

“I guess not. Just when I thought I got everything out of you too… I could have asked for even more!” Alnwar complained out loud.

I just glared hatefully at Alnwar. I couldn’t say anything to him, but I wanted him to know. The next time we meet, I’m going to kill you.

Alnwar just gave me his trademark ugly smile and pushed me forward. “Go on to your new master, my most prized possession.” Then he whispered in my ear as we were walking/ “I’ll look forward to seeing you again, do come back to me soon.”

You should have killed me when you had the chance, Alnwar.

I walked toward the mayor and his entourage. Mayor Sandervile gave me a passing glance and ordered his subordinate. “Ester, take the boy back to the mansion. I have more situations that require my attention.”

“Yes, my lord,” the female knight answered.

Hopefully, my new master will be kinder to me.

—

Well, that was wishful thinking.

I thought I would enjoy a carriage ride into the innermost parts of the city. A place most people could only dream about seeing. That my new master and his guards would be somewhat kind to me. But instead…

I’m strapped to the roof of a damn carriage going down the road. This is equal parts unpleasant and humiliating. Just when I thought my life couldn’t get worse, I got proven wrong every time. How low must I fall?

I was deemed too “filthy” to ride inside of the carriage. It wasn’t even the same carriage I had seen before, either. It was just a run-of-the-mill horse-drawn carriage. The only thing going for me was that I was at the top of the carriage, so only those who were tall enough would catch a glimpse of me. But, of course, people still saw me anyway. Many heads were turned, and fingers pointed at the mostly naked mixed Dark Elf child strapped atop a carriage going down the street.

My overall treatment wasn’t much better. If anything, Alnwar might have treated me slightly better than this Ester woman. I was, for lack of better words, treated like a slave. Not a big surprise. Honestly, I wasn’t sure why I thought anything would be different.

I watched as the scenes of the city rolled by. I couldn’t move all that much since I was strapped down, and the heavy Blood Iron collar made it difficult to raise my head. But I got a good sense of how large each district was based on the time it took to get from one gatehouse to another. If I was counting correctly, I should be arriving at the mayor’s district shortly.

But I hadn’t been spending all of this time idly cursing myself. I had been trying to watch for guards on top of the walls. I noticed a fair amount, but it was difficult to know just how many there were. It also didn’t seem like the number of guards diminished as I moved deeper into Sandervile. This place was built like a prison, from what I could tell. It was meant to keep people in just as much as it was meant to keep them out.

Escaping from this city was going to be difficult. If they took my slave collar off, I could try using earth magic to dig my way out of the city. No,… no way that was going to work.

Magic was strong, but surely someone thought of a way to counter an earth mage from infiltrating a city. If I was going to try something like that, I had to be sure it would work.

If I made an escape tunnel, then it could be traced back to me, so I had to be careful. Wait… escape tunnels… royal families… There must be escape tunnels underneath this city.

If history tended to repeat itself, then every capital would have some sort of escape route for the royals to use. After all, if the royal family lived, then so did the country. Not that it worked that way, of course…

So I have a plan of action now. First, survive whatever initial problems I face and then attempt to find the royal escape route.

It shouldn’t be that hard, right?