Feyj tried to stand up from the floor of his room, but he found it rather difficult. His legs were much longer than he remembered. It must have been days since he last moved from his pillow. He tried to figure out how many, counting the number of meals that had been brought to him, then he realized he could just check the clock on his computer. It was Quintlyber 22nd, meaning he was now 22 years old.
It had been about a week straight now since he had last stood up and walked around. He had been meaning to take a break to either get some sleep or explore for a while, but it had become an endless situation of wanting to view ‘just one hundred more pages’. Feyj’s knowledge had increased exponentially since he had come to the compound, learning more about the world in just a few weeks than most people do in a lifetime. The question was how much of it had actually stuck.
While Feyj could happily stare at those monitors until he’d read literally every page on Discoverance, he wanted to change things up a bit and get some real world experience. Before he could leave, however, there were some things he needed to take care of. First, he literally hadn’t showered in a week. While his skin was refreshed each day, it still felt really gross not to bathe for that long. If his personal maids from his past life knew, they’d be throwing a fit.
The second issue was that the clothes he was wearing were literally bursting at the seams. He felt them rip in seven distinct places while getting up off of the floor alone. Now, he needed to figure out where to procure new ones. His servants hadn’t delivered him with a single personal belonging, so he’d need to get them from somewhere else. He had money, so he could buy some. At this state in his life he wouldn’t need to worry about changing sizes again until around his 70s.
However, there was no way he could go out in his present state to buy them. He could buy them online, but now he was impatient since the idea of going out was in his head. Perhaps he could borrow or buy some clothes from one of the other boys. After a quick judge of his height, it seemed Xard would be a closer match than Drim. The clothes that he was wearing currently, that were being destroyed even more as he moved around, were from Ahvra. He didn’t feel too bad about ruining them, since he had gotten them in exchange for letting her run some tests.
Just as he was about to head to Xard’s room and ask, he noticed some clothes and a pair of shoes, sitting on his bed that he still had yet to actually use for sleep. Any sleeping he’d done up until now was from curling up on his floor pillow. Feyj took a look at the clothes. There was a tunic and matching pants, both simple yet elegant, and standard underwear and socks. Their material was amazing, durable yet quite soft and breathable, finer than he’d experienced even as royalty. He could tell by the stitching that it was handmade, and could immediately guess by whom.
The butler here put all of his servants to shame, easily having the skill of hundreds of them in one. Without even trying it on, Feyj could tell the clothes would fit perfectly. This meant Mallea had sized him up at some point with just her eyes while serving him food, and custom made the clothes for him in the few days since he’d grown to be this size. He couldn’t help but start to idolize her and all that she could do, wondering just what she’d been through to make her this capable.
Feyj took the new set of clothes into the bathroom, and after undressing, stared into the mirror at his current body. He was quite slender, even more so than either time he was a girl since he hadn’t been eating too much. While he didn’t need to eat at all to live, it did seem that it affected his development. During his time at the castle, he often found himself spoiled with food, more than he ever wanted, and felt obliged to eat all of it. Mallea provided much more reasonable portions.
He took a look at how the Curse Mark on his back was progressing. There were currently 23 flames, looking like a blooming flower of fire, or perhaps a ridge of dragon scales. Feyj also noticed that his uhh… thing… had grown since he’d last looked at it as a child. He had no idea what to think of its current state since he had never seen or read up on any others for a frame of reference.
Lastly, Feyj examined his hair. He just now realized that he was still wearing his antenna and plucked it off until he’d need it again. Other than that, his hair was smooth and silky, and as shiny as ever, but it was drooping down a little past his shoulders. His hair only grew about one inch per day for him, as opposed to the average of six inches per year for normal humans. He guessed it was compensation for it growing literally every day.
Still, in its current state it made him look much too feminine. With the wrong clothes, he would easily be mistaken for a girl. Since he was forced to be a boy, he’d like to at least try living like one. Feyj pulled a pair of scissors out of a drawer and began cutting. He’d learned to cut his own hair since it grew so much, and he didn’t want to bother his maids every time, though they’d insist it was no problem.
The bigger issue was that he didn’t know how to cut it into a guy’s style, and just did his best to try and replicate a common one he’d seen young men wearing when he walked around his nation. Feyj’s Curse would kick in every so often, to stop him when he was about to make an irreversible mistake to the haircut. There were quite a few close calls, since it took a bit for the brain signal to reach his hand, telling it to stop. Overall, he was satisfied with the look: short messy hair that flowed a bit in every direction. After a shower, he was finally ready to head out and get some real world experience.
On the elevator ride down to the 1st floor, he looked through all the jobs currently available for the Fiends For Hire. Nathym had given him his own phone some time ago, but Feyj hadn’t played around with it too much. “Gah, we have an intruder!” Feyj was greeted with a panicked accusation from Kada when he entered the living room. “Oh, it’s just you, Feyj!” she sighed in relief. “Sorry, you just look so different.”
“Greetings, madam Kada.” Feyj caught his body trying to curtsey out of habit, but managed to stop himself and gave a small, hesitant wave instead.
“What brings you out of your room?” she asked him with gleaming curiosity.
“Oh, I decided to take on one of those job things that you all do,” Feyj informed her. “It’s quite a rather convenient system you all have. I was able to accept one and get all the information about it with just a few button presses. I even know exactly where to go. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading out now.”
Feyj started walking towards the door, but heard mumbling behind him. “Oh, let’s see which one you took then… Oh, wait, Feyj!” Kada got out of her seat and immediately dashed after him, grabbing onto his shoulder. “I uhh… think that one is a bit too difficult for you, especially just starting out. It looks like Phon forgot to put a limit on which ones you can take. That’s a level 9 difficulty, you’d be better off starting with a 4 or 5, or maybe a 2.”
“Oh, well the one I picked is by far the most interesting to me. I can’t see any of the others providing me with nearly as exciting of an experience, so I believe I’ll stick with it. Thank you for your concern. I’ll be sure to contact you all if I run into trouble.” Feyj removed Kada’s hand, and resumed leaving. She tried to grab him a few more times, but he easily dodged each attempt.
“Nnh, what do I do?!” he heard Kada grumble behind him as the door closed.
◆◆◆
“Good day, madam,” Feyj greeted the driver of the cab he’d hailed once he’d made it to town. It was his first time taking a cab, or even being in a car that he could remember. When he was brought here, it was still during the baby phase where he didn’t have proper cognitive awareness. “I would like to go here, please,” Feyj showed the address on his phone.
“Uhh, that’s about an hour drive, and would cost quite a bit. You good for it?” the driver inquired.
“Yes indeed,” Feyj flashed a Common Card. “Unfortunately, I will be paying with my family’s money today. However, I shall experience employment for the first time today, and become someone who can live independently!”
“Uhh, alright then, good for you…” the driver replied, clearly thinking Feyj was a crazy person. The entire drive there was sat in awkward silence.
An hour later, Feyj knocked on the door of the requesters house. A young woman answered, took one look at Feyj and stated, “I’m sorry, you must have the wrong address. I didn’t order a gigolo.” She then tried to close the door on him, but Feyj blocked it with his hand.
“My dear lady, it appears there must be some misunderstanding,” Feyj announced. “I am here about the job you submitted to the Fiends For Hire. I understand that you wouldn’t recognize me, since I’ve just recently joined. The name the people have dubbed me is The Reborn Royal, at your service.” Feyj gave a slight bow, and presented one of the FFH business cards he’d grabbed before leaving.
“Oh, umm, alright then. Sorry about the confusion,” the woman apologized as she let him inside. “It’s just… you’re so fancy looking that I got the wrong idea. Again, really sorry about that.” She brought him a drink after he sat down, and then she told him about the request. A few days ago, her roommate had gone missing from a nearby park. The police were investigating, but so far had turned up no results. There was a suspected human trafficking ring in the area, so she assumed they were the culprits.
Feyj was easily able to judge the sincerity of her words, based on the inflections and the emotions behind them. One of the first things his Curse had taught him is when people weren’t being honest, since he’d grown up surrounded by those trying to keep secrets and information from him. She definitely wasn’t lying, or at least believed she wasn’t, so Feyj would give it his all and try and stop these human traffickers, assuming they were indeed the culprits, and rescue her friend.
Feyj decided to head to the park in question, but didn’t find anything immediately suspicious. There were a good amount of people there: a few eating lunch while on break from work, a few children playing with their parents, and several just out for a stroll. It certainly didn’t seem like a spot where people went missing.
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His eyes wandered around, enjoying watching each person for a while before moving onto the next. Feyj genuinely loved watching humans, and had never been able to get enough of it when he’d break out of the castle back on Archlave. Each person was unique: their own mannerisms, their own outlooks, their own stories, and Feyj wanted to know them all. Perhaps if he didn’t find his calling at the FFH, he’d become an anthropologist.
People didn’t seem to mind when he stared at them for a while, as they might if he were someone else. He knew from experience that most people assumed he was blind given the milky state of his eyes, even if they were far shinier and more colorful than an actual blind person’s. On top of that, since he had no visible pupils, it was harder for people to tell where he was looking.
Feyj wondered what people thought when his eyes changed colors. The one that changed to white probably didn’t throw them off too much, since it only lost its glossiness and slightly pink tint. On the other hand, the black eye probably made people think he was possessed by a demon or something.
Feyj was also getting a lot of stares, but not because he was staring at others. Do I really look like a gigolo? He began doubting his dress and hairstyle, thinking they looked quite eloquent, but perhaps that was the problem. When he was called one earlier, he didn’t understand what it meant, but looked up the definition afterwards. Before today, he never knew there was a male equivalent. If his fears were true, it would make sense that they’d be wary of him being at this park.
The amount of people in the park steadily decreased as employees returned to work and parents took their children elsewhere. The human density had severely thinned to a small fraction of what it was earlier, meaning it would be far more likely that someone would be abducted. There was still an underlying issue, the park was too open. If someone were to be abducted, there is a good chance that someone else would witness it. There were even nearby street cameras that could catch it as well.
However, there was a path that Feyj noticed which seemed to lead into a more heavily wooded area. He definitely needed to investigate, but first he needed to make a slight preparation. Feyj pulled out a collapsible cane he’d purchased earlier, and quickly assembled it. This was to lean into the facade that he was blind, to give any potential kidnappers an excuse as to why his eyes were strangely colored. There would be little chance any would show themselves in front of him if they believed him to be a Fiend.
Feyj started walking down the trail, slightly swinging the cane back and forth, doing his best to mimic a video he’d watched of the proper technique. Soon, he made it to the end of the trail which led into a small open area. There was a picnic table, a fire pit, as well as a standing barbecue and a water fountain. This place was obviously a picnic area, but what was more important was that this area was secluded. It was wrapped on all sides with trees that lead into a deeper forest. While it was definitely a serene area, ideal for hosting a picnic, it was a prime location for potential abductions.
Feyj could hear chattering as he approached, which stopped once his presence was known. “Is someone there?” he openly asked the area. Of course he knew the answer, but it played into his character. There was a father and early teenage son throwing a ball together as food cooked on the grill. Normally, this would be a lovely family outing, but Feyj couldn’t help but grimace. These two were prime bait. While it was good for his investigation, he was annoyed since these two would probably get roped into it.
Before coming to this spot, Feyj did some digging on his phone about the human traffickers. He immediately regretted not bringing his antenna. Having to deal with the normal speed of his phone felt unbearably slow. After some digging, he found that this particular group of criminals seemed to focus on capturing strong men, most likely to be sold as slave labor. While that was their prime target, they’d been known to abduct women and children as well if they were accompanying a suitable man.
Feyj didn’t know what happened to these individuals, whether they were sold as slave labor as well, but he didn’t really want to think about it. He was now especially glad that he had cut his hair, making him appear far more masculine, and thus more likely to be a target. Though, his build didn’t exactly scream ‘work horse’.
“Oh, hello!” the father greeted him. “We were just about to have lunch, you’re welcome to join us.” Feyj was used to such friendly offers, but that was due to his upbringing. As he understood it, most people weren’t this kind to random strangers, and assumed the father was being generous due to Feyj’s ‘disability’.
“I appreciate the offer, but I just ate recently,” Feyj turned him down. “However, I must admit, I’m a bit lost. Is there somewhere to sit down nearby? My legs are positively aching.”
The father led Feyj over to the picnic table and helped him sit down. “When you’re up to walking again, I can lead you back to the street if you’d like,” the father offered.
“Oh, please don’t mind me,” Feyj declined. “I wouldn’t want to ruin your time together. Act as if I’m not here. Though when you leave, I wouldn’t refuse an escort if you’d oblige me, but my caretakers will likely find me soon.” This act was starting to feel like too much effort, but Feyj wanted to trick any potential observers. If someone was watching, he wanted to appear defenseless, but also hurry them up so he wouldn’t have to wait around all day.
Feyj glanced around at the area, taking in all the information. There was only one entrance, the path he’d walked down to get here. However, someone could easily approach from the forest and spring an ambush with all the coverage from the treeline. There were no signs of any scuffles or prior foul play in the area, which is probably why the area wasn’t cordoned off by the police for their investigation. Feyj was certain that if people were being abducted in this town, this would be the best place to do it, and whoever was orchestrating the abductions was good at covering their tracks.
“Oh, is someone else there, friends of yours?” Feyj asked the father, acting completely unshaken by the new appearances that arrived after only a few minutes. They weren’t quiet. Even if Feyj was actually blind, he’d be able to tell that a lot of people had approached them.
“No, I err… Don’t know these people,” the father hesitantly admitted as he huddled near his son.
“Hands up!” a man ordered them. “You there, on the bench, stand up and walk away from it.” Feyj did as instructed, rapidly whipping his head around as if acting in a panic. He did this to get as much information as possible, and none of the traffickers paid it any mind. The analysis took less than a second, fast enough that no one would notice the very brief change in his eye color, or if they did, they’d think they were imagining things.
Seven individuals surrounded the area on all sides: four women, three men. Three of them are acting like they have guns, but only the man in charge actually has one. For the other two… In the woman’s coat I can see a slight hilt, probably a hunting knife. I can see a glint on the other man’s fingers, brass knuckles most likely. The other four are all armed as well: a bat, a pipe, a machete and… a board with a nail in it… Really? Why that? Did you have to make sure you didn’t copy anyone’s weapon, and that was the best you could come up with?
They’re all of diverse builds and ethnicities, meaning this isn’t a family operation or racial prerogative. Chance of it being a cult is also likely minimal. They all have decent clothing, quite a few have jewelry. It’s easy to tell they’re in this solely for the money. The amused look in one of their eyes tells me that one is likely an outlier in it for the thrill. This is good, though.To them, we’re products, which means damage and injuries will likely be minimal. If there’s no resistance, there should be no reason for them to get rough.
The group slowly closed in on them, and a woman snatched the cane away from Feyj, then retreated a few steps. The father was shielding his son behind his back at this point, but since there were criminals on all sides, it wouldn’t do him much good. Feyj prayed he had the good sense not to resist. The father was pretty well built, and maybe could take on one or two of them if he had good instincts, but certainly not seven. Feyj being a Fiend would make him a reliable asset in their chances, but the father should take no stock in an assumed blind man.
The leader started giving out orders, and the father and son were quickly detained, their hands bound by zip-ties. “What should we do about him?” one of the women asked, gesturing towards Feyj.
“Leave the twig. We wouldn’t be able to sell him for zjik,” the leader instructed then let out a slight laugh. “He wouldn’t be able to rat on us even if he wanted!”
“Hey wait, what are you…” Feyj walked towards the leader, not looking directly at him as if he was following his voice. The leader pushed him down to the ground on reflex, and then warned him to stay there. Feyj could have easily dodged that, but he wanted to appear as vulnerable as possible for now. He scrambled to his feet, and darted his head around as if looking for the leader again.
“How dare you treat me with such disrespect!” Feyj proclaimed to the ruffians. “I’ll have you know that I am the crown prince of Archlave! My bodyguards will be here any moment to rescue me, so you better let us go if you know what’s good for you!”
“What do you think, boss? That’s a pretty bold claim,” one of the stooges asked their leader.
“Royalty, huh,” the leader muttered. “Guess you might be worth something after all. Even if it’s a lie, I’m sure we can find a buyer that would have uses for a pretty boy like you. Take him!”
Oh, my Curse activated? Feyj was caught off guard. I must be in imminent danger then. Let’s do a sense check. Sight; I can see four of the criminals, three aren’t in my line of sight. There are two shadows protruding to my front, meaning two of them are somewhere behind me. One shadow is moving slightly away from my front, meaning they’re most likely the culprit. Need to close my eyes now, further sight is pointless and could give away my secret.
Smell; no noticeable change as expected. Someone’s smell wouldn’t precede them unless they were egregiously odorous. Sound; I can hear the ground crunching a few feet behind me, they’re close. Two crunches, the closer one is stronger. They’re leading with one foot. There’s also a slight whistling sound… Think back… The sound wind makes when traveling through a metal pipe. The woman with the pipe as her weapon is definitely the attacker. The sound is around the level of my torso, seems like it’s heading at an upwards trajectory.
Touch; the air pressure behind me has definitely changed, and there is a very slight breeze against my skin. The woman is not close enough that I can feel a change in temperature. The hair on the back of my neck has raised and my skin is clenching. It’s reacting instinctively from my spatial awareness and sense of presence which is amplified from being a Fiend. Taste; useless, though I can still notice a hint of the breakfast I had earlier. It’s pleasant.
Compile all the information… Alright, I can see a clear picture. The woman is keeping her distance, relying on the length of her weapon. Focus on the pipe… It was curved at the end. Their aim is to capture me, so this blow isn’t designed to be fatal. She’s going to hit me with the blunt end of the curve. Focus on the trajectory… It’s close, I can feel the pressure shifting the hairs on my head.
There is still time to dodge. I could just barely move my head out of the way completely. Might lose a few hairs. That’s counterintuitive. I need to be taken. I need to get hit and knocked out. I’m not confident I could fake being unconscious, need to make it real. How’s her aim...? Good, not perfect. This hit should knock someone unconscious, but I’m not certain. I’m a Fiend, so higher resistance. Fiends can be knocked unconscious, but the window to hit is almost definitely smaller.
Calculating… Her aim is off by a fourth of an inch. I need to adjust to increase the probability. Shifting… too much, pull it back… there, perfect. This calculation had taken place solely in the time it took between the woman starting her swing, and the pipe being roughly an inch from Feyj’s head. He honestly had a lot more time than he needed, and checked his analysis a few times. Once he was convinced, he deactivated his Curse.