Chapter 88: Chained

A few hours after the explosion, Darius stood in Marcus's private study, his gaze fixed on the painting of Warwick. "I don't expect you to like it Marcus, but what's done is done."

"Like it?!" Marcus paced in front of the fireplace, beet red, his mustache bristling as he spoke. "You blew up part of the city! And for what? A slave? I know Hershel was disgusting, but—"

"Not for a slave," Darius interrupted, turning to face Marcus. His teenage features carrying a mature intensity, "a child. And before you continue, I know it was impulsive, and I know it was reckless, but nothing I did can be traced. Even if somehow it can, Feng never made an appearance."

Walking over to Marcus, Darius motioned for the agitated knight to sit. "There's something else we need to discuss." Noticing Marcus's hesitation, Darius sat and exhaled heavily, "dont worry, it's about the slave market."

Marcus eyed Darius warily but took a seat across from him. "Don't tell me you're planning to buy more? What's gotten into you?"

"It's not just about buying more," Darius replied, locking eyes with Marcus. "Truth be told, I'm not even sure why I bought that elf. But I've decided to take your advice—I want to start laying the groundwork for my own force. Something that can stand against the Towers and Union."

Narrowing his eyes, Marcus rubbed his temples, his normally vibrant blonde hair seeming to gray under the stress. "This should be a good thing, so why does it make my head hurt more?"

"I want you to start buying slaves, as many as you can."

"That's why." Marcus threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why on earth would you do that, Darius? What possible reason could there be for such a thing? No, no, wait, let me guess—you've got some wild ability to turn these slaves into towering giants, and we're going to build an army to stampede across the world. Is that it?"

Noticing the tension in Marcus's aura, Darius realized he might have overstepped. 'I've leaned on his goodwill too much. It's time to offer something in return. But before that...'

Standing, he resumed his guise as Sir Feng and approached the door. "I believe you've earned the right to see something firsthand. It might ease your mind a bit."

Marcus, rising too, his expression weary, chuckled. "More surprises, then?"

With a roll of his eyes, Darius motioned towards the corridor. "Just come to my room."

Trailing behind him, Marcus's steps were slower than usual, attracting curious glances from the staff as they passed.

Entering Darius's room, the subtle hum of activating arrays made Marcus raise an eyebrow. "I must admit, I'm a bit offended."

With a sheepish look, Darius reverted to his true form and pressed his signet ring against the wall. "Everyone has their secrets."

"What are y—" Marcus's question cut off as his eyes widened at the sight of a starry portal forming on the wall. "Where does that lead?"

"To the Valdene Family Vault."

Marcus hesitated, his initial surprise fading into a serious expression. "Are you certain about this? It seems—"

"I'm sure," Darius interrupted, a firm resolve in his tone. "You've more than earned my trust."

Noticing an awkward softening in Marcus's expression, he added quickly, "you need to go in first."

"Right, right." Marcus cleared his throat, adjusted his jacket, and strode into the portal with an air of formality.

Darius watched him disappear, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Warwick, you sure picked the right family." Clasping his hands behind his back, he stepped into the swirling gateway. As he passed through, his brow tightened, 'I hope this is the right move. But things need to change.' The portal winked out, leaving the room silent and empty.

----

Hours earlier, shortly after Hershel's demise, Darius and Haku returned to the Kinneman house. Utilizing his Arcane Gaze, Darius slipped into his room unnoticed.

As he shut the door gently, he exhaled wearily, "you need to fortify this place with some arrays, Marcus. It's too easy to slip in."

At the Vault's hidden entrance, he pressed his ring against the wall. "Stay close and keep quiet once we're inside," he instructed Haku. "The kids might be intrigued if they see you behave, but talking will probably scare them."

Grumbling to himself as he slipped out of his ghost-form, Haku nodded as Darius shot him a dismissive glance and activated the portal. Haku entered first, with Darius following closely behind.

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As soon as he passed through, Darius was taken aback by the eight children lined up before him, their synchronized bow greeting him as he entered the All-room. "Master!"

He blinked in surprise, glanced at Haku, then stepped forward. "Stand up. I'm not your master."

Once they straightened, Darius surveyed the room with a keen eye, then turned to the snake-bloodline girl. "What's your name?"

At the head of the line, the young girl with amber hair stepped forward. Her dress was a simple maid's uniform, black with a white apron, her pale skin marked with dark green and tan scales on her neck. "My name is Tem."

Stepping closer, Darius frowned, 'Something is off with these kids,' he thought as he noticed the children's eyes staring at the ground before them, not blinking or moving their gazes at all. "Is that your real name? I don't want your slave name."

Her brow furrowing for a moment, she responded, "If you do not like it, you can change my name if master wants."

"I have already told you, I am not your master."

Hesitating for a moment, she responded, "We are confused then. If you are not our master, we must return to the Manor. If master is still alive we need—"

"Hershel is dead. There is no manor to return to either."

Unfazed, Tem simply looked at Darius and stated, "Then you are our master."

Shaking his head, Darius stepped back and raised his voice slightly, "Did you forget? I told you I would free you if you listened, and you did. You stayed put and waited. There are no more masters for you."

To Darius's astonishment, an instant reaction burst from the children—one of irritation directed at Tem, with fear evident in their eyes.

"You said he would!"

"Why did you speak for us?!"

"Take us back! Tem lied to you! She's the bad one, not us!"

"Quiet!" Darius's voice thundered through the All-room, instantly silencing the children as they continued to fidget nervously.

Looking toward Tem, Darius asked, "What's going on here?"

Looking down, her breathing quickened, Tem replied, "I... I misspoke earlier. A slave doesn't need freedom. Freedom is found in serving a master."

'Big brother, what's wrong with these kids? They haven't even looked at me once.' Haku tilted his head, observing the slaves.

'It's because they're all brainwashed. This must be part of the training I've heard about.' He surveyed the group, deciding on his approach. 'We'll have to slowly change their mindset.'

Clearing his throat, Darius declared, "So be it. I killed Hershel. By that right, you are now my property."

The children's demeanor stabilized instantly, their postures and expressions reverting to a more formal alignment as they straightened up.

"Starting with you, Tem, tell me your age, your skills, and your bloodline."

Stepping forward, she straightened her back and spoke clearly, "I am twelve summers old. I handled all of the laundry and helped maintain the garden. My bloodline is from the Turtle-Snake clan."

One of the children coughed in the background. Noticing this, Tem panicked and corrected herself, "My apologies! I meant serpent bloodline."

Darius frowned at the exchange, his eyebrow arching. "What was that about? Why did you correct yourself?"

Blushing deeply, Tem shrank back, struggling for words. A boy next to her with a pointed nose and whiskers, and small, beady eyes stepped forward. "Forgive Tem, she is new and wasn't fully trained. My name is Lint. I am ten summers old and was Master Hershel's personal attendant, responsible for all grooming and proficient in notation. My bloodline is rodent. To answer Master's question, during training, slaves are taught to abandon their primitive origins. To mention the werefolk name of one’s bloodline is considered shameful to our betters."

'He truly believes what he's saying. What kind of training have these children gone through?' Smiling gently, Darius gestured for Lint to step back and called the next child forward.

As Darius beckoned, the remaining children introduced themselves one by one. A girl of nine summers with sleek feathers adorning her arms spoke next, revealing her avian bloodline and her name to be Triss. Next was Kilt, a boy of eight summers, his skin rough and pebbly like bark, shared his pangolin heritage. A girl of seven summers named Jass, with fractal eyes glowing under the vault's light claimed a dragonfly bloodline.

The younger ones followed; a boy of six summers with a frog-like tongue and slick skin named Tomp mentioned his toad bloodline. The boy of five, the smallest, called himself Leek and had fur patches that hinted at a bear ancestry.

Lastly, Hershel's recent purchase, stepped forward. He was eight, his name Milo, and he stood timidly, the tips of his ears twitching as he whispered, "Feline bloodline."

Smiling, Darius introduced himself with a friendly tone, "My name is Darius Valdene. Now that things have calmed down a little, we might as well get this out of the way," he gestured towards Haku, encouraging him to speak.

Perking up, Haku flashed a wide grin, "Hello! I'm Haku, just Haku. I am your new Master's little brother." He puffed out his chest and wagged his tail proudly with the last declaration.

The children's attention shifted to the talking ember-fox, and they bowed in unison, responding in a coordinated chorus, "Greetings, Haku."

Watching their formal reaction, Haku's enthusiasm waned, his ears drooping slightly, "that was kinda disappointing."

Darius chuckled, stepping into the center of the All-room where the array lay. "Everyone, move to the front of a door," he instructed clearly. The children quickly aligned themselves with the doors around the room. Seeing them positioned, he grinned and called out, "Kitchen."

At Darius's command, the room began its transformation as the children watched with a faint curiosity. The magical array beneath his feet glowed azure, the stone walls of the All-room vibrated and morphed, sleek kitchen counters and richly varnished wooden cabinets emerging seamlessly. The transformation was accompanied by soft mechanical sounds—whirs, clicks, and the smooth sliding of drawers.

Shelves populated themselves with spices and utensils, each appearing with a soft pop. The air filled with the scents of herbs, freshly baked bread, and a hint of citrus, creating a comforting, homely atmosphere.

Tem, more so than the others, looked on with a touch of awe, her expression toward Darius mingling respect and intrigue as she took in the fully formed kitchen.

"Triss, you said you were in charge of the kitchens?" The girl with bristling feathers stepped forward, nodding, "Yes, Master."

"Please prepare a meal for everyone; you must all be hungry after today's events."

Triss hesitated briefly before bowing slightly, "Yes, Master."

"The rest of you, help her out," then he turned to Tem, "except for you, come with me. Haku, stay here and watch over things."

Haku puffed out his cheeks, "Can you at least have her make me something?"

As Darius walked towards the farm, he glanced back, "You don't need to eat. Just stay here and wait for my return."

Opening the door, Darius gestured for Tem to follow, "It's alright, I just want to talk to you for a moment."

As Tem approached, she paused to gaze at the vast expanse of land behind the door, her eyes widening. A blush spread across her face as she quickly stepped through.

The artificial sunlight of the beast-farm lit up her body, making the scales on her neck shimmer. She smiled slowly, closing her eyes to take a deep breath, savoring the moment.

Darius watched her with a gentle smile. After a brief pause, his voice, slightly startling her, broke the calm, "How long has it been?"

Recovering from her shock, Tem quickly straightened and faced Darius, her tone apologetic, "I'm sorry, master, I'm not sure what you mean."

"How long since they captured you?"

Tem's face paled, stepping back slightly before regaining her composure, though her lips remained bone white. "I was freed last summer."

"Freed? Hmm," Darius mused, mostly to himself, as he began walking towards the center of the farm. "Tell me what happened. How were you, 'freed'?"

Respectfully following, Tem struggled for a moment, her eyes briefly glistening before her expression became blank, drained of all feeling. "Yes, master. I was set free from the barbarism of my past by the gallant traders who sought to educate my clan. The b... the bitch and stud who birthed me tried to prevent my liberation, so thankfully they purged my clan and graciously brought me back with them."

Arriving by the creek, Darius stared into the reflection on the water, absorbing the heavy pain in Tem's words, 'this must be what that boy meant about her training not being complete.'

Turning to face her, Darius sat down in the lotus position, his expression patient and understanding. "Sit," he instructed gently.

Tem looked stunned for a moment, failing to immediately grasp his request. Her cheeks flushed as she realized he was waiting for her. "Oh! Sorry!" she exclaimed, quickly sitting down in a rush.

"I've brought you here because there's something I need you to tell me. It's a selfish request, and I'm sorry for the pain it might bring up, but I need you to tell me about your training. Please be as detailed as you can."

Noticing Tem's breathing quicken and sweat forming on her brow, he reached out gently and patted her head. "Take your time, and remember, I'm here to help."