[Pon]
[Chapter 1.]
The desert blows and roars as a young Aba Abas walks through the expansive pathways set by the wind.
Aba turns his head upward, attempting to get a sense of time. He then wipes the water-blue sweat off of his face and onto the desolate sandy floor.
Once he turns his head forward, he spots a caravan with camels and requests for help.
Aba shouts,
“Help! Help!”
A Hooded figure looks over to him and looks him dead in the eye, almost as if he wants to kill him.
Aba begins to get afraid and thinks about running away. Aba soon begins to believe he has run into slave traders. Aba then starts running in the opposite direction as several men get off of the back of the horses and begin chasing after Aba.
The Men then soon track Aba and pin him down using a rope-gun. Aba falls onto the ground and he is soon put to sleep.
[Later….]
[Later…]
[Later..]
[Later.]
[???]
Aba wakes up and finds himself stuck in some kind of cell. The room is pretty small with there only being some type of bedsheet and a pillow on the cobblestone floor. There are also iron bars in front of him where he can see other captured people. Aba was indeed right, the people he encountered were slave traders and they just fetched a good game.
A slave trader walks in with the captors. They go on and on about how good all of the slaves are. The slave trader then takes a look at Aba. Aba looks up with resentment in his eyes and quickly turns away.
The slaver trader says,
“Who might this fine boy be?”
Captor One says,
“This boy was wandering around the desert so we yanked him up.”
“He doesn't look all that important though.”
“If you want them, we can give you a discount.”
“A 2 for one deal.”
The slave trader responds with,
“A 2-for-one deal?”
“Call me blind but I only see one of them in there.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Captor 2 chimes in with,
“There's one more coming.”
“She's being brought in now.”
“We believe she's some kind of Valkyrie.”
The Slave trader's eyes widen as he hears the words “Mon-ey” aka “Valkyrie.” You see, Valkyries are an extremely rare race of people on this planet and because of that their power and usefulness are one of the highest. With an army of them, you could conquer entire countries in weeks.
However, this Valkyrie is damaged and is only a child. Her wings are pretty large though but it doesn't look like she could fly in this state. She is quickly bought along with Aba.
Captor 1 goes into Aba's cell. Aba attempts to fight back against Captor 1 but he soon injects him with something that makes him go to sleep.
The pair are then bought and sold.
[Later……]
[Later…..]
[Later…]
[Later..]
[Later.]
[????]
[The Mansion.]
Aba wakes up in a nicely dressed room. Every single part of the room has an expensive piece of furniture in it. His need is a big that's fit for a king of old. His floor is padded with a luxurious silk carpet. Even his clothes are not something of royalty. Just who is this Slave Trader? Well, it's time to get up and go.
Aba steps out of bed and quickly leaves his room to walk into the hallway.
[Later…]
Aba walks down onto the floor and quickly bows down as he sees the maids bowing down to their master. The Lady of the house smiles at Aba and leaves.
Aba then quickly heads down to the dining room to eat breakfast. Aba sits down on a chair and pulls it up to the table. The table has a nice white cloth over it with an oak wood base. He makes sure to check the food just in case they’ve laced it with something poisonous.
He gets up and walks over to the bathroom and shuts the door. Aba then sits down and thinks of an escape he could make. Aba then notices that there's a window he could open so he walks over to it and slowly opens it. Before he can open it, the Lady of the house opens the door to the bathroom and asks him what he is doing. He quickly makes up a lie about how he was just trying to get some fresh air. The Lady of the House laughs as she can tell he's lying. The Lady of the house then moves his hand and closes the window herself as she explains how he doesn't need to leave as he's “safe” now.
Aba then backs down and leaves the bathroom with her. Aba can feel how calm and kind she is so he eases up his resistance against them. He then sees the Valkyrie girl walking through the hallway, her once-majestic wings now bandaged and drooping. She catches Aba's gaze, her expression a mix of fear and confusion. Aba hesitates for a moment before giving her a small nod, trying to offer some semblance of comfort.
The Lady of the house notices their interaction and gently places a hand on Aba's shoulder. "She's a special one, isn't she?" she says with a soft smile. "But you both are safe here. There's no need to worry."
Aba remains silent, his mind racing. The Lady's words seem kind, but the situation is far from normal. He can't shake the feeling that something is off, that this mansion holds secrets far more dangerous than the desert he was taken from.
[Later…]
Aba and the Valkyrie girl are escorted to a grand dining hall, where a feast is laid out before them. The table is adorned with ornate silverware and dishes filled with food that looks almost too good to eat. The Lady of the house sits at the head of the table, her presence commanding yet oddly comforting.
She says, while gesturing to the food,
"Eat," "You must be starving."
Aba hesitates, glancing at the Valkyrie girl, who is eyeing the food warily. They both know that accepting food from captors is a risky move, but their hunger is overwhelming.
Aba takes a cautious bite, and to his surprise, the food is not only safe but delicious. The Valkyrie girl follows his lead, and soon they are both eating in silence, their minds still on edge.
As they finish their meal, the Lady of the house leans forward, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She says, her voice taking on a more serious tone,
"You two are special," "And in this world, those who are special must be protected. But protection comes at a price."
Aba tenses, unsure of where this conversation is heading. The Valkyrie girl shifts uncomfortably in her seat, her wings rustling softly.
The Lady of the house continues,
"You both have a choice to make. You can stay here, under my protection, or you can leave and face the dangers outside. But know this: once you leave, there is no coming back."
Aba's mind races. The offer sounds too good to be true, and he can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than the Lady is letting on. But with no other options and the memory of the desert fresh in his mind, the thought of staying seems almost appealing.
Before Aba can respond, the Valkyrie girl speaks up, her voice trembling but determined,
"What do you want from us?"
The Lady of the house smiles, a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. She says simply. "Loyalty," "Loyalty to me, and in return, I will give you safety, comfort, and a purpose."
Aba's heart sinks. The choice is clear, but the consequences are anything but.
[end]