Chapter 110: slave dealers (Third Part)

After months of wandering through hostile lands, returning to civilization was more than welcome. Not just because we were finally safe from an ambush in our sleep by bloodthirsty animals, but also because I enjoyed the comfort that such a city could give me.

A warm bed; a dry place to sleep and a roof above my head for example.

However, with four people in the same small office, I was starting to miss the vast expanses of the wilderness. The presence of two potentially hostile individuals in such a narrow place certainly had a lot to do with this sudden desire for open air, especially considering the tower-like man behind me who was enough on his own to make the whole room feel cramped.

“Would you like to sit down, dear Sillath?”

Sooreman’s falsely sweet voice was probably another reason for wanting to be out of this office as soon as possible. I repressed this craving, for now impossible, and sat down on the modest black chair in front of his messy desk.

“Sadly, I don’t have anything to offer to drink. I’m quite short on staff at the moment and the few people currently in this building are better employed far away from any kind of kitchen.”

“I understand. I’m not thirsty anyway.”

“That’s good, but honestly I’m still a little sad to receive you in such a fashion. You should have seen this building before an auction in peaceful times. Bustling with people busy running everywhere to make my modest business prosper. The same for the city. A glorious town that had allowed the Dorell Kingdom to start its expansion in the wilderness. Now, sadly, the majority of the people have run away after the first attack three months ago.”

I certainly couldn’t refute his words. Even for someone like me who had never visited this town, the streets felt desperately empty, just like this building obviously too big for the few people working there.

“Will the auction still take place?” I cautiously asked.

“Well, the scale will of course be considerably reduced, but yes the auction will indeed take place. In three days if we’re not all dead by then.”

For the first time since the start of our meeting, the smile on his lips faded away to give place to a much more truthful concern that he quickly made disappear to show the same confidence as before.

Even so deep within the city and so far away from the main place of battle where Jazor, Ilan, and many others were currently fighting to defend this city, it was impossible to deny the distant tremors and screams. The first Advanced town was fighting for its survival, but instead of them joining the common effort, they stayed far behind, preparing to do their sordid business as they have done for years.

“If the auction will take place as planned, then why am I here?” I finally asked.

“Well, how should I put it…” he started. “We are living difficult times. The wrath of the wilderness made me lose many competent workers who, like our common friend Walmir here, have dedicated themselves to bringing me... merchandise from deep within the wilderness. As a result, we have far fewer potential laborers for the mine than usual and far too few than what would be necessary to help extract enough elemental stones to replace the ones constantly consumed by the Lost magic of the wall sheltering the whole city. But, you already knew that I presume.”

I simply nodded, aware of the origin of the apparent invulnerability of the wall, but without liking in the slightest where his speech was going.

“Fewer workers and more work mean that the value of my products has significantly risen. However, the stingy dwarves from the mines buying me the bulk of my merchandise will never accept such a rise in prices. With many of my other noble buyers already gone, and with the sad prospect that these dwarves will remain my main customers in the optimistic hypothesis of this town’s survival, I sadly don’t have much of a choice. With the town surrounded, I can’t even threaten them to take my merchandise with me and leave. If nothing is done, the Dwarves will buy my entire stock at a ridiculous price to work in the mines despite the presence of truly marvelous pieces among them. In fact, I could just as well skip the auction and sell my whole stock to them. Truly difficult times for an honest business…” he concluded with a heavy voice.

I repressed a snort and buried the growing fury in my guts. His way of speaking about all the souls in the basement of this building, most of them probably children, as mere objects; merchandise ready to be sold was revolting and difficult for me to bear. His constant avoidance of the word slave, as if not using that word made his whole business more respectable, also made my desire to settle this physically all the more appealing.

An unreasonable envy that I immediately buried deep within me.

If cautiousness was a principle I usually tried to employ in all circumstances, it became an absolute necessity now that I knew who I was dealing with.

It wasn’t possible to guess the true strength of mages simply by looking at them. However, contrary to the two men near the entrance who could have been strong mages despite their appearance, Sooreman and his silent bodyguard in their respective way each radiated a kind of strength, of confidence impossible to hide or miss.

I didn’t know which element they could use, I had no idea which aspect of these elements they had chosen to develop, but I knew that they were dangerous.

“I… sympathize with your difficulties,” I spat with a forced smile as if these words were burning my tongue. “So, if you don’t have a choice anyway, why not just do that? Why maintain the auction?”

“Because, my young friend, the auction is a tradition and a spectacle.”

“A spectacle,” I asked, confused.

“Of course,” he confirmed with a toothy smile illuminating his face, at least the intact and only visible part. “At the end of this auction, the slaves that have paid off their debt of work will be released in front of everyone with the promise that they are free to leave and that they will not be recaptured… in a near future at the very least. It’s a spectacle invented by the Dwarves to prove their good faith to the new unfortunate slaves chosen to work in their mine and make them docile.”

“And does it work? More than a whip?”

“I was as confused as you when I arrived in this city. I never heard of such a system before and didn’t see the need for anything else than convincing threats along with a touch of measured violence. However, even if it’s the closest Advanced town from the Dorell Kingdom, it still is a town inside the wilderness, surrounded by creatures willing to pay their share of blood and flesh to make this town fall. Such a city in the middle of savage lands far from the iron hand of the kingdom is a fatal appeal for many slaves condemned to a lifetime of work in a mine. Attempts to escape were more numerous than anywhere else, and despite exemplary punishments, new fearless individuals always tried their luck again until a few decades ago when someone succeeded.”

“Someone really escaped?” I asked dumbfounded.

“It’s a story of another time, but yes. A young man awakened a Sacred magic inside the heart of the mine and used it to gain his freedom in the bloodiest way possible. A miracle impossible to replicate, but that inspired thousands of slaves. He became infamous instantly, and was hunted down but managed to survive and escape for decades before a group of Master mages managed to put him down and end his bloody legend. Have you never heard of this story?”

I shook my head in denial.

“His nickname was well-known, by everyone, children included, but I guess that it was a little too long ago. I’m getting older. Anyway, after that to pacify the slaves this system was created and stabilized the situation. Now to answer your question, no matter the circumstances, this auction and the ceremony of release afterward must take place in one form or another. Otherwise, the entire trust built over years under this system will instantly crumble. You can call it the other side of the coin tossed by the Dwarves. They used distant hope of freedom to pacify the laborers in the mines, but at the slightest sign of betrayal; of a significant delay, or any sign that would suggest that their long-desired freedom is threatened, then everything will implode and no one wants that in our current situation.”

“So, you have no choice but to make the auction happen to somewhat replenish the number of slaves that the Dwarves are forced to free,” I resumed while doing my best to not let my eyes be attracted by the strange purple orb resting on the desk, now inert, but still emitting a gentle hypnotizing light.

“Exactly. Be it financially or because of more practical reasons, I’m not a personal fan of this kind of auction. Of course, I can’t deny that the regular supply of new slaves, even if sold at low cost, is still welcomed by an honest merchant like myself. There is strength and value in quantity and regularity after all. However, even if I have an engagement I must uphold toward them, what they don’t know cannot fail them. As long as all the parties involved hold their tongue, I don’t have any problem if a few of my products miss this auction.”

I finally understood why Sooreman took the time to explain all this to me. He knew my relation with the Dwarves and wanted me to keep mum about this whole transaction to not get him into trouble.

An understandable fear and a justifiable demand that I had no reason to refuse.

“I don’t have any problem with that,” I confirmed with a small nod.

“Glad to hear it. It’s not every day that I have the opportunity to put my hands on an Elven artifact. Of course, only if the so-called artifact is indeed of Elven's creation as you so boldly claimed to Walmir.”

“It is genuine. I can promise you that,” I assured with the firmest voice I could muster.

However, Sooreman didn’t seem to take my words at face value, and simply once more rested his chin on his crossed fingers with his piercing blue eyes fixed on me.

I immediately understood what he wanted from me.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I scoffed. “Do you really think I would take it with me?”

It was the pure truth.

The ring of calamity that I had worn on my right thumb ever since Hirïlle — the Queen of the Great Forest of the West — gifted it to me, was carefully hidden. I couldn’t risk that my only possible payment for Seth’s and Himara’s freedom could be taken by force by these unscrupulous men.

The forced smile on my Elven interlocutor and the sudden shifting of the silent tower of a man behind me confirmed that it was indeed a wise choice.

“Prudent. A rare quality nowadays especially from someone so young. Childhood is without a doubt the pinnacle time in life for careless decisions and recklessness. A natural default you seem deprived of. I like it, but recklessness can take many forms. You better not try to trick me. It would be a huge mistake - the definitive kind.”

“I’m not—”

“I’m sure you’re not,” he interrupted. “However, just as a safe and friendly reminder, you have to be absolutely certain of yourself. A few bold sellers have tried over the years to do something similar, thinking that claiming a rare and precious origin, difficult to check, would raise the value of their goods. My dear Ravanor here, took it upon himself to make sure that this kind of practice would not flourish in my establishment like only the men of Vilfam know-how.

Vilfam…

I had heard this word before.

Distant memories belonging to another, simpler time made of reading and peaceful days among my family slowly resurfaced and gave me the answer to this sudden question.

It was one of the two Human Kingdoms located on the Western continent.

With a side glance, I looked once more at this Ravanor who seemed, to my surprise, utterly bored by this conversation. He was carelessly pricking his ear with his pinky finger and didn’t seem to have noticed that his boss had just mentioned his name.

The whole conversation, his presence behind my back was enough to make me nervous and imagine that he had the same frightening expression as when he had opened the door. However, apparently, as soon as his employer allowed us in and confirmed that we were indeed expected, the man relaxed completely.

Maybe it was because I was a child, so he didn’t consider me as a threat, or maybe he was simply that confident in his abilities.

“I thought his clothes would give him away, but I suppose even such a precocious young man can’t know everything,” he laughed. “I sincerely hope that your expertise in artifacts is much more reliable,” he continued without any laughter this time. “It’s incredibly easy for neophytes to get the origin and nature of such rare and precious objects wrong and, as a result, overestimate the value of said artifact. I, myself, am an elf, as you can see, and more than competent to estimate and confirm its true origin.”

“I’m sure you are competent and that my expertise is wholly inadequate compared to yours, but I maintain my words. The artifact is not here and you don’t need to see it. The artifact is genuine and of Elven origin.”

“Now, I’m curious. How could you know something like that or how you could come into possession of such an object?”

“Sadly for you, telling stories and revealing secrets is not part of the deal.”

“Disappointing, but true. Let’s continue then and put into formal words what we both know you want.”

“You made the situation very clear, so let me do the same. The price of slaves may have gone up, the situation may be peculiar, but such an artifact is still more than enough to buy the freedom of two young children that will otherwise be sold at the mines for a ridiculous price considering their ages and physical strength will be taken into account when the Dwarves fixed what price they are willing to give for them. My artifact for Seth’s and Himara’s freedom, that’s what I want,” I declared.

I waited with bated breath for Sooreman’s answer while scrutinizing his face for any indication of a potential response, positive or negative. However, the crafty elf had been doing this for much longer than I have.

He simply remained impassive while caressing with the tip of his finger the purple orb next to him, making it strangely buzz in response.

“That’s where, I fear, that our opinions differ, Sillath,” he finally declared implacably after a long silence like a bolt of thunder in a clear sky.

“Why?” I stuttered; trying to remain composed even though my old concern about the value of my artifact was coming back with a vengeance.

“You are certainly precocious and maybe well-learned, but even if it’s true that you miraculously stumbled upon a genuine Elven artifact, you are still totally unaware of its worth. Oh, you obviously know that it’s precious, but can you put a price on it?”

Silence was the only answer I could give him, and Sooreman knew it, so he didn’t wait long before resuming his speech.

“Well then, can you put a price on your friends’ life? And don’t give me the usual crap of priceless. I’m a man of fair trades and emotionless numbers.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I furrowed my brows, but no matter how much I wanted to deny Sooreman’s words or offer a smart answer that would make him close his mouth, the truth was sadly on his side. I was an old soul in a young body, but I wasn’t well-learned and desperately lacked experience in this kind of transaction in this world. It was thus impossible for me to announce any kind of price.

A shameful but wise silence was the best I could offer.

“Let me enlighten you, then. As you so justly pointed out, the price for children sent to the mines to do a physical job is not very appealing to me, especially for females. And that’s the whole problem. I can accept a moderate loss when I sell male children to the mine instead of other more, let’s say, profitable locations, but the acceptable loss is much less reasonable for young females. That’s why I’m reluctant to sell them to the mines and prefer to keep them safely hidden here for as long as this folly in the wilderness may last. And that’s also why I can’t accept this offer from you either. The artifact can buy you Seth’s freedom, it can even buy you the freedom of any other male slave here at the same time, but certainly not the freedom of a young virgin girl. That’s the tough law of the market!” he concluded with a heavy voice, before suddenly adding a hurriedly asked question that seemed more like pure mockery to my ears. “You know what virgin means?”

Livid, I did my best to calm my breathing and ignore the throbbing of my temples. The sufficient and satisfied smile plastered on Sooreman’s face was the only proof I needed to understand that I was failing quite miserably at hiding my emotions.

“I do,” I mumbled through clenched teeth.

“Marvelous. So what do you propose, Sillath? What more can you offer me to make me change my mind?” he asked after dropping his annoying smile, visibly interested in my answer.

I took a deep breath and organized my thoughts before answering in an even, much more controlled voice.

“Let’s see… I understand that Himara’s value as a young virgin Beastman girl is more important than Seth's, whose value also has considerably risen because of our current situation. Truly difficult times. I browsed through various stalls and talked with numerous merchants and they all said the same thing. They should have left when they had the opportunity. Getting supplies and fresh food has become difficult making the price steeply rise. You know what else has significantly risen?” I paused for a few seconds, but Sooreman didn’t grace me with an answer and continued to simply look at me with furrowed brows, probably wondering where I was going.

“No? Military supplies. Even an uneducated child such as myself almost screamed in outrage when I saw the prices of the best weapons and the few magical artifacts still available for sale. No one would pay such a price for this kind of barely enchanted good, I declared to the merchant who justly answered with a single sentence. ‘You would be surprised what people are ready to pay to save their lives.’ In — what were your words again — such troubled times, I can’t think of anything truer than this.”

The repressed anger had changed sides, something I was glad to see, but angering him wasn’t what I wanted to accomplish, though it was inevitable considering what I was going to confess.

“Moreover, a strange rumor — propagated these past days by an anonymous source — stated that the Ryunno clan risked forbidding the creation of new artifacts and any kind of lesser magical weapon or accessory in the foreseeable future because of the attack on one of their kind. An unfounded rumor, I’m certain, but that rumor still had the strange effect of making the elevated price for Dwarven-crafted weapons and magical equipment skyrocket. You know how it is. That’s the tough law of the market!” I concluded with an impassive face that was difficult to maintain seeing that it was his turn to lose his temper.

However, contrary to what I did, he didn’t try to put this anger under control. He let it grow, fester and take control of him, deforming his elegant traits and making the visible right side of his face almost as hideous as his hidden left side.

“You really are a surprising child,” he declared while wriggling in his comfortable-looking armchair.

I could thank Kakuz for helping me with this trick that would have been otherwise impossible for a lone child to do. Seeing him annoyed because I tempered with the market to make my artifact more valuable was satisfactory, but I certainly didn’t like one bit the new glint in his eyes.

“My artifact for Seth’s and Himara’s freedom,” I repeated forcefully. “If you find the right buyer, an artifact able to detect the presence of natural deviants will prove extremely easy to sell at an exorbitant price.”

“Maybe…” he consented. “But, that’s not how things work here,” he spat.

“I have a pretty good idea how things work here,” I replied coldly, finally dropping the forced amiable expression on my face.

“Sillath…” mumbled Walmir in a hurried voice from a corner of the room. The first words he had uttered ever since entering this office and the only one I needed to understand that I was walking on thin ice. Ravanor’s relaxed demeanor behind me had also finally vanished. His muscles were tensed and his face contorted as his eyes once more landed on me with unnatural intensity.

“Really? Then maybe I will just refuse your offer and keep Himara safely hidden with me until things calm down, until the right buyer with… the right taste chooses her and pays the right price for her.”

“You could do that,” I relented, “but you better not have the authorities find out you keep a slave hidden from the auction,” I immediately countered with the same calm voice, contrasting sharply with the twisted face of my interlocutor.

“Are you threatening me, kid?” he growled while thumping his fist on his desk making the purple orb strangely oscillate on the other end of the table.

“Just stating a fact,” I shrugged. “You said it yourself, with the wall needing a constant supply of elemental stones, the mine desperately needs more slaves. Hiding a single slave girl may not matter, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want them to come here and search your basement after the auction.”

Whether he wanted it or not, the Dwarven community of this town was important and had responsibilities that had only increased since the beginning of this crisis. With this kind of business in a city with such a unique rule for slavery, it was almost certain that the Dwarves and Sooreman already had a few disagreements. The Dwarves will probably be more than willing to pressure him if they have a valid reason, and hiding a potential slave for the mines when the town was under attack was exactly one of such casus beli.

For long seconds, Sooreman clenched and unclenched his fist with his eyes fixed on me, apparently pondering my words. I had good hope that his reason would triumph over his greed.

I was wrong.

His traits didn’t soften in acceptance but turned even more savage.

“Listen, kid, I made you an honest proposal with the tacit accord that our deal would remain strictly confidential. You’re smart, so I’m sure you understand the consequences of a refusal or what would happen if you run your mouth to the authorities.”

“Not sure you do, though,” I retorted harshly.

This was the last straw.

He leaped to his feet, making his chair fall in a loud noise that echoed in his office, before pointing a long accusatory finger directly to my face.

“You know what, little bastard? You stand in front of me, in my office, playing the smartass without the slightest idea what I did to get here, what I had to sacrifice to have this place in a town owned by Humans and Dwarves. How could you? You still have your mother’s milk all over your face, so let me give you a lesson. There is something much more important than — what were your words again — the law of the market.”

“And what, if I may ask?”

“The law of the strongest.”

In an instant, as if he had been waiting for this moment the entire time, the giant behind me took a step toward me with impressive agility. His outstretched hand, as wide as a plate, tried to grab me, but I was prepared. I ducked under his hand and quickly got away from the desk with nimble steps to stand with the ivy plant growing on the wall behind me.

Walmir tried to hold Ravanor’s arm and calm the situation with a piercing scream, but the Vilfam warrior shoved him aside with a wave of his powerful arm, making him fall heavily to the ground.

Magic and blood would soon fill this office, no need for heightened senses to know it.

However, instead of gathering my mana, I went for my inside pocket.

“Hold!” I shouted with my hand raised above my head.

No mana was used, but magic still happened as Ravanor stopped in his tracks as if frozen in a similar fashion as Sooreman’s face.

“Where did you get that?” he asked with a gasp.

Walmir knew the answer but chose to get back to his feet and let me enlighten them about how a kid could have a Dwarf's birthed hourglass in his hand.

“A friend and a protector gave me this, especially for this meeting. He couldn’t come himself because he is busy leading the defense of the town — something the both of you should also be doing — so he gave this to me knowing full well what this meant. Do you?” I asked challengingly while eyeing them one after the other, and slowly gathering my mana.

As Jazor explained to me, this object was sacred to Dwarves. It was forged at their birth and was destined to always accompany them until their death unless they gave it to someone dear to them. Having a Dwarf entrust someone from another race with his personal hourglass was more than a proof of friendship.

It was proof of brotherhood.

Each hourglass was unique, each part had its own meaning quite obscure to me except for the silver sand proof of noble birth, as I learned recently. Ravanor and Sooreman both obviously knew this, and probably much more, so they also knew what would happen if they raised their hands against me.

Fortunately, after long seconds of a tense silence, Sooreman finally proved that I had been right and motioned for Ravanor to stand down. The giant executed himself by lowering his trunk-like arm and letting the mana inside him disperse, but without taking his eyes off me for a second. Gone was his previous relaxed attitude. My evasion had shattered the impression of complete powerlessness that a child evoked inside him. As silent as ever, he was ready, with his muscles tensed and his mana bubbling just under the surface, to attack me once again should Sooreman give him the order.

“You’re full of surprises, Sillath. And, you certainly came prepared. Maybe Walmir gave you a few pieces of advice, seeing how he tried to defend you.”

“I…” Walmir stammered, not really sure how to defend himself, but fortunately, Sooreman didn’t seem interested in pressing this issue any further.

“No matter. You are protected, but so what? This doesn’t change our business. If you don’t have anything else to offer, you will go back empty-handed and will never see either Seth or Himara even if you denounce me to your Dwarven friend.”

“Don’t be so greedy and petty! My artifact is more than enough to buy Seth and Himara. You will never have nearly as much money even if you hid them away for a year and sold them to one of your noble friends,” I exclaimed, exasperated by his constant refusal.

“Do you take me for a fool? I don’t know if what you said about the rise in prices for artifacts is true, and in the hypothesis that it indeed is, I certainly don’t know how a child manages to pull this off, but I’m not fooled and everyone else will not be blind for long. A lie can raise the price of the market, but by the time I get my hands on this artifact, the truth would have been revealed and its price would have already crumbled back to its previous level.”

Before his last words, I didn’t immediately understand why Sooreman stubbornly refused my proposal. I spent an unhealthy amount of time roaming the streets of this city for one reason or another these past days and didn’t waste my time when I crossed paths with a merchant, so I knew for a fact that my offer was more than worth it with my little trick to raise the prices. However, now I understood that he simply didn’t believe what I had told him and considered this kind of move as a way to cheat him.

“I certainly lied to the merchants about the future interdiction of Dwarven weapons and magical accessories, but the death of the Ryunno clan member is genuine. It will eventually be confirmed and when it does, this rumor would instantly become much more believable. The prices will continue to rise, of that I am sure.”

“Are you, though?” he asked with a pensive look while scratching his mutilated cheek with a finger. “Alright let’s make a deal, then. The auction is in three days, if the prices continue to rise and if I’m able to confirm the death of this Ryunno clan member through my own sources then I will sell you Himara and Seth for the artifact. If not, I will only give you Seth and you will swear to not tell anything about Himara to the authorities. How’s that?”

I pondered his words for a bit before slowly nodding. I wouldn’t get anything more from him, and even if I couldn’t confess it, I was just as reluctant as him to speak about Himara to the authorities. In a normal situation, the auction would be fair and I would have a chance to buy her along with Seth. But, in the current dire circumstances of the city, the Dwarves responsible for the mining of elemental stones will probably pressure me and prevent me from buying her or any other slave.

This deal was the only chance I had to free the children, we both knew it.

“Alright, but I have a condition.”

“What now?” he mumbled exasperated.

“I want the exchange to happen near the place for the auction.”

“W-What?” he spluttered, clearly taken aback by my words. “Did you hit your head while I wasn’t looking? I don’t want to be discovered by the Dwarves doing this kind of trade, and you want me to put her directly under their noses during the auction!”

“Don’t be stupid, we will meet before the auction and all you will have to do to hide them is to set up a tent and keep it closed for anyone besides us. The rise in the artifact's value will be confirmed and I will be able to take my friend away safely in exchange for the artifact.”

“Oh, so that’s why. You don’t trust me one bit, do you?”

“Can you blame me?”

“Not really,” he chuckled, finally relaxing his expression and softening his traits and stretched scars. “I wouldn’t trust me either if I was in your shoes. Quite a smart way to guarantee your security during the exchange and make sure that I wouldn’t simply try to take it away from you. In the very center of the city, with so many dwarves all around, even I wouldn’t be able to pull off any kind of trouble… Very well, let’s do it like this. You can go now. Walmir will show you the way.”

I was unceremonially pushed out of the office with Walmir behind me as soon as these last words left his mouth. The door closed immediately, finally allowing me to relax and release the breath I had been unconsciously holding.

With an agreement finally reached between us, I didn’t want to spend another second inside this office.

Walmir didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm, for as soon as we walked down the stairs, he grabbed me by the arm and shook me vigorously.

“What were you thinking? Are you crazy?”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t have provoked them, they are dangerous.”

The worry was evident in his voice, just behind the anger. For the first time since our arrival inside this Advanced town, my trust in him had been restored. Without any mutual benefit to gain once our group broke up, the temporary trust I had in him considerably weakened. However, it was restored after seeing him put himself on the line to help me against Ravanor, something I wouldn’t have dared to expect and certainly a good enough reason to truthfully answer him.

“I didn’t provoke them,” I countered. “I made sure to secure an appropriate deal with them.”

“Even so, you should have proposed to add money to buy Himara instead of doing this kind of manipulation of the price of the whole city. Now, if you’re wrong and your lie is discovered, you won’t have any other opportunity to buy Himara,” he hurriedly explained.

“Sadly, I don't have that kind of money, but don’t worry, the price will continue to rise. I’m certain.”

“I certainly hope so, for your sake. Sooreman is a dangerous man to upset. If this whole deal is a waste of time for him, he will not let it go quietly, especially with your threat to denounce him to the authorities if he chose to keep Himara away from the auction.”

“I know.”

“And what’s with this idea to do this trade at the place of the auction? I get it that you want some public place as a protection for the exchange, but taking Jazor with you anywhere else would have been enough.”

“It’s because it’s an opportunity,” I finally answered after a few seconds of hesitation.

“What do you mean?” he asked, baffled, clearly not expecting this answer.

“We will do our little business just before the auction, away from prying eyes, then Sooreman will want us to leave as quickly and as discreetly as possible to avoid the Dwarves responsible for the auction from suddenly finding two free Beastmen children roaming around him. Afterward, he will be busy with the auction and we will be free to leave the city in the meantime.”

“Oh, so that’s why. You want to make sure that Sooreman is stuck at the auction to leave the city. Clever,” remarked Walmir.

“I didn’t have much of a choice because I absolutely don’t trust them to keep their word. Even if they accept to make the exchange, I can’t be sure that they wouldn’t try to recapture Himara, Seth, and probably me at the same time as soon as we try to leave this city.”

“He wouldn’t dare. The roads to the Dorell Kingdom are under surveillance, he can’t just attack anyone he wants.”

“He doesn’t dare hurt me with Jazor’s indirect protection for now, but this will only last until the auction. I’m pretty sure he intends to leave afterward,” I explained with a bitter smile.

Opportunities can be found in dire situations.

That was one of the merchants’ favorite creeds in both worlds, and the probable reason for him to have stayed here after the first devastating attack on the city when so many others left. However, like many other merchants of this town, he probably already realized that this bet was already lost. There was no opportunity left to hope from this town anymore, only restrictions and danger. With his last obligation toward the Dwarves in the form of their auction taken care of, he will surely try to leave the city for good.

A man fearful of the influence of the Dwarves on their territory couldn’t touch me, but someone who was going to leave could attack me. Jazor’s hourglass protected me this time, but it wouldn’t continue after the auction, I could bet my hand on it.

As we slowly made our way through the somber and deserted hall toward the entrance now devoid of any guardian, I noticed once more the same discreet flight of stairs in a corner of the room almost completely hidden in darkness.

“Is that where all the future slaves are kept?” I asked while showing him the downward stairs.

“Yes, it leads directly to the basement.”

“Are Himara and Seth, there?” I asked, doing my best to control my voice.

“Yes, they are.”

“Can I… see them?” I slowly asked, knowing the answer before this question even left my mouth.

A gentle glance and a firm hand on my shoulder was the only answer Walmir needed to give me.

“Then, you go and tell them that I didn’t forget about them. I will free them and take them with me to a safe place. A place where they will not have to hide and fear for their life. A place without bars. Please, Walmir, tell them that,” I pleaded, letting go of my repressed emotions as images of the two innocent children promised to such a cruel fate assaulted my mind.

“I will, but I maintain what I once said to you, Sillath.”

He turned me around with the hand on my shoulder to make me look at him directly in his amber eyes.

“They are not yours to save.”

“They are now,” I stubbornly answered.

“I know, but it’s a mistake.”

“Maybe,” I relented. “I understand what you meant that night: the world is not completely black or white, I see it now more than ever thanks to you."

“But?”

“But this doesn’t mean that I can’t be part of the good of this world,” I declared with my eyes still plunged into his.

A few seconds passed before he released me.

“You really are naive… That’s the only part about you who is childlike,” he replied with a small helpless smile on his face.

“I will take that as a compliment,” I answered with a similar smile while my steps finally led me out of the building into the sun.