Six

Marcus’ eyes fluttered open, his mind a foggy tangle of wayward thoughts and hazy memories. It took him a moment to catch up to where he was and what had happened, and he just lay there appreciating the fact that he was still breathing.

It was still dark out, and the full moon was nowhere to be seen. He thought that maybe only a short time had passed, but when his stomach was cramped in pain, he knew that it had been much longer than a few hours. Begrudgingly, he sat up, his joints popping and his muscles stiff. The fabric was still tightly wound around his leg, but the blood had long dried, creating a brittle cast of scabs and mud.

Gingerly, he peeled off the bandages, taking note of the lack of pain as he did so. Underneath was a whole leg. The mutilated muscle and skin were stitched back together with long and jagged scars.

“Well, hot damn.” He chuckled into the night, a wide smile on his face.

Marcus got to his feet, testing his leg by slowly putting his weight on it, then bouncing up and down. It wasn’t as good as new, still a little sore and tender, but still much better than a mangled mess of pulpy flesh and blood. He would take it.

He really needed to figure out what those stones were.

It took some time and much fumbling around in the dark, but eventually, Marcus got a fire going. The happy flames gave him plenty of warmth to accompany him through the rest of the night, eventually giving way to the light of dawn as it peeked over the tops of the trees.

Feeling brave and his curiosity growing, Marcus slowly moved towards the water’s edge. He was almost certain that the creature at the bottom of the pond was dead. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have let him go, but there was always a chance that it was just licking its wounds and would snatch him up given the chance. But, as he got a clear view of the water, that concern instantly vanished.

The murky waters were gone, the silt having settled and leaving behind a crystal-clear window with an unobstructed view of the bottom of the pond. The monster looked like a sea urchin, only the size of a Volkswagen Beetle but of the same color. Instead of hard spines, hundreds of tentacles that were a dozen feet long lay limply on the silty floor. But what really grabbed Marcus’ attention were the many bones and other debris lying next to the dead beast.

It was obvious that this monster had been hunting here for quite some time. Animal bones were strewn about everywhere within the pond, and no other living thing could be seen, no matter how hard Marcus looked. It was like a graveyard, and Marcus had to wonder what else lay at the bottom of the pond.

Now that he was able to see the bottom clearly, he noticed that it wasn’t nearly as deep as he thought. When he was being pulled under by the beast, it felt like it was bottomless, but in reality, it was only twenty feet at most. Something he could easily dive down to.

It was time to go treasure hunting.

It had to have been the monster making the pond so murky, stirring up the sediment as it moved around. With it dead and still, Marcus had no problem navigating through the piles of animal bones littering the bottom. He just had to be careful not to become the monster, making it impossible for him to see as he moved around.

Marcus moved around the edges of the pond, searching through the top layer of bones, looking for anything remotely valuable that might have been buried in the sediment. So far, he hadn’t had any luck. It looked like if he wanted to find anything worthwhile, he would need to move closer to the center of the pond.

The monster lay motionless, its many arms draped across and around it like overcooked noodles. Marcus really didn’t want to touch it but had to move it if he wanted to find anything. Diving down, he braced himself against the muddy floor and dug his hands underneath the monster’s round body. It felt like he had grabbed a flat tire as he pushed, his hands and arms sinking into the springy flesh. Luckily, due to being in the water or the beast just not being as heavy as it looked, Marcus was able to shift it to reveal what lay beneath.

A large hole appeared before him, not nearly as big around as the monster itself, but still big enough for it to squeeze through. The silt had been kicked up while he worked, so he couldn’t see very clearly but was still able to see the soft glow coming from the hole. After surfacing to refill his lungs, Marcus dove back down directly into the unknown.

The hole led into a stone cavern, no larger than the building he had spent the last month living in. There was only one way in or out, so at least Marcus knew he wouldn’t get lost as he explored. The soft glow filling the room came from tiny stones littered throughout the room that Marcus instantly recognized. These stones were even smaller than the one he had ripped out of the beast above him; most were the size of peas, with only a few being as big as the tip of his pinky finger.

The light emitting from the stones also revealed to him a veritable scrapyard of rusted armor and corroded weapons. It appeared that he wasn’t the only person the monster had lured into the pond’s waters. He dug around for a bit, looking for anything useful amongst the junk, but everything was beyond salvageable. After another journey to the surface to retrieve his water skin, he dove back down into the hole and started harvesting the magical rocks.

He managed to fill his water skin three-quarters of the way full with the stones, leaving a few of the smaller ones so that he could still see as he swam around. He had also found a few gold and silver coins during his harvest, making this journey all the more worthwhile. Too bad he doubted he’d be able to keep it.

On his way out, Marcus had the good sense to remove the bioluminescent bulb faintly pulsing with green light still attached to the monster. Franklin had told them that they needed to return with a ‘trophy,’ and he could think of nothing better.

As Marcus crawled his way out of the pond, his spoils gripped tightly in both hands, the thick scent of burning wood struck him in the face and sent him on high alert. He had made sure his fire was extinguished before he entered the pond; if Smokey the Bear had taught him anything, it was that only he could prevent fires. So, that only meant someone had started one nearby, and as he cautiously approached his camp sight, he found who it was.

“That water is dangerous…” A hooded figure said as they poked at a small fire in the center of Marcus’ campsite.

Marcus had to wonder what it was with people and dark hoods.

“Yeah, I figured that one out,” Marcus replied in a flat tone as his eyes scanned the person in front of him. They wore tight-fitting leather armor that caressed their slender frame, and from the tenor of their voice, he could tell they were male. Their long legs stuck out in front of them, crossed at the ankles, and a long bow was propped up against the same tree they were.

“Poison works the best.” They said, not bothering to look up, keeping their head down and obscured by the loose hood. Marcus would have thought it was the same person who had bought him at the slave auction if it wasn’t for the man’s slender and tall build.

“Poison? For that thing in the pond?” Marcus asked, already knowing the answer. “So, people knew about it?”

He nodded, throwing a small branch into the popping blaze. “Yes, for a long time.”

“Then why leave it?” Marcus asked, shaking his head. That beast seemed much too dangerous just to leave around. He very nearly died, and from the armor and weapons he had found resting on the bottom of the pond, it was obvious it had killed many times before.

“Too much trouble,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “This place is far from the city, and krillgors can’t leave the water. There wasn’t much point in killing it.”

Marcus walked into his camp, picking up his warhammer before standing across from the still-seated man, the little fire burning obliviously between them. “Well, it’s dead now. So that just brings us to what you are doing here.”

“That’s fair.” The man said as he stood up, pulling the hood off of his head. Marcus wasn’t ashamed to say that he was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. He had long, silky black hair that reached past his shoulders. His skin was fair and unblemished, his eyes almost golden in color, and his ears tall and narrow, telling Marcus that he wasn’t human. “My name is Jorel. I came across your camp and assumed the krillgor had claimed another victim, but then I saw you in the pond. So, I decided to wait… I hope you don’t mind.”

Marcus nodded his head, “what would you have done if I didn’t come back?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Jorel put his slender finger to his thin lips while cocking his head before a small smile turned them upwards. “I would have made some extra coin. I’m sure whatever is in your pack isn’t worth very much, but that hammer could fetch a good price.”

“Well… at least you're honest,” Marcus admitted as he peeled off his pants, hanging them on a low-hanging tree branch to dry. This left him in his small clothes, but he had long ago stopped being self-conscious around other people. “But I’m not dead, as you can see. So, unless there’s something you need in particular…”

“Oh, no, there’s nothing I need. I just thought that you might like some company and perhaps be interested in making a trade.” Jorel hummed, his eyes traveling down to the glowing, meaty bulb Marcus had placed on the ground next to his pack.

Marcus followed his gaze, curious as to what something like that might be worth, even if he wouldn’t be able to really spend any of it. “Is that worth a lot?”

“It can be,” Jorel answered, motioning that he wanted to pick it up before getting a nod from Marcus. “In good condition, the filament of a krillgor can be used in any number of processes. Usually, they are all but ruined when a poison is used to kill the beast, but something in this condition could be worth two whole gold crowns.”

Marcus gave Jorel a noncommittal grunt. Not knowing the value of money in this world all that well, it was difficult for him to feel too excited about that number. Still, the most expensive slave, other than him, went for about that much, so if an entire human life was worth less than the glowing organ, then it must have been a good amount. It sounded like it was perfect for a trophy.

“I think I’ll keep it for that price…”

“Are you certain?” Jorel said, turning the monster part over in his hands. “I’ll give you one gold and twenty silver right now for it; it will save you the hassle of selling it yourself.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Marcus said as he rifled through his pack, looking for his dinner for the night.

“Ah, I see,” Jorel said quietly from behind him. “You were sent out here to retrieve it, weren’t you, by your master? What did you do to upset them so?”

Marcus, having found a wad of jerky, popped it into his waiting mouth and started to chew. The meat was tough, but his teeth worked tirelessly to soften it up before he swallowed. “I didn’t piss anyone off. And the whole ‘slave’ thing is bullshit; they wouldn’t even listen to me before they sold me off.”

The Slave Seal on his back was impossible to miss. It took up the entire area from the base of his neck down to his tailbone, leaving very little unmarred flesh in between its sweeping lines and intricate patterns seared into his skin. If it didn’t represent his unwilling servitude, Marcus would have thought it was a wicked tattoo.

“Well, that’s not uncommon. The guards just want a quick resolution to any problems that pop up and are eager to make a few extra coins in doing so.” Jorel nodded his head as he sat back down next to the fire. He didn’t look concerned at all about being in the company of a ‘slave,’ convicted of an unknown crime that towered above him and outweighed him by at least a hundred pounds. Marcus had to wonder exactly how common his situation was.

“So, you believe me?”

Jorel shook his head immediately. “Now, I never said that, did I. I’m sure your situation is nothing short of tragic, but how you got here is none of my concern.”

“Aren’t you afraid I could kill you?” Marcus asked, cocking his brow at the man’s (elf’s?) flippant attitude.

“Go ahead.” Jorel goaded with a smile, “Strike me down where I sit.”

Marcus furrowed his brows and then shrugged his shoulders before envisioning his fist smashing into Jorel’s overly handsome face. Instantly, his seal activated and sent a wave of fire coursing through his body. Since it was only a thought and not an action, the pain wasn’t unbearable, but it was enough for Marcus to see why the man across from him was so confident.

Jorel must have noticed Marcus’ pained grimace and let loose a quiet chuckle. “You must be a freshly minted slave then; otherwise, you would have known the restrictions put on you.”

Frustrated, Marcus let out a huff as he grumbled. “They really didn’t bother to go over the rules while they were leading me around by the neck like a prized pig…”

“Please, forgive me,” Jorel said, giving Marcus a small nod. “I didn’t mean any offense. I know all too well the inner workings of the slave trade. As you might have noticed, I am not fully human… You see, my mother was captured and sold into slavery…”

“She was an elf?”

“She was,” Jorel nodded, his voice taking on the weight of his emotions. “That is why I have sympathy for your plight, even if I do not know the story behind it. But let us forget the injustices of the past and focus on the present. If you do not wish to part with the krillgor’s lure, is there anything else that you have come across during your journey you are interested in parting with?”

Marcus felt a pang of empathy for the half-elf in front of him. He could only imagine the hardships he must have faced growing up in such a situation. But Jorel was right; Marcus had to focus on the present and work to make the most of the cards dealt to him.

“I do have some things I found in the monster’s nest,” Marcus said, opening his water skin and pouring a few of the small, glowing stones into his large palm. “I really don’t know what these things are, do you?”

“Ahh, yes, mana stones,” Jorel said immediately, nodding his head. “I would be careful with those; spend too much time around them, and you could get a nasty case of mana poisoning.”

“Mana poisoning? Is that like radiation poisoning?” Marcus asked, scrunching up his face as he looked at the handful of stones. He knew it was a bad idea to cuddle that warm, glowing rock; then, he swallowed that smaller one without a second thought. He could practically feel the tumors growing inside his body as they spoke.

“I cannot say I’ve ever heard of ‘radiation’ poisoning, but mana poisoning is always fatal if not addressed, but the symptoms are very evident, and all it requires to cure yourself is to distance yourself from the cause.” Jorel explained, “Really, only enchanters fall ill from it anymore… or those ignorant of the dangers posed by unshielded mana stones.”

“Always fatal, huh,” Marcus mumbled before rolling the stones back into his water skin. “What are the side effects?”

Jorel put his slender finger up to his chin as he looked off into the distance. “Well, there’s really only a few. First, you’ll get unbearably hot, like the worst fever you have ever experienced. Then, the pain will set in as the overabundance of mana courses through your body and floods your own mana core. If you hadn’t gotten rid of the source by that point, you are pretty much dead, but unless you ate a stone or rolled around in the crushed remains of one, that almost never happens.”

“Do people have these stones in their bodies as well?” Marcus asked, wondering if he had a rock like the krillgor’s somewhere inside his chest. Then again, he wasn’t from this world and doubted that he would have magically grown one, but anything was possible.

“Of course,” Jorel answered, looking at Marcus like he had grown a second head. “Every living thing has one, although the sizes and potency vary greatly, obviously.”

“What if you didn’t have a mana stone? What would happen then?”

“That would never happen,” Jorel scoffed at the suggestion. “Like I said, every living thing, save for plants, has a mana stone as the core of their being. There has never been an exception.”

“Oh, okay,” Marcus said, thinking about his own situation. If he didn’t have a mana core, which was very likely, what did that mean for him moving forward? He knew that magic existed in this world, but nothing else about it. Without a core, would he be unable to use it? He doubted, as a slave, that he would be allowed to learn it even if he could. “What about magic? I’m guessing you use your core for that, right?”

“Yes, mages use their cores to power their spells,” Jorel explained as he fed a stick into the starving fire. “But it takes many years of practice to learn even the most basic of incantations, and even those are highly regulated and only taught to those who have passed certain criteria.”

“Do you know any magic?”

“Ha! I am the offspring of a slave; they would never allow me to learn any form of magic.” Jorel said with a bitter laugh, his eyes holding none of the mirth present in his voice. “Only nobles are given the ‘privilege’ to learn magic, keeping their stranglehold on their power over everyone else.”

“Well, that makes sense, I suppose,” Marcus said, letting out a heavy sigh. He didn’t know why he had gotten his hopes up about possibly being able to learn magic. He knew it was a long shot since he was a slave now, but it sounded like even if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to. This world sucked. “So, what can I get for these mana stones?”