A groggy Logi stirred from the most terrible nightmare one could have, letting out a pained groan before his eyes finally opened. This wasn't his room? An expansive open chamber filled with sconces lining the stone walls, containing more than just himself. Many children from babies to those of his age littered the stone floor. Clambering up to his feet, he felt the weight of heavy chains slowing his movements and chafing his wrists, necks and ankles. Whomever brought us here truly did not want us to run away easily. It was then that he realized his nightmare was in truth memories of his last time awake.
"Guh" He let out a huff of air as his eyes began to water and his heart tightened. His family...was murdered. That thing was responsible for bringing that nightmare into reality. What was he supposed to do now?
His thoughts then sharpened as he recalled the name of that monster, with its many glowing eyes and strange mouth filled with jagged teeth. "Wollen..." He uttered with anger under his breath. "I'll remember you, and find you. Snatcher of Three."
As his visage clouded, he heard the wailing of a baby nearby, one which multiplied as the other babies awoke. Breaking out of his stupor, he swiveled his head before finding the nearest one and shuffled over. Scooping them up into his arms, he tried to make the little thing comfortable before shouting to the older children nearby, "Wake up, everyone!"
As if the bubble had been burst, many of the other older children started waking up. Some crying in confusion, some shouting for their parents, some causing trouble by bickering with their neighbors. This wasn't what he wanted. Looking about with uncertainty, he decided to pull the trick his father said would work in these kinds of situations. Taking a deep breath, he began to yell and berate the children around him, "H-hey you useless f-fuckers!" His voice seemed to carry far enough to reach the edges of the large room, and his words caused the others to turn their heads in his direction. "We may not know what's going on, but don't act like animals! Those who are older, care for the younger ones like the adults we all wish to be! He then passed the baby in his arms to the nearest kid, before picking up another nearby.
His words and actions seemed to kick the other children in the right direction, giving them a purpose beyond themselves and an outlet to escape their own troubles. A few of the older children didn't seem to want to follow the examples of others, and one particular kid yelled back at Logi, "Why should I?! None of these kids are my siblings, they are all filthy commoners!"
Logi's head snapped towards that voice, his heart beating quickly with unease and panic. A noble? Here of all places? As he paused, some of the other children near the noble began to utter complaints under their breath like a plague trying to infect the others. What can he do to stop this before it gets out of hand? I guess its time to play the part of the big brother this time, but without holding back. Scrunching his face as he struggled with the actions he was about to do, he stomped towards the noble child while passing the baby in his arms to one of the children without one.
"Why should you?" Logi said as he gripped the chain of the noble child before him, a surprised feeling wafting through his chest at just how frail this kid was compared to him. Were all nobles this...scrawny? Looking into the eyes of this noble child who had a look of bewilderment in his eyes of being touched by a commoner. With a sharp breath Logi brought his head back and sent it slamming down upon the noble child's own forehead. The impact was painful to say the least, causing his eyes to water and his tongue to twist as it threatened to let out a yell, but Logi held it in to prove a point. The noble child, however, was not as composed. Letting out a sharp pained shout, he fell on his back and held his forehead, twisting and turning in pain. Logi then looked around to the others, "Because right now, we are all the family we got!"
The sudden bout of violence cowed the others who complained, and they set about tending to those who couldn't care for themselves. Just as he thought the crisis was averted, he heard the sound of a single person clapping, echoing around the room. Turning his head to the origin of the sound, his eyes squinted in hopes of figuring out who it was.
"Splendid, splendid~." A melodic voice spoke before what was once hidden popped into existence. This person looked almost like a human, but their features were sharp. Too sharp. His jawline, his chin, even his eyes were at sharp angles like blades that could cut through diamonds with ease. Even his ears, which extended well beyond where they should be, were pointed and held a serrated edge along the lobes. "It seems like we at least have some quality stock for this quarter's harvest~" The sharp man said as he walked into the center of the room, towards Logi. Each step the man took seemed to cause this man to grow taller and taller, until he was taller than even Logi's father was. The man was not only tall, but he was truly skinny. Almost like a swaying branch caught in the wind. Even their joints seemed off now. Unnaturally long legs and arms, with multiple bending portions like the fawn-folds of an accordion. By the gods, what is this thing?
The other children were probably thinking the same thing, as they backed away from this lanky sharp man with a salesman's smile. The Sharp Man looked about unperturbed without a care in the world, before looking back at Logi. In particular his eyes. "You might just be the biggest catch this season, Meat~" He said as his hand darted out like a snake and snatched the chain that linked his bindings, causing Logi to fall forward from the surprising power that grip had. The Sharp Man then turned to portion of the wall behind him and called out, "Alright! Get the others in their pens!"
As if on command, the wall slid down into the ground, bathing the room in bright light as the sun washed the room, silhouetting more strange people of different kinds. These however, were carrying weapons. As The Sharp Man dragged Logi behind him, he heard the screams of the children as the monsters struck them and pushed them into groups, placing necklaces with rectangular wooden plates on each one.
"Let go of me!" Logi shouted at the sharp man as he struggled to get his feet under him, all too much in vane by the looks of things.
"A feisty piece of meat you are, little one." The Sharp Man said with a smirk as he passed by another sharp man, reaching out and plucking a long, beautiful cane from their grasp before continuing on their way. "Lets see if you can keep it up after the mana starts sinking into that flesh of yours~"
Mana? He had heard of that word before. It was a word his father taught him. It wasn't until now that he realized he understood these monsters' words. They were speaking in the language he learned while preparing to be a smith! Why could he understand him, and better yet, why could he understand Wollen back then? Did father come from the same place as these monsters...?
"Let go of me, you lanky monster!" Logi shouted once more, but this time using what his father called Smith's Tongue.
The Sharp Man abruptly halted his stride at from surprise at hearing Logi speak to him, and his multi-jointed long neck swiveled back and stared at him. Lifting him off the ground as easily as one would a puppy, he was brought around until he was dangling before the sharp man. "How do you know our language, Meat!" He said before shaking Logi like a rag doll, "Who taught you?!"
The force of the shaking was rattling Logi's brain while his head whipped to and fro, leaving little to be said from the boy teetering on consciousness, and The Sharp Man soon realized as much. With his free hand, he grabbed Logi's shirt and ripped it clean off from his body, revealing the tattoo on his chest. The eye with brambles surrounding it glowed faintly, unlike when he was at home. "Perhaps a cultivated sacrifice?" The Sharp Man muttered to himself, not giving the child any room to reply. "Looks like I'll have to ask the Summoning Department later. Until then..." He said as he dropped Logi onto the ground, causing the boy to let out a pained groan. "We might as well sell you to the highest bidder, since you have already been taught our language."
As Logi struggled to get up, he noticed The Sharp Man reach into a pouch hanging from his hip, producing a gold ring. Sliding it upon his thumb, he whispered a few words to the ring, causing it to glow. A metal chain darted out from the front of the ring and connected to the collar around Logi's neck, and with a sharp tug from The Sharp Man he was dragged forward into a brisk walk. The two soon came to a room of ornate furniture and finery that screamed wealth into the skies, and The Sharp Man strode inside and opened a wardrobe. The Sharp Man was originally wearing a simple tunic and pants, but now he was throwing a flowing robe of greens and blues over himself, tightening it down with a belt that had a golden belt buckle. He then pulled out nine more rings, slipping them onto the remaining fingers and thumb, each one looking slightly different than the last.
"What shall I do about you?" The Sharp Man said as he looked Logi's way with a questioning gaze. His eyes landed upon the manacles around his ankles and wrists, before he uttered, "Those are much too obvious." It was then that he took out a key from within his hip pouch before leaning over and unlocking the manacles around his limbs, letting them clank to the ground.
Logi looked at the sharp man through squinted eyes, wary of what kind of torture or punishment he will have to undergo, before his face was hit by a flying bunch of cloth. "Put that on over your rags, Meat. No one wants to see such dirty things where we are going."
Pulling the cloth from his face, he saw it was a long purple jacket, one which was much too long for his size. Sliding his arms through the sleeves, he noticed his hands couldn't even touch the hem at the end. Pulling the sleeves back until his fingers wiggled through, he buttoned up the front of the jacket and took the rest of his time to look around the room for any possible weapons he could stash in these deep sleeves or pockets. From the corner of his eye, he noticed what could be a fruit peeling knife, glistening on top of a plate. Trying to sneakily grab the knife while the sharp man wasn't looking, he was met with a slap across the cheek from The Sharp Man's backhand. It wasn't one that showed off the man's power, but it did instill the notion that he was being watched even when he thought otherwise.
"Don't try that again, Meat, Or I will peel you like a fruit and have the healers weave flesh anew." He scolded, but the threat could very well be true for all Logi knew.
"My name is not Meat, you crooked stick bug." Logi said while rubbing his cheek.
"That doesn't matter to me, since you will just turn into coin for me soon." He said as he closed the wardrobe and walked back towards the door, dragging Logi behind him, "Now hurry along."
The two then walked past as large set of iron doors and into a bustling city, filled with monsters of all kinds. Sharp Men, Short people as wide as barrels sporting bushy beards, dark green people packed with muscle and large tucks jutting from their mouths, and even what looks to be animals walking on two legs, but their body shapes share similar qualities to humans. Logi had never traveled outside of his village, and now he was surrounded by so many dangerous people, with no way of knowing what they want from him. The cobblestone beneath his feet were rough and painful even though his shoes, and the strange lights that whizzed by or hung over shops was magical to say the least. He had already seen works of magic from The Sharp Man in front of him, so perhaps such things were normal in this strange place? It was then that his head began to feel clogged, and his chest surged with pain, as if someone was digging their hand inside and twisting about. His legs soon buckled underneath him and his knees slammed into the coarse path beneath him, tenderizing the muscles and grinding against bone.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
The sharp man noticed the change in Logi and smirked, "This shows that humans are truly the dregs of all, only meant to be used as cattle while hoping for their petty wishes to be granted." He commented condescendingly, the sign of weakness coming from this originally fiery child a welcome improvement. "It is a rarity that you have persevered as long as you have in that flimsy shell of yours, so your value will surely increase." He continued, before yanking on the chain and forcing Logi back onto his feet. "Best put you on display before you pass out though, so let us make this quick."
As The Sharp Man dragged along Logi and into an enormous building, the child noticed the children from the room loaded onto carts like lifeless corpses; to which he hoped they were merely unconscious. As the doors closed behind him, the last he saw was them rounding a corner to some other street. Being led through a bustling common room, through winding halls, and finally into a sweeping circular room, Logi and The Sharp Man found their destination at the center of the room. It was like one of the ancient theatres his father showed him once in a drawing, a place for telling stories or letting the people know of a coming crisis like a war or the death of their leaders. But it would seem this time it would be used to sell Logi off to the waiting patrons.
Through bleary eyes and a hazy mind, Logi took in the people that were seated in the risers that bordered this circular room. It looked like the people here were seated in respective groups, perhaps they belonged to certain clans kingdoms? There were three such groups. On the left side were the short bearded people and their non-bearded counterparts that had larger heads and eyes. In the center were the Sharp Men, and on the right side were the animal people; with a smaller number that looked similar to the depictions of dragons that seemed to hold higher importance by their seats being closer to the front. The Sharp Man with Logi took a brief moment to adjust his clothes before addressing the people before him.
"Great kingdoms of Corxen, our humble neutral city brings to you today an item that will surely make a great addition to your households!" The Sharp Man said as he reached a hand out and gripped the hair on top of Logi's drooping head and straightened him up properly, "A human of quality stock and hardy nature!" He said as he shook the child lightly from side to side. "He even showed a glimpse of leadership qualities the moment he awoke, quelling dissent amongst his ilk and even asserting his dominance!" To which a light murmuring could be heard amongst the members of each group. The Sharp Man speaking took in the sight with a voracious glint of greed in his eyes, salivating at the profits the future tidbits of information he would divulge to make this deal a legendary one. "I am sure the war was taxing upon all kingdoms, leaving your ranks missing a capable hand in which to wield a blade or shield yourself with their lives. All of that takes time, and the freshly summoned chaff outside would take far too long to train up to be of any use immediately. Unlike this one!" The Sharp Man said excitedly, "He is fluent in our tongue, enough so to even insult me, albeit lacking in creativity!"
At the mention of Logi knowing their language, the murmuring grew into a fervor as words of shock and curiosity spread like a plague. Wanting to capitalize on the excitement, The Sharp Man spoke to the groups, "Let us start off with 200 gold coins, with a minimum of 50 in increments!" That number then brought focus and no short amount of pressure to fall upon the waning Logi.
"250." Spoke one of the short bearded men as he raised a small flag up to bring notice to himself. Just as the seller was about to point towards him, another broke the short silence.
"350. You must be short of coin, much like your stature Dwarf." Said one of the sharp men as he lobbed an insult, mockery laid bare in his tone.
"I'd fold you, but you would probably like it, you pompous bladed pansy." The dwarf replied in kind, stroking his beard before raising his flag again, "400."
The insults and prices grew, and soon the two groups began lobbing insults more than focusing on Logi. As the price hovered around 1,000 and the seller was about to confirm the sale, a voice from the third group rang out, "1,500 gold coins."
The owner of that voice was one of the dragon like people. She had scales of bronze and wore a flowing deep green dress. "I grow tired of all the bickering and fighting, when that is all we have done for the past 30 years." She said as she looked towards Logi, her blue draconic eyes seeming to see something more than what lay on the surface, one with a hint of melancholy.
"Oh I'm sure you have, Your Majesty." Replied one of the Sharp Men at the front of his group. He had a crown of Iron, with rivets seemingly bolted into his very skull. His tone not at all respectful of the other leader of a rival kingdom. "While both you and the stunted ground lovers lost people, we came out unscathed." He said with a crooked, sharp smile. "2,000."
The dragon queen managed to hide a pained look behind a folding fan before replying, "You call losing 200,000 Orcoll coming out unscathed?" She asked, "Your farms and labor force will surely suffer from your choices."
"I'd love to see that," Said one of the dwarves, this one nearly a head taller than the others in his group. He had a braided bear that had golden trinkets lashes to each braid, and golden studs along his right brow. "You twiggy folk will waste away more than you already are!" He said with a hearty laugh, which his people echoed in kind. He then raised a flag once more, "3,000."
By this point the amount of gold they were willing to spend was out of spite, and a for the respective factions to win over another. The Sharp Man beside Logi wasn't going to stop the gold from landing in front of him though, and thoughts of buying a mansion and a harem of beautiful women was all that was in the forefront of his mind.
What snapped him out of that daze was a bolt of lightning streaking across the room towards the large dwarf, coming from the king of the Sharp Men. The lightning failed to connect as the large dwarf swatted it to the side with the back of his gauntlet-clad hand, to which it struck the ceiling and sent scorched pieces of wood and plaster to rain upon the people below.
"We. Are. Eldu Voga." The king of Eldu Voga replied, his tone as cold as the frigid north, his words laced with the most potent of venom. "We are the chosen people of this realm, and you are merely cattle we let get fat enough to feast upon!" The king of the Eldu Voga continued, his jagged teeth exposed through a savage smile.
"The only thing you will be feasting on is iron if you try." Replied the large Dwarf, supposedly the king of his people given his standing. As he plucked free the pieces of plaster from his beard, he raised the flag in his hand casually, "3,500."
The crowd grew silent for a moment as the price was beginning to feel heavy to even the leaders of these kingdoms. Logi was merely a human child that knew their common tongue. That amount of money could be spent elsewhere with greater results. As the Eldu Voga at Logi's side was about to declare the winner, a bronze scaled hand was raised.
"What is your name, child?" The dragon queen asked, her regal gaze seeming to drag Logi in like a vortex to which there was no escape.
Brought out of his stupor, the child groggily blinked his heavy eyes, fighting through the pain in his mind and body as the question acted like a port in a storm. Focusing on those blue eyes of hers, "Logi." He replied weakly, meekly. He wasn't going to last much longer in his current state, and soon he would join the ranks of those children he saw in the carts.
The dragon queen listened to Logi's reply, her draconic eyes blinking slowly as she contemplated her next step. After a brief pause, she straightened her back and stood tall, letting her voice carry amongst those within the room. "5,000 gold coins."
The price slammed down upon the heads of the rival lords as well as their followers, and looks of shock and disbelief were landing upon the dragon queen. This was no longer a petty squabble with loose change being tossed around. This was pure lunacy. She was willing to pay more than most would ever see in their lives, on a somewhat unique human child.
"Are you mad, Mythia?!" The dwarf king exclaimed as he gripped his flag with ever whitening knuckles, "You could buy a fully equipped skyship, or a Grandus-level suit of armor with such a sum!"
"Let her spend her money as she sees fit, Lodd." The Eldu Vogan king said as he smiled at the thought of a rival kingdom wasting such a sum in a single day. He even felt like splurging a bit and dining on a dryad or two in celebration.
"This is from my own personal funds, so I shall spend it as I please." Mythia said as she looked to the seller, awaiting his respopnse.
The seller, finding Mythia's impatient gaze upon him, jumped into action, "Are there no further bids? ....Alright then. The winner of this human child goes to Queen Mythia, of the Kingdom of Solun Caza." Which was echoed with light customary clapping from those around.
The proceedings happened swiftly, and Logi soon found himself following along with those belonging to Solun Caza, his body which was nearly a shell at this point being ferried along by a guard wearing a full set of plate armor. The maze like streets and the haze within made caused the trip to their next destination seem to take an eternity and yet happen so quickly, and the entourage whittled down to the queen herself and her personal guard. Where they were now looked to be some sort of temple, one which overlooked the entire city below them much like the gods do their worshipers.
No one stopped Mythia as she strolled into the temple, lightly pulling Logi along by the hand. The clergy with their finery matching their respective gods casted curious glances, until the doors leading to the inner chamber opened. The mounding pressure from this deific presence was a heavy weight upon all shoulders, threatening to bring all present to their knees. Even Mythia and her guard were not spared from the change as they staggered, while the dragon queen kept the Logi on his feet with a firm grip. Closing the door behind them, the queen and her guards looked inwards.
What greeted them was a massive square pool of swirling, glowing, purple liquid. On each corner were statues, symbols of the four gods. A shield with a waxing moon emblazoned upon it, held by 4 clawed hands. A bleeding sun, ran through by a spear emitting frost. An eye perched atop a tree, with broken wings stretched out wide like a warm embrace waiting to happen, and a mountain fissure running down the middle, with a glow of golden liquid falling into a basin beneath it.
Mythia gazed upon the pool and the symbols, before turning back to Logi. He looked so small to her, so frail. The light in his Amethyst eyes were growing dimmer by the moment, one which she knew when snuffed out would spell the end of Logi as a person, which Mythia did not want to happen. Lifting up his chin, Mythia whispered, "Maybe you can help me mend what is broken, Logi." She said as she gently ran a clawed hand along Logi's cheek, before leading him to the swirling pool. The dragon queen looked into the glowing waters for a moment, before digging a few of her clawed fingers into her palm, drawing blood which fell in rivulets. As her blood made contact with the contents of the pool, the waters began to roil and bubble softly, emanating a more intense light than before. Wasting no more time, Mythia removed Logi's garb and placed him within the pool. The child then slowly sank into the depths and followed the current into the center, letting it run its course.
As the waters enveloped Logi, his body began to react. Slowly, his form melted. His skin. His muscle. His organs. His bones. All of it was turning into a soup, a primordial dish simmered by the flames of creation and watched over by the gods of this realm. It should have been a painful experience, yet Logi felt nothing but warmth. Even when his brain joined the soup, he was still capable of thought, and the haze which assaulted him earlier was gone. What was happening now seemed to be nothing but natural, despite how unnatural he should have believed it to be. This sense of calm gave Logi time to think, which he used to finally grieve.
His family was gone. His father. His siblings. The woman whom he believed to be his mother. All of it was so fresh, so volatile, that if it weren't for the 'now' he was experiencing he would think it to be a nightmare. Was it a nightmare? Sadly not. Though he couldn't cry, the sensation of it still bled through. He let those emotions run freely, allowing both the waters and time pass through him and wash it all away. The primordial soup that was Logi clumped up together, congealing into a cluster as the old body made way for the new. Logi's consciousness soon reached a calm once more, and he was lulled into a peaceful slumber. The swirling waters flowed into Logi, drinking deeply like parched earth meeting rain until all that was left behind was a large wavy-patterned egg.