The group came to a clearing with a single large stone at its center, flowers of varying colors surrounding the rock. Mia thought it looked pretty but more importantly she looked around for the source of the groaning. By what she could make out, the groans were coming from the stone. “Over there.” She said, pointing towards the stone.

“Good, we found them.” John pushed passed Mia, rushing towards the center.

“Be careful.” Athena spoke “We do not know if the dryad has set up anymore…hero?” Athena paused, noticing John had stopped a few steps into the flower field.

John was unmoving, staring towards the center of the field. Rowan walked forward, mindful of the flowers he carefully approached John “What’s wrong hero? Anoter illusion?” He waved his hand in front of John’s face, in response to this, John raised his hand and pointed towards the center. Following it he looked for himself and froze “Oh…”

Curios, and with it seeming to be safe Mia ran up to see what they were looking at, when it entered her vision, she perfectly understood why they had paused.

Before them laid on a bed of flowers was a completely hairless beastman, she believed it to be male, but it was hard to tell because of how thin he was. He was so thin his skin on his bare chest had sunken past his rib cage, the joints on his arms and legs were visible, and his ragged shorts hung lose on his hip bones. His skin was also completely covered in blotches of red scarring, small droplets of blood seeping out from time to time. Besides the shorts, he also had an unmistakable slave collar around his neck.

Mia took a step back, she could hardly believe he was alive, she saw who ever this was open their eyes for a moment before keeping them shut, groaning softly as he breathed.

“Hero, use your appraisal on him, what is his status.” Athena, who at some point replaced Rowan at John’s side.

John slowly nodded “S-status is… Toxic.” He gulped “His hp is slowly going down, he has [Poison Resistance] and high constitution… how is he alive…”

“Toxic, huh…” Athena’s eyes narrowed. She lifted her staff, a warm light emitting from it that fell onto the beastman “His health?”

John shook his head “No change.”

Mia took a step forward but before she could get any closer, she was stopped.

“Stop, do not get any closer to him. “Athena ordered “That status is…problematic.” She glanced at all the flowers surrounding the man “These flowers… should be wilting…”

“The dryad’s healing felt better.”

The three shot their attention towards who just spoke, the man on the ground who started coughing after he spoke.

Athena crossed her arms “You…I am the princess of the kingdom of Eldaha! You will answer my questions.”

John looked between the two, confusion on his face.

“Beh, Eldaha…” he opened his eyes again, staring into the open sky. He tilted his head, his gaze falling on Mia before his head landed back on the ground “Heh…hahaha-!” he started laughing then broke out in a coughing fit.

Mia tilted her head to the side, she did not recognize this man but she felt like he recognized her. She looked at his hairless ears and tail but couldn’t make out what type they were but if he did recognize her he’d have to be fox.

“You think this is funny? Your situation looks to be quite dire. If you answer my questions, I am sure we can get you healed at the capitol.”

“Feh! If the dryad couldn’t heal me…no…I’ll answer some…”

“Good, I see you have some reasoning left. Firstly where-“

“Hold on Athena.” John interrupted “For awhile now… what has he been saying? And you can understand him? It just sounds like he is barking…”

Athena paused, a sad expression falling onto her face “I am sorry hero, this is what happens to a beastman without their master… They fall back onto their beast nature. Through translation magic I have casted on myself I can understand them.”

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The man burst out laughing, his fit cut short when he started coughing and gagging.

John looked between the two, his gaze lingering on the slave collar “Could we not…”

“No, my hero. If this view is too hard to bear, please patrol this area to make sure its safe.” Athena bowed apologetically towards him.

John took one final glance at the dying man before nodding “ok… come on Mia.”

Mia perked up, why the heck did he want her to come with? “No, I’ll stay.”

“She’ll stay princess, or I won't answer anything.”

“…John leave her, surely you understand with them both being slaves, yes?” Athena looked back at him.

John wanted to protest but sighed. Defeated he dropped his shoulders and walked off.

“You have him on a short leash.” The man chuckled, coughing.

Athena glared at him, her arms crossed “Where are the other slaves, where did the dryad take them?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. Dryad said somewhere safe.” He paused, chuckling to himself “My leash is pretty short too, I cannot lie princess.” He spat “lasting order from the master.”

“Hrm, yes I am sure you can not.” Athena rolled her eyes “Who was your last master? Krier?”

The man suddenly gasped for air and after a brief coughing fit, he spoke “That, I can’t say…” He rocked his head side to side “The other one that was here, you sent him to look around…he’ll find a pretty good hint for that.”

Mia blinked, looking around to see if she could spot Rowan, who she just realized was missing but couldn’t see him.

Athena sighed “Fine, then answer this. How did you get in that condition? Toxic is not something easily attainted. Even slums living in shit only ever get poisoned, plague or diseased, monsters inflicting the same. What you have should not exist.”

The man raised his head, a smile spread on his face “You should ask that last.”

Athena paused, visible takin aback from what he said. She uncrossed her arms “Fine, “her tone had changed, from one of mild annoyance to something more serious “why are you being so cooperative?”

The man lowered his head back onto the ground “I don’t have much time left… The dryad said I’ll pass before sunset. She offered me a peaceful death alone, but I guess you guys broke her illusion… but this is good. “He coughed “The princess of that damned country shows up, what a chance!” he laughed then took a deep breath “If you don’t care then… eh, not like it matters. Besides… “

He looked up at Mia “This is also a chance… I hope… well…” He sat his head back, giving up on what he was trying to say.

Who is he… Mia frowned, she now desperately wanted to know. He wasn’t that big, taller than she was sure, but who could it be? She cursed herself, thinking back to 3 years ago and the kids she knew. Kyle? No, Kyle was about as tall as his guy was three years ago, he’d be taller now. The others she didn’t know enough to recognize even if they told them their name… there was Roy, but she remembered he died, or at least, she thought he did. “Roy…?”

The man, no, Roy started laughing, he then started gasping for air before calming himself down “Yeah… Hi Mia, you didn’t change much… got a tiny bit taller? I can’t see that well but…saw your sister a while ago, just missed her…”

Her sister? She was alive?! “Roy?! Where did they go?! How did-“

“This is cute and all but back to my questions.” Athena interrupted.

“Bah, fine… she went with the dryad by the way, she’s safe.” Roy said with a chuckle.

“How did all of you run away?” Athena asked, back on track.

“I can’t say for the others… but I was thrown away, they just managed to pick me up. I don’t have to say why I was tossed, do I?” He chuckled “Master doesn’t like broken tools.” The slave collar around his neck tightened, but Roy didn’t seem to mind.

Athena thought for a moment, the gentle breeze of the forest rushing over them “I suppose that is it then, I see you have resigned yourself. Anything else you would like to say?”

Roy looked straight up into the air, taking a deep breath he spoke “Fuck your shitty kingdom. I hope that asshole burns in hell!” He then raised his head so he could see Mia “I am sorry I never properly apologized...”

“Wait… what are you…”

Athena smirked “Now tell me, how did you get that status?”

Roy took a deep breath “I GOT IT WORKING FOR MY MASTER ON HIS STU-!” The slave collar around his neck started shining as he spoke, before it rapidly shrunk around his neck, decapitating him.

Mia covered her mouth, dropping to her knees. No…

John, who had come over to investigate the yelling, paled at the sight. Quickly turning away from it and vomiting “W-what the hell happened?” He choked out.

Mia stared at Roy’s headless corpse; with his condition she didn’t expect him to live but… why did he choose to go out like that? Why… why did he… She didn’t understand, gripping her sides in an attempt to stop the shaking. Her ears twitched; hearing Rowan speak.

“Princess, I found tis in te forest nearby.”

Mia looked up, seeing Rowan hand Athena a folded up black cloth. It looked familiar… before she could get a good look at it Athena stored it away in her own storage.

“There might have been truth to the dryad’s words…” she looked down to the corpse “Let us be off then, there is nothing left.”

John stood up unsteadily “W-wait.” He said, causing Athena and Rowan to pause “We should at least bury him.”

Athena sighed “How do you plan on doing that? To my knowledge you do not know earth magic, we don’t have shovels, and worse of all you can not touch him. Toxic kills any living being it infects, its unnatural.”

“But…’ John looked to the corpse, then sighed “fine. Ok” He said, giving up.

Athena nodded “Good, now get up and follow us, fox! We are leaving.”

Mia stood; her expression duller then usual as she followed them out “Roy…Ria…” She mumbled to herself from her position in the very back of the group.

“What made you do that…”