Gossip swept through the mansion like wildfire, with slaves and humans alike eagerly sharing what they had witnessed today, and this chatter would continue into the night and for many days to come. Despite their Lord’s recent warning, several shadows dared to secretly convene before the day’s end, whispering their vexation to each other.

"It has to be done!"

"Grrr... They'll roaotice!"

"You have to do it."

“Purrr! Meoww he still alive?”

"You noticed too, didn't you?"

“Prreveryone did! Meeoww way he spoke to the Lords... and miew...”

"He's not normal. That elf, if you can even call him that, gives me the creeps. I sense something odd about him."

"More reason to do it tonight."

"Perfect night."

"Then wait here."

*

As the night grew colder, the breeze grew stronger. The impudent elf, left tied up as punishment for his actions, enjoyed a chill that numbed his aching back. He gazed out at the forest belonging to House Liame, bathed in the moon's silver light.

A manic laugh escaped his lips.

[Gone mental already?]

“Heh...”

[Several years too late.]

“You’d wish... my old... whatever you are.”

The sound of the forest, the rustling of leaves, and the branches swaying in the wind soothed his soul.

"I never thought... I'd see a full moon and a starry sky again."

Tired from his first day as a slave, he leaned against the wooden pole he was bound to and closed his eyes. He awoke to the sound of footsteps, fast approaching from behind.

“My gome! I knew you-”

The humanoid greeted him with a blow to the head.

“Hey! What the—”

Another hit, and his world vanished.

*

The next thing he knew, a short figure splashed cold water on his face, startling him awake.

“Hey! I was having a nice dream,” the elf brought his tied hands to his face and rubbed his eyes as several voices spoke around him.

“I don’t feel right tying a fellow slave.”

“We don’t know him.”

“Prrn’t he also one of meowus?”

Two shapes emerged before him: Head Slave-Butler Gnome and Ruianne.

"Mhmm... Thanks for the warm welcome... party. Except you, gome. I'll get you later," said the elf, straightening up against the wall. He relished the cold stone against his back.

"It's gnome, not gome," the gnome corrected him.

“Shhh... quiet, he’s awake,” commanded the beautiful female slave-elf.

"Anyway, I choose you," the male elf said, signaling her. "Yeah, you'll do."

“Purrl... Meow want to-” spoke another feminine voice, on a sharp note, next to him.

He turned around, and what he saw spooked him in ways he hadn't been in ages.

“What the fuck!” He retched. “Aahhhh!” His cursed stomach acted out its misfortune.

"Quiet him down!" whispered Ruianne, the female elf.

The Head Slave-Butler Gnome covered the elf's face and muffled his mouth. "You elf, stay quiet!"

Despite his cursed body suffering from those unforgivable demon-gods’ wrath, nothing could make him look away. He saw two beasts, monsters, real monstrous living things. Nightmares come true. What a reality he had been thrown into, the dream of a deranged being. However, to his surprise, Head-Butler Gnome and Ruianne remained calm and composed.

“Miaoww look at his eyes! Purrr way he is meoowing at us! Are we so horrible!?” The kinkat expressed stress, sadness, and surprise.

"No! You are not!" intervened Ruianne.

"Don't let her fool you!" exclaimed the elf through a crevice in his captor's fingers.

"Cover his mouth!"

"Grrrot even humans raook at grrrus like he does," lamented the beargang.

The gnome held the elf tightly, "Now you be quiet... or things will get messy." The gnome's strength surprised him, or maybe the demon-gods had simply cursed him too deep, too weak. He eventually calmed down, and the gnome relaxed his hold.

“I’m calm... I am.” He sighed while glancing around. “Can someone tell me... What the fu-freaking hell are those things?! Those aren’t going to eat me, at least not alive, right?”

The kinkat approached him and squatted beside him. She saw fear on his face as he tried to push her away.

Two feline ears grew out of her head, with fur sprouting from her ears and covering most of her body. A mix of feline and human features stared back at him with a pair of soulless gray eyes. Her face had the worst of both worlds: a protruding mouth, black thick nose, and half-formed fangs. She dressed lightly and left little to the imagination, not that the male elf wanted to let his mind wonder about what he couldn’t see. Her unnatural round eyes glinted with desire, the elf knew the creature thirsted for his flesh.

“Meowwwlings!?... Things?!” exclaimed the kinkat.

“Why’s no one losing their minds? Am I the only seeing these... monsters. Am I hallucinating? What a nightmare.”

The kinkat punched him in the stomach and snarled with claws out.

“Stop! Stop!" yelled Ruianne.

“Ah... that felt real,” uttered the male elf.

“Everyone calm down.” The female elf looked at the kinkat, then turned to face the elf. “Have you really not seen a feralis before?!”

“That thing? Why'd you name it?” retorted the male elf.

“Ggrrrrr!” exclaimed in unison both feralis.

“He is strange one,” exclaimed a pale-green, tall, beefy woman with short tusks protruding.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Holy... sh-sh-sh-...” The elf closed his eyes and held his head, "You seem comfortable with those around, right?"

“Yes, they are fellow slaves, kinn’hayas, like you and me,” said Ruianne in the mildest way she could force herself to.

“Oh... yeah, right. Let me tell you something, they’re nothing like me,” the male elf said, pointing and waving his index fingers at them. “Well, it is what... ever.” He gazed at his tied hands, then at the sentient creatures surrounding him. "So... this is my welcoming party! I'm choosing you now, more than ever," he spoke, steering his finger at Ruianne.

"What?" she questioned, confusion and exasperation mixing on her face.

"For my personal welcoming ceremony," replied the male elf.

Everyone looked at him with condescending expressions, some with more hatred than others.

"What?" he asked, confused. "You don’t do that here?"

"This is such a waste of time," said Ruianne, clearly impatient. "Where are you from? Which elf dynasty bestowed your lineage?"

"I don't know."

"You can’t or don’t want to say?"

"I don't know."

"I trust him even less now," stated Ruianne, her patience wearing thin.

“Purrrs he’s strange, there’s mieewmeling... worth. I can miaowwnse it.”

"Thanks for your vote of confidence... cat... thing... being." The elf tried his best to understand her mentally impaired speech patterns.

“Lumis the meowwme!”

“Well met,” replied the elf.

“Grrrrrr... roaur quick to forgive and grrorget,” growled the beargang, accurately assessing her personality.

“Can I get untied now? And the sire... Lord... person said to take care of my back. I'm not one to snitch, but... I don’t know... you’re pressing all the wrong buttons.”

"No, no, and no! Just shut up!" snapped Ruianne, losing her patience.

The elf stared at her, still amazed how such perfect features, shape, and skin could coalesce all together in the same being.

Shame about her personality.

“And let’s not forget what happened at the auction house!” continued Ruianne.

“Rrrrr... all raother slaves...,” added the beargang.

“You danger them,” the female half-orc chimed in.

"At least, from this house, it was only Ruianne and me there," stated Head-Butler Gnome.

The elf did nothing but gaze at them, a circus, a zoo. A pause in his thoughts, waiting for an idea that didn’t materialize. The tall greenish female broke his silence.

“High Mountain, don’t told him?” she spoke looking at the gnome.

"I couldn't explain anything to him! And it's not my fault either. When I tried... he wasn't there, and I never had another chance. And who knew he would cause such a stir on his first day?"

“Wait, wait, I heard something seriously wrong,” spoke the elf. “Is your name High Mountain?” He broke down laughing.

"Yes, it is," replied High Mountain, more than annoyed.

Everyone observed him like he was missing a screw. Maybe two.

“Oh, it wasn't a joke... Too bad.” The male elf flashed a smiled before addressing them with a serious face. “Listen, you circus freaks. Go entertain someone else. I'm tired, hungry, and have a duel to plan.... I need my beauty rest."

"You are freak," retorted the half-orc.

"Never said I wasn't," he said, pointing at her. “Now if you—”

Ruianne cut in, "First—”

“Oh, my!”

“Just answer some simple questions and you're free, from us," said the female elf.

“How about, no,” the male elf replied dryly.

"She wanted me to... disappear you," said High Mountain, glancing at Ruianne. "You endangered our plans."

"Hey, shut it!" commanded Ruianne.

“It’s meeeooww truth,” Lumis chimed in.

“Grrrrgguua... something’s not roaight,” roared the beargang.

“Don't you say. Lovely... creatures everywhere,” sighed the tired male elf.

“You’re answering?” asked Ruianne, determined.

“If it means I can go to sleep soon... then shoot, and this better be good,” replied the exhausted male elf.

"Is it true that you can't use magic?" Ruianne began her interrogation.

"Some freaks, freakier than all of you, said so. They might be lying. Who knows?"

"Have you ever cast magic?"

"Never."

"Mmhmm! Let’s bring it.” Ruianne dropped a book at his feet. “Read it.”

"Jeez, that attitude. Surely you're single."

"Miewhaha." A laugh escaped, reaching her pointy ears.

As the male elf picked up the book, he failed to notice Ruianne's eyebrows twitching.

"It's all gibberish to me," he stated.

"It's elven," said Ruianne.

"How am I supposed to know... elven?"

"Now read this one," commanded Ruianne as she dropped another book.

He glanced at her before picking it up. “’Preparing and Cooking Game without magic, for Slaves Only.’ Interesting title.”

"You can read human!" exclaimed an astonished Ruianne.

“So, this is human... intriguing. I can read it though it’s not the language I know...” muttered the male elf.

“And it is even stranger that you can’t read elven, being an elf yourself! But can read human?” Her scornful tone didn’t go unnoticed.

“It’s not my fault. Blame the demon-gods and their mess, and... you can read human too.”

"Of course we do, human language is in fact—” But before High Mountain could finish talking, Ruianne interrupted him. “Yes, we can. Where do you think we are?"

"Same with me," retorted the male elf.

“Even if your words were anywhere near the truth, what about elven?” Ruianne inquired further.

“I might have forgotten it. There’s a lot of things I don't know, like magic, my parents, my hometown, my... dynasty. Nothing comes to mind. Maybe instead of blaming me, blame the fu-freaking ones you pray to.”

"I did find him too far gone when the Lords brought him in," said High Mountain.

“Prrrit’s like meeoowwre a human in an miawelf’s body!” excitedly observed Lumis.

Her speech drilled his mind more than her appearance did. "How bizarre would that be?" pondered the male elf.

"Very," Ruianne continued her inquires. "Do you have any skills?"

"Of course I do! What kind of elf do you take me for?"

"Then show me."

“Ruianne—” High Mountain tried to speak.

“Shhh... let him show us,” Ruianne cut him off.

“Of course I will!” exclaimed the male elf, surveying the room. "Is that a bed?"

Everyone turned around.

“Yes,” confirmed Ruianne.

“Is it yours?”

“Yes.”

“Mhmm...”

“Do you need a bed to show us your skills?”

“Betcha I do, problem is, we’re going to need a bigger bed.” He smirked wide.

Laughter erupted again, a creature at the back couldn't contain her enjoyment. Ruianne finally understood.

“And with everyone present, I don't mind, but do you—”

She squatted in front of the elf and slapped him, causing more laughter to fill the room.

"Hey!" he protested, waving his fake anger. "Those are skills I honed through a lifetime of competence, effort, and sometimes luck." He continued, "Anyway, what's your story? How does a pretty elf end up here and becomes bitterness incarnate?”

The half-orc grinned and chuckled, followed by the kinkat. Ruianne stared at him with fire in her eyes.

The Head Slave-Butler Gnome pointed at Ruianne and asked, "You don't recognize her, Delia'ilu of the Sacred Elffen Heart Ruianne?"

"What? Do you have a mole on your left butt cheek?" questioned the male elf.

Lumis burst into laughter.

Ruianne's eyes narrowed as she glared at the grinning elf.

“Then, no. God! So serious...” he said.

“You talk like human," commented the half she-orc.

“Why? Because I want some before being dragged and eaten or tortured or whatever is it you do to weak beings such as myself? Or do elves not...” The male elf finished making hand signs symbolizing mating.

“Purrrrot mielat bad I miaouwwuess.” Lumis teared up after so much laughter.

The elf winked at her although he understood shit. Better be safe than end up as some monstrous creature’s dinner.

"We have no choice but to use it on him," said High Mountain.

"You mean waste it on him!" Ruianne spoke angrily.

"Shh... keep it quiet," the male elf hushed her.

"You—"

"Things are moving regardless, and we need to know if we can trust him or..." trailed off the Head Slave-Butler Gnome, choosing not to finish his sentence.

"Feed me to the beasts! Say it. Don't be shy, High Mountain. Your parents weren't when they named you."