Chapter 12:

New Members

Twilight Star: First Goal


“It is such a simple looking house,” Sasha said, standing before the Slave Trader’s building. “I never seen it… they faked my papers. I met him once… but he couldn’t find a way to free me because the papers were so good. He did apologize though.” With a little shove from Zeke, Sasha started up the stairs, opening the door to a lovely Elf.

“Hello, Martine, hope this isn’t a bad time,” Londra said from the middle, pushing Zeke and Sasha inside with Alden behind her. “Can these three wait while we do our business, please?”

Martine let out the breath she was holding, discreetly. Her silver, long face and dark violet eyes stayed neutral but her long Elven ears, far away from her head, moved just enough that her long black hair swayed. “Wait, is this Sasha?”

Sasha gave her a big smile, warming her long, buttercream face. “It is, nice to see you again. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions while Londra speaks with Master Yevhen. I am sure they are things you can answer.”

“Of course,” she said smoothly, moving around the group to lock the door and pull down the blind. “We don’t need anyone coming in,” she added simply. “Please… wait, how did you do that? Alden’s curse… it isn’t gone but contained?”

“What was that?” Master Yevhen said coming towards the group, his round, brown face, and light grey eyes full of curiosity.

“Well, I was in the Learning Room a bit longer than normal and had time to ask some intricate questions,” Londra defended, trying not to laugh at Alden’s comment in her mind. “I purified the spirits connected with the curse and sealed them behind the slave crest. I can’t free him completely until I purify the four that placed the curse. Oh, he can’t meet or say their names, or the seal thins.”

“Okay,” Master Yevhen started slowly, “they? How do you know there is more than one?”

“Well, if you kill more than seven for a blood curse there is a horrible scent that marks you. There is no way that an Elf in Golden Town could walk around freely with that scent so it has to be multiple,” Londra shrugged. “I am exhausted, stayed awake just because those… Lords locked me in the Adventurer’s Guild all night. The curse connected us back so I know they were forced to stay awake all night too. Jerks! Okay, what do you have for me today?” she asked waving to Zeke and Sasha who were already talking to Martine and Alden who was just standing next to the entrance.

“Well three, if you would like them,” Master Yevhen chuckled. “One is a level four, like Alden. But unlike him it was because she has killed. I would kill too if put in those situations. I don’t know if you can reach her. Had to put her in a restraining coat after using magic to put her to sleep. She is a Demon with wings, horns, and eyes…”

“I take it Demon Eyes are different than just regular eyes?” Londra asked, following him into a room where a female was sitting on the floor looking defeated yet defiant. “How much for them all? I know you haven’t said anything about the other two, but I want them all.”

“Sixty for them all,” Master Yevhen stated as her Lacrama glowed. She activated the contract, then changed a few things before accepting. “Thanks for the tip. I like how your donation to the crown came with an explanation. Better than a simple donation.”

Londra smiled widely, “Yep, he will hate me by the end of our eight months so let’s make him like me for a while. Let’s just do it.”

He nodded, taking blood and completing the connection. It was so simple with her. Before he could say anything, she was taking the restraining coat off, kneeling before the Demon. “Hi, my name is Londra. I would like to heal your wings, can I? I promise that nobody will touch you unless it is your wish… ever again!” She paused as the young female stared at her with such accented navy…blue eyes? They were navy in the center, than the main part was blue outlined with navy with flecks of black and navy. “Your eyes are beautiful,” she whispered. “Is you skin ivory with undertones of violet? Oh, I really can’t wait to see you healthy. Your wings… may I?” she asked again pulling her up.

“Yes,” the Demon whispered, unsure what to make of this human woman that was emitting so much power it was frightening yet comforting at the same time.

“Good,” Londra said, her hands outstretched as energy flowed in every color around the Demon. “It says your name is Damaris, is that what you would like to be called?”

“I have never seen a healing spell like that,” Master Yevhen mumbled watching intensely.

“It is a mix,” Londra responded absently, her focus never wavering.

“Mara, please,” she said weakly, looking down to see her hands healing.

“Great, now the two males in the waiting area will never hurt you, even if one is cursed to do so. I stopped that,” she said passionately. “Zeke is just with Sasha to show off his muscle, but he is exhausted, like the others. I am going to leave you with Sasha while Master Yevhen connects me with two others. Then we will head back to the room,” she finished with a large smile, helping the female that was much taller than her into the waiting area. Martine just exchanged looks with Master Yevhen then helped Mara sit. “Okay, I have two more then we will head back. This is Mara, by the way. On to get,” she looked at her Lacrama again, “Peter, shall we, Master Yevhen?”

He just smile leading the way. This would be an extraordinarily easy day. “By the way, tomorrow morning around seven thirty the four you are looking for will be actioned off in the square. My nephew is doing it. They all have the Exploding Curse attached to them so nobody can touch them. It didn’t take too much to convince them to do that. I assume you can get rid of it easily?”

“Yep, and my thanks. I will need to help Mara test her wings and what better time. Of course, getting Alden to stay without him griping in my mind will be the trick. He can communicate with us all now telepathically!” she added doing a little happy dance before entering the room to see her next member.

“I couldn’t heal him anymore than that,” Master Yevhen said softly. “His papers are forgeries, and he has been clearly abused. All I could do was take him when it came to my attention. It is horrible…”

Londra nodded to him, so he started collecting the blood. She didn’t wait but went to Peter, gently taking his large, rabbit-like paws into her hands. His face was mostly human with a rabbit nose and ears. His torso and arms were human shaped, but his legs and hands were that of a rabbit. His pale pink eyes held so much pain. Londra knew the slave contract was done. “Hello, Peter… I don’t know what to say. This isn’t how you were born, right?”

“No, had furry hands and big feet but not the legs,” he whispered, watching the crying human female. He looked up to see the Slave Master was sad looking too.

“They regressed him,” Londra mumbled, “a horrible spell. Just to get more fur they could collect… I just can’t. Okay, Peter, I want you to visualize what you looked like before the horrible humans captured you. How long ago was it?”

“A year, I think,” he answered. “I was twenty when…”

“Good,” Londra said, gently stroking his paws. “Just think of what you were then. I am going to move you into a waiting area with others from my group. Don’t be afraid and don’t fight the spells as they work. I have one more then we will go get some food and rest for a while.”

He said nothing as Londra teleported the three of them back. Zeke was the first to stand, moving quickly towards the healing Peter. He nodded and started to quietly speak to him. He may be made of muscle, and covered with green skin, but he had a huge heart.

Master Yevhen said nothing about the teleportation just headed for the last room. “He is a mix of two races. His mother is a Dryad, or keeper of the forest. They are usually female and have immense power but can’t leave the forest they were born into. His father is a Demon. I don’t believe he was captured but…”

“You can’t tell because when they forged the contracts it disrupted their connections with their families,” Londra guessed. “That is what Sasha wanted to talk about. According to what we learned our Lacramas will heal with our minds in a few days since we learned the Victim’s Revenge healing spell. Then it should show where our families are located… well probably not mine,” she finished sadly.

“When you know… we will look when we can,” he said softly, taking a deep breath, opening the door. Londra greeted the very tall male with a smile. She didn’t see any abuse but that didn’t mean anything. She waited for Master Yevhen to finish before moving closer.

He had to be eight feet tall, with a lean frame but when he took a step towards her, she knew he was agile. But that was all she could tell. Somehow, she couldn’t see his face or even his eyes. “Hello, um… I don’t know much about Dryads. Are you hurt somewhere? Do you need healing? There is a spell called Victim’s Revenge that heals the target back to before they were… abused. All you need to do is visualize how your body is different. The spell takes a while to finalize… please say something?”

“I would take the healing, please,” a low voice stated. “I know of the spell, if you can… I would appreciate it,” he finished.

Londra placed her hand over her heart. His voice was so low it stirred so many unique feelings within. She said nothing, just put her hands before her to cast the spell. Once it was attached to him completely, “can you walk? Does it hurt to do so? Are you blocking my vision? Sorry… it said your name is Trenton. Is that what we should call you?”

“Yes, to both,” he answered a hint of amazement with his low voice. “What are you? You look like a human but give off the power of High Elves.”

“As far as I know I am human,” Londra shrugged, moving towards the door. “Let’s go join the others. Have you heard of the Spectrum Challenge?”

“I have,” Trenton responded, his low voice deeper. “I seen it and am sad to say… I was glad to be a slave at that time. I have been here for just over a year.”

“Well, I, and a few others from our growing party are survivors,” she explained as Master Yevhen followed them towards the waiting group. “It wasn’t enjoyable, and our minds are all healing, like yours.”

“How did you know my mind was fractured?” Trenton wondered.

“Wow,” Sasha said loudly, before covering her mouth. “Sorry, your voice is just so low and… dangerously alluring. Mine has a hiss when I go full Beastwoman,” she offered with a warm smile.

“This is Trenton,” Londra started as the group sized him up. She noticed that Zeke was barely awake, yet still watching Peter while Sasha was trying so hard to find something to talk to Mara about to keep herself awake. She looked over to see Alden was still standing next to the door. Turning towards Master Yevhen, “my thanks. Alden is going to take us back to the room so we can eat and sleep. Seems that is what we want to do these days.”

“I understand that,” Master Yevhen nodded. “Remember seven-thirty and let me know about the other. I am sure Martine said the same.” Londra smiled, nodded, then the group was gone. “Wow, that was seamless…”

Author: