Chapter 4 The Deal and The Seal

I got out of the bath and covered up with the towel so I could close the door. I finished drying off and put on my new clothes. I put my things in the only pocket I could find in these pants. They were not as comfortable as my old clothes, but the old clothes were so shredded that they were no longer an option. I had a plain white shirt and brown pants. Boring, but defiantly better than Mik's selection.

I wandered downstairs to find Mik holding a book. He was sitting on a chair that looked to be made of some roots or vines with some outer wireframe to guide the vines.

"Come, sit! Are you thirsty? Lunch should be ready soon."

I wandered over to a chair near his that looked similar to the one he was on.

"Some water would be nice, my throat feels a bit parched."

He raised his voice.

"Slave! Get some water for the guest. Now."

"Yes, Master."

I heard her faint voice from what I can assume was the kitchen. A moment later Sophie came into the room holding a cup-shaped leaf. She handed it to me. I was expecting something soft and malleable, to the point that I may have to hold it together, but it was solid as a rock. I drank some water out of the leaf cup.

"That's better, thank you."

I looked her in the eyes as I said it.

"Don't bother thanking the slave, she never appreciates what 'I' do for her."

I looked over at Mik.

"I do apologize If that bothers you. Where I come from, it is just a polite form to thank someone who does a favor for you. No matter how small the favor or the status of the individual."

He gave me an angry eyebrow look for a second before he went back to his book.

I shut my eyes for a while. I was tired from all the events that took place today.

"Dinner is ready."

Y'gdrim called out. I opened my eyes.

"Did I hear her say dinner? What happened to lunch?"

I looked to my right, over to the chair Mik was on, but it was empty.

"You fell asleep. I shook you a bit but you did not wake."

Sophie's voice came from my left.

"Oh, Good morning."

She gave me a shy smile and whispered.

"It's night, silly."

I gave her a sly smile to show I was teasing again.

"Lead the way, if you don't mind."

She bowed to me.

"Follow me."

She lead me to the dinner table. I had no idea what to expect, food-wise. What do elves eat? Sophie brought a plate for Mik, Y'gdrim and me. Honestly, it looked pretty plain. Simple salad and some cooked tan meat on the side.

I supposed I should not have expected anything else. Elves are almost always portrayed in my world as hunters and gatherers. Maybe someone came from this world and spread stories about the other races that were more fact than fiction in my own.

No...

The evil sorcerer who was banished to another dimension?

Nah, we don't have any stories with the potion of Rage over there so it can't be him. It was a mostly quiet dinner. It tasted pretty good.

"What kind of meat is this? I like it."

"It is meat from the Laphintine. It is quite rare, a delicacy even."

Y'gdrim answered.

"Oh, this really is great. I was never able to try some before. Thank you for sharing it with me."

I said, trying to pretend I know what a Laphintine is. Mik looked over his shoulder and shouted.

"Slave, Desert!"

Sophie brought a tray over. Before she could pass out the cups of dessert, she tripped. Y'gdrim had an amused look on her face while Mik looked furious.

Did Y'gdrim trip her on purpose?

"Stupid, stupid girl! Stupid slave! Those desserts are worth more than your life!"

He had a book with him on the table. He picked it up and hit her twice with his book. I was ready to stand up and stop him if he went in for more.

"Damnit!"

He shouted.

That's what I wanted to say after he hit Sophie.

As I thought about him, hitting her over again, I caught myself. I was beginning to feel anger. But, I can't do that. I don't know how true this potion thing is but, either way, calming down is better than stressing out.

I closed my eyes. Let the anger go. Think calmly, don't get angry. An idea came to mind. I am by no means, the guy who would rule with fear but, maybe I can use fear for good.

My eyes were closed for too long.

I opened them just in time, to see Mik kick Sophie in the stomach while she was cleaning the floor.

I stood up and slammed my fist on the table.

To my surprise, the table was crushed into two halves right down the middle where my fist landed. That was not all. The floor shook. Another earthquake? Stronger than the last. The floor began to tear away, straight down the middle of the house. Almost like the house was breaking in half down the middle, just like the table I had smashed.

I looked back at Mik and Y'gdrim. They were both huddled in the corner of the dining room.

Sophie was still on the floor. She was in too much pain to care about the quake. I bent down to her. I placed a hand on her back and gently caressed her. When she was finally able to catch her breath, I reached out for her hand and helped her up.

I pulled her close to hug her and refused to let go.

Mik finally looked away from the destruction of his house.

"Why are you holding her like that? She is just a slave. 'My' slave, in fact."

I looked him dead in the eyes.

"How long?"

Y'gdrim was also looking at me now.

"What?"

Mik asked.

"How long has she been your slave?"

He looked at me with a weird grin.

"I don't know what that has to do with anything. 70 years now. What does it matter?"

I held her a bit tighter. Mik had stood up and was assessing the damage of his house while scratching his head.

"70 years... Maybe that's not very long for an elf. For a human, that can be an entire lifetime. You've tortured a girl from the age of nineteen, for 70 long years. That's long enough. Really, it's too long. It ends tonight. Free her from her slavery."

Sophie tightened her grip on me. Was it gratitude for my intentions? Mik Laughed out loud and Y'gdrim covered a smirk with her hand.

"It does not work that way. Once a slave, always a slave. Slaves die slaves."

Shit. That was dumb. I had no idea. Did Sophie tighten her grip on me because she knew it couldn't be done? Did I make things worse for her?

Wait.

"There is slave trade, isn't there?"

He let out an evil chuckle.

"Of course. But, she is not for sale. You do not have anything I would buy from you. And, if you try to take her away, not only will she be killed for running away from her Master, you would be killed for stealing a slave."

He thinks he has won, but I have more leverage than he is aware of.

"See, that's where you're wrong. First off, I do have something I can trade for her. My old clothes. I heard you were a trader of rare fabrics. Y'gdrim seemed to be quite interested in my undershirt, and my other clothes are foreign to your kind as well."

He shook his head.

"Just because you have a few tattered pieces of strange clothing, does not mean I want to sell her to you."

"You do want to sell her to me though. Here is why. I have taken the potion of Rage into my body. It happened just this morning."

Both of their faces were filled with terror and drained of blood. I pointed at the huge gap that now splits their house.

"That was done by me. If you do not sell her to me, I may get angry and do a lot more than split this house."

He shuffled a bit before he sat back down in his chair. His hand was on his forehead.

"It... It can't be done tonight. We need a slaver to make the trade and they are all home for the night. I can send for one in the morning."

His words were pure defeat.

Sophie, who normally slept in a decrepit shack outside, slept next to me in my room. She was in a bed for the first time in so long. She slept well that night.

I know because I could not sleep.

My thoughts were racing. So much happened today. I got ready for work, only to go skydiving without a chute. I died and got revived by a legendary potion from another world. I met elves and learned that I may be overpowered.

I guess I must have fallen asleep at some point because I had woken up to some great-smelling food. Sophie brought me something akin to pancakes. They tasted different but still great.

"Did you really drink the potion of Rage?"

She looked at me a little worried.

"Nope."

Her relief was obvious but short-lived.

"It spilled on my corpse after I died from a long fall. It seeped into my wounds and revived me."

I said it so casually that she couldn't decide whether to believe me or not. I heard Mik's voice from downstairs.

"Th... The slaver is here."

Short, sweet and terrified. Just the way I like hearing that guy's voice.

Sophie and I went downstairs. There was an odd-looking male elf out front of the house with his own covered carriage. He was shirtless and covered in tattoos on dark skin. That's not what was odd though. He had skin pulled tight and pierced with multiple, wide-sized gauges. Similar to how people back home would do large holes in their earlobes, but on the pecks, back, forearms and upper arms. He even had one on the back of his hand. His face looked like a caveman too.

"This tha' slave?"

He asked. Sophie stepped up.

"Just ah simple trade? That'll be easier than ah new slave. Who will be tha new ownah?"

I stepped up and put my hand halfway up to show my attendance.

"Where d'ya wan' it?"

"Want what?"

He looked a little annoyed with me.

"Firs' time slave ownah? Okee. 'Ere is tha rundown. Tha slave has ah seal that marks er as such. Tha slave ownah can choose tha generic shape an where ta put tha seal. If ah slave is traded, tha new ownah can pick ah new location an shape o tha slave seal. Git it?"

"Alright, I think I've got it. How about two waved, overlapping circles around the base of the neck? Closer to the collarbone. What do you think about that Sophie?"

I was thinking of a more modern black choker that some girls wore on Earth. I thought it would look attractive with a wave to it. She looked up at me.

"You are asking me?"

"You're askin' 'er?"

Sophie and the slaver both said at the same time.

"Yeah, I want to know if you are ok with that. Wait, does the process hurt her?"

The slaver shook his head, no.

"What do you think?"

I asked her again.

"If that's what you like. I'm ok with it."

She still seemed nervous for some reason.

"If you don't like it, you can say no. It's ok. I won't hurt you or anything if you don't like it."

She grabbed my shirt and tugged on it a little.

"No, really, it's ok if it goes on my neck."

I reluctantly told the slaver to go ahead. He removed a traveling case from his carriage and pulled out an odd-looking tool. It almost looks like a stethoscope part that goes on the body, attached to a thin malleable wire with a metal pencil shape on the other end.

"Okay, slave, show me tha seal."

She blushes and does not move an inch. I gently poked her arm with my finger.

"It's right here, isn't it?"

I heard a weird worried sound come out of Mik's mouth. I gave him a strange look.

"Is something wrong?"

As I said it, the slaver reached out and lifted the sleeve where I had poked her arm.

"A'int got all day, slave."

What comes into view looks exactly like what I was expecting. Why was she so hesitant?

"We gots ah problem 'ere."

I looked at him, puzzled.

"This here is ah skin markin'. Not ah slaver's seal. Thems are illegal."

"Are you actually a slave?"

I asked. She nodded yes.

"Where is the real slave seal?"

She started playing with her dress.

"It's..."

She closed her eyes tight.

"It's down... here."

My eyes narrowed as I turned my head to look at Mik.

"Seriously?"

He could tell I was annoyed. Just then, almost in perfect karmic response, a corner of Mik's house broke off and fell to the ground. Mik looked at me in horror yet again. I'll consider that another victory against Mik.

"Let's just get it done. You will only have to do it once and then it will be over. Okay?"

Her eyes were still closed shut as she nodded. She lifted up her dress until it was above her belly button. The mark was the same as the one on her shoulder but, it seemed to shimmer a bit. The location was literally just above her pubic area.

Both the slaver and I looked over in Mik's direction again.

"Sick fuck..."

I muttered under my breath.

"What's ah fuck?"

The slaver asked. I looked back at him.

"People like him."

I responded while thumbing over my shoulder, toward Mik.

The slaver went to work. He placed the stethoscope half directly over the center of my chest and pointed the pencil end at the middle of the seal. He dragged the pencil upwards.

The mark came alive, moving, shifting. It followed the pencil-like object, keeping centered as it traveled.

"Keep yer dress as close ta yer body as ya can, slave."

He informed her. The pencil was now traversing her dress directly upwards past her breast and towards her neck.

"Slave ownah, please think o' tha shape ya want. When I get thar, it's more about yer thinkin' than my capabilities."

That must be what the connection to me is for. I can see the shape forming. I want it more smooth. A bit more curvature on the waves. A more solid black color, and a faint blue shimmer.

It stopped forming.

"Okee, done. Who's ah payin'?"

I thumbed over to Mik again.

"Hey, it's done. Want to go look at it in the mirror?"

I placed my hand on Sophie's shoulder. She put her dress down and opened her eyes.

"Is it really done? So embarrassing."

I pulled her in close for a hug.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Never again. Okay?"

She gave me a firm squeeze and let go.

"I want to see it!"

She was excited now. We went up to the restroom where the large mirror was located. Somehow this room managed to escape the split in the house, even though It's right above.

"Wow, It looks really nice. Not like a regular seal at all. Is that... It sparkles! Wow!"

"Do you really like it? I was afraid that you would think it looks like a fancy collar. I think it looks really pretty on you."

She gave me a big smile and a hug.

Just then, I heard some yelling outside. I wandered outside to see what was going on. The guards with the uncovered carriage were back and it looks like they almost ran into the slavers carriage.

"You have your summons to the Elders. Come with us now."

A guard called out to me as I looked on from the second-story window. The other guard was being harassed by Mik. Probably trying to tattle on me about the potion of Rage. Too bad for him, these guards already know. I wandered downstairs and got onto the carriage. Sophie followed.

"Why is she getting on? She was not summoned."

The other guard spouted at me. I pointed at the marking on her neck.

"She's mine."

As I said that, I felt a bit of shame.

'She's mine?'

How much more possessive can you get with a living being? I was so embarrassed by what I had said in front of her. I couldn't look at her.

I witnessed multiple trees around the area begin to turn brown. Something was sapping them of life.

"What on Eyse is going on here?"

One of the guards noticed.

"Maybe it's the witch."

I heard one guard whisper to the other.

"Let's get out of here before we get caught up in it."

The carriage driver got the horses moving. Before we were completely out of earshot, I heard Mik one last time.

"What happened to my trees?! That, stupid bitch slave!!"