One thousand gold coins

"What brings you here, traitor?"

"We came to rescue you," Lily said in a whisper. "Don't worry master, Matty is about to open the lock."

"Don't do it," I retorted.

"What, why?"

"Because I am free riding."

"What?!"

"Oh, come on," these little fluffy guys will be the death of me. "I am not that weak to get out of this place on my own. I am only resting while I can, you should do the same. Humph."

"..."

Oh no, she was making those eyes again, the kind of eyes she made as if she wanted to cry. "Oh... no... don't cry, Lily, stop it, okay? I am not mad."

She looked at me again and hesitated, "are you sure?"

"Yes," I sighed. "Just hide inside for a while, don't let those men caught you."

"But..."

"What?"

I heard noises outside, shouts, and clashes of swords. Then I looked at Lily who was watching the other side with a guilty expression.

"Tommy, he was sent to distract those men while Matty and I took you out from here, Master."

Cramps!

In the end, the whole camp became filled with men with wet hair and wet armors and clothes. The food was sprawled on the floor and their moods, well, too. Even the overly amicable and gentle Bruno was inside a deep and strange silence when he looked at the porridge. The poor metal bowl was thrown to the stones and grass and the soup was combined with the rainy tears.

Goodness, my little squirrel with red hair made a huge disaster, and then he left without getting caught. I am so proud of him, but I hope he doesn't cry that loud when he notices that it was for nothing. However, I guess, he was enjoying it.

****

"Where are we going, Master?"

The little squirrels hid inside my pillow, those damn squirrels. Now I can lie on my soft cushion. My lovely pillow, tch.

"A slave market on Maliburne," I said while munching the half of my soft loaf of bread that I had to share with those three. "To a little dirty place where girls and boys, like you and me, are sold, do you get it?"

"..." Matty was giving me the eyes. "Why are you so mad, Master? We didn't want to leave you there, but you were so slow."

"Humph."

"When are we going to escape, Master?"

"Maybe when they sell me," I smiled, "I want to see how much I am worth, at least, I should have raised my value from the last time, right?"

"..." He had this face as if telling me not to trust that much. Hateful brat. "Then... where are we going after that? Have you recovered your magic?"

I smirked.

The last few days in the cage were like purifying and relaxing charms in preparation for the next part of my journey. My magic returned, though, my will to use it didn't. I wanted to sleep a bit more, eat more and wait.

The sound of the wheels from the wagon, the sound of the wind, and the steps of the horses and the men. All of that will be my preamble for what I like to call, the revenge plan.

From what I know now, I was Jane, the lonely and desperate Jane, my soul was her soul and I came back to her life when she died. I don't quite understand, but that happened. Now, as I am Jane, and I am in my own life, then those who harmed Jane were harming me. Me, Eli Viel. And for that, they have to pay.

****

"We have arrived, little Jane," Bruno unlocked the cage and put the chains in my wrists to pull me out. I saw the three little squirrels get out of the cage without anyone else noticing.

"Don't be afraid," Bruno continued, "you will see that there is nothing to be afraid of."

Those words make me afraid, idiot. It would be best if he just shut up and stopped making me nervous. I had to focus on my next move.

'Breath... breath...' I repeated in my head.

The town of Maliburne was the same as before when I left it without looking back. The same dirt roads, with small and dark alleys that lead the innocent children and pure souls to the corruption of the world. Trash was in the streets, and hopeless people lurked around while trying to steal and commit crimes.

I saw some drunkards moving around and crashing on the walls or against other drunkards. Then fighting till collapsing on top of each other. That was fun till some men with nothing but danger in their eyes took their swords and killed the man with the beer mug in his hand.

No-one stopped the dangerous man, no one shouted for help, nor they called the guards. Well, maybe that man was one of those guards, who knows.

That is how things happened in Maliburne, nothing but strange people with different pasts, and waiting to forget it in the hole called Maliburne.

Now, again, the slave trade was allowed here, only here, where not even the Kingdom of Rillian had jurisdiction. This small town was at the border and in the middle of the biggest Kingdoms. Though, not hidden, and there was no one to inspect or record the people entering, the guards at the entrance could see everything. I had a bad feeling about them when I saw him back then, but they didn't care for a little girl like me. With blood all over my body and weak enough to die in the forest in the few next days.

Sigh... I guess I had luck back then.

Anyway, this time, I can feel that they are not ordinary guards. Their black capes can hide their bodies and obstruct the skin from showing up, but I can sense it, there are marks on their bodies. Marks with magic.

Who the hell are they?

"One thousand gold coins."

I heard Bruno saying, and I was impressed. I would sell myself for that much gold. Hahaha.... kidding.