“Liam,” Marlen called to her husband. “Don’t forget to put salt and spices on the table. She might want to season the food.”

“Your mushroom soup is second to none, honey,” Liam Scoresby retorted but went on to put salt and spice boxes on the table as she told him to. Over the years they’d been together, he learned it was better not to argue with his wife, especially when it came to the kitchen and cooking. “...and I haven’t heard anyone complaining about your roast ribs marinated in honey sauce, ever.”

“Last time, Lydia told me the sauce was too spicy.”

“I meant the lads.”

“Lads? More like old farts,” Marlen gave a hearty laugh as she stirred the soup. Even though she was no younger than her husband and, like him, was pushing seventy, she still loved to tease him. “Besides, you said it was a lass who was supposed to come.”

He took a breath and looked toward the door for the umpteenth time this afternoon, a bit nervous. It was at the end of the month, five days ago to be exact, when he was returning from Mitta, and Frank, a city guard he had known since the man was a little boy, approached him with a message that took his breath away. Korra Grey, a half-terran lass he thought he’d never see again, asked if he would be willing to meet with her.

On his travels between Castiana and Mitta, a Sahal border town, over the years, he had helped many escaped slaves from Arda. He hated the damn kingdom that took his son’s life to the core, but was powerless to do anything about it. Over the years, he then found solace in helping at least those who suffered there and managed to escape. Though rarely did he see them again after entrusting them to the Castiana City Guards.

As bad as it sounded, he wasn’t handing them over to new masters. No, the late Lord Egerton made sure that those people were taken care of, and even though his son was a useless brat, Captain Rayden did her best to maintain the approach of the late Lord, one might say, as a sort of legacy. He liked the woman. She was capable, principled, and above all, she valued the lives of the men under her command.

Liam was sure that if she was here when his son, barely a fresh city guard at the time, was sent to defend the border when Arda sought to take a chance and carve out a slice of the Empire engaged in a war with the mind mages in the south, she would make sure he came back alive, all of them. That was in the past, though, and things were as they were. Not even time mages could reach that far to change things.

As for the slaves and the people he helped, there were valid reasons why he didn’t see them again. Fearing that their masters from Arda would come for them, regardless of the fact that they were in Sahal, most have moved further west. Many failed to adjust to life in freedom and either ended up among criminals or as slaves again. It was sad, but they were still better off being slaves in the Empire than there.

Those who adapted and found their place in society were not many. It was hard to find a job with a class like [Slave]. As far as he knew, it was either hard manual labor or selling their bodies in brothels.

In fact, he was a little worried and beat himself up for not asking Frank more about the young half-terran woman who was supposed to join them for lunch, except for making sure she wasn’t a goon. She might as well be one, a whore, a companion, a woman selling her body for the pleasure of others. Sure, many said it was a job like any other, but it wasn’t a profession he would stomach his daughter, the only child he had left, doing.

Luckily, he and Marlen raised Millie well, and she grew up to be [Knacker] as his wife, who passed on her penchant for harness-making. In fact, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and she married a [Merchant] - the class that had defined him all his life. The man was a good lad, though. Sadly, they settled in Brose town west of Castiana all the way beyond Esulmor woods, Granhill and the Granora Mountain Range itself. Because of that, they didn’t see their grandchildren as often as they both would have liked, but he was glad that his daughter and her family were closer to the heart of the Empire, away from all the turmoil across the border.

“What are you brooding about, Liam?”

“I’m not brooding,” he protested, offended that his wife thought so.

Marlen just smiled. “Yes, you were. I know that face of yours. Was it about Ben?”

“No! Maybe...not only him,” he admitted a little guilty. “I’m worried about how she ended up.”

“Who? The lass.”

“Yes. What if she works in a brothel?”

“Then you let it go. It’s her life, and you have no business sticking your nose in it. You’ve already done more than enough for her,” Marlen said sternly, knowing her husband very well. If he had the chance, he would give the lass a lecture. “And don’t you dare offer her money. You know damn well we don’t have any to spare.” They weren’t poor, but from what she’d heard people say, she sensed that bad times were coming.

“Don’t worry, honey. I...” he stopped short when someone knocked on the door.

“Looks like our guest is here,” Marlen said gently, gesturing to the door. “Come on, don’t keep her waiting. It’s rude.”

Liam Scoresby was used to dealing with people all his life; it was his job. Yet he felt a tinge of nervousness in his old bones. He had no idea what to expect, and the uncertainty was eating away at him. All the tension vanished the moment he opened the door.

There, in front of his house, stood the young half-terran lass, very much as he remembered her; a little shorter than him, ears bigger than a man’s hands,small antlers on her head, wings on her back, and a huge tail waving nervously behind her.

“Hello, Mr. Scoresby. It’s great to see you again, sir.”

No, she wasn’t the same. Though obviously nervous now, when he found her, she was shaking like a leaf, her eyes were darting all around, and she was ready to run at any moment. Not to mention she was naked and dirty at the time.

“Don't just stand there, Liam! Invite her in.”

Reminded by his wife, he got his bearings back together and smiled. “Nice to see you, too...”

“Korra, just call me Korra.”

“Come in then, Korra. I’d love to hear how you managed.”

The lass nodded, visibly relieved. “Thank you.”

Liam Scoresby gestured for her to come in, but she stopped just inside the door. “Is it okay for me to walk in like this?” she asked, her gaze trailing down to her dirty bare feet.

He couldn’t help chuckling, awkward about it. “Ah sure, just come in and don’t worry about it.” In Sahal, it may have been a custom to take off one’s shoes on entering the house, but he couldn’t have asked her to wash her feet, could he? The truth was, many of the old customs were challenged with the mass arrival of the terrans. Some customs terrans adopted as their own, others required an open mind from humans, and some terran customs humans adopted as their own. The last seemed to be walking barefoot.

“City guards without shoes, ridiculous,” Liam muttered under his breath, thinking the half-terran lass wouldn’t hear him. Turns out he grossly underestimated her oversized ears.

“Yeah,” she nodded, her ears following the gesture. “...it feels good, though.”

His gaze traveled to her feet again, human feet, not the paws and the beastly legs that most terrans had. “I find that hard to believe.”

She didn’t say any more to that.

“Hello...” the lass greeted as she entered the dining room where his wife was waiting for them.

“Oh, my...” Marlen bawled her eyes out at her, putting her hand over her mouth quickly to stop herself from saying aloud something she would regret. He knew his wife well enough to know that she was not horrified by the appearance of the lass. It took her by surprise, though.

“Korra, this is my wife, Marlen,” Liam quickly introduced her and motioned to the lass. “Marlen, this is Korra Grey.”

“Just Korra, please.”

“Dear me, I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to be rude, I just...Liam told me about you, but seeing you in person is...”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Scoresby. I’m used to it, sort of.” Liam noticed that her voice broke a little as the lass spoke. His wife’s slip-up hurt her. Yet her mood quickly shifted.

“What’s that smell?” the lass asked Marlen, beaming and wagging her tail. Then, as her stomach growled loudly, his wife, flustered by the slip-up, finally smiled, even giggled, and motioned her to the table. “My mushroom soup, a few more minutes, and it will be ready to serve....and then I am making ribs in the oven. A family recipe passed down from my great-grandmother.”

“It smells wonderful.”

“Tastes even better,” Liam remarked, taking a seat at the table as the lass did. “So...how have you been? Did you find a job in the city, or...” Marlen, already back in the kitchen, cleared her throat loudly to stop him. He couldn’t help himself; as a merchant, he was naturally curious about who he was dealing with.

“I’m a seeker,” the lass said, showing him the labyrinth mark on the back of her hand.

“Seeker?” Liam raised an eyebrow. He had his own opinion about those. Most of them were arrogant bastards flaunting their strength and riches. Their companies were hard for someone like him to compete with. The lucky thing for him was that most of them traded goods for clients of level 100 and up, while his clients were everyday folks. “What company, if I may ask, Korra?”

His wife may not have liked it when he rang off on their guests, but this time he saw her prick up her ears. Marlen shared his view of the companies.

“No, no company. I’m a solo seeker. Well, not quite solo yet. I have a mentor; you may know him, Deckard? He’s training me.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell, you, honey?” Marlen asked from the kitchen. He thought, but could not recall any seeker of that name. “The only Deckard I know of was a lieutenant in the city guards.”

To his surprise, the lass fluttered her wings and nodded. “That’s him. He quit there a few years ago and became a solo seeker.”

“I see. Still...are you sure it’s for a lass like you? Fighting beasts down there is dangerous work,” Liam grumbled. He always found people willing to throw themselves against the sharp teeth of beasts somewhat crazy.

The lass smiled ruefully and sighed softly. “There weren’t many other options out there for me. You know, circumstances kind of forced me.”

Yeah, he knew. “Either work your ass off under hard labor or show it off naked in a brothel, huh?” Despite what Marlen told him, he couldn’t just let it go. Besides, what was wrong with mentioning it now that he knew she didn’t work there?

“Yeah, I worked at one.”

He nearly broke into a coughing fit. “W-what?”

“I did laundry there but got fired for...stuff.”

“Were they forcing you to work as...a companion, and you refused?”

“No...no, no, no, they were nice to me. I just...it wasn’t my fault...but I wasn’t able to work there every day...it’s not a nice topic for an empty stomach,” she said as hers growled again.

“Okay, this will have to do. Here we go,” Marlen spoked from the kitchen and brought a pot of soup to the table. “Take a bowl while it’s hot.”

The lass’s eyes lit up, and her tail wagged wildly behind her, but she hesitated, looking at them both. It wasn’t until Marlen motioned her on that she picked up the ladle to help herself to a serving of soup.

“It’s delicious, Mrs. Scoresby,” the lass said between mouthfuls as everyone started to eat. She was eating so fast that if it weren’t for her not looking too skinny, Liam would think she hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Her appetite delighted Marlene, though. “I’m glad you like it, Korra. Feel free to help yourself some more.”

As he watched her take another serving of soup, he was unable to help but ask: “Is your mentor taking good care of you? I know you said he used to be a lieutenant...”

“Liam!”

“What? Look at her, Marlen. Moss on her head, no shoes, tattoos all over her body. She’d fit right in with the street rats.” Though he meant it, he threw her an apologetic look. “No offense, Korra. I know life is not easy, especially for slaves. It’s just...”

“...the old fool can’t help himself but care,” Marlen finished for him, sighing when she saw the lass sniffing her armpits. Despite what Liam had said and the overall impression the lass gave off - poor street young woman, free and wild, she was clean, well-groomed, and by no means stank. His remark was simply uncalled for.

“Is that wrong?” Liam returned.

“Not at all, honey. It’s what I love about you, only sometimes...it’s too much.”

The lass’s chuckle surprised them both. “I was really lucky to run into you on that bridge, Mr. Scoresby. I know I didn’t appreciate it much at the time, but thank you from the bottom of my heart for having the patience to take me all the way to Castiana.” Tears rolled down her eyes by the time she finished.

“Oh, dear...look what you’ve done.”

The lass shook her head, wiped her tears, and smiled broadly. “It’s okay, I’m fine...you know, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to thank you, and now when I was...didn’t expect it to unleash the waterworks.”

‘By the Traiana!’ Liam was touched to the core. No one he ever helped thanked him like that before. The few who saw him again mostly said a simple thank you, a few words at most, and went on about their business. He didn’t mind as he understood them. The whole experience, the escape to freedom - even traveling to Castiana - was traumatizing for them, a memory they didn’t want to be reminded of.

He guessed it was no different for Korra. After all, he remembered all too well how fearful she’d been all the way here, her sleepless night in the woods where they camped, her look of dread as she walked away with the guards at the gate. All those signs of how she must have suffered in Arda.

Unsure of what to actually say, he scratched the back of his head and smiled. “Those tears are the biggest ‘thank you’ I have ever got, Korra,” he spoke truthfully. “I’m glad I could help you.”

The brief silence that ensued was broken by Marlen clapping her hands together. “Okay, I think it’s time for the ribs. A full stomach always lifts the spirits.”

Roasted ribs in honey sauce. As she brought the main dish to the table and the smell of roasted meat reached their noses, Korra actually whimpered. Then, when she wiped away the drool coming from the corners of her mouth, Liam couldn’t hold back and laughed, glad they invited her to lunch. For once, the lass will have a good meal. “Don’t be shy,” he urged her not to be bashful and took his own share. He loved these ribs Marlen was making, the way the taste of the honey and meat blended with the spiciness on his tongue was simply out of this world.

“Delicious,” Korra said between bites. The way she pounced on the food made his heart hurt. Almost as if she was a hungry beast.

“Isn’t it too spicy for you, Korra?” Marlen asked. Lydia’s words were obviously weighing on her mind.

The lass swallowed a bite, licked her sauce-covered lips, and shook her head. “Not at all. I love spicy food.” As if to prove that, she started eating with even more vigor. In the end, she was the one who ate most of the ribs, but like him, he was sure his wife didn’t mind either.

“So, how are you really...?” Liam asked as an awkward silence fell around the table with empty and, in Korra’s case, licked clean plates. The kind of silence where no one knew what to say or where to start. “I see you’ve gained a few levels.”

[Slave: lvl 113]

A few was an understatement. If he remembered correctly and did the math right, which as a merchant he should, she got 21 levels in less than a month. Basically, a level and more every day. Either she got damn lucky or worked her ass off, pushing her abilities to the limit, a good way to die quickly.

“Yeah, I’ve been training a lot.”

“Must have been a heck of a training.”

“You have no idea...” the lass smirked, but her gaze was elsewhere. He knew that look. He himself often wondered the same thing - whether to tell everything, whether to tell the truth, even when it might hurt.

“If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to tell us, Korra,” Marlen said, giving him an angry look. Of course, his wife noticed the same. “We had our own share of hardship. We know how hard it is to talk about it.”

“It helps, though,” Liam spoke from his own experience.

“I know,” the lass smiled warmly at them. “Thanks, but I already shared my pain with others and came to terms with what happened to me just... okay, would you believe I used to be human?”

“You?” Liam raised his eyebrows and looked the young half-terran lass over again. “You certainly don’t look like a typical half-terran...”

“N-none I’ve ever seen,” Marlen added, looking the lass over the same way he did. “...but if what you say is true, and you were...what happened to you, sweetheart?”

“Well...” The lass then launched into a tale of how she ended up in captivity at the hands of an Ardian madman who made her into a hybrid of man and beast. How even though she got to Castiana, she was not safe, and they actually tried to kidnap her because of her rare appearance. As disturbing as everything he heard was, he found it much harder to stomach the fact that she had made friends with a mossbear in Esulmor, and the moss on her head was actually a gift from them and not just the result of poor hygiene he took it to be. The same was true of the tattoos on her body. It wasn’t a sign that she had joined a new gang in the city but of her friendship with a beast.

Of course, Liam knew she wasn’t telling them everything. But his experience and skill told him that there was a grain of truth to everything she said, and no lie told was ill-intentioned. Plus, if what she said was true about her working for the city guards, even if not as a full-fledged one, she had a decent future secured. He wasn’t sure about Deckard, her mentor, but Captain Rayden took good care of her men.

So, her being in her care brought him some peace of mind. Silly, he knew. After all, she wasn’t his daughter. Yet as old as he was, he couldn’t help but care. This one young lass, in particular - the first of those he had helped over the years to seek him out to thank him, had grown close to his heart. There was just something special about her, magical...otherworldly even.

***

“....no, no, I have boots. I just don’t feel comfortable in them,” I divulged to Mrs. Scoresby, who offered she might find some of her old ones to give me. To make her believe me, I let them appear in my hand. “See...”

The old lady blinked, looked at them, and then at me. “Your...beast side again, sweetheart?”

“Uh-huh,” I nodded. Earlier, I told her about my rather beast-like appetite when she bade me eat properly. Now she just connected the dots.

“At least you have an excuse, but what about those city guards walking around barefoot? Seriously, what are they thinking?” Mr. Scoresby grumbled.

“It’s odd, unseemly,” his wife agreed. “Those lads and lasses represent the city.”

“Yeah,” I scratched the back of my neck, awkward. I avoided talking about it the first time it came up and didn’t feel like telling them that I was pretty much behind the ongoing bet now, either. Some things were better left unsaid, like me having a connection to Esudein and Idleaf, being her Guardian. There was no reason to trouble them with that.

Sure, one could argue that I shouldn’t have even told them about Dungreen and my mutations. And I would be the first to agree. Yet I found myself unable to do it, to hide what I am. I wanted them to know that I was human.

“That reminds me...” I said to change the subject and let the boots disappear. Instead, my backpack appeared in my hand, out of which I promptly took a piece of cloth. “I wanted to return this to you.”

Mr. Scoresby looked at the piece of cloth that used to be an old sack he had found on his wagon and gave it to me as something to cover myself with, then laughed. “You should have burned it a long time ago.”

Yeah, I should have, but I couldn’t. The piece of cloth was a reminder of his kindness, and I just couldn’t get rid of that. At least not until I showed him that I hadn’t forgotten. Though now that I did, it was as if the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place, and all the tension and pang of regret I felt since I got my shit together lifted from my shoulders.

Things were turning for the better, and my life - my future no longer seemed as dark as in that cellar somewhere in Arda. I was free, had friends, squad, family even - weird as that one was - and yes, even the hope of seeing my own again one day.

“Maybe we could burn it together,” I suggested, my whole body tingling with a strange sense of ease and closure. Just as my adventure in Castiana began with Mr. Scoresby and that piece of cloth, it seemed fitting to start a new chapter of my life in a similar fashion. To put the past behind me and look forward to a new dawn.

Mr. Scoresby smiled warmly. “Why not? It seems like a great idea.”

“Not in the house, though!” voiced Mrs. Scoresby, not happy with the idea.

The way her husband looked at her, lovingly, but telling her he wasn’t a fool to do that, made me laugh heartily, all my sorrows and worries forgotten for the time being.

***

Name: Korra’leigh Grey

Race: Human/Beast

Gender: Female

Age: 29

Main Class: Deviant of Humanity

Sub Class: Slave

Level: 113

Constitution: 123 (41)

Strength: 69 (29)

Endurance: 38 (28)

Dexterity: 40 (27)

Intelligence: 31 (13)

Wisdom: 29 (12)

Class Skills (8/8):

Indomitable Will (Passive V): lvl 126

Master’s Shield (Active II): lvl 29

Behemoth (Active II): lvl 19 -> 21

Wrought Hide (Passive II): lvl 21 -> 24

Unbending Resilience (Passive II): lvl 17 -> 19

Mantle of Magic (Active I): lvl 8 -> 9

Ride of Ancestors (Active II): lvl 10 -> 12

Call of Nature (Passive II): lvl 19 -> 21

General Skills (10/10):

Eleaden Standard Language (Passive I): lvl 7

Perfect Equilibrium (Passive III): lvl 36

Spatial Domain (Passive III): lvl 39

Beast (Passive III): lvl 50

Never-Dying (Passive III): lvl 52

Tail of Poison Empress (Active II): lvl 20

Heart of Magic (Passive II): lvl 10 ->11

Striving Mule (Passive II): lvl 21 -> 22

Dancer’s Stride (Passive III): lvl 32

None to Squander (Passive II): lvl 15