He woke up feeling groggy and drained. His muscles ached terribly from sleeping on the hard ground for what had now been almost two weeks. Every breath hurt slightly, but at least he supposed he was grateful he was able to breathe. He shuddered as he imagined being back in his coffin. Stumbling upright, he saw the trio had already pulled themselves up into the cart and were quietly eating breakfast. He wandered over to the cart and opened the door, climbing into the seat.


    "Well?" Serus asked. "Feeling better this morning?"


    "Yeah, you damn bastard! You scared us all half to death with your little stunt last night." Rhys shouted, but a sharp look from Keila quieted him down fast. "What the hell happened, anyway? Looked like you saw a ghost."


    Abad fished into his pocket and pulled out the object he found out. Holding it up in the morning light, he waited for them to take it in before speaking. "It was a tooth," Abad said, tossing the small white thing at Rhys. The man caught it with his meaty fist, then unwrapped his fingers. Looking between the tooth and Abad several times, his face blanched.


    "Gross." He held the tooth like it was something poisonous and tried to give it back to Abad, but the warlock didn''t extend his hand to take it back. After a moment, Rhys threw it at him.


    "So you say it came out of a monster?" The question came from Keila.


    "Yes. We met a boy in the wreckage of the wagons we found, where you all met me. We kept him near us until the troll attack, but we told him to run off once there was an opening. I didn''t know if he had been found and picked up by the others, but I think it''s safe to assume he didn''t. That''s what I saw last night. The boy. Something... tore out of him. Split him open like a rotten fruit." The words sounded insane even as he spoke them. He knew of no magic that could do such a thing. But it was the truth. The tooth was evidence of that.


    Abad glared at the brothers, daring them to challenge him. The woman watched the unspoken challenge with a light smile on her face, nibbling her breakfast as she did. Serus broke first, shrugging his shoulders and returning to eating.


    "The others did tell us about a boy the morning we found them. Told us to keep an eye out for him. Seems like something got him. Sad." He scooped a healthy bite of porridge into his mouth, relatively unperturbed for a man who just heard a child had split open feet from their camp last night.


    "Do things like that happen a lot around here?" Abad asked, wondering if this new world he found himself in had been overrun with monsters like that. Ones that hadn''t existed back in his time.


    "Not much that I know of. But you hear things traveling like we do. Some cultists bring back horrors on special nights. Thankfully, word is that hasn''t happened in years. Trolls in the forest aren''t unheard of, and I''ve heard rumors of darklings in caves further north, out in Evron. Gloomfangs are everywhere near the wall. Other than that, probably the most dangerous things you''ll encounter on the road are bandits. They''re the scariest thing out there for the most part." Rhys had finished his meal and was strapping down the oxen as he spoke.


    Keila''s eyes had dropped to her near-empty bowl. She was stirring around the last of her porridge. "Shame about the boy."


    "Yeah, it is. Can''t save ''em all though. We''ve got enough on our plate, being claimed and all."


    Claimed? "What does that mean?"


    "You really don''t know anything, do you? Claimed means we''re owned by someone else. Someone rich and with a class. He gets our money and loyalty, and we get protection and resources in exchange. We don''t starve to death on the streets because of our master. He makes sure we don''t end up dead or robbed by brigands, because his profit goes up if we''re doing well. Plus, the fact that we get a portion of profits incentivizes us to sell more." Serus had jumped down and helped his brother with a stubborn harness.


    "What about the brand? Does that indicate who owns you?"


    Keila shot a glance back. "It tells the guards whose cut they need to pass along. Each region has different laws and taxes. Keeps things organized, at least until a few years ago." She shook her head, "Times are tough."


    Abad didn''t quite understand everything that she said, but it sounded like slavery. "So, slaves?"


    The three laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. We were orphaned young. It was either the mines for us and the brothels for Keila or being claimed. Wasn''t a difficult choice to make. And besides, the man claiming us is very wealthy and always treats his vassals well, as long as we do what he asks. Gives us fair wages, and we don''t live under constant threat of punishment. Plus, he even invests some of his essence in us. Makes us faster, stronger, tougher—worth more as assets that way. We wouldn''t be half as strong without him." Serus smiled as he spoke. He obviously held deep affection for his master, despite being, as Abad put it, a slave.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Abad chewed on this information, turning it over and over again in his mind as they resumed their travels.


    ***


    The next morning, they ate and arrived at the ferry. A dozen wagons lined up before them. Keila called out to another driver, who answered and waved.


    "Guess we owe you, sis. You actually pulled it off."


    "Goddamn right you do. Told you I''d catch up." She placed her hands on her hips and grinned. She loved winning.


    "Yeah, yeah." Her brothers mumbled in unison. Both of them fished out bags and handed them to her.


    A guard, dressed in some worn mail and holding a halberd, walked up to the cart, greeted her, then checked some papers she handed him before handing them back a moment later. "Nice to see you, Keila." the man shifted his halberd awkwardly. "You look... good. Well." He shuffled awkwardly. The man was younger, about the same age as Keila as far as Abad could tell. He noticed the man avoided her eyes as he spoke.


    "And nice to see you Gregor. You been well?" She was equally stiff.


    "Yes, very. Kids are gettin'' big now." He smiled. "Want to see a picture? Got one of those fancy ones done up a while back by a traveling mage." His eyes sparkled, and he finally looked at her.


    "Not really."


    "Yeah, okay." He deflated. One of the brothers snickered. "Well, have a good trip across. We''re pretty backed up right now. Everyone''s heading inland with Darkfall approaching. Be patient, ''kay?"


    "Tell Shari I say hi." Keila turned away from him, ending the conversation. The man meandered off, back toward the ferry.


    Abad asked the question with his eyes when Keila looked back up. Rhys answered it.


    "Keila used to be sweet on him when we were younger. Always got excited to come to Farfoss. Little man promised the world, but he didn''t want to move away from his aging parents, least that''s what he said. Turns out, he didn''t love our dear sweet sister enough to not make kids with someone''s else''s sister instead." He chuckled as Keila''s face grew red.


    Serus smacked his brother. "Be nice. She was torn up something fierce. Fought us tooth and nail for months. Don''t rock the boat, man." He placed a hand on Keila''s shoulder. "Don''t listen to him."


    She set her jaw. "Well, I''m over all that now. It''s just me, my two idiot brothers, and the road now."


    Abad grinned at them, then contributed. "We all have a past." He tried to make himself seem approachable, even if most his past were almost certainly dust and bone by now. "Part of life. We come together for a time, enjoy one another, then we part. One way or another."


    Keila glanced at him sideways and lifted a brow, then smirked. "You might be onto something there." She looked forward. "I hope you''ve got good memories because mine all taste bitter."


    "I have nothing but bitter memories." Abad frowned. He hadn''t meant to say that. It just came out.


    Serus nudged him, and Abad realized the girl was searching for something on his face. Their eyes met. She was pretty, something he had thought many times as they traveled. Her blue eyes bored into him, looking for something that he couldn''t place. He simply shrugged at the woman and said, "it''s a long story."


    "We''ve got time now." She smirked, noticing him evaluating her, then leaned back. "Want to talk about it?"


    Abad spent the next hour relaying stories from his past to the siblings. He changed every story so that it revealed little, but it was enjoyable to talk about the past with them. The longer they talked, the more alive he felt. At least he did until the story about the Night of Red Flames. His mood soured immediately.


    "Woah woah woah, you weren''t involved in that shit, were ya?" Rhys looked him over.


    He had forgotten how long ago that night was.


    "It... It''s complicated." He had said enough.


    "You''re a geezer! Goddess''s shining ass, no one would guess you were that old. You barely look thirty, or whatever age that is in elf time."


    "Wow..." Keila whispered. "You''ve seen a lot."


    Serus nudged him. "Looks like you won her over, old man."


    Rhys chimed in, "He''s right. Women like mysterious, tortured men with sad pasts. You''re nailing it!"


    Keila scoffed, smacked them both, and shook her head. She blushed furiously, with even the tips of her ears turning red.


    ***


    They grew bored and quiet as the ferrymen did their work. The brothers cracked open some beers, and even Keila took one, saying it would be a while anyways, so she might as well have some fun too. After several hours, the ferry returned for what had to have been the tenth time, and another carriage boarded. The wagon was loaded sideways, allowing him to see a few figures through its windows.


    He tensed.


    Inside the wagon, a figure shifted. The woman''s black hair shined as it caught the afternoon light. She looked bored watching the ferrymen tie the wagon down. She sat stiffly by the window of the carriage, and just visible behind her were her two companions. It was them. They seemed to move and talk as if nothing had happened to them days before. Firtz healing likely had patched them up by now. Abad wanted to avoid confrontation altogether, especially given the dwarf''s final words to him, so he tried to duck a little into the cart''s bench, but it was no use. As the ferryman called to one another, readying the ferry for launch, she looked up.


    For a moment, their eyes locked. He knew it. So did she. Neither did anything. They simply observed one another silently. Firtz'' head popped into view. Shani turned her head, and the two chatted and talked. A moment later, she looked back at him. Her blue eyes sparkled, catching the afternoon light as it danced across the river''s surface. They reminded him of Angra''s golden eyes, not in color but how they sparkled. He missed the little imp.


    Just as the ferry began to launch, Shani nodded to him, then turned to the others as the ferry floated away. He watched as the wagon made its way across the river, never looking away until it landed on the other side.


    Keila noticed and looked at him with questions dancing behind her eyes.


    Abad shifted in his seat, "Let''s just say there''s been bad blood between us, and it isn''t resolved yet." He thought a moment, then added, "It won''t be resolved."


    "One of those bitter memories?" Keila asked softly.


    "Yeah, one of those bitter memories."