Abad learned much from Zethari.


    Her people, the Fey''ra, were persecuted almost everywhere. Some were still free and mostly lived in small nomadic tribal groups in remote places in the Reach and the Verge to avoid enslavement, but most had been captured at the end of the Scion''s War.


    The Lupana were viewed as the most dangerous of the fey''ra due to their natural strength and aggression, traits she considered sources of pride. They had been the front-line soldiers in the Scion''s War. She herself had been a warrior in her tribe before she was captured in the east. She was one of some renown by her own telling. He believed her. Her muscular body was littered with scars, and her words held no hint of hubris, only confidence.


    She also explained that, while slavery was technically illegal in the seven nations, the beastkin were considered half-monsters nearly everywhere. They legally had to be claimed, which enabled them to be tracked and found by their patrons if they fled or caused harm. If they couldn''t find a patron, they were conscripted into the Legion.


    In Nolei, she said that being claimed was worse for her people. The lords and lawmakers looked the other way here, slavery was for all intents still alive, and more recently, the fey''ra couldn''t resist their masters, as evidenced by her trying to flee several times but not being able to. She said that was unheard of when she was a child, but she had seen firsthand the damage caused by the brands through the other bath attendants. They were all shells of themselves.


    Interestingly, she also claimed that his kind, the Nightstalkers, or sod''ra as she called them, were persecuted as well. None were allowed to be free. Every one of his kind was either killed, imprisoned, or conscripted. He was surprised to hear there were more like him in this time. He expected he''d be the only one he''d ever see in this age.


    She also told him that he would face worse than her people if others found out what he was. Abad''s experience with Firtz proved that. The dwarf had been kind and honorable in every way one would expect of a hero. All it took to shatter that illusion was Abad''s true form.


    As they talked, Abad insisted the girl rest and enjoy herself. He knew if she did, she would speak more. She clearly hadn''t been used to such gestures or luxuries, staying on guard for nearly the entire first hour, but after some time, she began to relax. With that relaxation came stories.


    Stories of her tribe and their battles against the Te''ra and monsters alike. Stories of her family and friends. Stories of her victories against the other warriors. Stories of their hard times and their good. Stories of her coming of age. And stories of her mate. The last subject made her voice soften and her edge fade.


    The two had courted for several years and agreed to their tribe''s mating ceremony a mere year before they had been captured. While the two had known one another for years, having met often as children when the clans met to trade, they only courted after she forced him to make his intentions clear. She said he remained pitiably weak-willed regarding her until then. As the son of a chief and her being a warrior''s daughter, their marriage had bonded their two tribes together. Her eyes shined as she spoke of him.


    Near the end of his allotted time, a soft knock sounded on the door. Abad had just enough time to recast his [Mask of Many Faces] before the goblin''s ugly little head appeared in the cracked door. When he saw the girl sitting away from her client and using the bath supplies, his face soured. He opened his mouth to chide the girl, but Abad cut him off.


    "I requested that she sit away from me and use what I purchased. Is that a problem?" The tone of his voice promised violence if challenged. The goblin took a step back.


    "Oh, no sir. Please, enjoy yourself, sir. I''m simply coming to remind you that your time is nearly up. You must pay again to stay longer."


    "I think this will be quite enough."


    The goblin nodded and left them alone again, shutting the door behind him.


    "He wilts under the slightest threat." She smirked.


    "The weak often do. When they have power over others, they abuse it. When they don''t, they scrape and fawn."


    She nodded again. She scanned him for a moment. "Are you among the powerful?"


    "I was."


    She was quiet for several moments. "You speak to me like a person." The wolf girl''s tone softened. "What game do you play with me? What do you gain in treating me this way?"


    "Nothing," he responded, but he knew it was a lie. She deserved the truth. "No, that''s not quite true. I needed information, and you seemed the least likely to tell others about what we talked about."


    "You are honest."


    "I have no reason to lie to you, and I think you''d see through it if I did." He rose from the steaming water. "Maybe if I were who I used to be, I''d have some other angle. Or maybe I''d simply claim you. Who knows? Today, information is enough. There is too much I don''t understand, and I feel like there are movements around me that I can''t perceive until I know more. You''ve given me much. For that, I''m grateful."


    He climbed out of the pool and toweled himself off.


    "What do you mean your time? You keep saying that." She rose from the bath and reached for her own towel. The tension that marked her before was gone. Looking her over, he could see the brand on her neck clearly. It was raw. It hadn''t healed well.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Let''s just say that I''ve been away for a very long time." He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked to her. The wound on her neck needed to be addressed. "May I?" He pointed at her neck.


    Her brow furrowed. "The filth who captured me burned me with their tool and left it like this."


    He reached his hand toward the angry wound, but she flinched. "I can help," he said softly.


    She hesitated a moment, then nodded. He reached out and touched her neck. It was on fire.


    [Essence Transfer]


    He willed some of his restored life force into the woman. The act made his vision swim, and he teetered. Her clawed fingers dug into his arm as she caught him. A moment later, he removed his hand from her neck and watched as her damaged skin knitted together. Within a minute, the wound was healed, though the brand remained.


    She seemed confused, so he gently took her hand in his and lifted it to her neck. She gingerly touched her skin with her long fingers. For the first time, her face screwed up, and her eyes shined before she swallowed the feeling away. "Why did you do this? Why help me?"


    "I can heal and have energy to spare. Why let you suffer?"


    His scroll unfurled.


    <hr><hr>


    [A Friend in Need]: Through an unexpected act of compassion, you healed a person in need while expecting nothing in return. This selfless gesture stirs something deep within you, awakening a new spell bound to your growing sense of empathy.


    Your [Blood Magic] skill becomes [Blood Magic II]


    [Blood Magic II] (Passive): Your mastery over blood magic deepens, allowing you to draw on your life force with greater efficiency, casting blood-fueled spells at a reduced health cost. This level of skill also enables you to learn more advanced Blood Magic spells, expanding your arsenal in exchange for careful management of your own vitality.


    You learn the [Sanguine Gift] spell.


    [Sanguine Gift] (2nd Circle, Active, Cost ??): Sacrifice a portion of your life force to briefly grant yourself or an ally enhanced reflexes, strength, and stamina, amplifying their physical abilities in a burst of vitality.


    You reach level X.


    Choose an Enhancement:


    <ul>


    <li>


    [Mana III]: Increases the reserve of magical energy coursing through you, further boosting your mana pool and enhancing your endurance when casting.


    </li>


    <li>


    [Life I]: Fortifies your life force slightly, making you sturdier and harder to wear down in combat.


    </li>


    <li>


    [Resilience I]: Grants you increased endurance against poisons, diseases, and other conditions that would weaken or slow down ordinary beings.


    </li>


    </ul>


    <hr><hr>


    He thought a moment, then selected [Life I]. He had had enough close calls lately and had no wish to die.


    The woman looked him in the eyes and simply said, "Thank you, Nightstalker."


    He gazed into her golden eyes. They reminded him of the imp''s in a way. He supposed that may have contributed to his desire to help her. Why else would he? He had seldom bathed without the little creature by his side, and this experience soothed his sense of loss. He realized with each passing day how much he missed her company.


    Something else nagged at him though. When he had touched her brand... "May I try one more thing?" She nodded. He placed his fingers on the healed wound and focused inward, trying to feel where his spirit touched the brand. At first, he couldn''t feel anything. The magic was fairly weak and unassuming. As he focused more, however, he could feel the simple sigil that governed the spell. It felt familiar, but he didn''t know from where or what its purpose was. It was some form of black magic, however. He would need to study further to figure it out.


    The goblin came back and poked his small head in. As he did, Abad dropped his hand. "My good sir, here are your clothes." The creature''s eyes gleamed when he saw Zethira in what he likely assumed was a compromising act. Abad wanted to burn the look off the disgusting creature''s face. Her usual scowl returned as she heard him.


    The simple clothes Keila had given him looked clean and pressed. He would be a real man after this. He nodded to the small creature, who exited, leaving the door open this time. Abad shut the door again, giving himself and Zethari some measure of modesty as they dressed. When they finished, Abad reached for the door, but she stopped him.


    "What do you intend to do?" Her voice held none of the hardness of before. Instead, there was a sliver of desperation.


    "My only goal is to find my path. To do that, I need money, so I''ll have to find work. After that, I have no goals as of now."


    A few tense seconds passed before she spoke again. "Will you bring ruin to the Te''ra?"


    "No, I don''t intend to. I don''t care much for them, but I have neither the power nor desire to do so." He tried to open the door, but she held his arm."


    "I know you do." He sighed. "You are meant for more than this. But I can''t break the bond you have to the establishment or its master. At least not yet."


    "Could you help me kill him? You are a Nightstalker. You choose who lives and dies. I might go free if you did."


    That solution would be far easier, but also more complicated. He didn''t particularly want to kill anyone. "I don''t believe that''s the best course of action for me right now. Especially if my road ahead is going to be as difficult as you say." He tried to move, but she held him fast.


    Her golden eyes looked into his. "Are you a kind master?"


    The question caught him off guard. Only the little imp had called him master in an age. Was he a kind master? He didn''t know. He suspected the opposite had been true.


    "I am no one''s master anymore. The only one who called me that is gone, and I can''t find her."


    "All Sod''ra are masters. You cannot help it. It is in your nature to rule."


    He hesitated. Was that true? He would be a liar if he said he hadn''t thought of it. Having loyal followers who enacted his will in the world. Even if he found a path separate from the one he once walked, he would need allies if he wanted to reclaim his former power. But did he truly want to relive his history? He knew where that path ended.


    She continued, seeing him hesitate, "I am no fool. I see how they look at me. What they expect of me. I see what the others do. I have avoided my fate thus far, but I... will not be able to do so forever. And I cannot find Rennar stuck here in this cage. Claim me, Nightstalker, and I will serve you faithfully and proudly."


    He thought on it a moment. She was strong. Capable. Proud. But that''s not what he wanted. He thought about the party he''d traveled with and the siblings. He wanted allies. Friends. Not servants. "I don''t want any servants. I''m sorry." His mind roiled. If these creatures were creations made by his fellows, how much responsibility did he hold to help them? His mind said little, but his heart said much. "But I will find a way to help you. I promise you that."


    <hr><hr>


    [Oath to Zethari]: You swear an oath to Zethari, vowing to aid in her liberation and prove your commitment to her people by confronting her captor’s allies or dismantling a significant element of the forces that keep her bound.


    <hr><hr>


    Her eyes filled with relief. She must have seen it too.


    He opened the door. "Give me time."