Lament of the Slave

"Wait," I called Captain Rayden. "What, are you going to do about…him?"

"I'll write a report to my superiors. It's up to them how they evaluate the information you gave us. The name Frederic Dungreen is not unknown to the Sahal. Unfortunately, he doesn't move in our territory," the captain told me.

"But…" I tried to object.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do more, miss Grey. I'm sorry about what happened to you and what you had to go through. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair, you didn't deserve it, but that's life. My job is to keep Castiana safe. I can't do more than inform my superiors," Rayden said.

Her tone was stern but without anger.

I sighed. "I understand."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I should have been somewhere else fifteen minutes ago. Have a nice day," she said.

As she walked away, the aura she emitted disappeared with her. The peace of mind I had in her presence faded, and without it, my worries muffled only by my skill returned. I began to breathe hard, which the captain's assistant noticed.

"Please sit down," he pointed to three chairs by the wall. "Captains skill has such an effect on many people."

"So it was a skill," I muttered.

Assistant nodded. "It calms the guards when the city is under attack or someone like you."

"And that I told her everything, even what I didn't want to?" I asked with bitterness in my voice.

"It's a function of interrogation rooms," Trevis said.

So the whole room was magical too, like a giant lie detector. At least Travis explained it to me, and I didn't have to worry about it anymore.

I didn't want to stand and wait for him to process my ID card, so I came to the chairs the assistant had pointed at. I turned one around so that I could sit comfortably on it.

As it turned out, processing my ID required filling in several forms. For me, such work would be a small hell. I could handle it if I had to, but I would suffer. The idea of stacks of papers around me, waiting to be processed was horrifying. It wasn't a job for me. But Travis was in his element, or so it seemed to me.

"Miss Grey, could you....," Trevis said but stopped when he raised his head and looked at me.

He blushed, immediately turned his head to the side, clearing his throat.

"Um, miss, when you sit there like that, I can see everything," Travis said.

I looked down. The back of this chair was not made of one massive piece, but its lower part was formed only by partitions, slim sticks. At that instant, I blushed too. I did not realize that. Rayden hadn't said anything before, but she probably didn't see anything behind the table. But now I was not sitting directly at the table but in the room. Trevis could see my intimate parts through the partitions.

I immediately stood up, put the chair back in place, and tried to pretend that nothing had happened.

"What did you ask?" I asked.

"Yes, I need a drop of your blood to confirm the ID," he said, still red in the face.

He wasn't such a tough guy as he seemed at first. I thought he was an arrogant jerk who was above everyone else, except his superiors. I imagined him as a typical ass kisser.

Trevis pointed to a device on his desk. Another magical tool, apparently designed to create ID cards. Mine was already located in it. There was a clearly marked place to place my finger. I sensed that something would stab me in the finger as soon as I put my finger there. How else would they get a drop of my blood?

I put my thumb to the marked space.

"Tsss," I hissed in pain as the device stabbed my thumb.

Trevis smiled. "Great"

He took the ID out of the device and placed it on the table in front of me. Then he got up and started taking other things out of the cabinet behind him. In a moment, I was looking at the card, the ring, and the pouch with coins.

"What is all this?" I asked him, pointing to the objects.

"The standard package Castiana gives to refugees or slaves like you. ID, fifty silvers and a spatial ring the size of one cubic decimeter, so that you have a place to put it all in", he explained to me.

I stared at him with my mouth open. I had no idea how to react to this. It was great to get something, but I had no idea how much it was. I had no idea how much a loaf of bread cost in the city or a night at an inn. I never expected to get the spatial ring. I thought it was expensive, even though the size of the storage space of ten by ten by ten centimeters wasn't much, just enough for the bag, ID, with room for a few small things.

"How does the ring work?" I asked.

Travis sighed. "You put it on, use a drop of your blood and let your mana flow through it."

I squeezed my thumb, which already had a small wound, and as soon as my blood was on the ring, I let my mana flow through it. It was a trick that took me a long time to learn. Mana was something that people on Earth did not have in their bodies. It was something entirely unnatural for me back then. But now mana was a part of me.

When I sent mana into the ring, I immediately felt the little cube in the space that was mine. It was a strange feeling that disappeared when I stopped sending mana to the ring.

"How do I get those things in the ring?" I asked again.

"Just touch them and will them to move to the storage," Travis explained.

I touched an ID that appeared in a magically created space when I imagined a card there. The same thing happened to the whole pouch. I even felt how much space I had left in this magical storage.

"So that's all, miss Grey. Have a nice day. The door is over there. In the hallway to the right, then across the courtyard and you will be out of the barracks," Trevis said, pointing to the door leading from his office.

I stopped. "Wait, I don't know anything about this city."

"That's not my problem," he replied.

"Can't you at least tell me where to start? Where can I, I don't know… find a job, a roof over my head?" I asked him.

Trevis sighed. "City hall, ask at the city hall. Before you ask, it's at Imperial Square."

"Ok, thank you...how will I get there?"

I could see his frustration, but I had to ask him.

"On the street to the right, basically to the city center. So, on the street go straight on until you reach the square. That's it. Look for the biggest building there."

When I woke up on the banks of the Treim river soaked but free. I did not expect to find understanding and compassion in the people of Eleaden. These were rare traits to find even in people on Earth. Instead, I met Scoresby, a merchant who gave me food, took me to Castiana, and he didn't want anything in return. I didn't even thank him. Now I got money from the city to a new beginning, instead of a beating and being taken out of the city limits.

I didn't expect them to lead me by the hand, tell me exactly what to do. But it would have been nice.

I found the way out quickly, it wasn't tricky, and Travis didn't lie to me. Even found Imperial Square and city hall, which really was the most prominent building there, with the biggest sign.

I stood in front of it, unsure if I should really go to the city hall.

The number of people heading in and out of the Castiana City Hall was one of the reasons I was so hesitant to visit the building. I didn't feel good in their presence. Each of them could be a potential enemy. However, I was in the city, and these were usually full of people. I couldn't hesitate or run every time I met a person.

After taking a deep breath, I headed for the city hall.

It was incredibly noisy inside. My ears and more sensitive hearing may have been to blame, but the truth was that dozens of people, maybe hundreds, were talking to each other here. A vast room where there were three receptionists behind the counters on one side, on the other, there were boards with notices. Opposite the entrance was a staircase leading to the second floor.

I didn't hesitate and stood in one of the queues in front of the reception. New people were continually being added to them, so it was not worth standing in the middle of the hall while I admired its architecture. I could do that while standing in the queue.

Behind the long counter at the front desk was a man and two women. I chose one woman who, in my opinion, looked the least threatening. The receptionist was smaller than me, black hair, round face, dressed in a green-yellow uniform whose appearance was the same as the other receptionists.

I stood in the queue for a few minutes before it was my turn. I was nervous, sweating, and had no idea what to ask.

"Hello, do you want to register?" The receptionist asked me.

"Hello, um, I don't know? I just got an ID in the barracks…" I tried to explain to her.

"So, you're looking for work and lodging?" Asked receptionist.

I nodded. "Yes"

"On the opposite wall are all the job offers in the city. The notice boards are marked with letters according to the required level of skills, from the hardest marked A to the easiest marked F. The notice-board G jobs are mostly simple work that does not require specific skills," the receptionist explained to me.

"So if I choose something? What should I do?" I asked.

The woman smiled. "You will come to see one of my colleagues or me. Unfortunately, you will have to stand in the queue again. I will write down your selection and give you a note with that job offer. According to the information on the note, you will go to the place on it. Everything clear?"

"Yes, what is the normal salary?" I wondered.

"It depends on what you do. In the eight hours worked, the seamstress receives an average of one silver and twenty coppers. Jobs that require fewer skills, get less," said the receptionist.

"Of course," I nodded, just to ask another question. "… And accommodation? Will I find it on the bulletin board too?"

The woman shook her head. "You will have to find accommodation in the city yourself, or you can use the services of one of the guides."

"Guides?" I asked. Tourist guides?

"Mostly children who earn extra money and help their families. The city hall guarantees them. They are reliable, knowledgeable, and you don't have to worry about being robbed. If that happens, you can file a complaint with us, and the city hall will compensate you for your loss," said the receptionist.

I nodded. "How much is their service?"

"Ten coppers for every hour started," the woman said.

I had to clarify my priorities. Right now, they were to have a place to sleep, followed by something to eat. I needed money for that, which meant work. I had some money in the beginning, so the first in line was accommodation.

"What time do you close?" I asked her.

The receptionist grinned. "We are not closing, but only one of us is here overnight. You can come at any time."

"Wow. Well, I'd like to hire a guide," I said.

"Okay," she nodded, then shouted at the hall. "Timmy!!!"

Before I could get rid of the ringing in my ears, a little boy in a dirty dress stood next to me. He couldn't have been more than ten, but I had no idea if the beastmen were growing as fast as humans. The beastmens on Eleaden did not only have the ears and tails of animals. No, they were covered in hair, from head to toe, with snouts instead of noses and claws and pads on their hands and feet. Timmy was some kind of dog or wolf.

"Miss, this is Timmy. If you have a problem with his race, you will have to wait until one of the other guides returns. As I said, Castina City Hall is responsible for his services," the receptionist introduced my guide.

I shook my head. "No, that's not a problem. Should I pay now or after?"

"You will pay the guide after completing his work, according to the time worked. Your ID will be enough for me now. I will write it down in case there are problems," the woman said.

Problems? She probably thought if I decided not to pay. However, I did not intend to, so I took the ID card out of my magical storage and handed it to her. The spatial ring was a handy thing. I remembered my purse, which weighed a few kilos and contained an incredible mess. I wish it had a function like this ring. Just thinking of an object to appear in my hand would make my life on Earth much easier.

When the receptionist returned my ID card, I thanked her and went out with my guide. I longed to be somewhere with less noise.

"Where do you need to go, miss?" The little boy asked me.

"You're Timmy, aren't you? I'm Korra," I introduced myself to him as I squatted down next to him.

I was careful not to show him something he shouldn't see as Travis had seen.

"Nice to meet you, miss Korra," he smiled and shook my offered hand.

"You don't have to call my miss," I said.

Timmy shook his head. "City hall requires guides to be polite to their customers."

"All right, Timmy. So, I'm looking for some accommodation. I don't have much money, and I just need something really simple without cockroaches and spiders. Do you know where I could find something like that?" I asked him.

The boy looked at me thoughtfully." I know of one place but is on another side of the city."

"Very well, take me there," I told him.

Timmy immediately sprang forward. He led me unmistakably through the city while describing the individual places we passed: shops, workshops, and public buildings. The little wolf boy was a great guide. Our destination really was quite far, just a few blocks from the city wall.

At first glance, the Broken Mug inn had its best years behind it. It was a half-timbered house with a stone ground floor with a sign depicting a broken mug above the door. Timmy fearlessly entered the inn, which I would have avoided. If he wasn't afraid, I couldn't be scared either. I believed that the receptionist did not lie with the fact that the city hall was responsible for its guides.

Inside, on the first floor, was a real medieval pub. With half-occupied tables, between which ran a girl with a tray. The innkeeper was pouring beer behind the bar. He was a man smaller than me, bald, but with a big beard. He was also pretty round.

"Timmy," he called when he noticed the newcomers.

"Hello, Mr. Byron," the boy greeted him.

Innkeeper frowned. "I told you several times not to call me that."

"I'm at work," Timmy said proudly.

"Oh, so who did you bring here?" He asked, looking at me.

"Hello, my name is Grey. I am new in Castiana, and I am looking for accommodation. Something cheap, nothing fancy. Timmy led me to you," I explained.

"You're in the right place. This is not some fancy inn, but an inn for honest people. Innkeeper Byron," the man introduced himself.

However, he did not shake my hand because he continued to pour beer.

"I have a free room, sixty-two coppers per night—bed, table, chairs and wardrobe. Food is not included, but we offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner,"

I sighed. "You don't have anything cheaper? I don't need a wardrobe, I have nothing to put in it. I can't really sit on a chair, so I can do without it and the table."

Byron grinned. "Well, I tried. I have one room like that. It's a tiny room, just a bed, but there is noise from the Broken Heart at night. Twenty-nine coppers a night."

"Could I look at it first?" I asked him.

"Why not, Timmy, you know where it is. Here's the key," he said, handing the key to the boy.

He took the key from the innkeeper and smiled. "Come on, miss Grey."

To my surprise, we left the inn. However, not through the main entrance, but through the door on which the squatting figure was painted. We found ourselves in a small courtyard behind the inn. The space belonging to it was separated from the others by a brick wall. There was a mess, all overgrown with hedges and vines with three outhouses by the wall. The room was located in the gap between the inn and the next building. In that gap, narrower than two meters, was a small two-story extension.

The first floor was basically empty. Just a narrow long room with stairs to the second floor, where was the bed. That was all. The building itself was in poor condition, but it seemed clean. I didn't need more.

"What did the innkeeper mean by the noise? What is Broken Heart?" I asked Timmy.

"This building," he said, touching the wall of the other building that formed the gap with the inn.

"And the noise?" I asked again.

"The sounds of companions and the men who visit them," he explained, his innocence cute, not the reality itself.

It was a brothel. I wasn't sure if I wanted to listen to whores at work at night. On the other hand, I already wanted to have my room to feel safe, close myself off from the world, and sleep. I haven't slept in over 24 hours. It was my fault, but I couldn't change it now.

Tomorrow was also a day.

One night here won't kill me, right? Probably. Tomorrow I can go looking for a better room at a reasonable price as well as start looking for work. With a clear head, it will definitely go better.

My guide and I returned to the inn, where we found Mr. Byron where we left him.

He was glad I liked the room. How else. I paid the innkeeper, as well as Timmy. I promised him that if I needed a guide next time, I would tell him. I was satisfied with his services. After the innkeeper reminded me again that I could have food in his inn, I returned to my room.

My fears that I would not be able to fall asleep, due to the feeling of danger that threatened me from the others, did not come true. The room, the four enclosed walls, something I hadn't had in months, gave me a sense of security. I fell asleep in a few minutes.