by J. J. Pavlov
Wait, this might actually be a naturally evolved animal in this world, for all I know. In fact, its rich and lustrous fur combined with its regal behavior makes me think this might just be some noble's pet that was kidnapped for ransom.
In another cage are two lizards with weak little wings. The only reason I'm fairly certain they aren't dragons is the fact that they look very much like iguanas that sprouted extra limbs. They don't seem like they could fly with those, and I doubt they're able to breathe fire either. These must be cursed then?
The third cage is pretty big and holds a wulfar. However, this one's eye sockets are hollow, and instead, its whiskers have grown into eight prehensile feelers. It has six legs, and the spines running along a wulfar's back have turned into insect-like arms.
Alright, this one's definitely corrupted, and it's expressing itself in a very creepy way at that. Not even I could consider that cool or cute.
But these are just curiosities and commodities that one should be able to trade openly - unless these were also kidnapped from their rightful owners. Then again, maybe keeping cursed animals is illegal since they're considered to be dangerous.
However, my attention is on the biggest cage all the way in the back of the storage room, covered with a sheet of thick cloth. This one's big enough to hold a bear, and might contain something to match its size. The adventurers inspect the animals, but nobody else seems to have noticed this one, yet.
I approach the cage and unhesitatingly pull the sheet that covers it, revealing the being inside. It's a young dark elf with dirty dark skin and unkempt hair, sitting in the corner of the cage and staring at me with a feral amethyst-colored glare.
She's a corrupted being; her right arm is deformed, and from around the middle of the upper arm downward, it turns into a giant crab pincer. In fact, if she stood up and straightened her arm, its tip could maybe even reach the floor. Unlike her skin color, it's a bright red.
A fiddler crab's arm?
"A cursed dark elf..." Rolan, who has noticed my movements in this corner of the room, comes up to me and speaks with a look of pity in his eyes.
Hey, what's with that face? I would understand it if you directed that expression at the animals, but not at a person! I turn to look at the girl, who tries to hide her arm by turning away. But the crab pincer is almost as wide as her petite body, so she's unable to cover it completely.
I actually think it looks pretty cool.
"What happens to her?" I have the feeling that she'll be treated as an outcast in the world of humans and elves alike. I'm sure nobody in the Dominion would mind, though. I mean, beings like me exist over there, so this is pretty harmless.
Ugh, why do I hurt myself so?
"I don't think anyone is going to come and claim her as family... it's even possible that she was sold into slavery by her own parents." The leader replies in a somber tone.
That's really cruel. To think human and elven society is that backwards and doesn't have a social care system for people affected by birth defects - which corruption results in - and are unable to live on their own. Well, the same is true for most countries in the world I come from, so...
I look at the cursed dark elf, and our eyes meet. Her amethyst irises appear to be glowing faintly in the twilight of this room and are drawing me in. It feels like I could lose myself in them forever, their mysterious patterns seemingly swirling in the colors of the sea of stars in a clear night's sky. They remind me of another certain dark elf. I assume all of their kind have eyes like those.
"I want her." I find myself saying without really thinking.
"Miss Chloe? But slavery is forbi-" Rolan begins to complain, but I clear up his misunderstanding.
"No, not as a slave. I want to free her. I want to give her a place in this world." Looking up at him with a soft smile, I wordlessly imply 'just like you did for me'. He closes his mouth, taken aback by my expression.
He didn't really do anything significant since I only faked my helplessness - and still am faking it. But making him think he did allows me to manipulate him better.
However, this girl is really in the situation I pretended to be in. When I look into her eyes, I see only despair. While there's a tiny flicker of life in them, it's so faint that it may disappear at any moment. Hers is a gaze on the verge of giving up on life.
She's too young for that.
In other words, my motherly instincts are getting stirred up, when I look into her eyes - even though I'm only seventeen years old. Well, I can also feel something darker stir inside me, so I can't say my reasons are entirely selfless.
Rounding the cage, I find the door. It's obviously locked, but only with a simple mechanism rather than one that requires a key. The only reason the little dark elf couldn't open it herself is that it's too high up for her to reach. It requires one to turn and lift up a heavy metal bar, which would be too much for her to do while balancing on tiptoes.
I unlock the mechanism and enter the cage.
"Wait, that's dangerous, Miss Chloe!" At the leader's voice, others turn around to us. Gram, Luna and the bard come over with concerned expressions on their faces.
I slowly inch towards the cursed girl, avoiding fast movements like I'm dealing with a wild animal. She bares her teeth, her expression filled with fear; she must have had many painful experiences with people coming into her space before.
Luckily, I had enough presence of mind to leave Senka outside, since her appearance surely won't do any good in such a situation.
"Please come out of there. You don't know how strong the cursed can be!" Rolan isn't shouting, but his voice carries a certain urgency. The big man watches anxiously since he can't follow me into this cramped space with his shield. Luna raises her staff and begins to chant, while the bard readies his crossbow.
Stop it, or I'll get mad! I'm ready to take you all out to save this girl if I have to! Yes, to me, she's more like kin than any of you humans are.
I move around to block the other party members' views on the dark elf girl. That way, they can't attack her without potentially hurting me in the process. With my arms outstretched, I step forward trying to appear as unthreatening as possible. But she slowly raises her crab arm in response to my approach, all the while shaking all over in fear.
I have to admit, from so close up, it looks quite scary. There are sharp spikes on the outer ridge, and the color is like a warning signal, although it makes me think that it's actually drenched in blood. But I'm not someone who gets discouraged by appearances.
We're now both in range to touch each other, but I stop and lower myself to her eye-level. I heard that this is the best way to speak to a scared child.
"There's nothing to fear." I hope I'm making a relaxing warm voice; I can't really tell.
Ah, a little life returned to her eyes, as she looks at me in surprise. I smile at her as best as I can, but somehow she gasps and tries to retreat from me. The cage's bars keep her from doing so, and desperation flashes across her face.
Did I do an evil smile just now? I have a human face, so I should be able to tell whether I'm genuinely smiling or not. But maybe it's because she doesn't let herself feel hope, for fear of it being betrayed? Maybe my smile seemed dishonest to her, and she thinks that I will only hurt her in the end, too?
No point in thinking, it's do or die! I move forward quickly-
- and get slapped across the face by the huge pincer.
Ahhh, of course, that's how it goes. I'm crying over here. Big sis is crying because you're rejecting her kindness.
"Miss Marcott! Are you alright?" Luna, of all people, is concerned about me.
The slap was unexpectedly light, and it was with the side of the claw that's completely smooth. Either way, physical attacks don't really work on me - at least not ones of this level. But now that she swung her arm and it didn't have any effect, I used the opening to close the distance and enter her range!
"Everything's alright now..." I hug the little dark elf to my c
hest and whisper into her long and pointy ear. She's shocked by my unexpected course of actions and begins to struggle, but I won't let go, now that I got her. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."
Of course, that's a very arbitrary promise, since nobody could ever guarantee something like that in a world where people can fling fireballs and shoot magic lasers. But at least it sounds reassuring. And I do have every intention of following through with it.
Ah, she's sinking her teeth into my shoulder.
Are you a wild dog? I heard that when a dog bites you because it's afraid of you, and you don't show any anger or hostility, it will lick the wound as if to apologize. Well, I don't expect a demi-human to do that, but I still endure it without making a sound. Not like it hurts at all since I have this convenient body. Also, she doesn't have much strength in her bite and is unable to pierce my skin.
I don't let go of her and keep my firm but warm embrace, trying to convey the thought that I want to keep her safe through it. Finally, she stops struggling, and lets go of my shoulder. I separate from her and look into her eyes, noticing that her fear and desperation has faded.
She sees my expression and finally realizes that I mean her no harm, so her body relaxes and she begins to tear up. Burying her face into my chest, she lets her emotions run wild.
I did it.
"You're a real daredevil, Miss Chloe..." Rolan sighs behind me. I turn around and see the tension in the room dissipate. Gram's even making an approving gesture.
"What's your name?" I ask in a soft tone after she finally calms down and we separate again.
"... Kamii..." She replies in a frail voice. It seems she understands our language.
"I'm Kuroe Makoto." Introducing myself with the original pronunciation of my name, I caress her cheek and give her a reassuring smile. She nuzzles into my chest again and squeezes me tightly.
Ahhh, what a nice feeling~
"Mahkotoh..." She mutters, and I can feel my heart skip a beat. It's pronounced with a childlike lisp, but it's much closer to my real name than what the others have been calling me so far. I don't even care that she may think it's my family name since it's actually my given name.
I steal a glance at Senka leaning against the bars outside the cage, but she obviously doesn't move while there are so many people around. With Kamii, I just got two cute companions in the span of two days.
Bad taste? Whoever says that will get swallowed whole, and in my belly, find a new definition of pain and suffering, as they're slowly digested over the course of a thousand years!
Chapter 15 - A Tearful Reunion
Eventually, every corner of the building complex was scoured, and twenty more slavers who were trying to hide got flushed out and captured without causing much trouble. The adventurers also found a few more elves and dwarves, who were secured and taken to the guild hall for shelter. It appears that they weren't all meant to be transported this time, and there were many more operations planned for the future.
In typical police tradition, the city watch arrived almost right after everything was done, and then tried to take over control of the situation from the adventurer guild. As expected, Ingrid gave them a stern talking to and didn't let go of the reins. Since those among the guards that were secretly collaborating with the slavers couldn't expose themselves now that it was already over, they could only take the beating. Ultimately, they were made to take away the slavers, to lock them all up for their trials.
Well, what exactly happens to them and the overall aftermath of this urgent guild quest doesn't interest me so much. I gained a new companion from this whole ordeal, and she's a cute dark elf. Her curse, manifesting itself as a giant crab pincer instead of her right forearm, only makes it better.
The best part is that Kamii seems to like Senka's design. It's possible that dark elves all have those kinds of preferences, since Lady Nightwane really liked her, too. Maybe a little too much in her case, though.
I told Rolan that I want her to join the party, making it clear that I wouldn't take a no for an answer. He's already resigned himself to gaining more and more members without his consent, but I can sense that he would prefer Kamii to stay with me than her to walk around town aimlessly. After all, she has no home to return to, just like me.
Really though, we make for a very strange appearance, with me carrying around a lifelike creepy doll, and Kamii hanging onto my sleeve like a scared little sister. A little sister with a giant crab arm.
Kamii's clinginess is quite welcome, though. It feels like I gained a little sister, and it ignites a protective flame in my heart. Big sis is here for you! I'll protect you from all the evils of this world! But I don't even have money to buy you any new clothes! I'm sorry!
She's wearing rags consisting of a thin poncho, which only covers her upper torso and leaves her navel exposed. A frayed loincloth is haphazardly tied around her waist; during a breeze, I saw that she doesn't wear anything underneath. It looks far too cold for the chilly climate of this nation.
While I don't really mind this kind of outfit that much since it has a 'less coverage equals more armor points' feel to it - especially coupled with that huge crab claw of hers, which makes her look like a fighter type - it's too dangerous to leave alone. She is a young girl after all, so I can't have her accidentally exposing herself to strangers. And something cute would be more fitting for her loveliness.
For now, the bard lent her his cloak in a most gentlemanly gesture. She's wrapped up, and her cursed arm is hidden from view as we walk through the streets.
Not like that's enough for her not to draw any attention, though. The spikes on the crab claw cause her outfit to bulge on her right side, which makes it clear that something is up. Also, her unkempt hair is crusted with dirt, and her face doesn't fare much better.
"I'll buy her some clothes. She can't keep walking around in those rags." Gram offers, as we get onto the main street and he spots a tailor. This party is full of gentlemen!
"We'll go ahead and return to the guild, then. See you there later." Rolan excuses himself and takes Luna along. Ingrid said she wanted to meet with all group leaders and do a debriefing, especially after the deaths of a few adventurers.
The bard remains with us because if we're going to buy clothes for Kamii, he can have his cloak back right away.
"Welcome. How may I help you?" The interior of the store Gram leads us into is all warm and cozy, and the tailor immediately comes up to us with a businessman-like smile. Kamii instantly hides behind me and stares up at him in fear, and he looks at her in surprise. "Oh, my."
"We'll take a look around first." I step forward and say, to get him away from us for the time being. He takes the hint but doesn't lose his smile, as he nods and returns to his counter.
"Kamii, you can choose whatever you like." Gram remarks and gestures into the room. She's apparently also afraid of him, mainly because of his size, but she knows that he's trying to be kind to her.
I leave Senka on the chair at the front door, as company for the bard who's waiting there discreetly. Then I guide Kamii through the aisles, as she wouldn't leave my side to search for clothes on her own.
As we approach the back of the store, she suddenly pulls on my sleeve, and I stop to look at her. She's staring at a simple white sundress that seems entirely out of place for a store in a nation that's known to have had a decade-long winter in the past. Right now, the weather isn't forgiving enough to be wearing this, either.
I think Gram wouldn't mind if she picked a more expensive outfit that can actually keep her warm. However, since her giant crab claw wouldn't fit through any sleeves, she can't wear proper coats. In fact, I think she can't even wear this dress without risking to tear it apart due to those pesky spikes on her arm.
"Let's look for something else. This one won't fit." I say with an apologetic expression, but I'm met with a dejected look that breaks my heart. Damn, that's dangerous for my heart!
She seems to be really fixated on this particular
dress, so I'll ask Gram to buy it for her anyway and have the tailor make some modifications to how it's worn. The big man obviously understands my sentiment and agrees with a big smile.
Now, it's the moment of truth. I remove Kamii's coat in front of the tailor because he needs to know in what way he has to change the outfit. Obviously, he's shocked by the reveal, but while he does have an expression of apprehension, he's also a professional who's about to make a sale - and the big man's presence is quite intimidating.
In the end, he agrees to work on the dress right away, even though he has a few things piled up on his table, which he seems to have been working on up until the moment we entered the store. He's most likely doing this because he wants to get her out of his shop quickly.
The design the tailor comes up with allows the dress to be worn by putting it on from below and then pulling a single strap over the left shoulder. This way, it never even comes close to the cursed arm. Also, it's a small modification, so it takes very little time for him to finish it.
I go into the changing room with Kamii, since she can't get dressed on her own. With the poncho she's wearing now, she can put it on her head and slip through the hole in it, but the dress is a little more tricky to put on with only one hand.
That means I'll get to see the little dark elf in all her naked glory!
When I pull the ragged cloth over her head, all my naughty thoughts are blown away. Her slenderness borders on malnutrition, and there are scars all over her shoulders and back. These are the results from being whipped, with rather fresh ones overlaying with year-old traces.
I can feel anger and sadness welling up inside me. Hugging her from behind, I try to suppress these emotions. How could humans do such things to a young girl like her? I should just wipe them all out...
"... Mahkotoh?" Her quiet voice brings me back. She has brought her left hand up to touch mine, which is trembling from the feelings swirling in my head.
