Chapter 26: Chapter 26 – If You Want to Know, Ask Someone Else

 

Aila went home and worked long into the night to vent her anger, and soothe her frustration. She couldn't sleep, so she used her strength and enhanced sight to further repair her home.

When the morning sun rose in the sky, she stopped and sat on her roof quietly.

"I still can't come up with an answer." She sighed. "How do I get an answer when I have no clues?" Aila thought for several minutes before she jumped down and headed for Aros.

There was only one thing she could do. Ask someone who might have the knowledge she needed.

 

* * *

 

"Hi, Rirn!" Aila said as she pulled up her cart to his stall. He smiled gently.

"Hi, young lady. You certainly know how to change things around here. Destroyed the lich of Underground Black that threatened the kingdom for two centuries. Destroyed the front gate of the Inaris clan, and hit them with a penalty for their behavior. The Assassin's Guild also hit them with a penalty. Now, they've sold several of their slaves to cover their losses." Rirn just did an information dump, but Aila tilted her head.

"Slaves? So those guys were not lying when they said they wanted to sell me as a slave?" She said.

"Who would dare do that?" Rirn said angrily.

"The first group I killed."  She said nonchalantly.  Rirn nodded at her answer.

"Makes sense. Lots of illegal slave trading, and parents selling their children when they are too poor to care for them. Some parents should not have children at all, and some run away from home only to end up at the slave trader anyway." Rirn sighed. "I would rather chop off an arm then sell my little girl."

"That is what makes sense to me, Rirn. Children should be loved, like I was." She smiled. "So where is the slave dealer who bought the Inaris slaves? I might want to go take a look. Oh, before I forget, how does an elementalist form a core?"

"Form a core?" Rirn frowned.

"I don't form them myself, that I know of. I haven't really taken a good look inside my own body." Aila said with a shrug. "Also, I had no one to teach me, so I learned by experience, and experimentation."

"Makes sense, but also doesn't, considering how strong you are." He rolled his eyes. "From what I know, the core is formed the same way for humans as it is for beasts. If an elementalist has the right conditions, they start absorbing the elements from a core using a filter crystal. There is loss, but less risk from the incompatible elements."

"Their channels form as they absorb their first elements, but their cores form over time. After they absorb enough elemental essence, the core forms naturally. I think its compressed elements, but I'm not sure. The cores within a human dissipate upon death, so they can't be removed. If they are removed, which causes the death, it immediately dissipates." Rirn said. Aila put her hand on the back of her head, and frowned.

"Well, that kind of makes sense." She looked a bit confused. "The elements are the building blocks of reality, as far as I can tell. A tree dissolves when the life element is drained away, as does stone. It might make something when there is enough of it." Aila decided to try it tonight.

"So, where is the slave trader? I really want to see how they treat their own people." Aila heard Rirn sigh sadly.

"No, Aila. You really don't want to see how they treat their slaves. To the Inaris clan, slaves are not people at all."

 

* * *

 

"I'd like to see the slaves the Inaris clan sold." Aila said after she came into the slave dealer's store. The woman behind the desk tilted her head.

"Why those slaves specifically?" She asked. Aila didn't turn away.

"I destroyed their gate and their soldiers. I want to see how they treat their people. I'm wondering if I was too lenient in letting them live." As Aila felt her temper flare as she thought about the Inaris clan, her eyes glowed red. The woman trembled.

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"I'll call my master out. He can guide you." She went to the side, and pulled a rope. A few minutes later, a man appeared.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Master, this lady would like to see the slaves the Inaris clan sold. She's an elementalist." The slave said when he appeared. He looked at Aila carefully.

"I want to see how they treated their people." Aila said again. "I'm starting to believe I let them off too easily last time." He nodded a little.

"You're the one who destroyed their gate?"

"Yes. After they attacked Rirn, and stole my goods, it was obvious that they didn't respect me, so I had to teach them a lesson. Idiots also sent assassins. I still haven't paid them back for that." She growled, and her eyes glowed again.

"Well, you should prepare yourself, young lady." He said, which made Aila tilt her head.

"Everyone calls me young lady. Why is that?" She watched a smile float to his lips.

"It's a form of respectful speech in the kingdom. Younger then yourself, they would be called 'Miss'. Madam would be the term for older women. If I knew your name, it would be up to you if I could use it, as you're an elementalist." He said.

"I don't give my name unless the person I'm speaking to tells me theirs." She said, and lifted an eyebrow. "Where I am from, it is a bit rude to not introduce yourself, and allow your guest to continue to guess. By withholding your name, you keep it strictly business, with no intention of being polite, but still being respectful."

"That does make sense, and is similar here. My name is Toral." He said. Aila smiled.

"Aila. If I tell you my name, I also expect you to use it. I forgive Rirn and Toril for not using my name because its the way those two are." She said and watched him smile.

"Yes, that is exactly like Toril. Rirn must be a little intimidated, or he would use your name. He probably doesn't know how you think, or he would also use your name. The higher the status, the more concerned one becomes about using proper speech towards their guests." He made a gesture.

"Follow me, but be prepared. The Inaris clan did not treat them like people at all."

 

* * *

 

"Bloody hell." Aila said as she looked at the group of six.

"Two have already passed away." He said sadly. "They didn't treat them like people at all. Starved, barely clothed, and always too cold, or too hot." Aila moved forward instinctively. She was shocked.

"It's inhuman." She whispered. The women looked completely lifeless, with no will to live at all. They were nothing but skin and bones, and very little meat on their frames. Two were extremely fat, which made Aila a little concerned, as their eyes were lifeless, and without a shred of hope as well.

Immediately, tears rolled down her cheeks, as she couldn't understand why they were treated this way. Her parents were good people. She could never understand how human beings could be so cruel as it wasn't in her nature.

"How could anyone treat another person like this?" She said sadly. Her eyes began to glow with a mix of yellow and green. She put her hands on the first girl's chest.

"Yellow and green?" Toral said, but though his tone was even, his mental state was unstable.

"Light, and life." Aila said, and watched the young girl start to heal. "I don't want her to die. I want her to taste fresh clean water, see the sun, taste meat, bread, and cheese." The girl she touched, as well as the other five, slowly looked at her.

"I paid three large silver for each of them. Normally, healthy slaves are ten large silver pieces, but three is for sight unseen." He said and watched the girl's skin begin to gain some color.

"I'll take them all. They deserve to be happy."

 

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