The sun peeked over the treetops as we followed the dry dirt trail through the jungle. Ashley walked ahead of me, practically skipping with joy, her new black robe fluttering behind her.
"There are human trails nearby!" she beamed. "Wagon wheels. Steel-plated ruts. This is clearly a royal caravan!"
I didn't smile.
"They must be close," she said, pressing her hands together. "If we find them, we can just ask for a Rift Token and skip walking. They'll take us to the kingdom. No more forests. No more crocodiles."
Her eyes sparkled with hope. Like a kid heading to a festival.
But I looked down at the tracks in the dirt deep grooves, too wide for standard trade wagons. And the footmarks? Heavy boots. Not travelers.
"Goddess," I said slowly. "What you're about to see Don't be shocked. These tracksbthis isn't from travelers or royal soldiers."
She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"This is a slaver's trail."
Ashley froze mid-step.
"Slavers?" she asked, voice uncertain.
"Chains. Cages. Whips. They're not carrying food or gifts. They're carrying people."
She shook her head. "That can't be. Humans are my sweet creations! They have loving hearts. They build families, write poems. They protect one another."
I gave her a long look.
"Let's make a bet."
"A bet?" she blinked.
"If I'm right," I said, "and this really is a slaver caravan—you'll be my slave for a day."
Ashley snorted. "That's outrageous!"
"Are you scared?"
"Fine," she snapped. "And if I win you'll be my ride for a week. I'll transform you into a dragon, and you'll carry me to the kingdom."
I grinned. "Deal."
We walked maybe a kilometer before we heard it. screaming.
Ashley's smile faded.
Another scream followed sharper, thinner and the unmistakable twang of a crossbow bolt loosing through the air. Then, a terrible sound:
Flesh meeting steel.
We crouched low, hidden in the tall grass, and peered over the ridge.
And there they were.
Steel wagons. Heavy iron cages. Dozens of elves, shackled by the neck, dragged through the mud like animals. Many were barefoot, their skin cracked and bleeding. Some collapsed from exhaustion, only to be whipped until they moved again.
A tall slaver, wearing bone armor and a red headband, shoved a young elf girl to the ground, then lifted his boot and stomped on her back. She screamed, and he laughed.
A pair of armored humans forced two older elves to fight each other for their amusement. One elf refused so they cut off his fingers in front of the children.
One of the slavers tied a screaming elf boy to a post, aimed his crossbow, and fired into the child's leg just to make him stop crying.
Another cage was set ablaze. Inside, three elves clawed at the bars, their hands melting from the heat as the slavers sat nearby drinking, cheering at every cry.
Ashley stood frozen.
Her eyes wide.
Her lips trembling.
And for the first time she whispered:
"No This can't be
I looked at her. Her glow dimmed. Her hands were shaking.
"They're, they're supposed to be good," she said. "Humans are supposed to love to protect
One of the slavers walked by dragging a silver-haired elf woman by her hair. She wasn't even resisting. Her feet barely moved.
The slaver leaned close and licked her cheek.
Ashley's knees buckled.
She dropped to the ground. And cried.
I placed my hand on her shoulder.
I told you,bI said softly. "Not all monsters have horns."
She looked up at me, her face stained with tears. "We, we have to stop this."
I nodded. "I already counted three elves hidden in the crates near the last wagon. No chains. Just rope. I can get them out."
"You can't go alone!" she whispered. "You'll be caught."
"I'm not asking for permission," I said. "I'm asking you not to glow like a heavenly torch. I'll be back."
Without another word, I slipped into the underbrush, moving like a shadow.
I crawled beneath thick roots and ducked behind thorn bushes until I reached the far side of the camp. The wagons cast long shadows across the blood-soaked ground. Most slavers were distracted drinking, gambling, watching elves suffer like it was sport.
I moved to the last wagon.
There just as I saw earlier two elf children and a frail older woman, hidden under a broken tarp.
Their eyes widened as I approached.
I held a finger to my lips.
Then I drew my bone knife and began cutting their ropes, one by one.
The kids didn't make a sound.
The old elf whispered, "Why are you helping us?"
I looked toward the ridge where Ashley waited, glowing faintly in the dusk.
"Because someone finally saw what humans really are.