[A blinding storm reverberates through the town]
[The echo of quiet footsteps on a rooftop can be heard]
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you."
Egan was now carrying his new hostage on his shoulder. The guy was rather heavy, I guess being fat comes with the stereotype of a rich asshole. A storm began raging just after Egan completed his mission, the slippery footing and low visibility in the rain was making it just that much harder to get back to the guild. But this finding is important. It could be the lead they have been looking for.
The prisoner was knocked out from the shock. His being paralyzed also didn't help with the weight factor. Beggars can't be choosers though. As Egan dashed from rooftop to rooftop, continuing to scout anything suspicious, the downpour kept getting worse. With each minute his visibility would go down less and less. He could barely see the landing in front of him, at this point he was jumping based off instinct alone. Good thing he has an 'Innate talent' for that.
Upon reaching the guild, he knocks on the window into Ser's room. They informed Egan before he left that he shouldn't enter through the main entrance. Carrying someone on your back who looks like a normal merchant could be taken as a declaration of war.
A scattering of feet can be heard in the room.
After opening the window, Egan hopped in, completely drenched. Thaerin's coat was somewhat water-resistant, but no more so than a normal raincoat. Soon after entering the room, he tossed the coachman onto the ground, still passed out.
"Did you complete the assignment?" Ser asked, curious about whether this was the only spoil he came across.
"No, I found something I think everyone should look at. I don't have a single clue what it could be, but it was hidden for a reason, right?" Egan said curiously.
Looking around the room, Egan notices Liz, organizing papers on Ser's desk. She was marking down any useful information about merchandise being transported in and out to see if a trend was taking place. Looking to the right, he noticed Sarah, who was still soundly sleeping on Ser's bed.
"Let's have a look, hand over the spoils," Ser said, filled with anticipation.
Handing over the collar, Egan walked over to where Sarah was sleeping. She looked so peaceful. As though all the intense experiences she had gone through just melted off of her, flowing out like the sweat on her forehead. After giving it a good wipe, he feels her head. Her fever had gone down considerably since the pervious day.
"I gave her some medicine, so she should be fine by tomorrow." Liz said, looking over at both Egan and Sarah with a soft smile.
"This… This can't be what I think it is… Can it?" Ser said, a shocked look washing over his face.
Both Liz and Egan look at Ser, who was using a monocle to inspect the collar.
"What is it?" They both said, nervous to find out the answer.
"This…
"Is a slave collar!"
***
"A slave collar?" Egan said, curious about what that might entail.
He looked over to Liz, who was sitting their shocked. A horrid expression plastered on her face, one of disgust.
"What is that?" Egan repeated.
A long sign emanated from Sers' breath, followed by him walking over to his desk and leaning on it.
"Slavery has been abolished for 100 years by now. It was a horrible act used to enslave those whom other people deemed inferior to their own. Forcing them into disgusting and inhuman situations, some of the time even using them as human sacrifices." Liz stuttered.
"Worst thing about it, Egan, was that once the collar was put onto its desired target, no matter what orders they were given, they had to follow through, even at the cost of the wearer's life. Women would be forced to do disgusting things without any way to stop it. Men would be forced to work until they dropped dead. Children would be kept and used as cattle for the sake of continuing the slave's lineage. Truly the lowest of the low for humanity." Ser informed.
Egan felt like he was going to throw up. Just the thought of any of that happening to any person he cared about made him want to puke up his innards. And to think, he was this close to letting Sarah be captured. What a failure he was.
"The thing is, slavery was supposed to have been abolished after the incident in Ashvein, the Capital of the Netherworld. An influential figure at the time tried to completely enslave the entire city through brute force, but what happened instead was a humongous war that ended with the entire city being leveled and both sides being completely annihilated. Not a single soul from either faction survived. After which the rest of the global leaders made a treaty and international law banning all forms of slavery." Ser explained, adding to what Liz had previously mentioned, "My family being a key factor in enforcing that law."
"But here it is, in the flesh. I can only imagine what they are using the collars for."
Egan, blinded by rage, turns around and grabs the unconscious coachman and throws him into a wall. The sudden force jolting him up. After coughing up blood, he looks up at the towering Egan, his eyes looking down at his with immense bloodlust.
Before Egan could do anything, Ser grabs him and restrains him. Egan tried to fight against him, but Ser's strength overpowered his own, forcing him to calm down.
"Sorry, you can talk to this piece of human garbage," Egan said, turning away and walking back over to Sarah, flipping up his hood.
Ser looked down at his hands, trembling.
'If I hadn't increased my physical capabilities with my 'Battle factor', I would have been tossed aside… Like it was nothing!' He thought to himself, now looking over at the hunched-over Egan.
***
"Don't worry, Egan, I have a 'Unique talent' that lets me see if someone is lying. I can squeeze the answers out of him, whether he likes it or not."
"Hmphf…" Egan said, still pouting like a little child.
[The air around Ser becomes thicker]
"I just have two questions for you, scum. What are you planning to do with these collars, and who are you using them on?"
Trembling, still deathly scared of the horned man who killed his entire escort. He looks up at the towering giant of a man.
"I-I… D-Don't… K-Know…-"
With a quick strike, Ser punches the wall with incredible force. Enough to shatter the wood lining it and shaking the room in its entirety.
It even made Sarah turn over in her sleep.
"I'm being serious! I was o-only told to take it t-to the agreed destination and act like their boss! I swear! Please don't kill me!!"
He began to sob profusely, convulsing on the ground.
[An intense aura emanates from Egan]
"If that was true… Then why try and barter your life with money?" Egan snarled, now looking over his shoulder towards the shivering, fat coward on the floor.
"Eek!" Shrieked the captive.
With an even more intense glare, Ser's eyes began to glow a golden rich color. It seemed to pierce right into the coachman's soul, reading it like an open letter.
His heart pounded.
"This man…
Is…
Telling the truth."
Ser confessed, looking immensely disappointed.
"What!?" Egan said, turning around and immediately standing up. "That can't be true! There's no way!"
"My eye doesn't lie, Egan. I swear it." Ser stated, still looking disappointed, "I'll send this man to jail personally. He will still be getting a long sentence, and we can't have him blabbering off to the enemy, now, can we?"
Still a little angry, his demeanor switches to one of pride.
"Don't worry, Ser, he won't be going anywhere any time soon," Egan said, looking rather proud.
"Why?"
"I paralyzed him."
"You what?"
"I paralyzed him."
"…"
"You idiot!" Liz screamed, turning around from the desk, dropping her papers.
Ser just stood there, head in his hands, questioning if using Egan was the right call.
"How is it gonna look on the guild that he was not paralyzed before being captured, but after the guild caught him, now he is?" Liz argued.
"What? There was no rope! I couldn't have him squirming around on me!"
"That is fucked up, Egan," Ser said, finally looking up at him with eyes of disappointment.
"Look, at least now he can't do anything illegal anymore! And I think he learned his lesson, right?" Egan said, looking at the shivering, terrified disabled man in front of them.
"Right…?"
He violently shakes his head in approval.
"See! All good!"
"…"
***
"Back to the issue at hand, please. We don't know how these people are selecting these slaves. It can't be just at random, or else you and Sarah wouldn't have been their first targets, either that, or you guys got lucky."
Egan looked back and leaned against the wall next to Sarah. Resting his fingers on his chin, looking down. He wondering why in the world they would be targeted. The first thing that immediately came to mind was what Thaerin told him and Sarah. If he was attracting unwanted guests, it would be a reason as to why they were getting targeted. But another thing was bugging him, and he couldn't quite understand why…
"As the second stage of our operation, we have a new objective for you, Egan. This time, Liz will be accompanying you as backup."
Egan looks over at Liz, then back at Ser.
"So, what's the plan?" Egan said curiously.
"I looked into what you said about the cloaked figures appearing around town, and I saw someone reporting it to our guild a little while ago, but no further action had taken place. What I want is for you to capture one of these people, either from inside the wall or outside. This time, alive." Ser stated.
Egan looks at Liz, her face radiating confidence while giving him a soft cheeky smile. It boosted his confidence as well.
He looks back at Sarah, who was now snoring loudly, drool running down her face. He had to do this to make up for not being able to protect the people he cares about. This flaw needs to do at least one thing right for them, and he is determined to make that happen.
A smirk plasters over the young dragon's face.
"Alright. When do we head out?"