Lament of the Slave

Chapter 2: More Suffering

I revealed my presence to an incoming merchant, but not my naked body. Even though I was nude for many months now, maybe even the years, I had not lost my shame. In that cellar, I was naked because I had no choice. I was stark-naked now, but that didn't mean I would show my intimate parts to the world for everyone to admire.

By wrapping my fluffy tail around my waist, I covered my lap and ass. My chest was covered by my wings. Like that, I went out of my hiding place to the edge of the bridge and waited for the merchant to reach me. I was ready to flee at the slightest hint of anything that might threaten my newly acquired freedom. It could be that the merchant will ignore me and not even stop. If this occurred, I was ready to address him, but not to stop him by force.

The question was whether I could really do it, the hell I lived in for many months and the social isolation had to rub off on me somehow.

I tried to not look surprised when the carriage stopped right next to me. The man must have been a very experienced coachman if he could control his horses like that. Nervousness, anxiety, fear, I felt them all right now but tried not to show any emotion on my face. Thankfully, they were subdued by my ability [Indomitable Will].

"Hello, Miss," the merchant greeted me and smiled.

"I ..." I said, my fear stopping me. "..good evening, sir."

"I don't want to be rude or intrusive, but it's a little suspicious that you're at the bridge over the Traim at this time. You're not trying to rob me, are you, miss?" He asked me, the smile on his face not fading.

His attitude confused me. It was questionable if he was okay in the head, or was it normal to ask robbers and bandits if they are robbing you?

I shook my head. "No, sir ... I'm heading to the Sahal Empire."

The merchant laughed. His reaction really startled me and confused me even more. He was far too calm for my taste. I tried to be honest because of my need to find out where I was. So his answer was important to me.

"I'm sorry ..." the old man apologized after he stopped laughing. "... miss, I can tell you that you have achieved your goal. This is Sahal,"

That wasn't the answer I was expecting. After he started laughing, my thoughts focused on running away or killing the old man.

"Thank you," I said instead of attacking him. "would you be so kind as to tell me where you are going?"

The man smiled. "I'm going from Mitta to Castiana. You are more than eighty kilometers from Sahal's border with Arda."

As soon as he mentioned Arda, an invisible hand gripped my heart and began to crush it. How did he know I came from Arda? What were his intentions? Did he want to catch me and sell me, or even return me to Arda? As I saw it, that left two options for me, running away, and hope that no one would find me or try to attack him.

"Please calm down, miss," he told me with his pleasant voice. "I have no intention of returning you to those barbarians in Arda."

"How do you know ..." I asked him, but I couldn't finish the question.

The merchant scratched the back of his neck and smiled. "I see that you are a [Slave], a very high-level slave. Someone like you wouldn't be moving alone in the Sahal, not at this hour, and dressed in that."

What was wrong with my clothes? Maybe he saw through my deception and was hinting at my nudity. After all, I was wearing absolutely nothing.

"Oh. What do you mean, someone like me?" I asked him.

"The only ones in the Sahal who have the class [Slaves] are professional slaves, sometimes companions. They are all very skillful people and well paid. Definitely enough to allow them to travel by carriage," he explained.