Chapter Nine: The Pain That Elves Bare

Brenda and Claire were sitting next to the fire as the roar of a masculine voice filled the air. The amount of tension and anger in the air was palpable, and from the look of how the chef's face near the food wagon before diving towards the ground in a panic, Brenda knew that her father's rage was nothing short of an emanate disaster.

Instantly, the two women rose and made their way over to the food wagon to see the chef cowering on the ground and the door of the food wagon was wide open. The chef, a rather skinny and short elderly elf with wispy white hair and abnormally pale skin, especially for an elf, was standing shakily next to the food worktable that was built into the food wagon itself.

Reginald was looking in the wagon, his figure was visibly shaking due to his anger, and with a single motion, he slammed the door to the wagon leaving a deafening sound sent through the air.

"When we return to Oakal, they better have a good explanation for this!" Reginald said ominously.

"What's wrong, father?" Brenda said in a worried tone as she began moving closer to her father, "Did something happen to the food storage?"

Reginald turned to the ground and swore angrily. He then turned back to his wife with a strong gaze, "The damn food is spoiled!" He spat on the ground and disappeared behind the wagon, muttering swears that were roughly heard and fading in volume with every step he took.

"What did this chef do to the food?" Claire said with slanted eyes.

The chef scrambled to his knees before stammering, "Nothing at all! I--I have been—been a chef for many years, and I'd never do any—"

"Spit it out!" Claire shouted, her rage akin to a bellowing fire with a voice as chilled as a glacier, "What did you do with the food!?"

"Mother!" Brenda said with an aghast expression, "Let him finish first. There has to be an explanation."

"Oh! There better be a good one, you sorry excuse for a chef," Claire said as she began to raise her right hand, which began to emit small embers from her palm, "or I swear that your triple marked ears will be the second thing that turns to ash tonight."

"Aah!" The elven chef exclaimed before saying everything as fast as he could, "I was preparing the food for the next meal and some of the food in the wagon is spoiled so I separated it immediately and told the sir about it."

"Are you assuming my husband's magic was cast improperly?" Claire's face tensed as her eyes widened, "Is that what you are saying?!"

"N-No!" The chef said cowering in fear, "It's, um, possible that we were given food that was already spoiled."

"My thoughts exactly," Reginald said angrily, returning with Seran and the two other guards.

"My lord, sir." The chef said, looking up to Reginald with hope in his eyes, "I noticed that only some of the meats were spoiled, few of the fruits were rotten, and some of the canisters of spices were damaged. None of which I prepared for this meal were like that. I swear on my life and my pride as a chef."

"Well, you can save that sliver of pride. You can thank your food for that." Reginald said with a sigh, "We might be able to restock with the things around us."

Claire lowered her hand begrudgingly, "If it is as you say, my dear, then it will be an easy restock."

"Ahem." Reginald cleared his throat loudly, and the guards instantly moved into their saluting stance. "Each of you will move around the area to find wild game. Boars, deer, and other wild creatures are acceptable. Use search magic to do this quickly and effectively, that is an order."

"Sir!" The guards shouted in unison, but as the guards went to separate, Seran was the only one standing still and at attention. Reginald raised an eyebrow at this, while Seran could feel the worsening gaze from his master's wife bear down on his already-downtrodden soul. Brenda also looked confused as Seran bowed his head.

"I am sure your ears are working." Reginald remarked sternly, "What is the matter?"

"I—" Seran said with a deep breath, "I am unable to use that level of magic at this moment, sir."

"Preposterous!" Claire rebuked with a turn, "Everyone can use tier one magic anytime, including elves."

"My crest was re-activated less than a month ago, sir. Using magic at this point will surely end my life early." Seran said before turning back to Reginald, "I apologize greatly for my disservice, sir."

"You refuse to obey your master over your own life?" Claire coughed in utter amazement at the stupidity of the slave in front of her. "You have quite the nerve, you troublesome j--!"

"Claire!" Reginald shouted as he closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. When he reopened his eyes, there was a level of anger that emitted like minutes ago, and Reginald began massaging his mustache thoroughly as he took a step forward towards Seran, "Did you say re-activated? You were purchased in Oakal as well, weren't you? A single notch in your ears show that I am your first owner!" Reginald swore under his breath as he came to a sudden realization, "When came you to that town?"

"Three days ago, sir," Seran said with a saddened tone of voice as he remembered the events that led up to his auction.

Reginald looked past Seran, spotting Reau, patiently watching over his masters from afar, residing by the first carriage and the horses. Reginald, with a single hand motion, summoned Reau forth, and Reau came running over instantly. Reau lowered himself into a low bow as he looked towards Reginald.

"How can I be of service, sir?" Reau said with utmost sincerity and respected directness.

"Bring me the box from my carriage immediately." Reginald said slowly and sternly as if he was struggling to hold back his anger instead of redirecting it, "There is something I need to check now.

"Of course, sir," Reau said as he quickly dashed to the first carriage and came back moments later with a small wooden box that was roughly the size of Reau's forearm, locked firmly with a small golden latch with the emblem reading RH. "Here you are, sir."

Reginald quickly grasped the box and opened the latch with a click as he poured his magic into the box. Reaching into the box, numerous papers were along with banknotes, and other valuable items were shifted around until Reginald pulled out a long piece of paper. Reading it over, his anger erupted again as he threw the paper back into the box and slammed it hard in Reau's hands.

"I knew it! Those shitty liars!" Reginald spat at the ground in anger again, "I swear that town will have my wrath when I return. I'll teach them what happens when they trick me like this."

"What does it say, father?" Brenda said curiously, looking back and forth towards Seran and her father. "Is there a falsity?"

"The document says here that his crest was activated for the first time three months ago," Reginald said to Brenda before turning to the boy with his finger raised to the boy's eye line. With a quick flash, a blue hue illuminated around the tip of Reginald's finger as he activated his aura, "I will know for sure, right now! Slavais Cancteo- Seran Kan'uzal."

Seran's crest lit up bright blue as pain shot through his entire body like several lightning bolts ran through his veins from the center of his chest to his head. He let out a loud bloodcurdling scream that lasted for roughly ten seconds before falling to the ground into a motionless state. Slowly, Seran rose to his feet and looked upon his masters with his gaze staring straight forward in a blank expression as if his mind was absent from his body.

"Father, you don't need to do this! You can see it in his eyes that he wasn't lying!" Brenda cried out, but her father didn't make any move towards her. Instead, his gaze was intently watching Seran as he remained standing, emotionless, in front of them.

Brenda went to take a step forward, but her mother put her arms around her shoulders. "Not another step, sweetheart. Your father is going to prove if that boy gets to keep his life tonight. You will learn quickly that liars are not tolerated, especially not as slaves."

"When I ask you a question, provide the answer quickly." Reginald, clearing his voice again loudly, "When were you purchased?"

"I, Seran, was purchased three days ago," Seran said in a monotone voice.

"When was your crest activated?" Reginald's eyebrow twitching as he asked this question.

"I, Seran, had my crest first activated seventeen years ago, and it was reactivated three days ago." Seran said again in a monotone voice.

Reginald clasped his hand in utmost rage as he stared at Seran, who continued to give that blank expression back to him. He turned back to his wife with a defeated sigh as his hand dropped to his side, "I have my answers, Claire. I was cheated out this time.

"Then there is no more use for this boy!" Claire said with a wicked smile as she raised her hand towards Seran.

"Mother, no!" Brenda said as she broke the embrace of her mother, leaving in between the two of them, "Magic or not, he is mine to command, and it's not his fault that they lied to you!"

"Brenda!" Her mother's eyes widened with newfound disappointment and anger, "What is with you!?"

Reginald looked over towards Brenda with a stern gaze as he took out his pipe and relit it, "She has a point, Claire. This boy isn't to blame, and there isn't a point to killing him now."

Claire lowered her hand with a frown being worn plainly on her face, "Fine. We will just trade him for a more useful slave in Caipal." Claire turned to Brenda with a cold gaze, "That way, you can rely on a retainer to protect you than the other way around."

Brenda's legs buckled as she fell to her knees and she hung her head somberly, "Yes, mother."

Reginald coughed, "Slavais Fynal."

As the words were said, Seran's closed his eyes and his expression began to form towards confusion as he looked at everyone around him. Instantly, he fell to a bow as he saw Brenda in front of him. "I apologize for the disservice, Miss Brenda," Seran said clearly.

"It's not your fault, Seran," Brenda said as she stood up and brushed the specs of dirt from the ground off her dress. "Since you cannot use magic yet, I will go instead."

"Nonsense." Reginald rebuked, "I will not allow my daughter to wander the woods like this."

"Just send Reau with him. Their lives aren't—" Claire went to say but stopped herself when she saw Brenda's frowning face directed at her, bringing her to a slight swoon, "Sweetheart, please stop staring at me like that. You'll break my heart."

"Mother, father." Brenda said calmly with a courageous glint in her eyes, "Allow me to prove that Seran is worth protecting me."

"Miss Brenda," Seran whispered in amazement. He couldn't believe it; Runar was right! Brenda was looking out for him, and this left him filled with honor. Clearing his voice, he spoke loudly, "I promised on my life to protect her, and I do not intend to break my promise. My sword is yours, Miss Brenda."

Reginald let out a deep sigh, "Fine. Do as you wish but know this." Reginald stared coldly at Seran, "Any scratch she gains, a pound of flesh will be taken from you."

"Sir!" Seran went into a salute as he rose from his bow. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"Alright, Seran." Brenda smiled as she turned around, "Please do your best, okay?"