As the chains were pulled taut, I stumbled forward, my legs weak from the relentless march and scraps I was offered as food. The slow trudge through the wilderness gave me the chance to study them. The majority of the guards and slavers were Dark elves, their eyes cold and merciless. Among them, two magic users stood out, the weird High elf that had kept staring at me from their charge, and a Human female.
The group consisted of a variety of beast races. An orc, green-skinned with imposing tusks, trudged alongside three Khajiit of varying sizes, Though I couldn't help but wonder what their members looked like, for science of course.
A reptilian Argonian's bumpy skin glistened. And there was me, and a human guy he looked to be around my age somewhat but was more bones than I was.
"Keep moving," one of the Dark elf guards barked, yanking on the chains that bound the slaves. I gritted my teeth against the pain and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Keep Pulling on that chain you fuck cause once I'm out of here you're the first one I'm going to kill.
It took around fifty minutes for the group to reach the coast. The rhythmic clank of chains accompanied the crashing waves, the harsh melody offering a semblance of comfort as I zoned out. we passed through another village, where the slavers wanted to get more slaves, but found none. Finally, they arrived at a port town and set up camp for the night. The slaves were chained to the trees near the port.
The cold air not affecting my skin as the slaves seemed to shiver. While most of the guards gathered around a campfire for warmth, the two magic users and slave boss ventured into a town. Alone with my thoughts, I listened to the hushed whispers of the other captives, my mind racing with potential escape plans.
"Is everyone all right?" one of the Khajiit asked quietly, concern etched on his face.
"Save your breath," the orc grumbled, clearly uninterested in forming bonds. "We won't be here long."
My fingers twitched, aching to be free of their metal confines.
As I listened to the gentle rustling of leaves above me and the distant murmurs of the guards.
"This one can smell the scent of wet dog on you," the Khajiit spoke, his nose wiggling as he sniffed the air. I looked over at him, raising my hand to my face and taking a whiff. I couldn't deny the unpleasant aroma that clung to me.
"Sadly, as you can see, bathing has not been my highest priority as of late," I replied, moving my hands up and down jokingly. Laughter bubbled within me, which escaped and caused the closer slaves nearby to laugh with me. "This one is called S'lani," He said.
"Ellehish," I said though I was very sure this name no longer carried any weight behind it.
"Any idea where they're taking us?" I asked the group, hoping someone had more information about our destination.
"There's only one place they're taking us, and that's Morrowind," the orc grumbled in a deep, gravelly voice, stating it as though it were a well-known fact. The older-looking members of the group of slaves nodded in agreement, while the younger of the group's faces were etched with fear and resignation.
I glanced over at the young boy who had once worn a crown, sitting some distance away from me. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, his gaze fixed on something far away while his matted hair clung to his face hiding more of his features.
"This one believes it's because it is the only place where it's legal," S'lani chimed in, stretching out on the cold ground as he spoke.
"Wait, if slavery is only legal there, why isn't anyone from town trying to help us?" I asked, since back on earth I had always seen people rush to help others so this was a bit strange to me.
"Because we are strangers," the Argonian interjected with a hiss, bitterness lacing his voice. "And strangers are not worth the risk."
Damn, I could help but miss those assholes that always budded in, Those fuckers would be useful for once right about now. As I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and the distant crashing of waves against the shore. This was one hell of a welcome home I could help but think.
"Indeed, a strange thought," the Argonian added, his voice filled with resignation. I opened one of my eyes to look at him waiting to see if he had more to add.
As if on cue, a guard approached our group, distributing pieces of hard bread and leather sacks filled with water. The one that had brought mine had thrown it to the ground in front of me, lingering longer than he needed to. The conversation died down as the slaves accepted their meager rations, each person seemingly lost in their own thoughts. While I picked up the bread and bite into it.
I glanced at the piece of bread in her hand as I munched on this dry crap, it was like trying to eat an old biscuit, feeling my stomach grumble with hunger. I found myself missing roses cooking, the sweet pasta that was truly to die for. With a sigh, I took another bite of the bread, finding some comfort in the fact that it wasn't the scraps I had been given in the village.
As night fell, most of the guards and slaves drifted off to sleep, leaving me alone with my thoughts again. Resting my back against a tree, I looked up at the moon that seemed to begin slowly turning a shade of red, That's weird I thought while absentmindedly playing with my claws, extending and retracting them.
I had assumed everyone was asleep until a voice interrupted my calmness. "This one did not know there were elves with claws like Khajiit," S'lani, the Khajiit, commented from beside me.
"Neither did I," I admitted, pausing playing with my claw to face him. "I'm just a special case, it seems."
S'lani cocked his head curiously, and I felt wasn't one for silence with a stranger so I started small talk, "So how did you end up here?"
The Khajiit hesitated before answering, clearly weighing the consequences of sharing his story. "It is... a long tale," he finally said.
S'lani sighed, his eyes distant as he recalled his past. "S'lani was a trader, came to trade moon sugar with some of the villages. Good coin to be had, but guards lie say S'lani steal from them." He paused for a moment, his whiskers twitching with suppressed anger.
"This was not true," he continued, his voice strained. "This one fought against the guards but was captured and sold." His gaze returned to me, resolute. "This one is no stranger to being a slave. I will win my freedom again."
I couldn't help but admire S'lani's determination, even in such dire circumstances. I could feel the metal of the chains biting into my skin.
"What do you mean 'win your freedom again'?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"This one has been a slave once before in Morrowind," S'lani explained, his tone hushed as if sharing a secret. "There is an Arena there where masters put their slaves to fight for sport. If one manages to win thirty Death fights, they will be gifted their freedom and their master will receive a large sum of coin."
As interesting as that sounded id rather escape for that even comes to happen.
Seeing that I was lost in contemplation, S'lani got up from his spot on the ground and stretched languidly. "It is late, and we must rest," he said, his voice gentle. "Tomorrow brings new challenges, and we will need our strength."
"Indeed," I agreed, my voice barely audible. As I watched as the Khajiit lay down on the grass and drifted off to sleep. The rhythmic sounds of his breathing soon filled the night, leaving me alone again.
As I stared up at the moon, I couldn't help but feel a pang of longing for my old life. I missed my friends, the familiar comfort of home, and the simple pleasures I had taken for granted. Now, all that seemed like a distant dream, replaced by cold chains.
I had laid on the hard ground, my body aching from discomfort. Quickly looked around once more to make sure no one was awake, but sadly some guards near a campfire were watching me.
"Either I escape now or wait until one of those fuckers tries something," I whispered to myself, the words barely audible amidst the background noise. I weighed my options carefully, knowing that my decision could mean the difference between life and death.
"But if I escape now, they'll hunt me down like an animal." I thought as i kept an eye on the guards. "and without a distraction, there was no way id make it far enough"
With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to find some semblance of peace in sleep. Tomorrow was another day maybe I could escape once we made it to the open sea.