Hiro slumbered into the bed of the lake as his desire to gasp for air slowly dissipated. Time suddenly paused as he recounted his early days: Goofing off with his classmates during high school chemistry class, getting admitted into Tohoku University as a double biology and chemistry major. Graduating and continuing on with a master in Nano-tech and doctorate degree in pharmacy.
Landing his first job was easy, getting promoted was easy, starting his first company was no small task but his business acumen made it easy. It seemed as if everything in his life was destined to ascend higher and higher, until one day the wax glue that held his wing melted and he fell and shattered into million of pieces.
At that final moment, he felt fear, regret and various other emotions that were trapped within him for the past few weeks. He wanted to express all of them, but... He couldn't do anything more than a final gasp and whimper. Then, he finally yielded in and closed his eyes.
...
"Master Ainsley, what type of...Helper are you seeking for your newly opened potion shop? We have all sorts of good young buds here that may grow up to be potential use to you and your business, take for example, the wood elves are very keen on herbal gathering, perfect for gathering herbs for potions, while the midland dwarfs are great helper when it comes to crafting potion related apparatuses. Oh, how about the..." A shrewd looking man with a hook mustache quickly and attentively explained anything of interest to another woman standing next to him whose masked gaze shifted between cages to cages.
The shrewd looking man seemed to have preemptively read the thoughts of this "Master Ainsley" by reassuring things such as that all of the goods' memories are wiped and all of them are between ages four to six, the perfect age to domesticate as assistants for whatever tasks needed to be performed.
As these two strolled down the cages-surrounded jagged path where occasionally silent whimpers could be heard, the feathered domino mask wearing woman paused at one particular cage.
Inside, a human child around the age of five sat there on the cold surface quietly, his eyes blinked twice before looking up towards the two strangers.
"This will do, I choose him, propose your rate" After hearing Master Ainsley choosing a "product" that he was never able to get rid of for the past year, the shrew man's eyes lit up and couldn't be happier enough. Yet, he wondered reason of choosing this child. Despite the fact that he himself is a human , wait, because of the self-realization of being a human, he understood that human beings are the weakest among all other races.
Such a decision chosen by an individual who he both admired and feared truly befuddled him, but he dared not to question the enchantress's choice. His job was to satisfy the needs of his customers and nothing else.
"Such a wise decision, Master Ainsley! This child is an excellent choice, among all other ones, he rarely cried, nor raised conflicts or done anything that would disobey orders. Your patronage to the adventurers' guild is wide known throughout the city and we are all honored and blessed to have such a well renown and powerful enchantress on our side, one gold piece is enough for this child" The shrew looking man answered quickly and respectively to the enchantress's question while his hands fumbled in his pocket, bringing out dozens of keys encircled on an iron circle key chain.
He tried several keys before finding the right one and unlocking the cage where the human child resided. He glared at the child coldly before gesturing him to come out of the cage, but the child wouldn't come out. Getting frustrated, he planned to yank out this child before he felt a sudden drop in temperature. As he turned around, he saw the enchantress staring at him through her mask with eyes so cold that could freeze this very place
"Master Ainsley! Please excuse me--" Before the shrewd man could finish, the enchantress gestured him to move aside as she bent down and took off her mask, revealing her face to the human child.
"What's your name, child" The enchantress smiled at the child and spoke with a soft tone. The shrewd man turned around and dared not to take a peak at the enchantress's face.
"Koko wa doko" The child replied in a baby tone. Couldn't understand what the child said, the enchantress thought for a moment before saying:
"Oh, it's Kole? Nice to meet you, my name is Vanessa" The child looked at her with an expression of lost and misunderstanding. The enchantress smiled and held up the child and casted a sleeping spell on him before walking out the jagged path . The child's head gently rested on her shoulder.
"Thank you for your patronage, master Ainsley, may lord Themias bless and protect you!" His voice echoed through out the lightly lit hallway as he stood there silently for a minute, before shaking his head and returning to his work desk located near the entrance.