Two years ago…
Riverdale Capital City outskirts, Golden Bell Slave House…
Whipp!!
"AAAARRRGGHHH!!!!!!"
The sharp crack of a whip sliced through the night, followed by a scream echoing from a cluster of isolated tents hidden at the forest's edge behind the capital.
The location was deliberately cut off from regular human activity; even soldiers avoided patrolling here. It was the perfect spot for the dirty business of slave merchants.
Another lash landed on the small child lying on the ground. The boy's body convulsed violently as pain tore through him. Barely conscious, his limbs shook uncontrollably. His furry ears twitched weakly.
He was half human, half wolfkin.
Standing before the cages was a man of massive, imposing frame. His shoulders were broad, his arms thick with muscle. A heavy black whip coiled around his hands. He pointed at the trembling child sprawled in the dirt, then turned his gaze to one of the cages.
Inside sat a purple-haired elf girl.
