Five days later the landscape changed. The jagged and chaotic wilderness gave way to ordered oppression. They had entered the outer ring of the Primeval Coast. It was a region dominated by trade cities.

  The city of Grim Spire rose from the grey earth like a black and jagged fingernail. It was a fortress city and its walls made of fused bones and black iron. Green fire burned in braziers along the ramparts. They were casting long and sickly shadows over the caravan lines waiting to enter.

  "Grim Spire," Vespera whispered as they joined the queue. She pulled her hood lower. "This is neutral ground. It is run by a consortium of Beast Kings. It’s a hub for... everything illicit. Smuggling, black market pills and flesh."

  "Quite a lot of slavers here." Li Yu noted as he saw the cages on the wagons ahead of them.

  "The best and the worst," Vespera agreed. "If you want a worker, a plaything or a high level cultivator broken to your will... you come to Grim Spire. Or the other cities like it. There are countless here in this world. It is quite common but this place is definitely one of the larger ones."

  They passed through the gates without incident. Li Yu’s murky aura and Vespera’s subtle charm deflected any scrutiny from the guards. They were getting closer and closer to various different Demon Lord territories. The security was actually more lax here as no one thought the Void Demon or others like him would head towards danger.

  The city inside was a labyrinth of verticality. Buildings were stacked on top of each other and connected by swaying bridges. The air smelled of incense, stale ale and fear.

  They walked through the lower districts while keeping their heads down. Li Yu was looking for an inn or an information broker. Somewhere to hear news about the Night Queen’s territory without asking direct questions. But Vespera suddenly stopped.

  She stood in the middle of a crowded street with people flowing around her like water around a stone. Her head was tilted and her eyes wide.

  "Vera?" Li Yu asked. He stepped closer and kept his voice low. "What is it?"

  "I feel something." She whispered. Her hand went to her chest. "There is someone or something related to my family here. We have a connection to one another or those that serve us."

  Li Yu tensed up. "Is it danger?"

  "No," Vespera shook her head slowly. "It’s... familiarity. Like a scent you haven't smelled in a long time. It’s calling me."

  She turned and her gaze locked onto a large building down the street. It was a massive coliseum-like structure draped in red banners. The sounds of shouting and the crack of whips echoed from within. The Gilded Cage. The largest auction house in Grim Spire.

  "There," Vespera said. She started walking towards it. Like her mind was processed. Li Yu cursed silently and followed her. "Vera, wait. That’s an auction house. We are supposed to be low profile."

  "Something is there," she insisted and did not slow down. "Something of mine."

  They reached the entrance. Two massive ogre guards blocked the way and crossed their halberds in front of them.

  "Entry fee," one grunted. "Or proof of assets. We can’t just have anyone coming and going now. You need to be able to afford it."

  Li Yu didn't argue with him and didn’t want to cause any trouble. He flicked a small bag of cores to the guard. The ogre caught it, weighed it and grinned. Only when he was assured he was paid did he step aside.

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  They entered the main hall. It was cavernous and lit by floating orbs of golden light. Rows of seats descended toward a central stage where a spotlight was currently shining on a cage. The auction was in full swing.

  "Lot 437!" The auctioneer, a well dressed imp, shouted into a sound amplifying horn. "A rare Forest Plantling. It was shaped like a teenage girl but it was clearly a plant species. Proficient in wood arts! Good looking as well. Starting bid!"

  The crowd roared and some of the more lustful ones couldn’t wait to bid. Wealthy demons, masked cultivators and fat merchants raised paddles.

  Vespera ignored the stage. She moved to the side and was heading toward what seemed to be the holding area. It was a viewing gallery where buyers could inspect the merchandise before it went up.

  Li Yu grabbed her arm. "Vera. Careful."

  "I have to see," she whispered. Her hands were trembling. They walked past rows of cages. There were warriors with broken spirits, exotic beasts pacing in circles and weeping men and women from a dozen races. It was a catalog of misery.

  Vespera walked past them all without a second look. Her internal compass pulled her deeper into the gallery and toward the section reserved for "Domestic and Specialized Servants."

  She stopped.

  In a small cramped cage near the back was an old woman. She was currently sitting on a pile of straw. She was of the same species as Vaspera, a Charm Demon. Her skin was grey and wrinkled. She wore a ragged grey dress. She wasn't weeping. She was staring at the floor with a hollow and dead expression.

  Li Yu looked at the woman. She didn't look special. She was only in the Foundation Establishment realm. She was just an old servant. But Vespera let out a sound that was half gasp and half sob.

  "Nanny Nora," Vespera breathed.

  The old woman in the cage twitched. Her head lifted slowly. Her eyes were cloudy, beaten down by months of hardship, but they scanned the shadows where Vespera stood.

  Vespera stepped into the light. She unraveled her disguise in an instant which surprised Li Yu. The old woman’s eyes widened. She scrambled forward and gripped the bars with frail hands.

  "Little... Little Mistress?" The old woman rasped as her voice cracked from disuse. Li Yu stepped between them and some patrolling guards. Doing his best to shield the interaction.

  "That’s a maid from your family?" Li Yu whispered.

  "She helped to take care of me. Her and others." Vespera trembled with a rage Li Yu had never heard before from her. "She is one of the housekeepers in the Night Queen’s personal palace. She has served my mother for a long time. She used to take me for walks around the place when I was much younger."

  Vespera gripped Li Yu’s arm and unconsciously her nails dug into his skin.

  "Li Yu," she said. "If Nora is here... in a slave cage in Grim Spire..."

  Li Yu understood what she meant immediately. For one of the maids in the personal palace to be here. She didn't get captured on a border raid. She lived in the heart of the sanctuary. For her to be here and to be sold as common cattle...

  It meant the sanctuary had fallen.

  "The Palace was breached," Li Yu finished grimly.

  Vespera stared at the old woman and the realization crashed down on her. The silence of the token wasn't a malfunction as she hoped. It was the silence of a graveyard.

  "Buy her," Vespera commanded directly. Tears began welling in her violet eyes. "Li Yu. Buy her. Now."

  "I will," Li Yu promised. He looked at the old woman then back at the auction stage. "We're getting her out here, don’t worry."

  But as he turned to look for the seller a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

  "No touching the merchandise before the auction, friends," a sleek and oily voice purred. Li Yu turned. A Beastman with the head of a jackal was standing there and flanked by four guards. He was dressed in fine silks and grinning with too many teeth.

  "Unless, of course, you have a pass?" the Beastman asked. Li Yu’s eyes narrowed. The situation had just become complicated.

  "We don't have a pass," Li Yu said with a calm voice. "But we have money. And we want this one. My friend needs someone to take care of her on our journey."

  The Jackal grinned wider. "Ah. Interest. That drives the price up quite a bit doesn't it? She goes on stage in three days. You can bid for her then. Like everyone else."

  Vespera looked ready to rip the Beastman’s throat out right there. Li Yu tightened his grip on her arm and was signaling her to wait.

  "Three days is a long time, friend." Li Yu said softly. "I prefer instant gratification."

  The Jackal laughed. "Don't we all? But rules are rules."

  Li Yu looked at the cage and then at the terrified old woman. Then his gaze went back to the smirking slaver. Various thoughts ran through his head for what he should do next.