Before Redian could say anything or give him any information, he’d turned the corner.

  And the sight that greeted him caused him to freeze with disbelief.

  Before him, he saw a rather large man dressed in fine robes whipping what looked to be a filthy young boy on the ground dressed in torn and dirtied rags. He also saw cuffs and chains on the boy’s wrists, ankles, and a collar around his neck. Others of various ages were around as well. They could have been considered beautiful were it not for the fact that they were all in the same poor condition as the kid being struck.

  They stood around carrying crates. Some had shocked and scared looks on their faces. Only one or two had any fire in their eyes over this atrocity, and the rest simply had dead, hollow, uncaring looks. A few guards in leather armor stood by them with their own whips.

  “You damn knife ears! To the void with you! Slowing down the delivery of my product! Hurry up and get up to your feet. The castle needs these provisions to continue the feast. I will not be blamed for delaying the festivities. I will not have you be the cause of my demotion to the Second Circle!” the man in fine robes barked as he whipped the poor boy again.

  Knife ears? Galen thought through his shock.

  It was then that he noticed the ears of the boy and the rest of chained people were far longer than normal and were pointed. It was then that he realized...

  They were all elves.

  Rage boiled inside him.

  “What the HELL are you doing?!”

  He’d yelled so loudly and unexpectedly that the cruel man actually jumped.

  His surprise quickly faded, however, as his face grew red with rage, “Did you just yell at me? ME?! Do you know who I am?!”

  “I don’t give a damn!” Galen snarled as he brandished Redian, “now answer my question before I cut you down. What. The hell. Are you doing?!”

  “Who in Athanasius’s name do you think you are to threaten me, boy?! Wait…” the man’s face scrunched up into a frown, “don’t tell me… are you a Shadow?! No… you don’t have the bearing of one…”

  “Who am I?!” without thinking, he threw off the hood and scarf he’d been using to mask his identity, “I’m Galen Daxton! The one summoned into this world to become the new Champion of the Dominion. And I demand to know what you’re doing to that poor kid!”

  The man’s face morphed into one of disbelief. Then he very visibly paled as he seemed to recognize Galen as the one he claimed to be.

  “Oh… oh no… you were supposed to be at the feast right now. You weren’t supposed to see this,” the man sputtered as he began to sweat profusely.

  “Uh… boss?” Redian asked.

  Not now! He snapped.

  He took a threatening step forward, and the man squealed like a pig. He pathetically began to bow, “Apologies for displeasing you, Champion. I’m sorry, please forget what you saw here! Please, I beg you!”

  “You haven’t answered my question,” Galen continued to stomp forward, “what are you doing here?”

  “I-I’m delivering supplies to the servants at the castle-” the man began before Galen interrupted.

  “That’s not what I meant!” he stabbed Redian’s blade into the ground right beside the man’s neck.

  He squealed again in surprise.

  “What are you doing to that poor kid? As a matter of fact,” Galen scanned the crowd of dirtied, tired, and emaciated skinny elves, “what are you doing to all of them?!”

  The man was hesitant to answer as he turned to look at the elves, “Them…? Champion… they are… they are…”

  Though he’d already guessed the answer, it still shocked him when the man whimpered, “They are… my slaves…”

  The only thing that prevented Galen from severing the man’s head from his body in that moment was the shock he felt at having his suspicions confirmed.

  That, and the flood of armored guards that suddenly marched into the area.

  Galen turned to where he’d seen the leather armored guards by the slaves, and noticed two were missing. Apparently they’d gone to raise the alarm.

  Damn it!

  “I tried to warn you, boss, but you shut me out,” Redian muttered in his mind.

  One of the armored guards came up to Galen, stepping right between him and the slaver.

  “Champion!” the guard spoke through his helm, clearly shaken that he was out here instead of at the feast, “come, we must escort you back to the castle.”

  “No,” Galen growled.

  The guard shifted on his feet uncomfortably, “Forgive my impertinence, but we must. We… we didn’t expect you to be out in Ignis. You’re supposed to be at the feast.”

  “Why?!” Galen yelled as he gestured to the elf slaves, “so I wouldn’t see this? This inhumane violation of human rights?!”

  The guard seemed genuinely confused as he replied, “Sir Champion… they… they aren’t human. Why would they have the same rights as-”

  The look on Galen’s face must have warned the guard that things would turn violent if he finished that sentence, since he abruptly stopped talking.

  Another guard came forward with unease, “Champion… please… if you return to the castle, you can discuss this with your tutors.”

  “Oh, I plan to,” Galen hissed in response.

  “Then please...” the guard began.

  “Not until you see to it that those poor people are cleaned, properly fed, and given baths. And that the kid on the ground is treated for his injuries.”

  “But Champion… they aren’t peo-” the second guard began before being elbowed by the first guard.

  “We’ll see to it, Champion!” the first guard said a little too quickly.

  “Are you in charge of the group who marched in here?” Galen asked.

  “Yes,” the first guard confirmed.

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  "Good. Then give me your name,” he ordered.

  “Sir Champion?”

  “Give. Me. Your. Name.”

  “Ralph of the Third Patrol!” he responded.

  “Okay, Ralph,” Galen patted him on the shoulder and gave him the most threatening glare he could manage, “if I find out these poor elves weren’t cared for like I asked, I’ll be sure to make it my mission to find you. Are we clear?”

  Ralph nodded quickly.

  “Good. Now go!” Galen yelled.

  Ralph ordered some of his men to attend to the elf slaves, who looked confused and wary about the situation.

  “Wait,” the disgusting slaver cried out in protest, “they are my property! You can’t just- OOF!”

  Ralph had marched up to the man and slugged him in the gut. The man’s eyes rolled back as he fell down to the floor face first. He’d been knocked out cold.

  Reluctantly, Galen followed the urging of the guards tasked with guiding him back to the castle. He wanted to personally make sure the slaves were cared for as per his demands. However, he knew he wouldn’t be able to. That only pissed him off even more. He was going to have a nice, long chat with some people once he was escorted back.

  In the back of his mind, he knew this was the only time he’d ever be able to go into Ignis on his own.

  He had no idea just how right he’d been at the time.

  ***

  Galen was met at the entrance by Aleksi and Milton. It seemed they’d gotten the memo about his excursion into Ignis. They both looked relieved to see him.

  That is until they saw saw the fury on his face as he stomped over to them.

  “We need to talk,” he growled through gritted teeth.

  “Ah, Champion. Of course,” Milton began, looking nervous for the first time since he’d met the scribe, “come, let us-”

  Galen pushed past him and began to storm into the castle. He stopped when he reached Aleksi. He wanted to say something to the man he’d come to trust most in this world.

  Words failed to leave his mouth. He was too angry, and too disappointed by the fact that his mentor had hidden something this awful from him. It must have shown on his face, because Aleksi looked downright ashamed.

  “I’m sorry, lad. I hope you’ll let me explain later,” the man said, unable to meet his eyes.

  Galen clenched his fists and stormed into the castle.

  ***

  He thought he kept his cool rather well considering the rage within him. After all, when Aleksi and Milton met with him in his room, he’d hurled and broken only one chair against the wall.

  “Explain! NOW!”

  “You’ll have to be a bit more specific, Champion,” Milton began.

  “No games, Milton!” he yelled, “you know exactly what I’m talking about. You people have slaves? SLAVES?!”

  Galen yelled out several profanities as he hurled another chair against the wall before continuing, “You better have damn good reason for keeping this from me. And an even better one to explain why the Dominion allows fucking slavery!”

  He began to pace back and forth like a caged animal as he waited for either Milton or Aleksi to speak. He dared one of them to try and justify what he’d seen.

  “Well… you see…” Milton began.

  The look Galen gave him shut him up. He must have realized whatever he’d been about to say might’ve only made things worse. Aleksi put a hand on Milton’s shoulder, “I’ll handle this, Milton.”

  “Are you certain?” Milton asked in a tone that said, “it’s your funeral, you know.”

  Aleksi nodded, “The Champion and I will need privacy. Complete privacy. His trust in the Dominion has been broken. We should avoid doing anything to further break that trust. Don’t you agree?”

  Milton slowly nodded, “Very well. You know the Champion best, Aleksi. I’ll leave this… delicate matter in your capable hands.”

  The nerdy scribe seemed all too eager to leave as he dashed out of the room.

  Galen opened his mouth to speak. Well, more like yell some more. But Aleksi held up a hand to indicate he wait.

  That only served to further infuriate him, but the pleading look in his mentor’s eyes just barely managed to convince him to listen. They waited for several moments before Aleksi leaned in and whispered in English, “Can you ask Redian if the coast is clear?”

  He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but he did as the man asked. He nodded to Aleksi once Redian gave him the all clear.

  Aleksi sighed. The man suddenly looked to have aged several years as he rubbed his face with his hands, “I’m sorry, lad. I really am.”

  That wasn’t what he wanted to hear right now, “Sorry? You’re sorry?! What about the Dominion?! Are they sorry for enslaving elves?! For whipping them for not doing what they command?!”

  “It’s not just elves, lad,” Aleksi interrupted.

  “What?!”

  “It’s not just elves,” he repeated, “it’s any other race that isn’t human. Lad, I’m sorry to say, but the Dominion is a firm believer in human supremacy.”

  Galen reeled at the news.

  Aleksi continued, “Athanasius, the Dominion, and its people look down upon and discriminate against any race that isn’t human. Elves, dwarves, and others are enslaved and abused frequently. The ones enslaved were those left stranded in this Realm by the Great Fragmentation all those centuries ago.”

  Galen got up in his face, “I can’t believe you… I respected you! Yet now I find that you’re serving an empire that practices slavery?! How do you live with yourself-”

  “I DON’T LIKE IT EITHER, LAD!!!” Aleksi snapped.

  He stepped back, eyes wide. He’d never seen his mentor so angry before. He looked downright furious.

  “Let me clear on this, Galen. I don’t approve of the Dominion enslaving the other races. In fact, I despise it! But just what do you expect me to do about it?! And before you answer, know that I’m in the minority here in this empire!” Aleksi explained.

  “Your opinion is the minority?! Why?!”

  His mentor rubbed his face tiredly, “Lad, you’ve been studying our history for months now. Calm yourself and recall what you’ve learned. Humanity has had a bitter history with the elves, and our relationship with the other races was tenuous at best. And that was before the Great Fragmentation. Void, Athurai teaches that elves are creatures of evil. That they’re the incarnation of pride and malice. That if they had the power to do so, they’d enslave and destroy all of mankind!”

  Galen didn’t know that. He’d purposefully avoided reading any Athuraian books or scrolls. Particularly the one that Milton had all but shoved onto him a while back.

  He shook his head, “I can’t believe I agreed to work with the Dominion-”

  He froze.

  Galen suddenly felt sick as he swore aloud and muttered, “I… I agreed to work them… If I’d known…”

  If I’d known… would that have even changed anything? Would I have refused to work with Athanasius? Would I?! As far as I know, only he knows the way for me to return home… Does that mean I’m stuck working with them if I want to make it back to Earth?! Galen felt his knees wobble at the realization.

  He had to put a hand to the wall to support himself as he used the other to clasp over his mouth lest he throw up.

  Aleksi appeared at his side, “You alright, lad?”

  Galen shook his head in response, “No… NO! How can I be knowing I’m stuck serving the Dominion, despite what I now know?!”

  “I’m sorry, lad… I really am…” Aleksi guided him to his bed and helped him to sit down.

  His mentor knelt in front of him, “You’ve mentioned your original world was a largely peaceful one. It really must have been if this shakes you so.”

  Galen closed his eyes, “I need to be alone right now. I can’t… I just can’t stand to look at any of you right now…”

  “I understand. I’ll do what I can to give you time to digest what’s happened. I just want you to know… I’m glad the idea of enslaving the other races sickens you so. I don’t know how I would have felt if you’d just taken the whole thing in stride. You’re a good kid, lad.”

  Galen didn’t respond as Aleksi left his room. He let himself fall back on the bed, and lay there for a while, wondering what he was going to do. Things remained silent in the room, as even Redian seemed to be respecting his wish for solitude.

  Eventually, among the myriad of thoughts clashing in his mind, a single one brought him to a decision, If the Dominion was hiding something like this from me… what else are they not telling me?

  He sat up, and looked to the desk in the corner where he had all his history books and notes. At the bottom of one stack, lay the Athurai book that Milton had given him.

  No more putting this off, he decided.

  He got up and walked to his study desk. He opened up one book, and started from the beginning. He was going to reread all the history books he had read so far and more. He was even going to read the Athurai book. Only this time, he was going to try to read in between the lines and determine what was true and what was false.

  He was done taking the Dominion at their word.

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