It took some time for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they eventually did, his eyes met those of several humans, who were either sitting or laying on the floor. There were probably around a hundred people in the compartment, many of whom were filthy and only covered by simple rags. Their collective stench reeked, causing him to instinctively cover his nose. Ryo could see several people with lifeless eyes, containing the unmistakable gaze of those who had given up.

With everyone focused on him now, Ryo wasn't sure what to do. He didn't enjoy having all these eyes on him. Under the scrutiny of everyone, he drew inward, making himself as small as possible. Although these people were slaves like him, he knew that didn't matter. Several times he had watched slaves turn on each other, in the hopes of earning some measly reward. Any wrong word or foolish move now could make his life a lot harder. A gruff voice from behind finally broke the silence, startling him.

"All right everyone, you're frightening the poor lad."

Turning around, he saw an older human male, with only one arm! Usually, an injury like that would mean death for a slave. No one wanted a damaged slave with a missing arm. The man was probably around two meters tall. With dark tan skin and thin tufts of graying white hair. Yet despite the man's advanced age, Ryo noticed that man still possessed a sturdy body and lively green eyes. Looking closer, he could see the old man also had several scars on his body, much like his own. Something about the man reminded him of an old bear in the woods that was far past its prime, but still dangerous if provoked.

***

Robert had been talking when the sound of the hatch opening stopped him. Not long after, a thin boy jumped inside, and the hatch closed behind him. There hadn't been a new arrival for quite some time, so this sight garnered everyone's attention. Under the gaze of everyone in the room, the boy shook like a leaf. Ordinarily, he would try to mind his own business, but the boy looked so pitiful.

"All right everyone, you're frightening the poor lad." He said, trying to break the ice.

The lad spun around and looked at him in fear; though it wasn't his intention to scare the boy. Robert could now get a better look at the lad. The first thing anyone would notice was the scars. Slaves often had them, but usually only a few and most of the time only on their backs. This boy, however, was covered in them. Only the lad's hands, feet, neck, and face were unmarred. He felt a deep pity for the boy, and the hell he must have endured to find himself in such a sorry state. For someone so young to experience such a thing was simply a tragedy.

What kind of monster would do such things to a child? Just thinking about a person who was capable of it made his blood boil. Robert had served in the army for several years and had been a mercenary even longer. He had witnessed several horrible things and knew how evil people could be. Despite the desensitization of those experiences, he was shocked… what was the world coming to, when children were subjected to such cruelty?

Forcing those thoughts aside, he brought himself back to the boy in front of him. It was probably because of his appearance that the boy caught the eye of someone. Most would probably think the lad beautiful or handsome, though his features were fair, and if it wasn't for the loincloth, he would have sworn the lad was a girl. He probably wasn't any older than thirteen and was far too slender for his age. His skin was milky white, and he had a mop of shaggy black hair, all signs of someone who stayed indoors too much.

Getting a closer look at him, Robert realized the lad had blue, feline eyes! He must have some katzen blood in him to have such features. But it couldn't be much because the boy didn't have any other feline attributes. Robert guessed the lad perhaps had a great-grandparent that was katzen. The boy kept quickly glancing up at him, then back to the floor.

"Hey lad, how long have you been a slave?"

"I-uh-two years."

The boy was still shaking like a leaf. He was probably scared of being beaten or whipped again. Clenching his fists, Robert felt the anger well up inside of him. If only he could get ten minutes alone with the scum who'd tortured this kid.

"You don't have to worry boy, everyone down here is a slave."

"The man who bought you goes by the name of Grant. He's a limp dick merchant, so he ain't gonna harm you. All that bastard cares about is his coin and his own skin."

"Uh-thank you."

"No problem, you can call me Robert."

He was trying his best to make the boy feel at ease, but it didn't seem to work. It would probably take some time for the boy to feel more comfortable, no matter what he did. All he could do was try to help the lad, as best he knew how.

"Kid, I wouldn't stay here under the hatch, you'll get sick that way."

"If you want, you can come on over to where I stay. I promise you ain��t nobody gonna bother you down here."

The he nodded in response, the boy kept his eyes fixed to the ground. Seeing that as a sign of acceptance, he turned around and walked to his spot. It was in the back left side of the compartment, in the corner. Robert had claimed that spot early on, seeing it as a tactical place to defend oneself.  With his back to the corner, he could easily fight anyone if needed. Not that it had turned out to be much of a concern, except for that orc woman who would give him trouble from time to time.

As he made his way to his spot, the people stepped aside to clear a path. Most of these people knew Robert and what kind of person he was. They respected and feared him, so did their best to leave him alone. The motivation being that they'd once witnessed him teach an undisciplined man a brief lesson in manners. The man had tried to take advantage of one of the women on board. Robert's lesson to him had served as a warning to all the men that such actions were not allowed. It was because of his presence that everyone kept in line.[1]

When they finally made it to the corner, he turned around and sat down, putting his back against the corner. He motioned for the boy to sit down beside him, which the lad silently did. The boy wasn't shaking as much as he had been earlier, but still seemed distinctly on edge. Robert also noticed that the lad never liked to look people in the eye. This was probably because of someone's order. It was common for certain types of slaves to act like that. He understood this,  though it still bothered him a little, but he knew it wasn't the boys's fault.

"What's your name, lad?" He asked.

"Ryo, sir." The boy replied, looking away nervously.

"I'm no sir Ryo, I work for a living. Just call me Robert." He told the lad in his best welcoming tone.

"Sorry, Si… Robert." Ryo stuttered, as he started to shake.

"No need to apologize." He assured the boy in an even softer tone.

"How old are you?" Robert asked.

"Twelve." The lad replied.

"Tisk" 

Robert knew the boy had to be young, but hearing it out loud was a different story. Honestly, given the boy's scars, he was shocked that the boy was still alive. He had seen grown men kill themselves to escape the pain of lesser injuries. The sheer amount of pain the boy had probably experienced was something he couldn't even fathom. Robert could feel the blood lust rise again, taking a steady breath he calmed himself.

"Ryo you must be tired, get some sleep. I promise nothing will happen to you while you're near me." He said, giving the lad a small smile.

It was the only thing he could say to the boy. Robert knew that the boy wasn't going to trust anyone easily, or quickly. The lad had been tortured and abused for some time. Stuff like that would change a person and it would take time to heal. He'd had several friends who had gone through similar ordeals in the army. All he could do was try and be there for the boy.

***

"Thanks" Ryo muttered, giving the old man a small bow.

Laying down on the hard wooden floor, he closed his eyes. He was tired, but he was also too scared to sleep. For a long time, he just laid there with his eyes shut, waiting for something to happen. It wasn't until he heard several people snoring that he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

That night was the first one in a very long time that he didn't have a nightmare. When he woke up, the ship had already left port, and breakfast had already been handed out. Luckily for him, Robert had gotten his portion of food for him. After eating his breakfast, he stretched out his body, enjoying the freedom of movement of no longer being imprisoned in that cursed box.

Talking to Robert, he learned that they would spend one to two months longer on the ship. They would cross the Torrine Sea, picking up supplies halfway through, before reaching the port town of Hewe. From there, they would travel by wagon to the capital city of Tarids. Along their route from Hewe to Tardis they would stop at towns and villages, so that they could be sold. When Ryo asked how he knew all of this, the man shrugged and said.

"Sailors love to talk."

As the day passed, he became more comfortable around Robert. Now he would freely ask the old man questions, eager to listen to his replies. His nightmares had also become less frequent, which allowed him to gain somewhat restful sleep. He still tried to not talk to anyone unless necessary and avoided them as much as he could, though this was hard to do in such a cramped room. Thanks to Robert, everyone just avoided him, only giving him the occasional look.

After two weeks on the ship, he was becoming increasingly restless. During those two weeks, he'd talked to Robert more and more, until he was comfortably conversing with the man for most of the day. Robert had shared a wealth of knowledge with him about the world around him. The old man also passed the time by telling Ryo stories of his travels and battles. When the old man started a story, it would often captivate him so thoroughly that he'd become temporarily transported from his miserable existence, totally immersed in whatever narrative web the man spun.

"We learned that the woman was actually an odio! Can you believe it?! She had somehow gotten a hold of a magic ring and disguised herself as a human. After we talked to her, we learned the truth of what was afoot." Robert told him, recounting one of his stories.

"What's an odio?" Ryo asked the old man. He had never heard the word used before.

"Ah-uh… you don't know what an odio is?" Robert asked, in disbelief.

"No." Ryo answered, shaking his head. He had only been speaking common for about two years and there were several words he didn't know.

"What kind of  life did you live lad?" The old man muttered.

"An odio is a hellborn." Robert quickly explained.

"You mean… a demon?" Ryo asked, a little confused.

"Lad, those people aren't demons." Robert stated flatly, giving him a serious look.

I must have heard wrong. How could they not be demons, if they were born in the hellion plane? Did he perhaps not understand something? I must have heard wrong. Not sure what to say, he decided it was best to change the topic entirely.

"Did you complete your mission?" He asked Robert.

"Nay, we didn't, she was just an innocent person, trying to live a normal life." The old man replied, shaking his head slowly.

"Why?" He wondered out loud.

On the island, the elders had often told them the evils of demons. They were beings who sought to devour our world, and all those who lived in it. At a young age, they had instilled these lessons into him. Now Robert said he didn't kill the woman, despite knowing she was a demon. He just couldn't understand why he would do such a thing. If it hadn't been against divine law to kill fellow kitsune, then Ryo was sure that the elders would have ended his life.

"Others were trying to use her as a scapegoat, she wasn't doing anything wrong." Robert explained.

"But aren't demons evil? Wasn't she just lying?" He asked, not understanding the old man.

"Lad, demons are evil, but odios aren't demons." Robert told him.

It just didn't make any sense to him. If they had demon blood running through their veins didn't that make them demons? Several times he'd had heard people curse demons, or speak about them in fear. There was no way Robert didn't know how evil demons were.

"But…" he tried to say, before Robert cut him off.

"Lad, life is a lot more complicated than just good and evil. They carry the blood of a demon or devil, sure, but that doesn't make them one. They, like anyone else, can be good or bad." Robert explained, giving him a disappointed look.

"I was told…" He tried to speak, but the old man cut him off again.

"Lad, anyone can be cruel and twisted like a demon. You don't need their blood in your veins to accomplish that." Robert stressed, shaking his head again at him.

"Yeah, but…" Again Ryo tried to speak, but was cut off.

"Lad, there ain't no buts to this. Was that person who put all those scars on you an odio?" Robert asked him.

"..."

Thinking about what his previous master had done to him, sent a shiver through him. He had never seen a demon or odio in the flesh, but he had heard plenty about them. From what he was told, the dark elf wasn't a demon, but he couldn't know for sure. It was said that they could shape-shift and take on a multitude of forms. But what Robert said made sense… anyone could become cruel or twisted.

"I ain't trying to be mean, lad. You just have to think more about it." Robert told him.

"Just know that life ain't that easy." Robert added, giving him a solemn look.

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, not fully understanding what the old man was saying.

"Maybe you're too young to understand." Robert remarked.

"Ryo, just know that you shouldn't judge someone by their race or appearance. Look closely, examine how they act and what they say instead." He added.

Ryo tried to press the old man for more information, but he refused to say any more on the topic. Since it was getting late all he could do now was rest and ask again tomorrow. That night he had the nightmare where the villages called him a demon. While it wasn't one of his worst dreams, it still caused him to wake up in a cold sweat.

The next day he ate his breakfast in silence. His mind kept alternating between Robert's words, his nightmares, and what he had learned on the island from the elders. He was still not sure what was the right thing to believe, but had begun to lean more towards what the old man had told him. Yet, he still had his doubts deep in his heart. There was still something he kept locked away deep inside of himself. Was he really the demon everyone on the island thought he was? It wasn't until lunch that he worked up the nerve to ask the old man his question.

"Ummm Robert, what would you have done if that odio woman wanted to become friends with you?" He asked.

"Hahaha." Robert laughed out loud before saying. "Why not?"

"As I told you last night… it doesn't matter what you are or look like. What matters is how you act and what you say." The old man told him with a grin.

"What does that mean?" Ryo asked, still a little confused.

"Lad, some people will say nice and flowery words but not do a damn decent thing." Robert explained… others might act decently enough, but their words may make a situation worse, or be harmful to others." The old man added.

"Oh." Ryo said, thinking about what was just said.

"Haha. Don't worry lad, you are still young. You will learn all this in time." Robert laughed, giving him a wink.

Robert's words made him happy, but he still felt the words of the elders weigh heavily on his heart. He was glad that, even if he was a demon, Robert would still consider being his friend. All this time he'd felt like there was something wrong with him. Although he always denied what the elders professed him to be, at his core he wasn't certain. Why would they lie? Their sole responsibility was to take care of all kitsune on the island. They were the messengers of the gods,  after all, and their words were absolute.

The next few days were rather uneventful. He spent most of his time listening to more of Robert's stories. Ryo couldn't help but be captivated by the old man and his tales. Traveling across Illia, he had seen rare beasts, discovered a lost city, and fought against powerful monsters. Often Robert would talk about his time in the Wild Lands. He had never heard of such a place, but from what the old man said, it was a dangerous and chaotic one. Teeming with both treasures and monsters as well as beings that could easily kill most people. Only those who eagerly sought either fortune or their own demise would ever set foot there.

During one of Robert's stories, Ryo finally learned how the old warrior had lost his arm. Four years ago he was hired to protect a merchant, as they made their way to a dwarven outpost. Along one of the narrow passes, bandits had attacked them. Robert had tried his best to defend the merchant, but was soon overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

With no other options, the old man retreated. He had tried to bring the merchant along, but the man refused to leave his goods. Seeing how futile it would be to stay, he'd turned tail and ran. Robert said there was no need for him to throw his life away for a greedy merchant. The old man broke past the bandits and made his way towards the dwarven outpost, alone.

Not wanting to stay on the road, Robert had found a narrow path in the mountains. He'd used this trail to keep hidden from any other bandits that may have laid in wait along the main road. For a while things went well and Robert had quickly made his way through the mountains. On one fateful night though, he'd stumbled upon a cave with a female ogre in it. He'd tried to keep his distance, but the monster had noticed him. It relentlessly pursued him for several days, before the two finally clashed.

"Now this ogre was around three meters tall and probably weighed around two hundred and some kilograms." Robert told him.

"Really?!" He asked, trying to imagine it.

"Aye, lad." Robert said, puffing out his chest.

"It's never a good idea to clash with an ogre alone. They are immensely strong and can easily rip a person in two." The old man explained.

"What?!" Ryo gasped "Really?!"

"Aye." Robert affirmed, nodding his head.

"What happened next?" Ryo asked, as he scooted forward.

"Well, luckily for me ogres are stupid and quick to anger." Robert said, smirking.

"Is that how you killed it? You outsmarted it?" Ryo wondered aloud.

"Nay. The damn thing bit my arm off, but not before I rammed my dagger down its throat!" Robert said, as he made a stabbing motion.

"Really?!" Ryo asked, amazed by the man's words.

"Aye lad." Robert replied waving his stub of an arm around.

"Let it be a lesson to you, don't fight an ogre alone." The old man told him, giving him a wink.

"Then what happened?" Ryo asked eagerly.

"Well, so there I was… a dead ogre at my feet and missing an arm…" Robert said, pointing towards his arm.

"Luckily, I always kept some magic scrolls with me, so I used one to scorch my arm, closing the wound." The old man added.

"Why didn't you use the magic scroll against the ogre?" Ryo inquired.

"Lad, those damn things are costly!" Robert snapped back.

"But you lost your arm!" Ryo blurted out, surprised by the old man's reply.

"Lad, as you may be able to see, I ain't no spring chicken. This old body made a mistake, and it cost me an arm. I overestimated myself and ignored the fact I ain't what I used to be."

"I didn't mean to…" Ryo mumbled. He felt guilty for raising his voice at the old man.

"Don't worry about it, lad. In hindsight, I should have used the scrolls sooner. I learned a lesson from my mistake, and that's what matters." Robert admitted, gesturing everything was okay.

"What did you do then?" Ryo asked.

After stumbling around in the wilderness for a few days, a dwarven patrol had found him and brought him to a nearby village. The village wasn't able to help, so they'd sent for a priest. By the time one arrived, Robert was very ill and on the brink of death. The priest saved his life, but at the cost of everything he had. For his services the priest took anything of value, Robert had, leaving him with only the clothes on his back.

After recovering, he'd left the tiny village and returned to the human realm. Robert tried several times to find work, but no one would hire him. An old warrior past his prime with a missing arm didn't exactly instill confidence in prospective employers. The old man was on his way to a new village to serve as a trapper, when raiders had ambushed him. He tried putting up a fight, but they overpowered and captured him. A few days later the raiders brought him to a slaver and sold him for a few silver pieces. Those slavers then sold him to the merchant Grant, not long after.

Ryo's days continued like this for another few weeks. Waking up, he would eat his breakfast and then listen to Robert's stories to pass the time. During one of his afternoon naps, the ship had docked and resupplied, before quickly leaving. He was a little disappointed to have missed it, but Robert told him he hadn't missed anything. The old man was probably right, but he couldn't help it. Being stuck beneath the deck of the ship for so long was making him restless. At first, he was just happy to be able to relax and enjoy Robert's stories. He still enjoyed listening to the old man's stories, but he longed for something else. I wonder how much longer we will be on this ship?

"There's a storm brewing." Robert told him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Really?" Ryo asked, sniffing the air.

"Aye." Robert said, nodding.

"How do you know?" Ryo wondered. All he could smell was the people around him. He didn't know humans well enough, but doubted their noses were better than his.

"My knees are aching." The old man replied, rubbing his knee.

"Your knees?" He asked skeptically.

"Hahaha!" Robert laughed, before saying. "You'll understand when you get older."

Usually, with Ryo's nose, he could sniff out a coming storm, but being trapped under the ship made that almost impossible. There were so many potent smells nearby that overwhelmed his senses. Not even an hour had passed before Ryo noticed the room was getting darker. The ship started violently swaying from side to side, as the pattering sound of rain came from the deck of the ship. The intensity of the rain and the waves crashing into the ship slowly grew, until the ship was like a leaf in a storm.

Waves slammed into the ship, tossing it mercilessly around, and all those on it were tossed every which way. All of them were sliding across the wet floor, desperately clinging to anything they could. People collided into one another, or the wooden hull of the ship. Others clasped their hands in front of them and knelt on the floor, praying to their gods.

Luckily for Ryo, Robert had grabbed a hold of him, preventing him from sliding across the floor. At first, he had been very uncomfortable with being touched, but he understood what the old man was trying to do. Robert had braced his back against the corner of the room, his feet solidly planted in front of him. This way the old man could use his powerful legs to prevent him from sliding across the room. A few people in the room tried to copy what Robert was doing, with little success. One needed to have incredible leg strength and endurance to maintain it.

The ship screamed from the pressure on the hull. Through the hatch, he could see a flash of light followed by a thunderous Boom! The sound of thunder made the wood underneath him tremble. Boom! This time even his heart seemed to shake from the sound of the storm. Ryo could hear the sailors on deck yelling to one another. Water poured in from the hatch, slowly filling the room with icy water. It was only a few centimeters at this point though, so it wasn't a concern to anyone.

Thud! Something hit the side of the ship, causing it to jerk violently. The ship let out a long groan, sounding as if it was about to snap in two. Amongst all the noises and chaos, Ryo heard a long eerie moan come from underneath the ship! His instincts screamed at him to hide or try to escape, because something dangerous was nearby! But, where would he go? He was trapped in the belly of the ship. All he could do was hope that whatever it was wouldn't notice them.

Thud! The old man lost his footing, sending both of them flying a few meters before hitting the floor. The ship was then tossed to the side, sending everyone sliding across the floor. Another long eerie groan came from under the ship, followed by another thud! Everyone was sent crashing into the opposite hull of the ship. Fortunately for Ryo, he landed on top of someone, cushioning his fall.

The same groan came from underneath the ship once again, followed by another thud! The ship jerked back to the other side, catapulting everyone back through the air and into the opposite wall. Ryo and Robert smashed into the hull, with several people falling on top of them. A woman landed on him, knowing the wind out of him. He struggled to catch his breath, as bright stars exploded in his vision.

***

"This is what happens when you skimp out on a crew!" Robert grumbled, pushing people off himself.

He was no sailor, but he had traveled by ship several times. A ship of this size should have a crew twice this size. Not only that, but the quality of sailors didn't exactly fill him with confidence. When Robert had overheard them, he guessed that most of them were greenhorns. To top it all of, the captain of the ship was a useless drunk who seemed to know more about booze than sailing a ship. That damn merchant would get everyone killed, because he was too cheap to hire a proper crew!

The ship finally seemed to settle and stabilize itself in the storm. Picking himself up, he grabbed Ryo and headed back to his spot. Once again he braced himself against the corner, while he held onto the lad. The water in the room had risen steadily now to knee height, making it harder to get a good stance. Now it took him twice the amount of work to keep them both from sliding across the floor. Suddenly the hatch was flung opened and buckets were tossed down. A sailor poked his head down through the opening and shouted.

"Start bailing water!"

The younger men and women quickly picked up the buckets and started scooping up water. They handed them back to the sailors, who emptied them and tossed the buckets back down through the hatch. This went on for several hours before the water eventually receded. When the sailors eventually closed the hatch, the water was only up to his ankles. He doubted that anyone would get any decent sleep that night. Luckily, it wouldn't be much longer until they were off that damn ship.

***