The Unicorn Legion Vol 1 Chapter 10

A Human’s Price

“She created man eating sharks, ships attacking us, huge storms, and tsunami. In my eyes, that person also appeared in different forms. A pirate’s hook, a broken mast, giant octopus tentacles… but in the end we stayed in the same position, something holding onto my hand tightly. Whenever I became scared, I would turn to look at him. That was the weakness in illusions, as long as you believed firmly that nothing was real, then the caster would not be able to cause real damage.”

“Finally, the chief spent too much magic, and had to stop and rest. That was the moment, I used my powers. What I showed them, was the desert. Different from the beach, it was endless desolation. No life, just a dried oasis, animal bones. Sand carried in the wind, along with the scorching sun, ruthlessly removing all the moisture.”

“That was something drawn by the sailor. Something the sirens had never seen before, but perhaps it was the fear of dehydration, that was part of our ingrained instincts. They panicked, faces and skin started to dry and chap, followed by falling scales.”

“The chief – my mother admitted defeat, they unwillingly made a male siren into the new chief. But truthfully at that time if they all came at us together, they would have easily killed us. But perhaps only humans would do something like that without concern.”

“I exiled my tribe. Had them remove the illusion, leaving the island, never to return. Having regained their consciousness the sailors quickly repaired their ship, using the food and water left by the sirens to replenish their supplies. In their eyes I was a local child, when I suggested that I wanted to board the ship to become an apprentice, the captain agreed without suspicion.”

“Even if it was just navigating on the sea, I felt like I had entered a different world. Every day I would climb up the mast, looking at far away islands, imagining the human cities within. The sailors taught me all sorts of sailing techniques, from tying knots to setting cannons. That person also taught me how to draw maps, and to use human tools and not the stars to navigate. When we arrived at the Golden Capital, I could almost be a real sailor’s apprentice.”

“When we entered the city, I knew I had overestimated myself. There were so many beautifully dazzling scenes, in comparison to reality, my illusions were colourless and dull. I complained to that person, why at that time, did he not point out my faults. But he patted my head once again, and replied, ‘Because I believed that one day you would see all this for yourself.’ ”

“We lived near the harbor, giving up sailing, just joining a small boat to the nearby seas to fish. Being familiar with the sea, the ship we boarded always had much better harvest. He said that if we worked for three or five years, we would be able to buy our own ship. Then we could explore the whole country sailing with the tide, even leave the continent to search for the legendary dwelling places of magical creatures.”

“But in truth, just living in the human society, I was satisfied. When not working, we ‘explored’ around the city, finding small excitement in every corner. I like human food, like the rough but free lifestyle of commoners, like the pretentiousness of n.o.ble etiquette. I really wished that days like that would last forever, until one day, he told me ‘don’t go out to work anymore.’ ”

“I didn’t understand what he was thinking, the second day he didn’t wake me up, locking the door when he left. On the third day, he moved out of the little house by the harbor, taking me to an inn within the city. – That night he didn’t sleep, just stared at the door, when it became light out, he told me he was going back to get something, and told me not to leave the room.”

“Though I didn’t understand. I did as he told me. I stayed in that room for two, or three days. I was unable to sleep, because of nightmares whenever I closed my eyes. In the dream someone continuously tortured me, I couldn’t see their faces, I just knew that they were sailors. He never came back, the food he left behind were all gone early on.”

“About four days later, the nightmare became reality. A group of men rushed in. I remembered their leader, he looked like someone who worked at one of the other ships. Because my strength was at its limit, I couldn’t even cast my illusions, so I was taken by them.”

“Then I met the duke. He told me, that he bought me from that person. The exchange point was that room. From that point onward, I was his slave. I didn’t believe it at first, but the duke showed me the ‘contract’. His name and fingerprint were on there.”

“ ‘To humans, anything can be sold. The difference is whether the offer was high enough.’ That was what the duke said, ‘It wasn’t that he didn’t treasure you, it was just that in comparison, his own future happiness was more important.’ ”

“I finally gave up, and wept for a long time. The duke promised that if I worked for him, and made 5000 gold, I could leave. The work load was not much, just to provide hallucinogens to n.o.bles once every month. Whatever situation they wanted, I could satisfy their fantasies 100 percent. As long as it was body fluids from a siren it was possible, most of the time, I used my saliva.” The youth laughed lightly, “Spit on their faces, and watch them roll around on the rug intoxicated.”

“At that time I thought, perhaps it was true. In the duke’s ‘brothel’, a few coins can buy a night of wild abandon, 100 gold coins can allow you to do anyone you imagine, if you had 100 thousand, even the Queen would kneel on the ground to kiss your shoes. Humans can sell anything, labor, body, soul, emotions, promises, the only difference is if the offer was high enough.”

The knight shook his head, wanting to deny something. The youth only lifted his head, smiling slightly.

“Cain, you are a good person, that means that to buy you, requires lots, and lots of gold. – But in the end, you still have a price. When the offer is high enough, you would kill me, kill Ellen, even kill your family. So, I’m sorry, I still can’t trust you.”

“So you would rather believe in a vampire that was full of lies, than to trust that that person didn’t betray, right?” the knight finally said, his voice seeming to be suppressing his anger, “Really, such incurable prejudice. – If so, then I also have a story to tell you.”