The man placed his hand on her festering leg, which was soon enveloped in warm light. The pain—and the swelling—began to fade before her very eyes.
Huh?
For reasons the girl could not comprehend, her once rotten appendage healed wherever the man touched it. Even her open sores began to close. She couldn’t make out his face—hunger and thirst had clouded her vision—but somehow, she could sense that he was giving her a gentle smile.
“This should do for now,” he said. “Just...take it easy, okay? You’re not fully healed yet.”
The man finished treating her—though it seemed he had done nothing more than touch her—and moved on to the next person, repeating the process. Only then did the girl, her thoughts still sluggish from fever, realize something that should have been obvious.
Of course. This is all a dream.
There could be no other explanation. Her rescue was a trick of the senses, meant to bring her comfort in her final moments.
The others in the room, barely clinging to life, watched the stranger work with the same bewilderment. The darkness in their eyes had given way to confusion. Eventually, the man stood, exhaled in satisfaction, and turned to the long-haired young woman with whom he had entered.
“That should do for emergency treatment. Sorry, Lynne, but could you see to the rest?”
“Of course, Instructor. And thank you for your help. I can take it from here.”
“In that case, I’ll go help Ines and the others with the shopping.”
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”
After the “instructor” departed, the young woman made her way around the room. She retrieved what appeared to be medicine from a case and murmured gentle words as she brought it to the mouths of the sickly. The impact was almost immediate: Languidness melted away from those who were tended to, and they began to push themselves up under their own power.
The slave girl watched, still caught in a daze. Even as the truth began to take root, she couldn’t bring herself to believe it was real. It felt as though she had witnessed a miracle. She had never seen a doctor before, but how else could she describe the man and young woman who’d come to their aid? They seemed entirely separate from the world she had come to know.
Once she had seen to everyone, the young woman with the medicine box departed. The slaves—their ailments and injuries gone as though they had never existed—were moved to another room, where they were given clean clothes, hot food, fresh blankets, and a chance to rest.
Not one of the slaves could understand why they were receiving such kindness. Even the most optimistic among them dared not voice their thoughts, for they knew there had to be a catch. Perhaps they would be sold—and at a higher price than usual, now that they were healthy and fed. Many whispered that their saviors’ “generosity” was nothing more than a sales tactic, and some even sneered at the notion that they were being shown kindness at all.
Thus, although they had been cured, the slaves’ expressions remained grim. They sprawled on the ground, listless, as if they had never even escaped their dark, windowless prison.
As the sun set and a chill crept into the air, the wonder of the miracle they had witnessed began to fade. Wrapped in her blanket, the girl could only watch as misery ate away at them all. She hung her head, and the light of hope faded from her eyes.
“Right, you lot! Load ’em up—every last one of ’em! We’re on a tight schedule here!”
In the deep hush of night, shouts rang out, footsteps scrambling in their wake. A group of heavyset men stormed in, looking every bit like bandits and clearly harried for time. One by one, they picked up the stupefied slaves and carried them away. As panicked screams filled the air, a large bearded man with a particularly striking marauder’s countenance strolled in and roared:
“Hey! Knuckleheads! Easy on the goods! How many times do I gotta say it? The customer’s things are worth more than yer own damn heads! Treat ’em a hundred times better than you’d treat yer missuses! Got it?!”
“B-Boss, uh... Me and the boys have been thinking, and...”
“And what? Out with it.”
“Well...none of us are married yet. Speaking about our ‘missuses’ doesn’t seem appropriate, what with our employer-employee relationship. It’s a bit demeaning.”
At once, the rough-looking men froze, staring at their boss with confused slaves still in their arms. The bearded man looked around at them, his mouth working silently for a moment before he found his voice.
“Oh, shut it, will ya?! And get back to work! You were hired for yer muscles, not yer brains! If you ain’t got a missus, imagine one! It’s what I do!”
“Y-Yes, Boss!” the brawny men chorused. They went back to carrying the slaves away—albeit much more gently than before. Some even asked for permission, turning fearful screams into murmurs of confusion.
The bearded man watched his employees work, his arms crossed and an ominous grin on his face. “Really, what a ridiculous job...” he said with a menacing chuckle. “Twice the market rate just to get this lot where they’re goin’. By daybreak too! Still, I’d never have joined the express shipping business if it didn’t light a fire in my belly!”
The girl held her breath, hoping the strange man—clearly enjoying himself—and his crew wouldn’t find her. But it was no use. Step by step, he moved toward the shadows where she lay hidden.
“Found ya.” He grinned, creasing the array of scars on his face. “Yer a pretty fine hider, little miss. Hate to be a bother at this late hour, but business is business, I’m afraid. Be a dear and come all quiet-like, won’t ya? There’s a spot on the wagon with yer name on it.”
She whimpered and curled inward as the man’s burly arms reached out. But instead of seizing her, he picked her up as though she were a bundle of delicate feathers, careful not to jostle her lest she scatter apart.
Huh?
The picture of consideration, the bearded man carried the girl out of the trading house to a canopied wagon parked outside. Gently, he placed her in the back, which was upholstered with a pleasantly aromatic plush rug. Her wide eyes grew wider. She’d expected far rougher treatment, given the men’s appearances.
“Right, knuckleheads!” the bearded man shouted. “Did ya treat the cargo nicer than ya would yer wives?! And what about the protective sheets?! They better be triple-layered!”
“Yes, Boss!” his men shouted in response. “We’re good to go, Boss!”
“Final checks, then! Get to work! And don’t forget to look under the cart! So help me, as I live and breathe, no golem wagon of ours is gonna run over a stray cat or sand rat—not one! Ya hear me?!”
“Carts checked, Boss! We’re ready to go!”
Each time the bearded man shouted into the night, he received a coordinated shout in response. It seemed there were many more people the girl couldn’t see.
“Remember, knuckleheads! Trust is how we put food on the table! Bandits, sandstorms, or whatever else—nothing’s gonna stop us from deliverin’ this lot on time! But do ya know what’s even more important?!”
“A comfortable journey, no matter the rush! The cargo’s safety comes first!”
“Well said, boys! Now get us outta here!”
“Yes, Boss!”
Despite the depth and intensity of the burly men’s voices, they urged the wagon—drawn by horse-shaped golems—forward with nothing but care and consideration. The girl still thought they looked like bandits, but all traces of her previous fear had vanished.
I wonder where they’re taking us...
Strangely enough, the wagon was completely open on all sides. There was nothing stopping her from jumping out and escaping, yet she didn’t—and neither did the other slaves. They all remained where they were, trying to puzzle out what in the world was happening to them.
The girl poked her head through a gap in the wagon’s canopy. She watched as their cart joined countless others in a procession stretching far beyond the horizon. They were part of a massive caravan.
What is this...?
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of the situation. The string of miracles seemed to grow longer by the moment. It was as if the world had turned topsy-turvy around noon and neglected to right itself since.
And so, the girl simply lay on the plush, sweet-smelling rug beneath her, taking solace in its comfort. She worried about what might lie ahead...but that didn’t stop her from drifting into a deep sleep.