For as long as they could remember, they were sold for the highest bitter to hundreds of different masters, all of which were Dukes and Barron, who required labor or entertainment. Conditions were grueling with little time to rest and countless hours of hard labor and painful punishments. If they ever disobeyed or cause problems, death would he mercy as some had their limbs cut and left die or hours of torture that left many broken. 16 years of grueling enslavement until they finally took their revenge. 

On the night of the winter solstice, Haki and Adrian watched as their childhood burned down to the ground. The large wooden mansion before them engulfed by blue fire with people fleeing and screening for their lives. There felt no remorse, only anger towards their previous masters. Now they were free and had a mission to find the man who helped them escape, the one who taught them magic, the person they owed their life to. The man rarely talked and was always shrouded by a thick haze and an aura of darkness. They had no leads only the lessons taught by the man.

“Boy”

Haki spun around towards the voice to see a vast expanse of darkness. Then from the void, a hand grabbed his neck and held him off the ground. Haki struggled to break free, gasping for air. His lungs burned. His vision slowly fading. Then suddenly it released him and the vast expanses turned into a crimson red wasteland and in his arms was Adrian, dead, by his own hands.

[hr]

Haki jolted awake finding himself in the room of a tavern. His heart raced and his neck burned from where the hand had grabbed him. He quickly calmed himself knowing that it was just a dream. The same nightmare had continued to plague him and it was becoming more real and frequent. The small discomfort it used to left him turned into a burning pain that quickly dispersed. Wanting to forget his dream, he got dressed and headed down to the near-empty tavern. The sun was barely over the horizon but the tavern still had early business. Though it was near empty he could still feel eyes at his back and discomfort from the few tavern patrons. 

Haki scanned the room finding Adrian sitting at the counter with a large mug of beer in his hand and a stack of papers in the other. Their previous informant had given them useless information about the Magician but did point them in the direction of some more slavers in the area. It wasn’t their intention to take on any more slavers but he couldn’t help but be curious. Adrian continued to ponder over the information when he felt a large hand on his shoulder and looked up.

[i]“No anything useful,”[/i] Haki signed. Though Adrian was able to hear, it was much easier for them to talk in sign language since that was what they grew up with. Adrian did possess a ring that allowed him to project his thought but Haki had a distrust for magical items. 

[i]“No,”[/i] Adrian signed. 

Haki sighed in frustration and mumbled, “How hard can it be to find one Mage with a fucking scar.”

Adrian shrugged and went back to his stack of papers. Haki joined him moments later with his own mug of beer. He quickly chugged the alcohol and rested his head on the table with a loud thud. Adrian smiles and started to scratch Haki’s ear. It was always entertaining to see the dog-like behavior from his furry friend.