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It all started with that one question... How do you enslave a demigoddess that flattens all that stand against her?... The answer... Find her weakness, and a way to use it against her. One slaver had a brilliant stroke of luck that acclaimed him the title of genius. Armed with Dwarven technology, the slaver found his quary at the best possible moment. Fortune was in his favor, as he only had to shift the sleeping girl to strap a lone shackle onto her wrist. Then it was all a matter of detaining a child and that was all it took. After several hours of a hunt, the child was captured, relieved of her powers, and locked into a collar that would ensure the demigoddess in question would submit to his will. He sat and waited patiently for sunset and told the demigoddess everything. A spare set was used to demonstrate what would happen if she disobeyed, and without a chance to counter this ultimatum, both girls submitted to the mans will.

It had been almost a month now, and Lilim sat in the corner of her cell. Nothing even remotely special about it, stone brick walls all around, a small window with iron bars on the outside, and iron bars lining the way to the hall where she was kept. It was a place Lilim could bust out of in 10 seconds if she wanted to. But she was told that if she even dared to flex a muscle too far, the shackle she wore would send a signal to the collar around Elesa's neck, and it would trigger a cutting line that would almost instantly decapitate her. Lilim could do nothing to fight back under those conditions, and so, there she was... Locked up without even a single magic negating rune. Refusing to fight back for fear of it costing Elesa... Lilim's one and only treasure... Her very life as a result.

Elesa was treated very differently though. Her charms taken from her and her clothing changed from her normal short black dress, red vest and boots, into an adorable blue dress that matched her eyes and proper shoes, Elesa looked very much like a princess except for the Dwarven collar she wore. Her hair was done up in a beautiful braided bun and she was treated very well, given that without her charms she was just a human girl, and the slaver that had conducted it all had adopted Elesa as his daughter when the nearly collapsed kingdom named the man as their next king and placed him atop a seat of power for his accomplishment.

Elesa was never allowed near the dungeon where Lilim was kept, nor was she allowed outside the walls of the kingdom, but she was sent day after day into the market to shop and gather supplies, but she always had an escort of no fewer than 3 well fit knights, and because she couldn't escape their sight, she was never able to get away. They were trapped. And it appeared there was no way to set them free. Only one thing Elesa could do was look pleadingly into the eyes of every booth attendant she met and hope that someone would catch on that she was not happy in her situation and was begging for help.

Would anyone be able to come to the poor girl's rescue and be able to slip a message to Lilim so that she too could escape?
While Elesa was shopping for some supplies, Vermillion was all on his own; setting up his merchant wagon, and selling his wares. He was selling all manner of things: food, weapons, tools, medicine, and even some special items. One special item is a small box that has magical ice inside, like a mini-refrigerator in a box. Also all the stuff that Vermillion was selling was surprising cheap for such high-quality items, the reason being is that he comes from a very prosperous and happy kingdom. Not only that Vermillion, himself, holds a very big secret that no one should know...he's not a actual human, but a Homunculus, a robotic doll with a soul... He was created from four large celestial earthbound spirits called the Great Spirits, and was one of the first to be created for combat, becoming an expert in both swordplay and magic. Not only that the Great Spirits has bestowed Vermillion with a powerful magical holy sword called the Durandal, hoping to use the powers for the good and happiness of others.

As time passes, people come in droves to see Vermillion who was demonstrating and explaining his wares and services to the people. He did attract quite an excited crowd.
Will walked through the market, trying to keep an eye out. He's been looking for someone for a while now, and so far little luck other than what city they were in. Will walked down the one street and saw Vermillion's wagon. He walked up to it and started to browse, when he noticed a rather unique looking dagger. "Nice dagger you got here." Will said to him.
"Oh this beauty here? Indeed it's a nice and sharp dagger which can be used for just about anything you want for it. It's made out of a special type of metal process that allows it to keep it's sharpness for longer periods of time, and has higher resistances against nicks, chips, and even breaking. I can sell you it for 5 gold pieces if you want it." said Vermillion

Vermillion has the time to take Will's request despite him being a bit busy himself. He really enjoys that business is really booming, but he really knows that it's all because he's selling his wares for much cheaper than most places. The reason? Though the public will not know of this because Vermillion rather keeps it a secret anyway... It's mainly because where he comes from taught him more servitude and honor, and thus he's not greedy nor materialistic about money. He's only doing his merchant business as a way to make new friends since that's what "they" wanted.
Elesa looks down the path toward all the commotion and sees a cart that was booming with business. She thinks to herself that their wares must be numerous and in high demand to receive such attention when all other stands in the market only had an occasional 3 to 4 people at a time at most. Glancing back at her escort, she decides to head for the cart and see if perhaps they sold the item she was after. The crowd was thick, so Elesa barely made it anywhere close to the cart before the ferocity of the crowd forced her to retreat. Finally one of the knights drew a huge mallet from his back and bashed it against his shield, making a deafening bell sound that silenced the crowd and caused Elesa to duck and put her hands tight over her ears. Not only was it a conditioned response thanks to her former life of servitude, but she was simply scared to death of loud noises in general.

"Part the way!! Our protege, the Royal Matrioness, has business at this cart!!"

The knight barks out as loud as he could. The crowd parts the way for Elesa to pass, and after a few seconds of silence, she finally collects her barings and stands up again, shaking the dirt out of her dress. Elesa wanted to break down and cry as she approached the cart in silence with half of the town watching her. Finally, with tears in her eyes she places her fingers on the counter and pulls herself up onto her toes, "E-excuse me, Sir... D-do you have... Powdered Sage?" she asks nervously. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked into Vermillion's eyes pleadingly.

If he could read anything about her, he could tell strait away that she was not at all happy. She was embarased to no end because of her escort, no telling how many in the crowd hated her for the knights outburst, and just in general, the child looked like she was in a place in life that she simply didn't like. The collar she wore, that Dwarven Steel death trap, hugged her sinsitive neck skin like a second layer of skin itself, so while the rest of her looked like a princess, that collar was a clear indicator that she was a prisoner, and was choosing to behave so she wouldn't be harmed. Nervously she waits for the venders reply, barely willing herself not to break down and cry.
Will was surprised at the low price, but felt the sharpness of the blade, impressed with the quality of blade, and handed Vermillion the money when the knight made the ring, making Will accidentally drop the dagger, slicing his hand open. Once the ringing stopped for him, he stood back up as some blood dropped onto the street, but the wound healed itself as he stood aside and heard a familiar voice, quickly looking at the cart and seeing Elesa, and the weird collar she had.
"Thanks for your--" said Vermillion as he then heard the deafening banging of the knight's shield, stunning him completely

As much as that sound would've deafen Vermillion's ears that he would crouch and hold his ears, instead it just completely made him stand completely still, stunned for a few seconds. After the deafening sound has ended, Vermillion snaps out of it to see Will walk away...with blood dripping a bit on his hand... As much as he wanted to stop and treated Will's hand, he was then distracted by Elesa coming in, asking for some Powdered Sage.

"Powdered Sage? Yes, I got plenty of spices here. Give me a moment to get some for you." said Vermillion with a smile

Vermillion went around on the side of his wagon as he then opens the back door to retrieve a nice ball bottle of Powdered Sage for Elesa from one of the cabinets. Afterwards he swings back and returns to see Elesa with a smile...though he did indeed noticed that she was very unhappy and is hiding it rather well enough not to be suspicious...

"Here you are, one nice bottle of Powdered Sage. That'll be 3 gold pieces if that's okay." said Vermillion with a smile...though he did crack a slight suspicious look seeing that Elesa is in distress "The woman here...I think she's in distress...but why...?"

He also notices the weird collar that Elesa has around her neck, which made it even more suspicious...but also very worried...though he hide that feeling and expression well enough not to be suspicious...

"What's that strange collar this woman has around her neck? It looks thick enough not to be some sort of fashion statement... I wonder...is it a prisoner's collar...? But I don't see a chain on it, or on this woman's person... Something is not right here..." said Vermillion, lost in thought

While Vermillion wonders why Elesa is acting this way, inside of his wagon, in a special secret compartment, Vermillion's magical holy sword, Durandal, gave off a slight reaction to Elesa...but not because she's non-human, but the fact that she knows one, and a powerful one at that...
Elesa looks into the bag she had with her and brings out the three gold coins, handing them to Vermillion and accepting the Powdered Sage in return, "Th-thank you, Sir." she says before wiping her eyes and stepping back from the cart, "Please f-forgive me, everyone... I didn't m-mean to cause a fuss... I'm s-sorry." Elesa says timidly, bowing to the crowd and shutting her eyes, tears had welled up all over again and fell to the ground, barely noticable once they hit the dirt of the town trail. All at once the overall mood changed, a number of the people whispering to one another while Elesa slipped the bottle of Powdered Sage into her bag and left. The knights followed close behind her.

Amung the whispers there was talk of curiosity, some wondering if the child was truely the daughter of the now famed "Slaver Sid", whom had caught the red eyed Demoness almost a month ago. Other whispers argued that the mans title was now Grand Duke, Vizier, or even Prince, considering he was now the next in line for the throne for the achievement. Still more whispers argued whether the child's heartfelt apology was ligitimate or false, but there was no questioning her distressed look and how her eyes barely looked up from the ground as she walked.

Some even said they felt sorry for the child and how uncomfortable that metal collar looked on her. None were brave enough to try standing up to the knights that acted as her escorts though. They always carried weapons and looked ready to kill, but the child they protected didn't spare a word of thanks to them. But then, does a kidnappee ever give thanks to their kidnapper? Most would argue that they don't.
Will watched as Elesa was escorted away with her escort. If it wasnt for the fact these guys had something Will hasnt seen before, Will would've dropped the guard's, or simply snatched Elesa and run for it. Once she left, he walked over to Vermillion "How much would it be to hire you to help me get someone?" Will asked, pulling out a bag of coins
(Edited due to Will posting before I did. This is now the completed post.)

"Hire...me...? Well...it really all depends on what's going on, but then again I don't really care much in terms of money. All I wanted is to know what's going on...though I have a suspicion I think you and I are thinking about someone very particular...right...?" said Vermillion "I'm sure it's that young woman who brought that Sage from me... I should pack up early and go with him to see what he wants..."

Vermillion tells everyone that he has to close shop and take a break for the time being, but he did promise that he will open his wagon again for more selling later. After everyone left...

"Let me get something real quick, okay?" said Vermillion as he heads to the backdoor of his pushwagon and heads on inside, closing it behind him.

Vermillion went inside of his wagon to notice something strange...his Durandal had an interaction, though faint which ended up for him not to react to it until now... Vermillion locks down his pushwagon before opening up the secret compartment on the floor to take out his Durandal. The Durandal was shining a little bit and ringing with a low sound, as if it was trying to tell Vermillion something.

"My Durandal reacted to something?" cried Vermillion in shock as he then mediates to see what's the matter "Hmm... I see...that woman who brought the Powdered Sage from me... She's special isn't she? Or perhaps it's something else? Either way something just doesn't sit right with me...perhaps I should look into this..." said Vermillion

Vermillion takes his Durandal and wraps it around in a cloth before putting it into it's scabbard fastened behind his back. He then gets out of his pushwagon and locks it with a magical lock with a snap of his fingers before moving to the front and gets behind the pushbar to move it out of people traffic. For pushing such a large and heavy wagon, Vermillion has no trouble moving it around as it really shows that he's not even tired...but there's a secret as to how he was able to move his wagon with ease... The secret lies within the pushbar where Vermillion uses his magical powers to make the wagon lighter. The whole wagon was made out magical enchanted wood and infused with metal in many places, making it a rather strong and sturdy wagon that can even survive explosions, highly forceful impacts, and tumbles off of high places. Of course, Vermillion would want to avoid situations like that since his wagon is more than just a merchant cart, but it's also his small home away from home.

"Let's talk this out while I move my wagon to a safe place. Now as I slightly mentioned this before, but you're thinking what I'm thinking about that girl in the blue dress, right?" said Vermillion
Will stood aside as he packed up his cart and decided to help him push his cart as he answered his question. "Exactly the person. To make a long story short, me and her sister got into a fight and the two disappeared in the night. Now I actually have something to go on." Will told him as he continued to help him with his cart.
"I see... So you're related to this woman, yes? I understand. I, too, had my suspicions that she's in distress...but more than just being in slavery...that 'collar' of hers makes me think that it's more than just a prisoner's collar... I don't know what it is, but I do know that it's made out of Dwarven Smithing Techniques. I should know, I met and did a couple of businesses with dwarfs over a decade ago. Some nice, though I've shared many encounters with very rowdy...and drunken ones..." said Vermillion as they soon stopped where they parked his pushwagon in a safe, and out of the way, place "Thanks for the help...though you really didn't need to do that for me... I'm pretty strong...magically...which is how I was able to move it so well without any help. Either way, let's find this woman and help her out--wait! Just in case..."

Vermillion feels around his chest to feel a vial on his inside left breast pocket. He then gives a sigh of relief that what he needs is there.

"Good, I have it on me. I'm especially worried about that collar, as such I'm carrying a metal weakening solution that'll make it brittle and easy for me to smash it open...provided that it isn't dangerous to begin with, but we should ask her before using it...

So...do you have any idea where should we start looking for her...? I know it hasn't been long, but she can be anywhere now." said Vermillion
Will reached under his coat and shifted his sheathed sword to his side. The interesting thing about it was the dragon tooth pommel. "I guess you can say I was sort of a father figure to her and a good friend to her sister, all be it I had my quirks, one of which lead to this mess. But from what that knight said, or rather what I could hear. He said royal, so the castle would be a good start, all be it a very risky one." Will said before checking his coat pockets and pulling out a charm. "Oh, and if were going to infiltrate the palace, well need something to protect our ears from that attack if we see you know who. I know a tunnel we can use to get into the courtyard, just keep an eye our for the snakes and giant rats."
"Castle infiltration? ...Oh dear... Risky is an understatement, though I'm sure your prediction is correct seeing that she does look like a noble...or even a princess for that matter... *Sigh* I'm worried that if we go through with this her life will likely be in more danger, but I suppose such a risk is worth taking if it'll free her...and one other that you're mentioning to me... Who is this other person? Though I suppose we can talk more while we walk." said Vermillion

Vermillion walks with Will wherever he goes in order to reach their destination, a tunnel that would lead them to the castle courtyard. While traveling, Vermillion was a bit curious about the charm that Will had saying that it would protect their ears, likely because of the loud metal banging that one guard did to separate the group of people crowding over his merchant wagon. Vermillion doesn't mind for loud noises, especially because of his mechanical body being able to resist most irritations such as deafening, but instead may suffer from similar situations more differently, hence the immobilize stun instead of covering his ears. Vermillion was also a bit curious about his sword showing a dragon tooth pommel. Vermillion's sword is also a bit different, it's blade is more diamond-shaped than a normal sword, and it's pulsating lightly with holy power...though very lightly to be noticeable due to the rags keeping the power in check for the time being...

Deciding to satisfy at least another curiosity along with finding out who the second person related to Will is...

"So I assume that charm is to protect us from that deafening sound from earlier when that one knight was banging his metal shield with his mace? Or is it used for something else?" asked Vermillion
Elesa wasn't in any hurry to return to the palace, but the knights were eager to have their duties seen through. Elesa would spend the next couple of hours walking from stand to stand in the market, collecting a few different herbs and foods from her grocery list to take back to Sid in her bag. She really wished she could take off running and lose the clunking armored tyrants that practically had her on four seperate leashes, and if the had her magic charms, she would have. She had to play along though, behaving like a good little girl for the time being.
"She's her adopted big sister. Found the two one day and they needed help, so I helped them out. Everything was going good up until that argument, and then that lead to now." Will said as he lead them down the street before turning into an alley. "And If it does work, It'll mute an area so in case that knight does his thing or we need to get loud, We'll have this. It'll only last a minute, so we'd have to be quick." Will said as he started to run his hand along the wall until a small symbol on his hand glowed and the wall seem to open up. "Here we are. Mind the smell." Will said as he went in first, walking into what looked like a wet catacomb.
"I see...though something about that story doesn't add up, like what argument who lead them to this situation...? But I suppose that's a private matter." said Vermillion

Vermillion then peeks into the tunnel's entrance that Will opens up; noticing the bad smell, but ignores it.

"Alright then, lead the way." said Vermillion as he follows right behind Will "I don't mind bad smells, or anything that is remotely dangerous here thanks to my mechanical body ignoring many things that normal humans that makes them irritated. Of course that's to say that if there isn't anything truly dangerous up ahead that would be a threat to me...though I would know right away..."
Will lit his hand on fire to use as a torch in the dark tunnel as the doorway closed behind them. Will lead Vermillion down the tunnel, the sound of water dripping and rats squealing fill their ears until a rat the size of a small child jumped from the water next to them, only to be cut in half in one quick motion by Will. "Told you, giant rats. And I've seen one bigger than that in here before" Will said as he kicked the two halves of the rat back into the water before continuing to lead the way.
"Right..." muttered Vermillion as he saw the two halves of the rat gets kicked back into the water "This is definitely...a shortcut... I hope after this that I don't have to go through that experience again."

With Will leading the way, as well as providing the light source to allow them to see through the tunnel, saved Vermillion the trouble to provide his own light source by using his Durandal. Vermillion continues keeps his wits and posture while traversing through the tunnel...but can't wait to get out of here soon in order to get some fresh air...

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