Dirty Rotten Filthy Slavers! [Job/Solo]

Asha looked out her window of her room at the academy to a sea of people in protest of the Kou Empire's awful attitude toward slave trading throughout the world. Slavery was not uncommon, unfortunately, and Asha was well aware that people were sold as slaves and tossed around from owner to owner to be abused and exploited by those with power. The journey through The Plains was the worst for people as slavers generally plucked unsuspecting travelers or raided small tribal villages for new "merchandise" to sell in the abhorrent human trafficking circuit. Magnostadt had refused to do much under the spotlight of being close enough to declare a formal war on slavery, as there was no way the magicians of Magnostadt could both police the plains effectively enough to thwart slavers' attempts at kidnapping young children. Asha felt disgusted, to say the least, that no person in power would take a stand and set an example to live justly and with honor. Filled with fury, Asha walked outside her room, meaning to join those who were protesting before a young woman was hanging up small postings on the bulletin board outside her door. The woman made eye contact with Asha, and hurriedly shuffled over to her.

"Ah! Oh! Please, I...I beg of you...my daughter she's been taken by slavers! I've tried everything but nobody is willing to help me...please--please you must help! I don't...I don't know what I'd do if I lost her!" The woman broke down at Asha's feet, weeping onto the floor by her boots. Asha held back her emotions, and tried not to cry with the woman. Asha knelt down and held er head up--she may have been scared before to take a stand and fight for the side of justice...but now she was ready.

"I'll find your daughter. I promise." The lady's tears turned into something all together different--they were tears of hope. She had told Asha the whereabouts of the slavers on the plains. They were ruthless people, but could be bought with money. Asha assured her that her daughter would be back, untouched, by the end of the day. "Wait here and feel free to rest if you' like...she'll be back soon."

Asha walked across the plains, heading toward the location the mother gave her. They were resourceful slavers, and they were camped just on the outskirts of two villages. The camp seemed small, which Asha rejoiced in, and skulked around the perimeter. She saw four bodies--two guards and the slave trader himself. She couldn't make out the fourth, but she assumed it was the woman's daughter. Feeling confident enough to take the criminals out, Asha crawled closer to the camp, just under ten meters away, and covered by nightfall and the grass. The guards were oblivious to her presence, and taking the opportunity to do away with them quickly and quietly, she cast Quah Alsif Krmah, and the vines coiled around their throats and choked them to death, making little noise and not disturbing the tent. Asha crawled closer, to the tent, and seeing the two bodies inside, decided to rush right in and rescue the girl and kill the slaver. As she stood up, a whip [b]lashed her back. She cried out in pain, alerting the people in the tent, and out came another slaver carrying the kidnapped girl. Asha began to chase after them, but a whip wrapped around her leg and tripped her, bringing her to the ground and lashing at her back again. The slaver and the little girl were further away from her now, and not wanting to be stalled any longer, turned over to see a slave trader behind her, ready to take the whip to her face. Leaving him no time to begin his new attack, Asha summoned Lamia, and the life construct swirled around the trader's neck, suffocating him and killing him. Asha stood up and looked for the slaver and the girl, but they were nowhere to be found.

Asha returned to her room, where the mother was overjoyed, and her spirits quickly crushed as Asha explained what happened.

"I am so sorry...I am so sorry...I couldn't...I couldn't save her..." Asha apologized, pleading at the woman's feet.

"Get up." The woman said, holding back her tears. Asha stood up, standing in front of the woman. The mother slapped Asha across the face and walked out, "Don't...don't ever dare to make promises you can't keep..."

Asha spent the rest of her night ruminating on the mother's words, crying herself to sleep at truly and genuinely realizing the horrors of the world she lived in.

WC: 775/500
Magoi: 160/200