Celestial Descendant

Night had fallen, and the dim glow of the campfire was the only light in the vast forest. The group of bandits sat around the crackling flames, half a day’s walk from Eldoria—the bustling trade city that was their destination. Their faces flickered in the firelight, while the boy lay a short distance away, stirring awake from the blow that had knocked him out earlier.

Thug One was sharpening his knife, eyes lazily watching the flames. Thug Two sat back, gnawing on a piece of dried meat, occasionally glancing over at the boy. Kael, sitting across from them, finally broke the silence.

“You’re awake, eh? Took you long enough,” Kael said, throwing the boy a cold glance. “Good. You’ll need your strength. We’ve still got a walk ahead of us.”

The boy blinked groggily, his gaze following the fire’s dancing embers. His stomach growled, but hunger wasn’t something he understood yet—not consciously, at least. He glanced around, noticing the small portions of food the bandits had been chewing on.

Thug Two smirked and tossed a piece of bread towards him, hitting him square in the chest. The boy’s restrained hands struggled to pick it up, fumbling awkwardly with the crust.

“Look at him,” Thug Two chuckled. “You'd think the kid never ate before in his life.”

“He’ll figure it out,” Kael muttered, not bothering to look over. “We need him in one piece, so he better eat. The traders in Eldoria won’t pay for a starved corpse.”

The boy awkwardly tore into the bread with his teeth, trying to mimic the bandits. He chewed slowly, struggling with the texture. His movements were stiff, almost mechanical, as he tried to make sense of the motions around him. The bandits’ eyes lingered on him momentarily before they turned back to their meal, uninterested in his progress.

Thug One wiped the edge of his knife clean on his sleeve, glancing up at Kael. “He didn’t react much to the battlefield, but freaks out over rabbits getting skinned. What’s the deal?”

“Maybe he’s seen too much,” Thug Two suggested with a shrug. “Still, it’s odd. He’s got strength, but his mind... well, who knows?”

Kael leaned back on a log, eyes flicking to the boy. “Doesn’t matter. He’s just a payday. Once we get to Eldoria, we’ll sell him off to the highest bidder. Plenty of traders there looking for fresh bodies. Refugees, travelers, even a few of the rich types desperate for workers.”

Eldoria. A name often spoken of with admiration and disdain in equal measure. The trade city was the second-largest in the Kingdom of Azeroth, surpassed only by the capital, Valeria. Though bustling with wealth, its streets were crowded with refugees fleeing the civil war, which had turned most of the countryside into battlefields. Eldoria was a hub, a melting pot of goods, merchants, and less savoury figures. It was a place where gold ruled over morality, and no one asked questions as long as the coin was good.

The boy’s mind wandered as the name sank into his subconscious. He had no memory of such places, no understanding of trade or coin, but the weight of their words lingered—payday, bargain, sell him off. Everything about him, his existence, was reduced to mere value in their eyes.

Kael took a swig from his flask before pointing towards the boy. “And what the hell was that earlier? The way he freaked out—screaming like a banshee over those damned rabbits.”

“He’s probably touched in the head,” Thug One said, leaning closer to the fire. “Can’t blame him, really. A kid like that, seeing all that carnage...”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kael snapped. “We need him quiet, not causing trouble.”

The boy remained silent, chewing on the bread. Though his face was expressionless, something stirred inside him—a flicker of understanding. The rabbits’ deaths had revealed something fundamental, something he hadn’t known until now. They had stopped moving, their eyes dull, and they wouldn’t wake again. That was death, he realized. The finality of it gnawed at him.

Yet, the boy couldn’t place the feeling. His thoughts were fragments, disconnected memories and flashes of things he didn’t fully understand. The battlefield, his brother, the rabbits... each scene ran together, leaving him feeling adrift, lost in sensations he had no words for. He stared into the fire, unmoving, as the concept of death quietly rooted itself inside him.

Thug Two leaned back, stretching. “Kid’s quiet now. Good.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kael said, glancing at the boy. “We’ll be in Eldoria by tomorrow. As long as he doesn’t make trouble, it’ll be fine.”

The campfire crackled softly as the bandits set their watch rotation. The boy’s eyes remained fixed on the flames, lost in thought. The weight of everything he had seen—though not yet fully understood—rested heavily on him. But unlike before, he did not flail or scream. He merely watched, silently, as the fire danced before him.

Morning broke over the slums of Eldoria, the faint light of dawn casting long shadows as the bandits stirred from sleep. Kael was the first to rise, packing up with brisk efficiency.

"Get up," he called to the others, voice rough from a poor night’s sleep. "We’ve got work to do."

The others groaned but obeyed. Thug Two yanked the boy roughly to his feet, dragging him along as they gathered their belongings and set out toward the city. Eldoria loomed ahead, its imposing walls marking the boundary between the bustling trade hub and the lawless outskirts. The boy trudged in silence, barely aware of the city’s looming presence as they made their way to the slums—the hidden side of Eldoria where shadows ruled, and deals were made far from the prying eyes of the law.

The group weaved through narrow, filthy streets until they reached a building marked only by a subtle symbol. The black market.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of damp and decay. Stolen goods were piled high on wooden shelves, and in the back sat a greasy merchant counting copper coins with deft fingers. Kael dumped a sack of stolen goods onto the counter.

“Got a load from the battlefield,” Kael grunted.

The merchant glanced lazily at the sack before pulling out an item, eyeing the royal crest engraved on it. His brow furrowed.

"Royal goods, huh?" the merchant said, unimpressed. “That’s risky business. Can’t sell these out in the open.”

Kael folded his arms. “You think I don’t know that? Just tell me what they’re worth.”

The merchant rifled through the pile, pulling out weapons, trinkets, and armor. He counted the items under his breath before shaking his head.

“I’ll give you 20 copper per piece. Total comes to... 220 coppers.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed. “220? These are royal items, you rat. You’re robbing me blind.”

The merchant shrugged. “You want more, find someone else willing to take this risk. No one in Eldoria’s black market will touch these unless they want to end up in a noose.”

Kael clenched his fists, clearly displeased, but he knew the merchant was right. He snatched the 220 copper the merchant counted out, muttering curses under his breath as they left and headed deeper into the slums, toward the slave trader’s den.

They arrived at a small, dingy building tucked between crumbling walls. Inside stood Harlan, the slave trader, a tall, gaunt man with a thin face and cold eyes. He looked up as Kael and his group entered.

“Well, if it isn’t Kael,” Harlan sneered. “What have you brought me this time? More pitiful stock?”

Kael shoved the boy forward. “Got a kid. Young, strong. You’ll get a good price for him.”

Harlan took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he appraised the boy. His expression quickly soured.

“How old is this kid?” Harlan muttered, squinting. “He looks about five, but he’s short for his age.” He circled the boy, grimacing as he took in the boy’s appearance. “Did you even bother to clean him up before dragging him here? Look at him—long black hair, tangled and filthy. Doesn’t even look like you tried to make him presentable.”

Kael remained silent, arms crossed, as Harlan continued his assessment.

“Skinny as a twig,” Harlan said with a sneer. “No better than the refugee brats running around outside the city walls. The only thing remotely interesting about him are those golden eyes of his, but that alone isn’t going to fetch much.”

Thug Two, sensing the conversation slipping, quickly chimed in. “You’re missing the best part. This kid’s been touched by mana.”

Harlan’s eyes flicked up sharply. “Mana, you say?”

Thug Two nodded eagerly. “He’s got strength, more than you’d expect for a kid his size. But he’s too young to control it yet.”

Harlan’s demeanor shifted instantly. Mana-enhanced slaves were a rare commodity, and they fetched far higher prices than ordinary ones. His gaze returned to the boy with renewed interest.

“I’ll give you 3 silvers for him,” Harlan said.

Kael, still smarting from the earlier argument with the merchant, wasn’t about to let Harlan off easily. “You were ready to toss him out for 1 silver just a second ago. He’s worth 5 silver at least.”

Harlan’s sneer returned, but he didn’t back down. “Four silver, Kael. That’s the final offer.”

Kael hesitated, weighing his options. Four silver was a decent price—especially after the disappointment with the merchant—but he wasn’t willing to budge just yet. He glared at Harlan, but the slaver remained unbothered. After a long pause, Kael finally nodded.

“Deal.”

Harlan handed over the coins, and Kael motioned for his men to release the boy into the slaver’s care. Harlan gave the boy a final once-over, still dissatisfied but knowing that a mana-touched slave would pay off in the long run.

With the transaction complete, the bandits left the shop, Kael pocketing the silver coins with a grim satisfaction. The boy’s fate, once again, lay in the hands of another.