Stolen by the System

Ted immediately knew it was a mistake. Not that it had the decency to feel like one. No—his whole being soared and begged him to kiss her again and again.

But he couldn’t. Not until he was sure.

He pushed her away. “I’m sorry.”

She stared down at him, her head cocked. “Dolt.”

The sound of metal clanking against metal filled the room, followed by Gramok’s booming voice. “Yeah, he’s a dolt.”

Cara’s eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. “Hey! How long have you been…?”

He shrugged, his grin wider than ever. “Not long. Good to see you two finally getting there.”

Ted pulled himself to his feet and tried to act natural, a task made infinitely more difficult by not having a clue what that meant. “It’s not what it looks like.”

They both stared at him with the look that he deserved. Even the dwarven guards he suddenly remembered existed were staring at him

Yeah, that one was a tough sell. “Did you get the maps, Gramok?”

“I did,” he said, shaking his head. “We’re just going to pretend that didn’t happen?”

Ted glanced at Cara, noting the slight difficulty noticing her in plain sight. “That’s a conversation you’re not invited to. Let’s focus on getting through the Divine Empire without being chopped to pieces.”

“Fine, spoilsport. On that note, I picked up a disguise kit.” Gramok pulled out from his pack a collection of items that looked suspiciously like make-up.

Ted stared at it, and his shoulders slumped. “Can’t I just Illusion it?”

“Nope! You’ll want to Illusion yourself to look better—it’s the done thing in the Empire—but if anyone looks past that, I’d rather they didn’t immediately recognize you as the most wanted man in the Empire.”

“Urgh. Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Gramok started by cutting Ted’s hair shorter still, before moving on to applying various powders and concoctions to his face. All the while, Cara chipped in with a barrage of teasing, interspersed with the odd helpful comment.

Twenty dreary minutes later, Gramok finally announced he was done.

Ted cast Farsight and examined himself. His hair was very short, just shy of bold. His skin was lighter, and somehow his face seemed more angular. “Nice work,” he said, forcing the words out. “I can hardly recognize myself.”

Cara’s face scrunched up as she stared at him. “You look uglier than usual.”

“Thanks… I think?”

“So,” Gramok said, lacking any of his usual cheer. “Onward, to the Divine Empire.”

Ted clenched his jaw. Right. “Onward.”

***

Their ascent to the surface was remarkably uneventful—despite staying on the lookout, Cara didn’t spot a single goblin. Between that, the maps, Ted’s improved Portals spells, and not having a punctured lung (bliss!) they reached the surface in a matter of hours.

Once they reached the surface, they traveled north, heading straight for the den of vipers that was the Divine Empire. The paved road was smooth enough Cara could ditch those stupid boots, but its width gave it an off-putting emptiness with how deserted it was. Worse, the endless and utterly flat grasslands either side of the road was even more boring than the orc fields. At least they had the odd tree.

Three days—three whole days!—and Ted still hadn’t said a word about their first kiss, too busy being illusioned up like a fancy-schmancy merchant with that white robe with golden trim, and huddling over that stupid Zelnari crystal every chance he got.

Was the kiss that bad? Was he still terrified that he was accidentally a mind-controlling demon?

What if he was?

What if he just didn’t like her?

She tried talking to him about it, she really did. At least a dozen times! Sure, she never actually mustered a single word, but she tried!

Why was life so hard?

At least Nibbles loved her. And him. And Gramok. And Gramok’s sandwiches.

And now they were over the border, and a group in the distance was coming toward them, and maybe they’d never get to talk about it ever again.

“Remember,” Gramok said, pointedly staring at her, “we’re sneaking through the Empire. Don’t cause trouble, no matter what.”

“Yes, boss,” she said, shaking her head slightly. What did he take her for?

Then she got a good view of the approaching group. A haughty high elven man in a white robe with golden trim led the procession, jabbing his tall staff into the ground with each step. The staff was ornate, and topped with a glowing ruby.

Behind him… Behind came the slaves. Five gaunt figures, chained together by the collars around their necks. Two humans at the front, a high elf, an orc, and a terrified wood elf almost being dragged behind. Their clothes were ragged, but still in better shape than they were.

Ambling behind them came a burly human in a hauberk. The man grinned like a maniac as he brandished his barbed whip in a figure of eight.

A bitter tang filled Cara’s mouth. “A mage, a guard, and five very mistreated slaves.”

“Cara…” Ted’s tone said no, but Ted always said no at first.

“We’re here. They’re here. We can save them.”

Ted shook his head. “We can’t. There’s more at stake than a few slaves.”

“He’s right,” Gramok said. “Once you two are done saving the world, we can set about ending slavery, but we can’t fight our way across the Empire.”

Cara looked between the two of them, desperately trying to find a way to make it work.

Mind on the job, Cara.

Damnit, Jeremy! Even absent, his judgmental veracity loomed tall. “Fine,” Cara said, her chin dropping to her chest. “We’ll let them pass. But first chance we get, we’re coming back.”

Ted nodded. “Deal.” His previously-majestic Illusion of a white robe with golden trim was less appealing now than ever.

Cara fell in behind him, her head bowed, playing the role of a humble servant. There was absolutely no way she could keep her cool if she were called upon to speak to that monster on the other side of the road.

“Greetings and salutations!” the evil slaver called out.

“Greetings and salutations!” called back Ted.

Thorns twisted and stabbed at Cara’s insides. How did he do it?

The slaver brought his procession to a halt. “Are you interested in purchasing one of my stock? The price is good. Perfect for topping up your spirit, or a soul, when the need arises.”

Cara’s blood ran cold, and she pressed her hands against her sides. Not just a slaver—a slaver peddling people to be murdered for Dark magic.

Ted stopped and stared at the slaves in turn, examining them like one might examine fungi, before shaking his head. “Not today, my dear fellow.”

The slaver pointed at the wood elf at the back. “That one’s half price. Just want done with the blasted thing. Can you believe they sold me it as a prime specimen? Bring him up.”

A grunt came from the thug at the back. He unlocked the chain tying the slave’s collar to the other slaves, and shoved the wood elf to the front.

Unless Ted’s acting skills had markedly improved, his Illusion magic was pulling more weight than ever. Cara could almost believe that Ted was actually considering the offer.

Maybe he was. If Ted bought the slave, they could free him without a fight.

Except that would draw too much attention to them. Freeing slaves would be like setting off a flare that they were imposters.

The wood elven slave took a long breath in, and breathed slowly out.

Just before his breath finished, he exploded into action. He spun, drove his forefingers into the thug’s eyes, and ripped them out.

As the thug screamed and ran, the wood elf turned on the slaver, and whacked in the head with a horn that he summoned from the ether.

A Ranger horn.

Cara’s nostrils flared, and she stepped forward, reaching for her bow.

Ted arm blocked her way, and a message entered her mind. Don’t.

The slaver, utterly unfazed by the wood elven ranger’s blows, waved his hand. The collar around the ranger’s neck glowed, and he dropped to his knees, whimpering.

Adrenaline pounded through Cara’s veins and an inferno raged inside her, but she couldn’t bring herself to disobey Ted’s command.

“Quarter-price, final offer.”

Ted’s throat bobbed, and he shook his head.

“No?” Black magic swirled in front of the slaver, sucking the light out of the air. “Very well. I’ll take his soul myself.”

Dark tendrils shot out from the slaver’s hands and drove themselves into the wood elf, triggering a scream that breached Cara’s very bones.

The captive wood elven ranger twisted and convulsed in pain as he screamed, begging for aid in Wood Elvish.

Thorns tore at Cara’s stomach as she watched, but there was nothing she could do.