Unbound: Mortals to Gods

Weeks go by since the brother's incident. Playing over and over in Tamura's mind. As he gets up, he's immediately snapped back into his bed. He's been chained to his bed. But Tamura isn't panicked. He's simply confused. "This bed. It's soft." Tamura thinks out loud. He looks down to see his clothes have been changed. No longer ragged or too big a fit. These clothes are soft and seem specifically crafted for him. While Tamura is deep in thought, a young woman steps into the room. Long, flowing, beautiful white hair, deep and mesmerizing blue eyes, and pale skin as if she's only known the inside of the manor and the sun hasn't touched her skin in years. "Good morning Tamura. It is nice to finally meet you consciously." The woman said with a faint smile. But Tamura didn't respond. He just stared at the girl. The boy was infatuated with a certain feature on the girl. Her ears. They weren't pointy or resembling an animal. It was odd because they reminded him of his own. Tamura asked bluntly, "What are you?" The girl seemed thrown off by the question. But then, the girl laughed out loud. "I'm a human, rude boy. And what in the hell are you?" Tamura was frozen. "I don't know."

Days go by and Tamura learns a few things about himself. Firstly, humans used to be a completely dominant race up until about two centuries ago. The humans got greedy and it lead to them becoming endangered among the mortal races. Second, Tamura doesn't appear to be human as far as the woman is concerned. The scarring on his ears are too jagged, as if he was cut with something. But most importantly Tamura learned the whereabouts of Mugen. "After your incident with the madam, she told me to tend to you until you awoken. But she also told me of another boy. An elf who was to be severely punished in a month for breaking multiple house rules." The woman explained. "That's Mugen!" Tamura was in disbelief. He had thought he failed Mugen and that he would've been gone before he could wake up. Tamura had then found out that just as he had found out his brother was alive, his brother now only had a few days before he was either killed or sent away to a place worse than this.

"Where the hell is she holding him?" Tamura leaped at the woman and grabbed her by her shirt. "Kindly remove your hands from me Tamura. I will not ask again." The woman squeezes Tamura's wrist. "Unfortunately, you are not permitted to see No. 25. The madam also requested that once you woke up that you handle a task for her. Do this before his punishment date, and your friend just might come back to you." Tamura wanted to scream. He wanted to throw the woman to the ground and run wherever his brother was. But even at his young, impulsive age he knew that his actions would probably harm Mugen's chances more than help. "What's your name miss?" Tamura asked the woman, giving into his new reality. "You may call me Freya. But to you, I am Lady Freya." The woman said with a smug grin on her face. "Why are you telling me all of this?" Tamura asked. The woman's smile shifts as she stares away into the window. "Because I know what it's like to be Lady Vayra's "Special Asset" and I may play my role but that is because I haven't met anyone willing to escape or show the strength to even think of it. Until you were brought in." 

A few hours later a guard shows up. "Hey Freya. It's time. Is the brat ready to go?" "Yes sir. He's all good to go." Freya said in a bit of a panic. The guard takes Tamura through the manor into what appears to be a dining hall. "Hello No. 34. My apologies, I meant Tamura." Tamura's face flared with a mix of rage and pure disgust as he faced the one who made Mugen's life hell. Vayra. "I hope you are well rested. The other children are getting tired of carrying your weight with your little nap." Tamura held in his anger and took a deep breath. "You're not seriously blaming me for that are you? You beat me and Mugen badly Vayra."

"Is it not a mother's job to punish her children when they are being naughty?" Every word from her mouth only seemed to anger Tamura more. But something broke his train of thought. A clap. "Now then, on to the matter at hand." Vayra said dismissing Tamura's words. She knows what he thinks and what he holds in his heart. She just doesn't care. "You are to go into the fourth district to help escort a special cargo for Genrek. Kill if need be but not if you just want to punch something or else it comes out of my pay got it?" Tamura stared at her with his fist ready to take her head. But then, he has an idea. "On one condition." Vayra sounded amused. "Oh? Pray tell what is this condition you have such audacity to ask for?" Tamura smiles. "My brother comes with me." 

"Fine. Take him. Although, he might not be of much use to you at the moment." Vayra says as if it is a joke. "Take him to his brother." 

The guards escorted Tamura to a small hatch in the ground outside of the estate. Inside, the walls are worn down. The space was completely dark. And the smell of death filled the air. Tamura begins to walk and finds himself walking for what felt like hours until he finally found him. However, the scene that welcomed him did nothing but perhaps traumatize the poor child. Mugen had been found. Arms tied to the ceiling. His body covered in open wounds from what looked like cuts from jagged blades. Mugen was unconscious and in his eyes his spirit seemed all but gone. Tamura fell to his knees. The guards watched in fear as Tamura began to cry out to his brother and witnessed as the marks around his eyes began to glow. But something was off. The room began to glow violet and Tamura appeared to receive new marks on his chest. Suddenly, Mugen's chains seemed to be cut by something hot as Tamura almost instantly as they were cut, and appeared right beneath Mugen. "Hang on Mugen. I'm back to save us both." Mugen's eyes shifted. He was gaining consciousness. "Hey, brother. Haven't seen that look on you before. What did I miss?" Tamura, now crying with joy as he looks at his brother, "Welcome back to the land of the living. Mugen."

Now in the carriage. Mugen and Tamura were reunited. But they were still looking out to the same barred view. Tamura caught Mugen up on the details and everything he had learned from Freya. The carriage had stopped. The boys were taken out. Genrek would greet them at the main gate splitting district 3 from 4. "Welcome my boy." Genrek said with a nervous shake in his voice. "Wait. There are 2 of you now." He looked on in horror. "Nah, I'm the one who does the talking and makes sure that this dumb ass doesn't get carried away." Mugen said while hitting Tamura on the head. 

The duo walked into the district, armed with nothing but the skills they picked up for their survival and a greedy merchant. Objective? Secure some poor child for a slave trade. The group arrives at a shifty looking tavern. "Wait out front. I'll be back in 15." Genrek told them. Almost like he had forgotten his fear of the two. "This place seems as shady as I thought it'd be." Mugen said while scanning the area. The duo sits against the wall as about two hours go by. Tamura is ready to head in and Mugen is arguing with him. The two argue for a bit until something interrupts them. A voice. "Good evening. Are you two from Mourncrest house by any chance?" The duo looked up to see a young man. He doesn't appear to be maybe any older than a few years above them. "Hi, the name's Vayrik. And I am the key to your salvation!" The brothers look on with a look in between confusion and pure amazement that someone could act like this without feeling embarrassment. "The fuck is up with this nut job?" Tamura said ready to throw a blow at the clearly deranged man. "Maybe he's high?" Mugen replied. The man looks confused and offended. "A guy comes in and says he can help you out of prison and your instinct is to insult him?" 

Tamura steps to the man as if he's sizing him up. "No offense Vayrik, but we don't know you and plus we're a little busy to be dealing with whatever delusional crap you're selling." The man says bluntly, "You mean that old guy trying to buy that slave? Yeah, I saw him a while ago." The brothers immediately get into defensive positions. Nobody should know about anything that could potentially harm Vayra as part of their deal with her. Vayrik's eyes begin to glow as he fixes his posture. "I wish to have you both as a part of my team but if you insist on being difficult, why don't I show why you should trust me instead?"

Vayrik asks Tamura, "Shouldn't Genrek be back by now?" The duo immediately shifts focus. "To hell with this. I'm gonna go grab that old bastard!" Tamura shouted as he sprung from the wall. Mugen chases after him, yelling for him to stop. Mugen hit's a corner, catching up to Tamura. "Tamura you dumb ass! What in the hell do you think will happen if you scare the old bastard and piss off Var-" Mugen cuts himself off as he and Tamura are both caught off guard by the site in front of them. Genrek and what appears to be another merchant having a disagreement. Their voices were low, but the tension between them was sharp enough to slice through the alley's stale air. "Damn you Genrek, you promised me the dark elven boy," the merchant hissed. Not some murderous human reject. His ears alone are a price cut." Genrek's hand twitched towards his coin pouch. "You'll get what you paid for. But I am telling you, in your line of work? You'll get much more use and coin if you just take both." Tamura watched with his eyes beginning to glow once more and his . Mugen grabbed his shoulder. "We need to leave. Now." But Tamura wouldn't move. 

Vayrik stepped into the alley like he'd been waiting for this exact moment to unfold. "So," he said calmly, "we all have secrets." His eyes glowed faintly. Not threatening, but measuring. "Tamura. Mugen. You're not just assets I could use working for me. You're leverage. And I don't waste leverage." Mugen turned towards Vayrik. "So what? We're free now then?" Vayrik smiled. "You're useful to my cause. That's better."

Later that night, Tamura sat on the rooftop of their new quarters, staring at the stars. Mugen joined him, tossing a broken coin between his fingers. "You think Vayrik is going to sell us?" Tamura didn't answer. "You think she'll come looking and sell us off?" Still silence. Then Tamura whispered, "I think we're out now and we're not waiting anymore." Muggen nodded. "Then let's stop being pieces. Let's start being players."