“Why aren’t you… out there with them?” I ask. I was afraid of what he would do. His gray eyes meet mine. “Alcohol has nearly killed me.” He said. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Is that it?” I ask.

He chuckles softly as he pulls out a weapon I have never seen before. It was metal and fit in his hand, and had a hole in the front of it. “Also have to make sure our little guest can’t leave or someone gets the bright idea to harm you.” He says.

I shivered at his words for a moment as I thought of Fennis. I pull knees into my chest. “What is that?” I ask. He pauses for a moment. “What is what?” He asked back. I look at the thing in his hand. “The thing in your hand.” I say.

I blinked a few times before looking at the thing in his hand. “Ah, right… not everyone has seen one of these. It’s a pistol.” After studying it for a moment, he said, "It was made in Ironhelm."

I feel my blood run cold as I stare at him. As I stare at him, I study him for a moment and notice markings on his arms, shaved hair, and a similar building to Kael. “What was a little girl doing out in the woods by herself?” he asks.

That makes me tremble. “I’m not a girl.” I said. He studies for a moment before chuckling. “Ah, you’re a trans person. I heard rumors about it but haven’t met someone who claimed to be.” He leaned forward.

His eyes became colder. “But you didn’t answer why you were in the woods alone, human.” He said. The heavy lump in my throat, I swallow it. “I wasn’t alone… I wandered away from my camp when I met the boy with horns.” I say.

He looks me up and down. “Tiefling.” He said. I blink a couple of times. “What is that?” I ask. His eyes widen a bit as he stands up. “Where are you from, human?” 

“Olivine city.” I responded. He let out a laugh before he roughly grabbed my face. “Ah, you're from that city? No wonder you are so ignorant.” He muttered. His nails dig into my face. Slowly, his hand lets go of my face.

“Tieflings are creatures that are born from people who made deals with demons. Creatures from the hell realm. It is rare to see a tiefling born naturally by two tiefling parents since their ability to convince is low.” He walked to the window.

He let out a low chuckle before turning away. “We are tiefling traders. Do you know what that is?” He asked, he sounded amused. His eyes said he couldn’t care less if I knew or not. He just wanted to brag about his work. “No.” I mumble.

He chuckles softly, “We find tieflings and we sell them. That’s the simple version of it.” He said. He grabs a piece of wood and throws it into the fireplace. “We aren’t the ones to catch them. That is suicidal. They have to have their magic contained before we got them. The collars they wear have a thing that makes them unable to use their magic.” He spoke, staring at the fire.

“How does… that work? Containing someone’s magic?” I ask. He glances at me.” He laughed. He sits in front of me. “The drows are the reason for the magical item that removes one’s magic.” He says.

I searched his face for a slight hint of what that meant. “They… made the item?” I ask. That causes him to laugh. “Oh! You are a hoot! You’re so stupid to the history of the realm you live in.” He said. He leaned forward, his twisted grin fixed on his face.

“Ironhelm made the item. The drow war prompted the creation of the item. The drows got cocky, and they thought they could use their magic to take over the Ironhelm kingdom, so Ironhelm found a way to trap and take away their magic unless they pledge allegiance to Ironhelm.” He said. 

“But… the peace among races-” He cut me off. “Do you really believe that? Just because the King of Windhelm said so?” He laughed. Suddenly, his face got serious as he stared at me. “Whoever told you life was easy, I promise that person was lying to you.” His voice filled with bitterness. 

I felt myself tense at those words. The hate they filled the way he stared at me, the way he was withdrawing from me, how he almost was ready to snap. “What happened to the tiefling?” I ask. 

He slowly blinks as he leans back on his palm. “Probably going to be a servant or an unpaid worker at some dead job.” He said. He closes his eyes for a moment. “Most tieflings end up being workers, free labor. Luckier ones get bought by some noble who needs extra hands on their staff and doesn’t want to go through official paperworks… for the ones that are nicer to look at… well, they are for entertainment.”

My hands slowly become fists. “What kind of entertainment…” I ask flatly. He looks at the ceiling, a soft chuckle escaping out of his mouth. “That is up to who buys them. After they are out of our hands. we don’t care how people use them.” 

I feel my heart sink. the tears threatening to escape my eyes. His cold eyes stare at me before he hums. “Aren’t you more worried about what is going to happen to you?” He says. My head snaps up to meet his gaze.

“Should I be…?” my voice is more shaky than I want it to be. I had it in my mind that Kael would be the one to save me. His words remind me I am still at the mercy of them until Kael comes along. 

His eyes study me, calculating what his next words would be. “You know what, no. I like that you are cocky enough to believe that we won’t hurt you. That you aren’t gonna end up dead or sold to bad people'' He smirks. My blood runs cold, my throat tightening as the fear hits me. 

 One guy opened the door, and before they could say a word, he pointed the pistol at them. They paused as they stared at him. “You can’t trick me out of this cabin. Leave.” His voice was flat. The man slowly closes the door. “Drunk idiots.” He grumbled before walking to the door. 

He put the wooden block over the door, shutting it. Keeping the men out and trapping me inside. “You know, I am gonna hate when we have to let you go,” he says. 

“Why?” I ask, more confused than scared now. He sits back in the rocking chair. “I like talking about the history of the realm. I wanted to be a teacher… when I was young.” He stared at the ceiling. I tilt my head to the side. “Why didn’t you? I mean, why didn't you become a teacher? That has to be better than-'' I was cut off when the human in front of me started to change shape. His skin became gray, his eyes were pure black, and his hair becoming pure white.

“Being treated like a criminal everywhere you go. You just lean into it human. This might have not been the path I wanted as a kid… but it sure as hell isn’t worse than others.” He says. 

“What… what are you?” I ask. He closes his eyes, letting out a chuckle. “What. afraid of humans?” He mocks. I study him, and I am afraid of how he talks, how he acts, but this form of his. No.

“Not of your form.” I said. His eyes widen for the first time he looks almost baffled by the words that came out of my mouth. I cleared his throat, looking out the window. “You’d be the first human.” He mutters. 

He stares at the window, almost refusing to look at me. “I’m a changeling.” He says.