Chapter Three: The Princess And The Village

Of the five countries that make up the main continent of the world, four of them successfully managed to integrate demi-humans and monster people into their society. At least, that's the story if one asks a politician or noble. The truth of the matter was that when it came to race relations, the differences between them varied greatly.

The first and second countries, those being the Accinautori Kingdom and the Democratic Republic of Velk, were the first to promote the idea of allowing demi-humans and monster people into human society. Surprisingly, they had relatively good success. Being the first two, many demi-humans and monster people came to them to get the chance to be recognized as full citizens of these countries. This would mean that they'd be able to vote on laws in Velk (which of course operated as a democracy of sorts), open multiple businesses, receive certain benefits from these countries, and other various rights.

Of course, when the idea of mixing everyone together was proposed, it was initially met with opposition. After all, it wasn't just Endrelta that had discriminatory issues; it was the whole world. However, unlike Endrelta, the first two countries were able to persuade their people and show them the merits of living in a society with many different kinds of people. In the end, while there was still some resistance, integration happened in a smooth and neat process.

Unfortunately, that was where the good luck for nonhumans ended. Being so popular, the first two countries eventually had to close their gates, barring entry to all people, human and non-human alike. Their infrastructures were straining, and the bloated population threatened to burst their walls. There was simply no more room in either country for immigrants such as the demi-humans or monster people.

This presented a new problem. With so many of these individuals having traveled for the purpose of entering those places (and many more on the way), they needed a place to go. In an attempt to remedy this situation, the third kingdom, the Bemes Principality, decided to allow nonhumans into their borders, approaching this issue in a similar way to their predecessors.

However, unlike those before them, the principality struggled to find common ground with its people. Many of the citizens were opposed to having demi-humans and monster people in the country for any number of reasons, and it didn't help that the nobles of the principality weren't very supportive of the idea either.

In a weird stroke of luck, the news traveled through the demi-human and monster people communities that there was no more room in the countries allowing them in. This helped to put a stop to the constant influx of people, and with no more on the way, the Bemes Principality was left with only those at their gates. Informing their people of this, they made the following compromise: Allow the ones outside in, give them a small amount of land, and leave them be.

It wasn't really the most ideal solution, but all parties involved accepted it in the end, as it beat the alternative of outsiders sneaking in and causing trouble, or fights breaking out in the streets due to a difference of opinion or simply appearance.

For several years after that, there was stability. The other demi-humans and monster people remained in the various regions that they had come from, now able to live more freely thanks to the migration of some of their people. As for the ones farther in the countries, there weren't too many problems. The occasional crime would happen, but nothing out of the ordinary, and if something specific to the foreigners did come up, it was dealt with as civilly as possible.

That is, until one day in the principality, a rather large dispute arose. As is the case with most populations, the size of the demi-humans and monster people grew over time, bringing about a need for more land. As it had already been enough of a headache for the principality to give them what they had, those in charge of land rights said no. Upon hearing the request, the human citizens of the country became quite agitated as well, resulting in a march on the territory that, in their eyes, had been stolen from them.

In the end, it was only thanks to the knights on patrol that the situation didn't turn violent. However, it brought up the underlying issue everyone was trying to ignore: trying to force people together that didn't get along wasn't working. That last dispute was only the biggest. It was hardly uncommon to see a demi-human or monster person arguing with a human for whatever reason. Now, it appeared the situation had reached a boiling point in the Bemes Principality.

While tensions were high there, it was hardly anything compared to the fourth kingdom, the United Provinces of Cardonia. Conniving to its core, on the surface everything seemed well. Demi-humans, monster people and humans all lived in harmony. The leaders thrived. The nobles were righteous! Only glorious days lie ahead for this kingdom and its people!

Unfortunately, everyone, especially the citizens of this country, knew that that was all a bunch of political pandering for their neighbors. On the outside, it all certainly seemed true enough. Nobles lived next to demi-humans, monster people had gained titles, and humans even interacted peacefully and regularly with their foreign counterparts. All in all, it should've been a well-functioning, integrated society.

The reality was that it was all a farce, and staying more than a day in Cardonia would reveal that to anyone. While the nobles lived next to demi-humans, they put up concrete walls and stationed guards next to their property to make sure they weren't invaded. Monster people had gained titles, but only on paper. If no one respected you, then all a title really was were extra words on a name. And, while conversations appeared peaceful, listening in on one would demonstrate the vitriol in a human's speech. Often, those "conversations" were merely the human side pretending to care while constantly insulting the demi-human, and the demi-human firing off their own veiled insults right back. If the act of talking to a politician could be given form, this country would surely be it.

Accinautori and Velk had succeeded in combining societies and different people. Bemes was struggling to keep their melting pot from boiling over, and Cardonia was basically a sham. However, while they were all at different degrees, one thing remained common between them: they had allowed demi-humans and monster people into their borders.

That left only the Kingdom of Endrelta as the outlier. Obstinately opposed to the allowance of anyone not purely human, they tried to stand firm on their position. But, like how most situations go, a combination of peer pressure and majority rule forced them to change their tune.

At first, there had only been threats of cutting off trade, but the more Endrelta refused, the more severe the threats (and eventual actions) became. Accinautori and Velk had cut all ties nearly immediately after Endrelta's public declaration of being a humans-only state. Bemes, while reluctant, remained in business with Endrelta, but only because they were desperate for commerce. Finally, Cardonia condemned them publicly, but continued doing business with Endrelta behind closed doors.

These arrangements lasted for quite some time, lasting through several monarchs of Endrelta. However, as time went on, populations both human or otherwise had begun to swell. For humans, they simply traveled elsewhere, but the demi-humans and monster people hardly had that option. Their choices essentially amounted to finding more space or begin killing off their own.

In their eyes, the choice was clear. There was an entire kingdom still untouched by them, after all. So, gradually, they began to gather at Endrelta's gates. More and more demi-humans and monster people appeared as the months went by, and at about the one-year mark since they started gathering, there were at least 5,000 of them simply waiting to be let in.

When they received news about this development, none of the other countries could ignore it. Even Cardonia, twisted as they were, still had something of a heart. All of the other countries told Endrelta that they must make room for these people, because to refuse to do so was akin to refusing an entire human population. Surely if they were human, Endrelta wouldn't let them suffer and starve, would they?

Besieged by threats and reasoned arguments, Endrelta's monarchy did its best to stay the course they desired. But, eventually, the dam they had built burst. Not only did the surrounding countries seemingly all pull out of relations with Endrelta at once, but the demi-humans and monster people quite literally broke down the gates and flooded the capital. The whole thing reeked of a ploy set up by Cardonia in an effort to get Endrelta to accept their new immigrants, but that's a rumor mill for another time.

Regardless of the cause, the effect it had was great. With no aid to count on and only so many resources to spare, the Kingdom of Endrelta was forced to do exactly what the other countries wanted. They were overrun with angry nonhumans, and their finances were draining faster than they could keep up. Begrudgingly, the king made a declaration. All demi-humans and monster people would be allowed into Endrelta.

Naturally, plenty of riots ensued afterwards due to the people of Endrelta being governed by a discriminatory monarchy and noble hierarchy. Over the years, it practically became commonplace to hear about one-sided violence in the streets. And, unlike in the Bemes Principality, where fighting had been somewhat the norm too, in Endrelta it was even worse. Humans would often gang up on demi-humans and monster people, making it difficult to fight back. In the few times they had managed, they were made to look like the villains, losing even more footing in Endreltan society.

Now, one might wonder, if it was so bad for these people in Endrelta, why stay? Well, for some, it was a matter of principle. They believed they had a right to the land as much as the humans did. For others, they simply had no other place to go. Their homelands had either kicked them out, the places were just too full, or the conditions were just too awful to live in any longer (or a combination of the three), so they had to stay. Then, for a select few, they simply remained out of stubbornness or spite, even if that meant suffering.

Eventually, a new monarch came into power, and there was brief hope that things might change. That hope was quickly snuffed out. King Felbrun, currently king of Endrelta, made the situation so much worse for the demi-humans and monster people by changing the laws to make them less human than they were already considered.

Thanks to the vast amount of hate they had received in the past, the demi-humans and monster people had already been against humans. When the countries of the continent began allowing their kind into their borders, they had been wary, but as time had passed, they thought that maybe they were making progress toward a better future. That belief was short-lived however, as other countries showed their true colors and that nothing had really changed.

This caused their own hate to increase greatly, and it was through this hate that their own society had begun to change. Just like the humans, while their progress had been slower, their society and environment evolved. Soon enough, the humans began to notice sizable settlements in the outskirts of their borders. They dared not approach, but just through observation alone they could tell that the demi-humans and monster people were changing.

Of course, their own changes didn't bring about any in the human population, other than more wariness. Fear began to spread that nonhumans may form their own nations and declare war on humans. Even worse, due to the incredibly poor relations with these other races, it was nearly impossible for the humans to communicate with them and find out their intentions. The final nail in the coffin of public worry and concern was that the only countries that were actually on good terms with demi-humans and monster people refused to assist their fearful human compatriots.

In the end, all the humans could do was rely on hearsay. Through that, they learned that several villages had come to be considered quite important to the demi-humans and monster people. There was one far to the west of Endrelta, along the coast and supposedly doing trade with seafood with the first and second kingdoms. There was another village in the north, surviving the frigid temperatures without any human technology as far as anyone knew. Lastly, there was one more. It came up the most often in the Endrelta alleyways, where the impoverished demi-humans and monster people whispered about it with hope and almost reverence.

A haven for their kind. A well-functioning, completely independent village set up right in the outskirts of Endrelta. What it was like exactly, no one seemed to know, but plenty of rumors abounded. Some thought it was lavish and grand, like a kingdom capital of their own. Others thought that great warriors resided there. Some just figured it was a simple village, but good in its own way. Certainly better than living in the streets, anyways.

That village of course, was Dehl Village, the very place the former first princess Elisia Felbrun had been banished to. Taking in her surroundings, it seemed to be a far cry from what some people imagined. Placed in seemingly random spots were huts made of what appeared to be a mixture of dirt, wood and straw. Some were bigger than others, most likely in relation to the size of the family living there or the purpose the hut served. From what Elisia could see, some of the huts looked like they gathered around something, perhaps a fire pit of sorts.

With little to look at, Elisia was forced to turn her attention to the mob in front of her. There were all kinds of demi-humans and monster people. Catgirls, minotaurs, individuals with tentacles as legs and even someone (presumably a male) that looked much like a rat. If her situation hadn't been so dire, Elisia would've thought that was rather fitting for someone like him.

At the head of this pack was the elderly man who had just introduced himself as Gorose. Upon closer inspection, Elisia noticed a large, grayish-brown shell on his back, wrapping around to show a completely grayed front, showing his age. To also mark his seniority, the hair on his head was non-existent, except for a gray goatee on his worn face. His posture, hunched over, further indicated he was probably better off sitting and relaxing instead of leading. And yet, here he was, wearing white robes that tied at his waist, holding a scepter to support his weight, and despite his posture, emitting an aura of power that commanded the attention and respect of those around him.

"Would someone remove the princess's gag?" Gorose asked. At the same time, Elisia let out a pained "mmph!" Just the mention of the word "princess" had sent searing pain shooting through her shoulder and coursing through the rest of her. Feeling that, she realized what was happening. Now that she had reached her destination, the branding spell was officially active. If any called her princess or she referred to herself as such, she would immediately feel pain. The same was true if she tried to leave the confines of Dehl Village, however far that went.

Noticing Elisia's distress, Gorose put a hand up to stop the individuals moving to take out her gag. Walking over to the girl, Gorose moved slowly. "My apologies about this," he said as he lifted Elisia's shirt from behind. Exposing her back, he continued to pull upward until finally he stopped and frowned. "So that's how they got you out here…" he muttered as his eyes landed on the branding spell. "Well, let us see what conditions have been placed upon you."

To read a branding spell was simple enough. All that was required was to put a tiny bit of mana into the mark. Once that was done, whatever conditions had been applied to the spell would then appear in the viewer's mind.

After reading Elisia's conditions, Gorose scowled. "What a nasty spell…" he muttered, sounding rather bothered. Meanwhile, Elisia had been squirming all the while as the two individuals who had moved in to take out her gag tried to hold her steady. She wanted to scream "Get your filthy hands off of me!" but of course, she couldn't. Honestly, she was on the verge of a mental break, but when she heard Gorose's comment, she stopped for a moment. "Shouldn't he be happy it's so terrible?" she thought. "I'm sure he knows who I am. No doubt he'll want to see me suffer. Perfect thinking for savages."

Circling around, Gorose stood in front of the former princess. "Remove her gag," he ordered. Having gone back to squirming, the two individuals looked warily at each other before doing as they were told. "Pah!" Elisia let out. "Finally! That horrible cloth has been stuck in my mouth for days! You there! Make yourself useful and get me some water! After all, your kind is only good for menial tasks such as servitude."

Having directed her comment to a bullman, a nearly human male with the exception of large horns coming out of the sides of his head, the tension rose quickly. "What'd you say?!" he exclaimed, his species known for their short tempers.

"Hah, you really are as dumb as you look. You've heard of water, haven't you? Or do you truly know nothing?" Elisia taunted.

"That's it!" the bullman exclaimed. "I'm gonna wring your neck!"

"Enough!" Gorose exclaimed. Immediately, the area fell silent. Even the former princess got quiet. Having the situation under control again, Gorose glared at the bullman. "How many times must I repeat myself, Noka? You mustn't let your temper get the best of you."

"But she's the princess of Endrelta!" he exclaimed. "She's the Elisia! We all know what she's like! Why don't you just let us kill her and be done with it?!"

Behind the elder, Elisia let out another cry of pain at being called a princess again. Luckily, no one other than those closest to her seemed to notice. What also went unnoticed was her building fear. "Kill me…" she repeated internally. "They're going to kill me." With how rapidly the situation was escalating, she wasn't sure if the village elder would be able to get the mob under control.

In the back, someone picked up a rock and then threw it. Flying through the air, it hit Elisia square in the right shoulder. "Ow!" she exclaimed. "How dare you! Which one of you wretched-"

"Death to the princess!" someone shouted, forcing Elisia to stop mid-sentence and let out another pained cry.

Following that was another rock, and another. Sticks joined the fray too, and someone even threw a fragile piece of charcoal. It hit Elisia perfectly in her cheek, bursting upon impact and leaving a big black smudge on her previously pristine face. The smoke it created slipped into her nostrils and mouth, causing her to cough. "You insolent, vile-!"

But before she could finish that sentence either, she was hit yet again with an object. Or really, multiple objects at once, as a combination of rocks, pebbles and clumps of dirt were launched at her. She tried to duck out of the way as best she could, but it was difficult for two reasons. The first reason was her hands and legs were still bound, so all she could really do was squirm around. The second reason? The pain, not from what she was being pelted with, but from the branding spell searing itself even farther into her shoulder.

"You're the reason we suffer so much!"

"The princess should be executed!"

"Kill her! Kill the princess!"

On and on the shouts went, each mention of the word "princess" drawing a fresh wail of pain from Elisia. Thanks to the fact she was also getting hit with things though, not many seemed to notice why exactly she was crying out. Although, certainly some of her agony was related to the occasional rock or dirt clump finding its mark.

The head. Arms. Legs. Whatever they could hit, the villagers tried to. After several minutes of this, Elisia was covered in dirt, cuts and newly-forming bruises. Through the whole ordeal, she had never been able to get a word in of protest.

The village elder, witnessing all of this, had tried to calm the mob down peacefully. However, after his efforts only reached deaf ears, he became much more forceful.

"ENOUGH!" He declared, slamming the bottom end of his scepter into the ground. Despite the dull, grassy appearance under his feet, the ground let out a resounding thud when his scepter collided with it, bringing the attacks to an immediate stop. Even the princess froze, completely silenced by Gorose. "How does he do that?" she wondered. "How can such a frail thing command such a presence? Is it magic?"

As Elisia thought about that, Gorose spoke. "What do you people think you're doing?" he asked harshly. "Throwing rocks and dirt… are you truly the barbarians the humans say you are?!" At that, the crowd somehow fell further silent still. "Honestly," Gorose sighed. "I have given so many of you a place to call home. Food, shelter, a place to belong… these are all things Dehl Village provides for you. However, as residents of this village, you are expected to carry yourselves with a certain amount of dignity! Care for your neighbor, be gracious, and most importantly, treat others with respect, be they human or not.

"I am well aware of who this woman is," Gorose continued. "I know the wrongs she has committed against our people. But. We are not savages. Although this woman will be treated as a prisoner, that does not mean we should treat her as less than an individual. Would you throw mud at your neighbor? Hurl rocks through their roofs because you do not agree? Of course not! Because I have told you all, time and time again, to carry yourselves as those deserving to be treated as equal, which means treating others equally as well.

"If you wish to complain, scream or cry about having Elisia here in our village, I will hear it all. In fact, I would be willing to allow the chance to tell her yourself, so long as it doesn't become violent. However, in no way should actions such as the ones you've just carried out happen again."

"Are you defending the princess?" Noka shouted, clearly dismayed and eliciting another whimper of pain from Elisia.. But instead of matching his intensity, Gorose simply shook his head calmly. "This is not about defending her or her actions. This is about us, and showing that even in the face of adversity or even hate, we can demonstrate our civility. For too long, many tribes have failed to do this. It's partially what's led to such horrible opinions about us. But, if you feel you cannot do as I ask, then by all means, go back to the tribes in the south and enjoy your barbaric lifestyle there, for it has no place here."

When Gorose finished speaking, even Noka was quiet. Many of the people living in Dehl Village had come from other places, and they had left those places precisely because of the poor conditions. To follow the rules or be sent back? The choice was easy.

Rocks dropped from people's hands and sticks were tossed aside. A small smile came upon Gorose's lips. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. "Ha!" Elisia scoffed. "Serves you all right! Such vicious animals can only be ordered around! Although, the fact that it takes one to do such a thing in the first place proves just how low in life you really are!

"Hearing you talk about dignity and equality made me feel sick! Dignity? You're nothing more than rats on the street, especially that one that looks like a rat! How can someone who has to scrape the sidewalks for crumbs have any dignity at all! It's pathetic! It's laughable!

"If you can't even manage to get and eat food like a halfway-decent beggar then how can you even entertain the idea of equality? Truly, those other countries that let your kind in are fools. I'm certain the humans there are simply putting on airs and putting up with your kind. They'll never truly see you as equal. That's why I love this kingdom. It doesn't lie to you at all! It tells you exactly what you people are and where you belong! Right at the bottom in the dredges of society!"

The proud, former princess Elisia Felbrun spewed as much hate she could muster as she laid on the ground, tied up. Seeing the demi-humans and monster people get put in their place was more than satisfying, even if it had been done by another of their kind. She just couldn't stop herself from piling on.

"Put her gag back in," Gorose commanded. Surprised, Elisia turned her head as best she could to look at Gorose. She thought that maybe she had gained a tool she could use. Hadn't he just been defending her?

Seeing her expression, Gorose shook his head. "They say it takes a village to raise a child," he told her. "But what of the village itself? Who raises it, and what does it take? It is me, the elder, who does the raising, and with that, a stern hand. You were once a princess, Elisia, but no more."

With the gag back in place, Elisia went back to squirming around, tuning out a lot of what Gorose said. She was too busy trying to figure out how she could get her mouth free again. With the consequences she was facing, it was obvious how she had messed up. She had said too much, piled on too much. What she needed now was for the elder to order the gag to be taken out, so maybe she could smooth things over a bit. It would wound her pride greatly to pander even a little to a demi-human or monster person, but Elisia knew her greatest weapon would be her words if she wanted any chance of getting out of Dehl Village.

Unfortunately for her, Elisia wouldn't get the chance. After Gorose finished speaking to her, he ordered Elisia to be taken to the cell. It confused the former princess for a moment, as just hearing "the cell" didn't make any sense to one who was used to having a whole prison available. But, when she arrived at her destination, Elisia understood.

Before her was a small hut much like the others in the village. This one however, had one key difference. Instead of a traditional door, there were heavy, black iron bars going both vertically and horizontally. The welding job looked shoddy, as not all of the lines were straight, but it was clear from a glance that the gate would do its job holding the prisoners it kept, with it most likely being enchanted with some kind of magic.

Considering the structure, Elisia's biggest question was the interior. The hut itself appeared to be made of simple wood, mud and straw. With a bit of magic, she could just blow a hole in the wall and escape. At least, she believed that until she saw the inside. While the outside looked like all the other huts, the inside was magically-reinforced concrete. How the people of Dehl Village had managed to get something like that was beyond Elisia, but it was in front of her eyes as a thick shade of gray with faint veins of green glowing here or there to indicate its magical properties.

Of course, a decent sized fireball would still be enough to make a hole, but the amount of mana it would require could raise an alert requiring a World Council meeting. With no way to attend said meeting, Elisia would end up getting tracked down and given a different branding spell, this one preventing her from using magic.

She had no way to know for sure if the amount of mana she needed would create the need for a meeting, so she decided not to risk it. Instead, Elisia briefly considered brute force, but that was quickly ruled out. There were dents and small chunks of concrete inside, clearly from the walls when others had tried to use brute force.

The black gate was swung open, and with two back-and-forths to build momentum, Elisia was once again thrown like a sack of potatoes, landing hard on the cold, dirt ground of the singular cell. To her surprise though, the ropes around her had been cut, falling loose as soon as she moved. Looking ahead, she saw the gate close, a hand with sharp claws grabbing one of the bars. "Did they cut the ropes without me noticing, or did they do it as they threw me… or was it a complete accident?" Elisia wondered. Regardless, she had no way to know. All she knew for sure was that within days she had gone from a princess of a kingdom to a prisoner.

With the ropes cut, she pulled the gag out of her mouth and tossed it aside. "How ridiculous…" she muttered as she sat up. "The moment I get the chance, I'll punish all of these barbarians! They can't treat me like this! I'm royalty!" In conjunction with that declaration, burning hot pain radiated from Elisia's shoulder, causing her to slump over. "Ow…" she groaned. As it appeared, even calling herself royalty was enough to trigger the branding spell's effects.

Gingerly, she sat up again. Covered in dirt, grime, cuts, bruises and burns, the former first princess of the kingdom was a complete, tattered mess. Her white shirt was beginning to look more brown than white, and the skirt she had underneath already had suffered one or two tiny tears at the bottom of the hem.

"...What I wouldn't give for a set of clean clothes," Elisia grumbled as she looked herself over. "Honestly, if they were going to strip me at the palace, the least they could've done was give me more proper attire. Where did they even find these clothes? In the bottom drawer of some commer's dresser?"

Sighing, Elisia stared ahead at the iron bars. "I'm truly a prisoner now, aren't I?" she said listlessly. "Well, I suppose it's no matter. Someone will come for me and free me from this desolate, sorry excuse for a residence. I'm sure…" But as she said that, Elisia trailed off.

Who would come for her? She had been exiled from the kingdom, and no doubt that news had been released to the masses by now. Having been in a position of royalty all her life, Elisia had never thought much of anyone under her, be they beggar or noble. She was a princess. It was everyone else's job to serve her. However, now that she was in a drastically different situation, certain things were already beginning to come into perspective.

Because of her awful attitude, the people hated her. That was something Elisia had always been aware of on some level, but she had never cared either. She was better than everyone, so why should it matter if they like her or not? Even if some of those people were nobles, they weren't royalty (no matter how much some of them tried to insist), so their opinions didn't matter either. All Elisia had ever needed was her money and power.

That past belief was now coming back to haunt her. The former princess could honestly say she didn't have a single friend. With that being the case, who exactly would come for her? Her own father had been the one to send her into exile, and her attendant had turned out to be a traitor.

"Just thinking about that wretch angers me," Elisia muttered to herself. Although, with a new perspective, Elisia was beginning to understand why her attendant had done what she had done.

The rage she felt toward the woman she thought was just her servant was great, but Elisia also found she had no outlet for it. No outlet, meaning no one to blame other than herself. "I wonder…" she thought. "If I had treated her better, would any of this have happened to me?"

Really, it was a meaningless consideration. The most likely explanation was that the attendant was actually a spy for someone who wanted to wreak havoc on the Kingdom of Endrelta. Who that was though, Elisia couldn't even guess. The list of enemies she had alone was long, and the country's was even longer.

Regardless, the thought did occur to her. If she had been even a little nicer, would the attendant have felt so inclined to turn on her? Even just days ago, this was something Elisia would've simply scoffed at. Attendants were meant to serve and do it in a way that pleased their masters. It wasn't the master's job to consider the attendant's feelings. And yet… Elisia was already beginning to. "Perhaps if I see her again someday, I can ask her…"

This bout of regret was something completely new to Elisia, and it seemed the longer she sat in her cell, the more she was starting to reflect. Certainly, an entire change of character would not occur thanks to a few hours in confinement, but with how dramatically Elisia's life had changed, she couldn't help but think about her past life. It already seemed so far away…

Through the bars of her cell, Elisia saw that the sun was beginning to set. The sky changed colors, going from a bright blue to an orange-yellow hue with tinges of purple mixed in. Truly, it was a wonderful sight, and if Elisia had been at one of her country homes instead of prison, she was sure she would have thoroughly enjoyed the sight.

To go with the time, she saw a figure approach. With a click, the door opened, and a man walked in holding a small bowl. "I assume you're hungry," the man said with a gentle smile.

"Hmph. I doubt any food you people make is edible," Elisia said haughtily. The man, elder of the village, only continued to smile.

"Well, it's nothing like the palace food, but I certainly wouldn't call this poor quality." Bending low, Gorose offered the bowl to Elisia.

The contents were simple enough, made up of a deep brown broth and what appeared to be tannish-white vegetables sticking out from the surface.

"...What do you call this?" Elisia asked warily.

"Hmm," Gorose said. "I'm not sure if it has a name. No one has ever really thought to ask."

"How typical of your kind. You'd rather be ignorant," Elisia said bitterly. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, since this bowl was for me, I'm sure someone has poisoned it."

Still holding the bowl in her hands, Elisia stared into it. She couldn't deny that she was extremely hungry, and the smell of the food was only making her hunger worse. "...even if it's poisoned, it would be better to die on a full stomach, I suppose," Elisia mumbled. Also taking the spoon Gorose held out to her, she scooped up some of the soup and brought it to her lips.

As soon as the broth touched her taste buds, Elisia's eyes lit up. Without making a comment, she began to hurriedly down the rest of the soup. Watching her, Gorose smiled. He hardly seemed like the stern elder from before. If anything, he looked like a grandfather watching over his granddaughter.

Finishing the bowl, Elisia had a look of satisfaction on her face for a moment before snapping back to reality. "I-I suppose this is passable," she said as she sat the bowl down with a look of embarrassment.

"I'm glad to hear it," Gorose said, bending down to pick up the bowl and spoon. "Now, I will be leaving."

"Already?" Elisia let slip from her lips. As soon as she realized what she had said, Elisia's eyes went wide, and she turned away. "I mean, yes, you should go. I hardly want the company of monsters."

Gorose sighed. "It would do you well to learn a bit of kindness, Elisia," he said.

"That's another thing!" Elisia suddenly exclaimed. "Why do you insist on calling me by my name so casually? Even a commoner woman receives a Mrs. or Miss attached to their name!"

At this, Gorose chuckled. "I'm afraid that due to my long years, I see most of your age as children. Therefore, I don't find a need to bother with formalities."

"How presumptuous," Elisia spat. "To treat a royal like-" But she couldn't finish that sentence, as more pain was released into her body. "Ghh!" she gritted through her teeth.

Gorose only shook his head at the sight. "You are no longer a royal, Elisia. You are simply just a girl now. Learn to accept that."

"I will not!" Elisia shouted. "Only a week ago, I lived in a palace! I had power! Money! Servants! That is the life I deserve, not this absurd exile that was only done to appease the idiotic masses!"

"If those masses are truly the fools you claim them to be," Gorose said. "Then why have you ended up in my village instead of remaining in your luxurious palace?"

Elisia had no response. She understood Gorose's words. The people were certainly foolish, but it wasn't as if they were incapable of understanding. And when that understanding turns to anger, there are usually a few people that become targets. The fact that Elisia had been the cause of her own downfall simply made it worse. She tried to trick them all into basically giving her more money to increase her comfortable lifestyle. It was nothing short of a scam.

"Elisia," Gorose said, getting the girl's attention. "I hope that in this time, you learn many things. You're still young, so you have plenty of time, but for the sake of your future, and perhaps your life, you should endeavor to learn quickly."

"And what should I be learning?" Elisia asked with derision. "How to claw at the ground and throw rocks?"

Gorose shook his head. "Only you will know what it is you need to learn. Although, an overall decrease in hatred would be a good start."

"Hah!" Elisia scoffed. "My hatred is well-founded, thank you. Your kind are good for nothing and only take resources from those who can make better use of them."

"And what resources do you have now?" Gorose asked sharply. Elisia fell silent. In the cell she now resided in, she truly had nothing but the clothes on her back.

"Kindness, Elisia," Gorose said, breaking the quiet that had formed between them. "It is one of the few resources in abundance, and one all have access to. Perhaps it is time you make use of it as well." With those words, Gorose turned and opened the black gate once more, exiting the cell.

The night continued to pass, and as it did, Elisia fought against a mix of anger and regret. Anger at her father for exiling her. Anger at the attendant that betrayed her. Anger at the demi-humans and monster people for really even existing. Then there was the regret. Regret at not being more cautious. Regret over her plan. Regret that her own decisions had ultimately led to the situation she was in now…

There was little she could do about any of it, and as the noise outside shifted from general commotion to the sounds of night, Elisia decided she might as well try to sleep. "At least this cell is a little warmer than the carriage," she thought. It seemed that something had been done to provide a bit of insulation to the jail hut, as the only cold air Elisia really felt was coming from the gate. She moved to the side to avoid it as much as she could, and curled herself up in an effort to keep her arms and legs warm. While she had complained about her clothes earlier, Elisia was now somewhat grateful for the long skirt that kept her legs warm.

*****

In the middle of the night, Elisia awoke to a loud cracking noise. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, then looked ahead toward the gate. "...huh?" she let out as she realized what she was seeing. Instead of the black iron bars being in the entryway, there were now three individuals.

The first was one that Elisia recognized. It was a bullman, the one named Noka. Beside him were two others, a minotaur and the ratman Elisia had spotted in the mob earlier. All of them wore basic clothing, their outfits consisted of plain fabric shirts and denim-like pants. Due to them standing in front of the only light source, Elisia could only barely make out the features of their respective races.

"Good evening, princess," the ratman sneered. Of course, being addressed like that caused yet another shot of pain in Elisia. "Mnh!" she let out, doing her best to hide the sound. Unfortunately, it was night, and no one else was making much noise, so her pain became evident.

During the mob incident, Elisia had gotten lucky. With all of the chaos, hardly anyone noticed when she was suffering from the branding spell. Gorose had read the conditions placed upon her, but somehow, even upon meeting him for the first time, Elisia had been able to tell he wouldn't use those conditions against her.

Although, while the elder might not, Elisia was sure the others would. That was why she had started making a conscious effort to muffle her pained cries whenever a condition was activated. But, in the presence of three men in the dead of night, she failed, and they all noticed.

"Huh?" the minotaur said. "What was that sound?"

"Was that the princess?" Noka asked. Another "Nnh!" escaped Elisia's lips.

"Hang on," the ratman said. "I think it's in response to something."

"Something we said?" the minotaur asked.

The ratman nodded. "I think so. But we haven't repeated any phrases… maybe it's a word?" Trying to come up with a conclusion, the ratman stepped toward Elisia, causing the former princess to scoot back.

"What's wrong, princess?" the ratman sneered.

"Ghn…" Elisia groaned.

"So that's it," the ratman said with a nasty smile. "Calling her 'princess' causes her pain, for some reason."

"Seriously?" Noka said, surprised. "Wait, didn't the elder check her body for something?"

"Guess we should too," the minotaur said slyly.

All three men began to scoot closer. "C'mon, princess, just take off that shirt so we can see what the elder saw," the ratman leered.

"N-No! Stay away from me you disgusting fiends!" Elisia cried. Immediately, she went to use magic to defend herself, but when she tried to cast a spell, she found it wouldn't work. "W-What...?"

"You look confused," the ratman said with pride. "Can't cast a spell, right? Boy, that must be realll inconvenient." As he spoke, he turned his hand outward and down, causing several small objects to fall to the ground. Catching a slim glint of moonlight, Elisia saw they were small crystals.

"Y'see, these things are called anti-magic crystals," the ratman explained. "A long time ago, some guy made them in an effort to support rebellions against kingdoms and nobles. But, the crystals turned out to be pretty useless because they could only kinda block the flow of mana in a given area. So, as the years went on, they started to be treated more like trinkets, and you can even find them for sale in some markets."

"But," the ratman continued viciously. "We all know that the amount of mana in the world is dropping. As it turns out, that also means the flow of mana is weaker too. That means that you fancy nobles and royals can't use as much magic as you used to. And y'know what else? It also means these crystals are a hell of a lot more effective than they used to be."

With that explanation, Elisia caught on. With the weaker flow of mana, there was less that the crystal needed to block. Now instead of "kinda working in an area," they completely worked. As mana wasn't a necessary tool for survival, no one would even notice it had been cut off until someone tried to use magic.

This also meant that Elisia now had no way to defend herself. She stood and backed up one step, then another before her back hit the cold, unforgiving concrete behind her. "N-No…" she whimpered. "Keep your filthy hands away from me…"

"Man, that was real smart of ya, Onem," the minotaur said.

"It's always good to be prepared," the ratman, Onem said.

"Hey, can't she just scream for help though?" Noka said dubiously. As soon as he said that, Elisia opened her mouth. She was sure no one would come to her aid… although, perhaps the village elder might. "I had wanted him to stay earlier," Elisia thought. "Was it his kindness that caused that?" After all, the man had almost looked like he was defending her from the mob, and he had brought her food.

Alas, Elisia had no time to give that further thought. Before she knew it, her mouth had been clamped shut by the minotaur, who was surprisingly fast.

"Nice work Belfort," Onem said. "That possibility kinda slipped my mind. I was too focused on stopping the princess's magic."

"Well, it all worked out," Noka said as Elisia let out another grunt of pain, though it was partially from the minotaur's grip on her face as well as the branding spell.

With her magic cut off and her voice silenced, terror formed in Elisia's eyes. Never in her life had a man ever gotten so close to her, and now there were three that were on the verge of assaulting her. Worse yet, they were demi-humans and monster people. "If this was going to happen, couldn't it happen by humans?" Elisia thought.

But, as the ratman reached for her shirt, something unexpected happened. Another huge crack rang out, this one even louder than when the gate had been torn off. Suddenly, a part of the thatched roof overhead collapsed, causing straw and pieces of wood to rain down.

"What the hell is happening?!" Noka exclaimed, readying himself for a fight. However, before he could even raise a fist, he saw a figure hovering in the air. With the moon to the person's back, all Elisia could see was a blackened silhouette. That image alone seemed to be enough to strike fear into the hearts of those three would-be criminals. Surely the person above looked like some sort of demon to them. But, to Elisia, it was quite the opposite.

"Is that an angel…?"

Had an angel come to rescue her? Before she could get the chance to ask, the figure swooped down toward the cell and through the hole it had created in the roof. With not a single word spoken, a leg swung out and collided directly with the minotaur's jaw, sending his head whipping to the right and the rest of his body flying into the wall. There he slumped down, unconscious.

"Y-You!" Onem shouted.

"Why're you here?!" Not giving the ratman a response, the figure kicked out their leg yet again, connecting with the ratman's chest and sending him straight out the formerly barred exit. As for the last man, Noka, the figure seemed to be staring him down, though Elisia couldn't tell from where she was.

"L-Look, we didn't mean any harm! We're just doing what the people wanted, that's all!" Noka pleaded, but the figure appeared to be ignoring his poor excuse. With another sweep of their leg, they knocked the man off his feet before bringing down their arm into Noka's head.

Sliding down the wall she was up against, Elisia could only stare at the figure in front of her. With the fighting over, she could finally get a decent look. The lighting was still poor, but she could make out several features. The first was the short, black hair coming halfway down the neck. Then there was the slim, shapely torso, indicating that this person was definitely female. But, perhaps what stood out most of all was that, where arms should've been, there was a massive set of dark wings instead.

Elisia was speechless at that moment. This person, this woman, was clearly some sort of demi-human or monster person, and yet, the only thing Elisia could think of to say was thank you. Though, the words themselves never actually made it out of her mouth.

Then, just as questions were beginning to form in her mind, Gorose appeared. Judging by his lack of breath, he must have rushed over. "What happened here?" he asked aloud, seeing three unconscious men and a hole in the roof of the jail cell. When he spotted the fourth person who didn't belong in the cell, his eyes went wide a bit. "You're back?" he asked. The woman nodded slightly.

"I'm back," she said coolly.

"If I had known you'd return today, I would have prepared a feast," Gorose said.

"I've told you Elder, that's not necessary," the woman said. "Please, don't give me special treatment."

"Very well," Gorose said, giving his usual answer to her. "Am I to assume you saved our prisoner here?"

"Yes," the woman answered.

"And am I to also assume you're responsible for that hole?" Gorose said, pointing upward.

"...yes," the woman said meekly.

Gorose sighed. "Considering the circumstances, I won't lecture you for it. However, I do hope you'll assist in the repairs."

"Of course," the woman said with a bow.

With that exchange complete, the woman walked away, leaving Elisia stunned. "That must've been quite a fright," Gorose said as he approached.

"Y-Yes…" Elisia managed to say. "Hey… who was that person?"

"Ah," Gorose said, a knowing smile growing on his face. "She's… someone very special here."

Based on his answer, it was clear he wasn't going to elaborate any further. Elisia wanted to huff about it, but her curiosity turned out to be the strongest feeling inside her at the moment. That woman… she was clearly some sort of demi-human or monster person, and yet… Elisia just had to know.

"Elisia," Gorose said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I offer my apologies for this incident. In the last day, you have seen the poorest of sides from my people, and for that, I am sorry." He bowed, and Elisia stared at him. She had no idea how to respond. Between her regrets that had been piling up that were causing her to reflect on her past, the near assault she had suffered, and the heroics of the mystery woman, Elisia was at a loss for words.

Luckily, it appeared Gorose wasn't looking for a response. "I'll take care of these ruffians. In the meantime, someone will come over here to cover the hole. It'll be colder in here, but it's better than nothing. As for the gate, I'll post guards. Considering your branding spell, it's not as if you can run away, but it's better to be cautious, I think. Please, try to get some rest Elisia."

With his decisions made, Gorose proceeded as he had said. He grabbed all three of the men on his own (a feat that surprised Elisia), then a few minutes later, someone came and put a covering over the hole in the roof. At the same time, guards showed up, but truthfully, they were unnecessary. After everything that had happened, Elisia found that she'd much rather stay in the relative comfort of her guarded cell than try to escape.

As she laid back down, she found exhaustion quickly taking over her mind and body. So much had happened in just the span of a day. If this was going to be her new, everyday life, she wondered if she'd make it. But, more importantly than that, Elisia felt a strong desire to find out more about her savior. She had so many questions for her. "Who and what was that woman?" she thought.

"...and why did she save me?"

End of Chapter Three.