I lay in the bed offered to me in silence, contemplating what to do next.
I could tell it was late since the light outside the door was put out, but I didn't feel even the tiniest bit tired.
Even after all that happened today and how much has been on my mind, I just can't shake this feeling...
I felt angry. Just like earlier when Kai left me behind. However, this anger was different. I'd had a bit of time to let the fiery rage from before burn out, but something reignited it when I entered this town.
Actually, I think it was moreso when I entered this inn.
That was when I realized I was thinking about that demihuman girl downstairs, the girl who was very clearly a slave.
Just as soon as I closed my eyes to go to sleep, I heard a knock on the door. I sat up and looked around, realizing it had become morning. But I didn't feel like I slept much at all, so I rubbed my eyes to confirm and, sure enough, it was daytime.
The knock sounded out again, so I stood up and walked to the door, opening it. I looked down at the small girl standing there, a tray of food in her hands. She held it up to me with the same blank expression she had the night before. I grabbed it from her and she immediately scurried off.
I sat on my bed and ate the food quickly, not realizing how hungry I had gotten until waking up. I hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday, after all. I walked out of the room with the tray in hand and headed down the stairs back to the lobby.
Turning the corner, I could smell the scent of meat cooking, yet it wasn't a meat I could recognize as something I'd had before. The man from last night wasn't around in the lobby area, so I assumed he was cooking something beyond the door behind the lobby counter.
Just as I approached it, it swung open and the demihuman girl was there again. She didn't immediately notice me, but when she did, she just looked up at me with that expression.
Something about the face she was making made me feel gross. It wasn't her, but something else about it, as if she had given up on her own life. I decided to try and talk to her.
"Hi, Kia," I spoke softly, kneeling down to her level. Her expression didn't change. "My name is Suri." I held out my hand to her. She looked down at my hand, then back up at me, her eyes widening slightly. I smiled to her and she started to reach for my hand.
"Ah, there ya are, kiddo!" The innkeeper came out of the door behind Kia, shoving her out of the way. "Did'ya get your breakfast?" I kept looking at Kia as I nodded.
"Yeah, it was good..."
"Ahh, don't worry about her. She's tough as nails, that one." He patted the girl on her head, causing her to flinch slightly.
I feel gross.
"Anyway, you oughta get goin now, kid," he said a bit softer. "I'm expecting another visitor today and I don't think they'd take too kindly to someone of your looks."
"My looks?" I was confused.
"Hm? You don't know?" The man stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time before sighing. "Better off not knowing for now, I guess. Forget what I said. Make sure to pack your things before making your way outta here."
"Thank you, I will do so," I replied, glancing at Kia again, who was staring ahead blankly like before.
Sitting in the room I had stayed the night in, I felt a lot less tired than this morning. The memory of what had happened just yesterday ceased to be a problem for me as my mind was flooded with the thoughts of that demihuman girl downstairs. I felt like she didn't belong here, like she belonged back home in the mountains.
Suri taught me a bit about demihumans, explaining that they were commonly stolen and enslaved by humans due to how long they can live and how much they can endure. He left out some pretty bad stuff, but I could tell by the implication that it was probably worse than I could imagine.
Just as I grabbed the last of my gear; the book on magic I stole from home; I heard a loud crashing sound downstairs.
And then a loud scream.
I quickly left the room and ran down the steps. The lobby was empty, but I could hear faint crying behind the loud voice of the innkeeper behind the door to what I assumed was the kitchen.
I hurried over and opened it, peering inside.
The man was towering over Kia, screaming in her face as she cried. I saw a bit of red on the floor, then the broken shards of a plate.
I could only assume she had dropped a plate while trying to clean it, injuring herself in the process. She was crying on the floor and holding her arm, which was bleeding badly. But instead of helping her, the man continued to scream at her, not noticing I was there.
"Are you an idiot?! You can't even do the dishes right?!"
SMACK
I was shocked at what I had just seen. I stood frozen as I watched her recoil in pain, her sobbing getting louder. He had hit her across the face, putting her bloodied hand that was holding her wound to her cheek.
Something came over me. I wasn't sure what I had gone to do until I saw his face in front of mine turn from anger to pain.
I stumbled backward, the kitchen knife in my hand soaked in his blood. He held his stomach in pain, blood slowly pouring out of it.
"You- What do you think you're doing?!" He started to yell at me, then his eyes went wide, looking over at Kia.
"Kia." He spoke sternly, causing her to flinch and whimper. She looked at me with an expression I hadn't seen her make before: genuine fear.
"I order you to kill him."