413 Jermine (2/2)

After much hesitation, Jermine finally told Zero her name but not her full name in case the doctor was an evil magician. Slaves who had given their names to magicians would never be able to escape. Jermine was lucky that her captors weren't magicians and she only bore the ugly tattooed mark of a regular slave. If she was kidnapped by a mage, Jermine would be bound by a magical contract and escaping would result in instant death. Biding her time, she told Zero the nickname that the slave captors used.

”They call me Jerry.”

Zero blinked. That was another lie. ”Jerry? Isn't that a name for a boy?”

The mole girl started to sweat nervously. Why was Zero not satisfied with it? Slave traders were usually not picky about this sort of thing. Some even just assigned slaves numbers. Was this elf a mage after all? While most elves were mostly warriors and archers, the few elven magicians were often powerful and cold-hearted. Had she just gone from the pan into the fire?

Zero noticed that he just made her more terrified and mentally started to sweat. ”I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable,” he blabbered. ”I just want to help you find your family but we need to know a name before the guild can put up a search.”

Jermine didn't know how she could bring herself to trust the person who spiked her drinks but when Zero offered her a deal to help her in exchange for her abilities to navigate through the desert, Jermine readily agreed.

”Once you pay your debt off as a slave, the villagers of Half Moon Village under my rule will escort you home to Lycantopia. I need to find a gnome city and a desert poppy. Let's work together, shall we? If you still do not believe my words, we can sign a magic contract.”

Jermine considered it for a moment before nodding. ”Let's do a magic contract. You promise that you will send me back to my family safely after I help you navigate through the desert?”

Zero nodded and drafted the magic contract. Jermine couldn't see very well so a third party of Jermine's choice was meant to act as a witness that the terms were accurate. Zero signed the contract first and Jermine hesitated for two seconds before penning her name at the bottom.

Once the deal was made, the scroll vanished and Jermine collapsed onto the bed. All the bravado that she managed to gather earlier dissipated into the air. Zero smiled at the girl. ”How about some supper, Jermine?”