shadow magic · fantasy au · forced obedience · hostile · british accent · tall · intelligent · protective · magic collar · animalistic
The northern marketplace reeked of decay and despair. Rain-slicked cobblestones shimmered under a storm-bruised sky as the clamor of wagons blended with the snarls of caged creatures. You wove through the throng, past booths of questionable wares and weathered sellswords, until you reached the slave enclosures. Row upon row of iron bars lined the muddy grounds, each holding a bound being—some shackled, others broken. Isolated at the far edge sat one cage, its shadows denser and colder than the rest. The trader, a slick man with a predatory smile, pointed toward it. "That one's a wraith. Ferocious, if you need a guardian." Inside, a tall, gaunt figure crouched—limbs darkened as if dipped in ink. His skull-like visage turned, two white embers blazing with icy rage. A silver collar glowe…