The land of Sanitatum is said to be filled with magic, but it is also plagued by a contagious curse that threatens humanity's survival. It is the purpose of the heir to the throne, Simba Adofo, to inherit his father's crown and find a way to vanquis...
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Simba roamed the moonlit streets of the Inner City under the cover of stretching shadows and the hood of his cloak. Quiet and cold air was met only by Darwin's argumentative squawking, irritating the Prince who was attempting to slip through the streets unnoticed.
"...and just what do you expect me to do otherwise?" Simba hissed, defending against Darwin's disdainful outbursts. "How else are we going to find a mythical 'Princess' on such short notice?"
Upon his return to the city, the forest had gifted the Prince with Darwin who, oddly enough, seemed perceptive to his ideas as if he could understand every word. Normally, valuing an animal's disposition would be a sign of a descent into madness, but reciting his plan aloud to a friend reassured him of what needed to be done.
Unfortunately, Darwin didn't agree with his plan.
"Considering a mythical Princess doesn't exist," Simba persuaded amidst Darwin's resentful pestering. "If I need a Princess, I'm going to need to buyone."
Darwin adamantly pecked at his shoulder in protest.
"Don't be like that!" Simba pouted. "It's not like I enjoy this. We don't have the luxury of better options."
Simba tilted the light of his lantern to illuminate a map of the Inner City, revealing a drawn ink line meandering through the illustrated streets, finally ending at the foot of a venue labeled Leo Domitor, neatly marked with an X.
"In my preparation for the throne, I was taught the criminal history of the Kingdom," Simba explained to the bird. "There is a human trafficking organization known as the 'Ring' that operates in the Inner City. From what we know, the Ring hosts auctions every month, moving to new locations to avoid being caught. My father would infiltrate events with spies, but he had no interest in stopping the events; he would use them to purchase cursed items to Cleanse in Curse Purges when afflicted numbers on the streets seemed to dwindle."
Simba clenched his jaw, suddenly frustrated that only a few days ago he considered this excuse a necessary evil to keep order in the streets. How foolish he was. 'Order for who' indeed.
"However, when a spy was uncovered by the Ring, only those with longstanding rapport would receive invites to auctions. With this new barrier for the King's men to infiltrate the auctions, all operations have failed and have been abandoned. Brothels in this city are suspected of buying workers as unpaid staff from the auctions to cut wages. Many Brothel owners are repeat buyers, likely receiving repeat invites to this very day."
Simba pulled a bag of coins from his pocket, jiggling the coins inside so they clinked together.
"I'm sure a small fortune is enough to buy an invitation from one of these owners- and a Princess to go with it."
Darwin pecked the side of Simba's head, clearly not satisfied. Simba Sighed.
"Look," he retorted. "To be King, I need a Princess to fool the commoners and keep my father in check. The people sold in these auctions have no names and no one is missing them; they might as well be ghosts. A girl being rescued by a Prince will have no issue playing the part in exchange for a life of luxury. If I do this and get my crown, I promise I'll put a stop to the Ring once and for all. But right now, it's my best chance at staying alive."
