The Storyteller's Corner Presents: "Freedom's Cost", Part 1

Substack's loss is your gain, my friends! I hereby begin presenting to you the 'Free Spirits' tales that had been hosted by Liberty Magazine on Substack before their account got nuked from orbit thanks to a mass flagging campaign, and I ended up getting caught in the crossfire as collateral damage. Still, that's no reason this tale shouldn't be made available to folks who care to indulge in a little fiction, yes?