Fall 58th, 482 AV
Lacerta had been mildly surprised when a few more sailors dragged out three scraggly looking other people… so she hadn’t been their other captive. However, that made sense, considering despite how much she was worth… the pirates would need more than just the few thousand mizas she would produce. She eyed them for a moment, but was rudely shoved forward off the deck of the boat. Sighing irritably, she moved onwards, following the captain humbly as he led the small group off and into the city of Kenash.
After a short walk, with a few uninterested glances their way, they arrived at their destination. A low, red brick building stood before them, and quickly enough they were forced through the entrance. Inside it looked more like a theater than anything else, but… different. Mostly because the only person inside was a man, sitting on the stage, shuffling through a stack of papers. He glanced up as they entered, and as the group drew nearer, he pushed himself up. “Good morning… I assume you want a deal?” He was eyeing Lacerta in particular, probably because she was the most ‘valuable’ of the group. The other three – two women and a man – looked pretty ordinary, and seemingly didn’t require much attention.
“How did you get your hands on an Eth?” the man asked, whistling softly. At least she didn’t feel like she was being treated like cattle… yet. She stared at the man, probably a Dynasty, with blank eyes, trying to convey her utter contempt for his opinions. She did feel a little awkward, towering over the group by nearly a foot all round, but she was used to it by now. It was simply strange being above and below a person at the same times… physically and metaphorically. The dealer inspected the Ethaefal for several moments, circling, and the slow feeling of ‘animal’ started to grow. She didn’t move, feeling a little irritable and tense, instead simply glad he wasn’t touching her… she would have punched the man, tied wrists or no.
“Not telling” the captain replied smugly, standing with folded arms a little away from the other man. “Right. Fine.” As soon as the conversation had started, the dealer began throwing numbers around… high ones. Though she hadn’t felt like a slave at first… that feeling quickly disappeared and she scowled at their debate. However, they settled on a number within chimes, and after quickly debating the prices for the other three slaves… they were all sent off deeper into the building. The man himself herded them, though an armed man appeared out of nowhere, face a blunt mask. Lacerta barely glanced at him, however, instead focusing more on the area they were entering.
It wasn’t particularly fancy, but how could anyone expect that? It was hard, with rows of slaves… though a number of the spots were basically empty. Most of the residents ignored the quintet, and though the composer attempted to ignore them as well… it was hard. She wasn’t quite sure what to feel, but this felt wrong. Oh, so wrong. She didn’t want to be here, in the dark. She just didn’t like it at all. It was sorely tempting to stop in her tracks and stiffen, give herself time to think over this all, but knew that would be stupid… and make an annoying scene. Instead, she moved forward stubbornly, each step into the sunlight-less room paining her more and more. Why did it have to be so dark? Anything but dark. She’d had enough of that for a lifetime… even her lifetime.
She didn’t say anything, or move at all, when she was removed from her ropes and inserted into chains, feeling to stressed to do so. She hadn’t yet decided how she felt about this… but it wasn’t positive. She wasn’t yet angry as anyone other than Apus, but that had mostly boiled down to a simmering irritation. However, if that man turned up again… she didn’t know what she would do. She also didn’t know what other kind of hatred or irritation would grow over her time here, but knew it wouldn’t be good for her emotions. However, whatever she did… she was determined not to become Forsaken. She still believed in her goddess, and that was something these stupid Dynasties couldn’t take away from her.
She slowly settled down into her new spot, glad for the room, though she didn’t have the solitude of her first cell. There was an irritating chain around her ankle that clanked when she moved, so she attempted not to move that foot. Instead, she leaned against the one wall provided and crossed her arms, glaring at the world at hand. She was still… irritated, and tense. Closing her eyes, Lacerta attempted to calm herself. Breath. Think this over. When she was bought, and out of this slave market… she’d plan out something. She wasn’t going to stay here for the rest of her life, if it was the last thing she did. She’d rather die and return to Syna than stay here. Especially if she was derived of sunlight.
She sighed and forcefully relaxed all the tense muscles in her body. She had two days, then she’d be out of this place… from what the captain had said, at least. She didn’t want to think of the degrading feeling that standing on the stage and being auctioned off would feel like, but knew it wouldn’t be nice. The whole feeling of being property was still itching on her, but she was determined to ignore it. She was an Ethaefal for Syna’s sake… not just some piece of junk to be thrown around! This thought send an explosion of anger to fill the sailor, and she scrunched up her face in annoyance. However, she quickly caught and crushed the hatred, still wanting to stay calm…
As the chimes stretched on, boredom pushed more than it ever had before on the ship. She wished that she could simply pick up her flute and play, but was lacking the instrument. For a moment, she wished she could sing to herself… but felt self-conscious with all the other people around. Speaking would have been too tense, and awkward. She was in a room full of depressed, irritated, sad, all sorts of things people… still, it was tempting to hum to herself, just to pass the time, and push away the awkward silence. Or not silence. There was a soft weeping in the background that she just hadn’t noticed yet. Glancing over, Lacerta spotted one of the woman she’d come with crying to herself softly. She felt the intense need to help the woman… but didn’t want to say anything. But… should she help? She hadn’t quite figured things out herself, how could she do anything?