| Slave Market |

I woke up with a start, my head pounding and my body cramped in a small space. Where was I?

Stone dug in my back and I tried to shift in a better position. I was in a small rusty cell, wow my luck this year, I thought sarcastically.

I leaned against the rough wall behind me, my left hand chained to the stone wall. My head buzzed unpleasantly and I felt sick, dehydrated in need of protein.

The cell was tiny and the door in front of me was pure steel, my vision was blocked, no windows, no neighbors, I was alone.

I was nodding off frequently, my body, which was a wreck, finally taking its revenge. I sighed, resetting my head back. not trying to stay awake anymore, since it was apparent I would be here for a while, or so I thought.

My cell door banged open with a clang making me jump in surprise before seeing a very obese man in front of me, very human. He wore average clothes, not expensive-looking but cheap cloth, his pants way too small for him, his shirt not long enough to cover his over belly hanging over his jeans.

He bustled in with a tray in his hand, before plopping it in front of me, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Enjoy your fine dining." He sneered before strutting out of the cell, the door slamming after him.

Human interaction at it's finest.

I Looked down at the food and was pleasantly surprised. A price of bread and a block of cheese was on the tray, the water beside it. I hungrily gobbled it down taking huge gulps of water at a time before resting my head back, a sigh escaping from my lips.

Flexing my feet out of boredom, I dazed at the wall in front of me trying to keep myself occupied. I could either sleep or...sleep. Wow, I don't think I can choose.

It felt like days staring at the wall even though it had probably been hours.

My wrist was already bruised from the cuff, I adjusted the metal in hope of trying to be more comfortable.

I slumped against the wall, suddenly tired again.

My eyes squinted as I tried to stay awake.

The sound of a clink of a lock opening awoke me.

I squinted up at two men and one alien, one of them bent over me taking off my handcuff.

I snatched my wrist away as soon as the metal left my skin, scrambling back away from them.

"Get him up and ready." The alien said gruffly, his voice holding a tone of authority. I recognized the alien, I believe he was the slaveholder who brought me to this godforsaken place.

One of the burly men nodded before dragging me to my feet and walking me to the door. My legs wobbled every step I took, my brain pounding from the sudden movement.

The passageway had cells on either side of the walls each having rusty doors that disguised the prisoner inside.

My feet drag on the floor with every step I make. The slaveholder and the other man trailing behind me.

"Put him with all the others, then take them all one by one when they are called." The slaveholder told the man he walked beside before walking away down a separate corridor while I was ushered forward in a different direction.

They stopped at another yet similar rusty metal door, one of the men taking out keys and unlocking the door.

The smell of unwashed bodies wafted out into the hallway as soon as they opened the door. My nose wrinkled, I knew I probably didn't smell any better but it still made my nose twitch all the same.

Aliens and humans were in the room crowded and cramped most of them chained to the ground or wall.

My left wrist was chained again to the wall as soon as I entered the room, the guards leaving quickly the door slamming behind them.

All of them looked haggard and exhausted, their clothes in ruins and some of them without shoes, some of them sleeping. A shifting by me caught my attention and I lifted my eyes toward the person.

Her hair shone in the little light in the darkroom, her skin pale. She looked at me feeling my stares most likely, her green eyes shining from under her mass of wild red hair.

"What's your name?" I asked my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Catarina." She answered shortly by putting hair behind her ear, the point of them telling me she was a Lumpkonton. Her dark emerald green eyes examining me, her eyes scrutinizing every inch of me. "You are apart of the Ringtheron Academy." She tilted her head in thought, "They don't take humans, how did you get here?" I was too occupied with her unique name to answer her question.

"My names Nate if you were asking," I said sarcastically, "I don't feel like talking about the Academy, I ran away from that place for a reason." She looked at men in surprise.

"What is this place anyway?" She shifted up against the wall sighing her ripped-up dress crinkling slightly.

"You don't know?"

"I have an idea but I don't want to really believe it." Her lips twitched slightly before she answered.

"You are at the slave market, lucky us." I groaned in exasperation, well there goes my hope out the window.

"How did you get here?" I saw a flash of anger in her eyes.

"I was traveling to a city, had to cross one of the many desserts on this damned planet, my escort and I were attacked. The bandits killed my escorts, took everything from me, then left me for dead. Slave traders found me and sold me to the market where I will officially be sold." Her face was in a snarl at this point.

Although her dress was torn and dirty, the material looked fine and rich and I couldn't help but think where did this girl come from?

"Does your family know where you are?" She looked sad.

"I have no family but a high authority uncle."

"And does he know where you are?"

"No, I was being escorted to a boarding school when my traveling was violently interrupted." She looked at her feet this, exhaling loudly, her hair moving from the blow.

I opened my mouth to ask more questions but the door banged open and haired dragged out one human and one alien their cries of protest ignored.

The door slamming shut with a bang making us both flinch silence over the room, anxious whispers filling my ears.

"It's started, good luck."

"What's started?" She looked at me with annoyance.

"The Auction, what else?"

An unsettling silence folded over me as the minutes passed, and more and more slaves weeded out of the room.

The door opened again, I wouldn't want to be the next person, I thought sarcastically. A skinny alien stood at a door, a Generqin I think is what it's called, they are super tall and slim, and are scaly with big eyes, their mouths big with narrow white teeth, not a pretty picture if you ask me.

Generqins rare breeds, they are breed to be servants, their minds and brains only want to serve their "master" and are not able to think for itself they just follow commands and have outstanding memories, imagine having a loyal dog Two humans stood by it watching the room waiting for a command.

As soon as I made eye contact with the Generqin, its eyes flashed menacingly, his slimy, skinny arm rising up before a bony finger was pointed in my direction.

Startled and disturbed my heart started to pound in my chest, I could hear Catarina make a weird noise next to me as the two men approached me.

This could not be happening, I scrambled back or to the side away from them, all that did was make the Generqin smile.

Taking my chain a tall burly man took out keys unlocking my chains, before putting another set, this time in both wrists.

Pulling to my feet I was pushed towards the exit.

"Good luck." I heard Catarina say quietly from behind me. I turned my head to look at her one more time, digging my heels into the ground, only in succeeding in getting myself shoved harder towards the door making me stumble.

The sun blazes in my face as I was bought out of the slave hold building, a stage coming to view where a crowd of people gathered, some calling out numbers.

Dragged behind the stage I was put into a short line of people being forced onto the stage one by one.

A large hand gripped my shoulder and I turned around to see the Generqin staring down at me.

"Hopefully this one will make money for us. Huh?" A murmur of agreement came from his guard.

"Smile and wave, boy." He said, patting my cheek as I turned my head away, disgusted, he chuckled at my reaction, his chuckle having a raspy tone.

He walked away slowly turning one more time looking over his shoulder before disappearing from my sight, his henchmen watching the line.

"Sold!" A voice yelled from the stage making me cringe, what will my life be like after this?

By the time I was the next one up I was jumpy and on edge.

"Let go of me! Do you know who I am?!" A girl's voice yelled before a Yelp of pain came after a smack.

"Shut up! I can't take your yappering!" A male voice yelled harshly.

I whirled around to see Catarina, yanking and pulling away from the man, a handprint on her left cheek' her hair falling over her face.

My blood boiled.

"Get away from her!" I yelled walking over to them, her head snapped up to me, her face flushed. A hand yanked at my arm making me fall to the ground, a taser blast gun in my face., his boot on my chest.

"Stay on the ground, or I'll tase you until you're begging me to stop." The guard said, putting pressure on my chest keeping me in place. "Understand?" He applied more pressure making me grimace. "Understand?" He growled out. I nodded his boot making it hard to breathe.

"Good, now get up, it's your turn to be on the stage." Gripping my uniform he hauled me to my feet.

Catarina stared at me with wide eyes as she was ushered into the line.

My shackles clanged as I was roughly pulled on the stage, the crowd's eyes now on me. I shifted uncomfortably on the stage, the feeling of dread hovering over me.

A speaker stood a couple of feet away from me babbling on about the last sold.

"Here he is! We have a healthy young man here! Look at those muscles, bet those muscles can do some lifting! Well, folks let's start at a hundred fifty Mecarns!"

A voice yelled out, "hundred and seventy Meracans !" A gruff alien that had called out the money looked rough and cold-hearted, he was a Lumpkonton with leather gear on a group of men surrounding him, probably his friends, looking at me meaningfully.

"Okay! Hundred and seventy going once…Hundred and seventy going twice…."

"Two Hundred." A toneless voice said in the crowd. The Lumpkonton that had spoken for me first, whirled around towards the person who raised the money, as did I.

He wore a suit and a helmet on, his visor on keeping his face disguised.

The Lumpkonton's face formed in a snarl as he stared at his competitor. I'm not even sure if this is about me anymore.

"Wow!..—" the speaker exaggerated before opening his mouth to speak before being cut off by the Lumpkonton.

"Two hundred and ten." The disguised man looked over to the Lumpkonton slowly lazily.

"Three hundred." He said coldly.

"Wow! Okay! Three hundred going once...three hundred going twice…" the Lumpkonton stared at me with an angered gaze, before pushing out of the crowd, his friends following after him. "Sold!"

I think a tiny bit of my soul died when he said those words. "Thank you for your generosity, you can take this young man with you after the auction is over." As the speaker said these words the guard who shoved me to the ground only a few minutes ago grabbed me before taking me off the stage and towards the slaveholder building.

Just as I think we are about to enter the building the guard turned to the right, making my feet skid on the dirt ground.

The guard led me to the alleyway where sold slaves were waiting, guard watching them closely.

"Sit down." The tall man said after leading me to the brick wall.

I sat down awkwardly, my handcuffed hands making it hard to do the simplest things.

After sitting down the guard left me in peace, making me grateful.

A few minutes past before I heard that familiar loud mouth girl that had caught my attention the moment I saw that red hair.

As soon as I saw her I couldn't help but grin.

She was tanking and pulling away from the same guy who brought me here.

The guard looked severely annoyed and put her a few feet away from me against the wall.

"Sit down and try to shut up." He grumbled walking away after mumbling to the four guards that were watching us.

"Hey, you okay?" I whispered to Catarina. She looked at me, dazed.

"No, why would I be." She snapped while I lifted my still bound hand in surrender.

"I was just trying to help you," I mumbled picking at the ground.

"I don't want your help." She replied.

"I think you need all the help you can get because it doesn't seem you can help yourself due to your situation."

She huffed looking away. After a few moments, she spoke.

"Thanks." I looked at her surprised.

"For what?"

"For trying to help me before you were put on the stage."

"Oh yeah," I said looking down at my lap.

Voices began to be heard in the alleyway.

"The auction must be over, they're coming to take us, good luck." She whispered her hair covering her face, her green eyes peeking at me through the mass of hair.

"Good luck," I whispered back.

A group of people filed by the alleyway, bought slaves being brought to their owners.

A cold voice spoke from in front of the line, and I immediately recognized it.

I turned my head to see the suited stranger striding towards me.

"Keys?" The stranger asked the guard.

The guard hurried forward before helping me up and unlocking my shackles.

I rubbed my bruised wrist, before looking up at the person that bought me.

"Come on." He said grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

I shared one more glance with Catarina before being taken out of the alleyway.