• Reign of False Kings
    Chapter Two: Auction Block


    True to his word, Aran was still awake when the first rays of sunlight began to stream through the windows of the barn. The exiled prince could hear talking from below and elbowed Luca in the back. "They are coming."

    The red-headed teen stirred and slowly returned to the world of the living. He shifted his eyes just in time to see the two henchmen coming up the ladder to the loft.

    "Heh, lookit that. The lil' bastards musta been waitin' up fer us. Didn't want to be surprised again, eh?" Brently sneered, untying them apart from one another.

    "Guess not," Marlin laughed. He leered at Aran.

    "Gonna try anythin' this morning, ye majesty?"

    "I wasn't planning on it, esteemed guard," Aran answered quietly.

    Marlin scoffed, unamused by this sarcasm. He jerked the boy to his feet, leading him down the ladder and back out to where the horses were tethered. He shoved him over to where the red-headed boy was already waiting. "Now wait 'ere."

    The two captors loaded up their horses before slinging their prisoners over the horses like before. Again the long, grueling ride began. The foursome reached the end of their journey just as the sun was beginning to set. Luca lifted his head when he heard sounds of laughter, screaming and other noises. The town was an unfamiliar one of dark stone cast in crimson from the afternoon sun. The market town was indeed a scary place. Hundreds of people walked the streets; many of them wide-eyes and frightened people who were being eyed by prospective buyers like slabs of meat. And in the middle of the crowd was a large stage where only one thing happened. Luca swallowed.

    "It's about time you've arrived," a voice cried out, distinctly male. "You had better make this worth my while."

    Aran turned his head towards the man. He had slick black hair about shoulder length and small, black eyes. He was dressed far better then the motley crew and held himself as such.

    "No worries there, Tanis," Brently said, dismounting. "We got us two beauties 'ere yeh buyers will go crazy over."

    "Oh," the man perked a brow. "Let's see them!"

    Brently nodded and lifted the limp Luca off his horse. The boy general had to lean against his captor for a moment as not to collapse on the ground.

    "This one's young an has a temper fit to beat hell. I 'ear many go for the fiery, fightin' type though." He shrugged and gestured to Marlin. With a grunt, the burly man pulled Aran off the horse. The ex-prince landed on his feet and swayed unsteadily for a moment before standing upright.

    "This one's a little older. He's real quiet and don't say much, but ye gotta watch him every minute or he'll pull a fast one on ye."

    Tanis hummed as he examined the two boys. He grasped both their chins to pull them for a closer look at their faces. Luca snapped at his hand while Aran merely looked past him. Seemingly satisfied, Tanis pulled a pouch of coins from his belt and tossed it to Brently.

    "You fellows staying for the auction? I have a feeling it'll be a good show tonight."

    Brently shook his head. "'Fraid not. We've got to get back to General Daross as quickly as we can." The pair mounted their horses again and began to weave themselves back out through the crowd.

    "General Daross," Luca groweled angrily. "They should be answering to me."

    Aran's eyes flicked over to him. In actuality, they should all still be following his command...

    Tanis turned to them and plucked a dagger from his belt. The pair tensed and it traveled closer, slicing their tunics down the center to reveal their chests. "Have the make sure the crowd gets a good look at you," the trader explained in an almost sing-song voice. "Brently certainly got a good catch with you two. I bet we'll make a haul tonight." He paused as his knife ripped the fabric of Luca's tunic, raising a brow.

    "Watch it!" The general growled, jerking back from the probing hands. Aran glanced over, and reflected Tanis' face when presented with the wrapped breasts. The ex-prince blinked. Luca didn't act or look anything like the average woman but, then again, the average woman weren't generals of a nation's militia. It did explain why the general looked and sounded so young.

    Tanis laughed a little, patting the side of her face. "Young women shouldn't go around in men's clothing. It hides your pretty curves." She snapped at him again as he continued to examine them. "What's this..?" He pulled aside the cut cloth to examine the brusing on both their stomachs. "You're damaged...." He looked angry. "Those bastards. I can't sell damaged goods. Think of my reputation!"

    Aran almost spat. What kind of reputation could a filthy slave trader possibly have?

    "Ah, well." The trader sighed. "Your pretty faces should make up for it." Tanis bent down and then rose, an new object appearing in his hands- a whip. Luca and Aran's eyes followed the whip as Tanis uncoiled it slowly. He noticed their gazes and smiled.

    "You know, we make these special here," he told them, fingering the taught leather. "It'll still hurt as much as a regular one, but the end is soft so it won't mar your pretty skin."

    Aran looked at the man, the tiniest bit of apprehension rising in his throat. Luca merely stared with an incredulous gaze.

    "Good to see you have the right idea," Tanis chuckled. "Now, start walking. We have to put you up until the auction begins." He cracked the whip to give his words emphasis. The three of them entered a building with a few other unfortunate souls in it. Tanis placed the pair in cloth lined shackles that were attached to the wall before exiting to other business.

    The ex-prince sat quietly with his knees hugging his chest. The pain in his stomach made this position uncomfortable to sit in, but it was the only way he could be calm. Luca, on the other hand, stayed standing- pacing about the room within the distance allotted by her shackles.

    "I'm a soldier," she grumbled angrily to no one in particular. "A general! I will not be sold!" The general tugged at her bonds defiantly, settling for a low growl when the metal refused to budge. She paused her rant to look over at the raven-haired male. "Gods, how can you just sit there like that?"

    Aran didn't even look up to her, laying his head down on his knees and heaving a sigh.

    "What's the matter, cutie?" A voice leered from a spot next to Aran. The woman was smirking at him with painted lips. The ex-prince stared at her coldly.

    "Hey, lookit this one over here," called a male voice over by Luca. A hand slitered through the bars of a cage over to the female general. Luca jerked back and clambered away from the questing hand.

    "Don't touch me!" she shouted. A bunch of voices laughed.

    "Don't like to be touched, eh?" One snickered. "Better hope you don't get sold to a Master who wants you for just your pretty little body."

    The red head's face flushed with anger and embaressment. She pressed himself against the wall to get as far away from the taunting voices as she could get.

    "Hmm, I wonder if this one's as skittish as the other," hissed another. A bony, dirty hand reached out to caress the exiled prince.

    Aran made a sound somewhere between a yelp and a snarl as he sprang away from the hand. He leered towards the intruder, hand gripping his chains defensively.

    "My," the same voice spoke." His skin feels like ice..."

    Suddenly, the doors at the end of the building burst open, flooding the room with light. Two large men walked in, picking a random cage and drawing it's occupant out and outside. The other residents were silent as this process was repeated time and time again until only Aran and Luca were left.

    The doors opened again and the pair of muscular men unlocked Aran's shackles. He struggled against them, but his face remained emotionless as they forced him out. The two men had a hell of a time trying to bind the boy's wrists as he was intent on giving them a hard time. If he was going to be sold, it was not willingly. They pinned him to the ground, binding both his wrists and ankles.

    They drug him out onto the stage where the shackles on his ankles hooked onto the stage floor. Beyond it lie a sea of people all with their gazes tamed on him. Tanis stand at a podium not too far away, smoothing back his already slick hair.

    "Here, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the jewels of tonight's sale. The other still to come, just as pretty as this one."

    The audience stirred appreciatively. Tanis grinned.

    "Behold this one!" He gestured at Aran. "Beautiful black hair, stunning eyes, wonderful body. Perfect for light labor or...other pursuits. Perfectly obedient and quiet. Only vice; the bruising on his stomach, but nothing that won't heal."

    Aran stared down at his bare feet. He could feel the gazes of the audience as they roamed over his body; their eyes caressing him. He bit his tongue. Never had he felt so raw and exposed.

    "Let's start the bidding at twenty gold pieces." Tanis spoke, coaxing the mob. "Do I hear twenty?"

    "Twenty!"

    "I'll go twenty-five!"

    "Thirty-five!"

    "Forty!"

    There was a brief pause.

    "Forty gold pieces?" Tanis raised a brow. "All you people are going to let this jewel slip through your hands for only forty gold pieces? Come now, I know your purses aren't drawn that tightly."

    "I shall give sixty pieces for him." A clear voice ran out in the crowd. Every eye in the mob turned. The voice belonged to a young man dressed in rich robes of black and silver. He had a pale face with sharp features framed by wavy, long black hair.

    "Ah, Master Lucian. I should have known that you'd have your eye on this one," the greasy slave trader smiled. "Do I hear sixty-five?"

    There was nothing.

    "Sold to Master Lucian for sixty gold pieces. Take him out to the Master's caravan," Tanis ordered the large men that had brought Aran out. The ex-prince had one last glance at his buyer before he was forced off stage. Lucian smirked and sat back in his seat.

    Next came Luca. She was brought out, struggling wildly, fighting tooth and nail against the men that held her. Her blue eyes were bright and narrowed in anger. Strong hands clamped down around her ankles but, before she could be secured, she dropped down and skillfully swept the legs out from under the burly man.

    Tanis stepped off the podium immediately, lashing out his whip. Luca gasped in pain as the whip was brought down on her back, falling to the floor of the stage. She felt himself being dragged back to the center of the stage, successfully being secured there. The female general began to feel what Aran had felt moments before: The eyes, their faces. She shuddered at the loud buzz of the audience.

    "Stand up, Girl," Tanis commanded in a low whisper. "Stand up or I'll take another lash at you."

    Luca gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand. She was trembling from trying to keep her anger in check.

    "Well, now that that's over," Tanis announced, the smile returning as he earned the sound of laughter from the audience. "This one here, as you can see, has a fiery temper and the skill to pull of any kind of stunt. Blue eyes, wild red locks, a bit young but that's never stopped any of you before."

    The crowd stirred, obviously pleased once again. The ones that still had money in their purse wore devious gleams in their eyes while the poorer watched enviously.

    "Who wants to try their hand at breaking her? I'm sure you've noticed some bruising but, I assure you, it's nothing that won't heal. I'll start at eighteen gold pieces."

    "Twenty!"

    "Twenty-eight!"

    "Thirty!"

    A rather slimy looking man stood and raised his hand. "Forty-five pieces," he proclaimed. He seemed confident that at this point no one had the money left to spend more then that.

    "Fifty-five gold pieces." The man named Lucian rose again. The handsome man spoke calmly, confident in his bid.

    "Are you mocking me, Lucian?" The man leered at him.

    "Not at all."

    Tanis looked paticularly pleased. He didn't notice that Luca had sunk to the floor, her mouth slightly agape with disbelief. She had been sold; just like that.

    "Fifty-five pieces it is, Master Lucian." The trader waved at his men who quickly unhooked the still incredulous Luca and proceeded to lead her off stage to the awaiting caravan.

    Soon after paying, the wavy haired man joined his prizes by his caravan. Servants were hooking up fine horses to one common carriage. Others were working on attaching horses to a barred wagon, filled with slaves. Many of them sat, defeated, while others stood; catching glimpses of what they wouldn't see for a long time.

    Luca vaguely felt herself being placed on a horse, her wrists tied to the pommel of the saddle and her feet tied to the stirrups. She looked down and her legs and gave them a jerk. She couldn't move. Lifting her head he caught sight of a familiar royal on the horse directly in front of her.

    Tanis bade farewell to his biggest customer, handing him a large package.

    "These are the items that came with those two jewels. The men that brought them had stripped them of all their valuables. There are two fine swords, a small crown, two sets of armor and some money. I wish you well on your journey home."

    Lucian passed the package along to one of his servants to be put in his carriage. He strolled over to where his two new purchases were strapped to their mounts. He approached Aran first, running a hand over the raven-haired boy's leg.

    "What's your name, hm?" He almost purred. Aran stiffened under his touch, trying his best to hold composure and willing himself not to look at the man. This only made the buyer chuckle, his hand migrating up Aran's body; digits just barely grazing his bare skin. Fingers grasped Aran's chin tightly, sharp nails digging into the tender flesh and forcing the young man to look at him.

    "If you don't answer me, that means I'll have to punish you," Lucian's emerald eyes sparkled as his mouth twisted into a sadistic smile. "And I don't really like hurting you more then I have to."

    The ex-prince felt fear wash over him, breaking through the icy barrier he'd managed to encase himself in. He wanted to fight that touch, run away as far as he could. Sadly, he couldn't. "A-Aran.."

    Lucian raised a brow. "Aran? Like the exiled prince?" Aran's blood boiled at the man's laughter, his cobalt eyes narrowing into slits. But as Lucian's nails continued to dig into his chin, he found that his glare was losing it's bite. "From now on you will address me as Master. Tell me, what is your friend's name?"

    "Her name is Luca." A faint frown crossed Lucian's lips at the response, his nails again torturing the soft flesh of the boy's chin. "..Master." Aran added, fighting hard not to growl the name.

    The man smiled, releasing Aran's chin and stroking the side of his cheek. "Good boy."

    Luca watched through narrowed optics, loathing this man with every fiber of her being. "How do you give in so easily," she murmured quietly, lowering her gaze to his bound hands. She tugged at the bonds making the horse whinny and move about. The proud general would not let herself be weak.

    "Such a fiery temper." The red head looked up, the man who bought her stared at her with an amused expression. "Quiet the opposite of your icy companion." Luca growled and jerked at the man, merely making the horse shift and whine again. The slave owner smirked and stepped towards his carriage. "I hope you two are comfortable. We'll reach my estate soon."

    Aran stared after him as he walked off, a feeling of anger and disgust lingering in his already painful stomach. A thin line of blood trailed down his neck and onto the ropes that bound his wrists to the saddle. The lead horse gave a lurch forward and the carriage started rolling forward and their horses, which were tied to it, began walking.