Chapter thirteen C.

Finding a carriage was an easy affair within the trade district, and I told the driver to take us to the district that had been set aside for the selling and trading of slaves.

The carriage ride took nearly 45 minutes, and it was noon by the time we arrived in the large open section of the city. A great open plaza was the designated area for the slave trade. Along the outer wall of the district, massive buildings belonging to the various slave trading houses towered over head. The center of the district was open and had the feeling of a well-appointed park. In front of the slave merchant warehouses were cages holding every type of beast kin and demi-human I could think of.

There were thousands of slaves, and as we disembarked from the carriage, I was taken aback at the sight of so many chained and shackled people. Steading my nerves, I set my resolve and began the search for slaves.

The center of the open garden area had a stage where I guessed auctions took place. Currently, there was only one man standing on the stage, and he was reading what sounded like advertisements for various slave merchant houses.

As I listened to the faint echoes of the crier, I began the long journey around the district. It was about the size of a football stadium. I decided I would go to the largest of the buildings and start there. I passed hundreds of people, most of them slaves being led by their respective masters.

The road in front of the slave houses was designed for walking only, and around the back of the merchant house, there was a road for wagons to transport goods. The display of people in cages in front of the merchants was designed to draw the eye. Young women and men of every type were held.

It was a bit much, the almost festive atmosphere as citizens made games of teasing and tormenting the helpless slaves. As I walked, I just kept repeating to myself, “just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking….”

When I arrived at the low fenced-off area of what looked to be the largest trading house, I was greeted by a male wolfkin, done up in a complete butler’s attire. “Good day sir and welcome to the pristine shackle.”

Not trusting myself to speak yet as I strangled my emotions back under control, I nodded at the wolfkin.

“If you would like sir, you may follow me, servant Tenor, and I can guide you through our selection.” The wolfkin Tenor said.

“Yes, thank you. You may call me Sir Grayson.”

“Very well Sir Grayson, right this way.” He said and indicated the courtyard.

As we began to wander through the cages on display, he spoke, “the pristine shackle is the largest slave trading house in the empire. We trade in every major city and even the capitol. All of our slaves are of fine stock, whether you are looking for livestock for your fields or trained pleasure slaves.”

He made what sounded like a rehearsed sales pitch as I walked by stockades that held both male and female beast kin. Beast kin were all furred and looked more like their animal counterparts. Though most walked on two legs, were sentient, and could speak the common Imperial tongue. Beast kin demi-humans, on the other hand, had slight animal features such as Sasha and looked to be much more human.

I paused in front of a small cage that held what looked to be eight mouse women and read the sign. [Mouse kin, 3 copper pennies a peace, good for small tasks.] The mouse kin came in light browns and off whites. Their small faces and bodies resembled mice but had a definite human cast to them. They stood maybe three and a half to four feet tall, though the cage they were in barely allowed them to stand.

We moved through the rest of the selection on display in the open courtyard until something caught my eye as we approached the door to go inside. Two beautiful female minobous, in cages, with their arms held in place and to the side, along with what could have only been a demi-human cowgirl. One of the minobous was jet black and had to stand at least seven feet tall.

Her whole body was furred, and she had a pleasant human cow face. Short black horns that came from the side of her head and curved slightly toward the top of her head. She wore a long loincloth that covered her. Her legs ended in black hooves with black hair that covered the tops.

The second minobous was stark white and had long black hair that hung in a braid down to her tail which had the same black color tuft at the end. Her horns were stark white, and she had crystal blue eyes.

Tenor saw me looking and guided me over. As he began to explain, “These three lovelies are a recent acquisition, dropped off just yesterday. The son of a late departed exalted baron did not want to live in the country; nor keep up the estate. So, he liquidated it and sold us all of his farmstead slaves. These two are producing minobous’, their milk has been certified as excellent for the black, and exquisite for the white. The bovine girl has had her milk ranked at potentially legendary.” He said, indicating at each of the women in turn.

The bovine demi-human girl was much shorter and had soft chestnut hair. She stood maybe at five foot eight, and her horns that came from the side of her head had a bright white glow to them. Her skin looked silky soft, and she wore the same loincloth as the two minobous’ on either side of her.

The three looked at me hopefully. There was a note of begging in their eyes, but they remained absolutely quiet as I looked them over. Looking over the sign, it became apparent that the milk from minobous’s and bovine girls were intended to be drunk by the nobility and used to make other dairy products. The price for them was high by what I could only guess were normal standards. They appraised to be a package deal at four hundred and fifty gold coins. The price was high but not too high.

I asked the wolfkin, “why have they not sold yet; they seem to be of an exceptional value?”

I visibly saw the wolf kin’s head fall at that as he said, “imperial law sir. Upon the liquidation of an estate the slaves that are not kept must be sold in a group for the first month by any slave house. These are indeed three fine milk producers but there are others that must be sold with them as a group.”

“I see, very well bring them with us and I would like to see these others.” I said.

“I can save you the trouble lord, they our all followers of the Goddess Amara, worthless lot.” He said, spitting to the side.

“I see. No matter, bring them I will see the others any way.” I said as the wolfkin eyed me up and down and nodded his head.

“To do that I will have to take a down payment, refundable of course.” Tenor said.

I thumbed my ring and pulled out a platinum penny, and placed it in his hand. His face filled with shock as a human man came over and took the penny from his hand, and gave me a receipt. As the man walked away, he backhanded the wolfkin hard across the face.

“Bring them.” He said politely to a pair of attendants. They brought the girls down, and they followed behind Sasha and myself into the building.

We walked into a brightly lit entryway that opened onto a foyer with couches and chairs and a bar in the back. Stairs on one side led up to the second and then probably third stories. Women clad in collars and manacles drape themselves over various patrons lounging on the couches.

I followed the wolfkin to a side door that led into the back and a pair of wide stairs that led down. I followed him down two flights of stairs and into a more dungeon-looking section. There were large cages packed full of slaves of varying species. These ones were clearly not the best looking, nor cared for.

Finally, at the very end of the long dark corridor, we came to a set of empty cells. In the very far back corner, a large cell had been made. There were what looked to be eight small fairies next to pitiful potted plants that sat around four small potted trees in the room. What I assumed were dryads laid listlessly on the floor, next to the four potted trees, desperately trying to drink in the small amount of sunlight coming from the small window at the top of the cell. Five elf women, four of which held small children in their arms, sat on the floor in addition to one elf man who had an aged and wizen look.

I stared at the pitiful mass in the cell as the older elf got to his feet, approached, and said, “hello sir, I am Timothy.”

Tenor was about to speak when I cut him off and said, “Timothy will you explain?”

“Yes of course. We are from a farmstead to the north. The young master was accepted into the mage college to train; so, he no longer had need of us. The journey here was not easy and I beg your forgiveness for our state at the moment.”

“What did you do for your previous master?” I asked. ‘God dame young masters.’

“Sir, I was the house steward for my late master, I was responsible for arranging his every need. The fairies and dryads maintained the gardens and orchards.”

“I see children, are they yours?”

“No sir, I was magically neutered a long time ago. The children are the product of a travelling breeder that came to the farm two years ago.”

“I see.” I said while thinking in my head, ‘what the fuck!’

It was now the wolfkin spoke, “sir, I must warn you, that the fairies will most likely not survive the week and the dryads will not last the month. The bovines are a good acquisition, but these are not worth the money. Best wait for them to die and the time to elapse on the estate law so you can get a better deal.”

“Noted, but nonetheless I believe I will take the lot of them.” I said.

“Yes sir, do you wish to try the milk before you purchase?” Tenor asked in a polite voice that was intended to remind me I had forgotten to do something but not outright say it.

Turning to the three women that had followed along, I said, “I would sample your milk, to ensure its quality.” I thought to myself, ‘ok here we go. When in Rome, do as the Romans. This is going to be strange, whatever you do don’t spit it out. Fuck. Right.’

The bovine girl blushed slightly and said, “of course sir, it would be our pleasure.”

I approached the black minotauress first. The flavor was excellent and had a deep earth, almost chocolate flavor. Drank from cup.:P

Next, I moved to the white minotauress and did the same thing. The milk was sweet and warm. The flavor was sweet and clear. I began to notice that as I drank, my body began to be fortified. The milk was so nutritious my natural healing used the nurturance to make minor repairs and heal things I did not previously have the micronutrients to heal before.

Lastly, I moved to the bovine girl. Her face was flush, and a blush covered her in a rosy complexion. Her milk was rich, and as I gulped, an explosion of liquid power washed through me. I went into an excited overdrive, and I felt new physical power rushing through me.

I heard the wolfkin clear his throat before I reluctantly pulled away. I blushed slightly, having realized I had begun to gorge myself. I had never tasted anything quite like it. The two minobous’s were smiling fondly down at me.

“Very good. I will take the lot. Tenor prepare a wagon and carriage to transport us to the merchant marina, that is where my ship is docked and I do not feel like walking.” I said, watching heat rise in all three of the women at the complement.

“Yes sir, if you would follow me back upstairs, we will finalize the transaction and you can be on your way.”

As we walked out of the basement of the building, I asked, “how many other dryads and perries and the like do you have down here?”

“We have four more dryads and twelve other plant types; as well sir.”

“I will take them all. Prepare them.” I said with a wave of a dismissal hand.

When we got to the counter on the main floor, I was surprised to find I would have to pay two platinum pennies. Apparently, one of the dryads was an elder apple tree, one of the other fairies is a queen of the blue lotus flower, and one of the six nature nymphs was a mistress of soil. Whatever that was. I did not really care and was tired of all the slave merchants. The sounds of both forced pleasures and torment seemed to ever drift on the air; it had finally worn my mind down.