Near the forest, a column of the carriage was moving east. A luxuriously decorated carriage blocked their path.

The leader gestured for the column to halt. Then he rode his horse towards the carriage blocking their path, got off his horse, and walked towards the gate of the carriage.

When he was only a few feet away, the door of the carriage opened and from inside came out a man in his early 20s.

He looked at the leader and then the carriages behind him. Then he spoke with a smile, "it seems you had a great haul at that village didn't you?"

The leader nodded and said with a prideful smile, "well you did engage the services of Clux guild Mr. Bane and we leave no client unsatisfied."

"So what quality and quantity of goods are we looking at?" asked Mr. Bane with anticipation.

"why don't you follow me and see for yourself?" said the leader while laughing.

They both one by one inspected all the captured slaves in the carriages held by chains. Mr. Bane nodded with satisfaction and threw a huge bag of coins at them and ordered his company to take the charge of slave carriages.

The leader looked inside the bag with shining eyes and then said, "what's the hurry? You haven't seen the cream of this haul."

The leader started moving towards the last carriage with the slave trader in tow. Then he removed the cover of the last carriage and laughed while saying, "feast your eyes."

The slave traders looked at the scene before him with their jaws left open. Before he were exotic beauties of different beastkins and demihumans.

Then his eyes laid on the demi-minotaur and he already started counting the gold they'll fetch him.

The leader laughed at him. He knew the expression of greed very well and then said while caressing the cheeks of one of the slave women, "they'll cost you some extra coins."

The slave trader nodded and happily threw another bag of gold at the leader. The latter looked inside the bag with gleeful expressions.

The leader looked at the slave trader with a satisfied smile.

The slave trader had a sneering smile while he said, "I don't leave my employee unsatisfied."

This made the other laugh while shaking his head.

The leader then put the money in a backpack and turned towards his men and shouted, "today's drink is on me fella's." This earned everyone's cheer in unison.

The leader then put forth his hand for a handshake which was rejected by the slave trader and the latter said, "There's too much blood on them."

The leader shook his head with a sigh and shouted, "we are leaving everyone."

Then all the guild members trotted away on their horses leaving the hostages with the slave trader and his group.

The slave trader once again looked at the haul and his gaze landed on Kavita. He then smiled and said, "You're going to be the jewel of my auction house. These maggots don't know your worth, that's why they settled for a few coins. Ha ha ha!!"

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Kavita sat in the carriage with a lifeless expression and didn't pay any attention to the slave trader's monologue.

The slave trader went to back his carriage and ordered his people to move.

The column of carriages was entering the city gates. The city of Arga, was the jewel city of Rissa state.

This kingdom was south of Kaziranga kingdom having a sour and even hostile relationship with them.

This city was the hub for all the crime one could think of against the beastkin and demihumans.

The beastkin were killed for exotic materials and kidnapped for slavery for quenching the thirst of The Nobel of this city, who was always looking for something RARE.

The sole reason they aren't engaged in full-scale war was due to the fact that they were a vassal state to the Baimum Theocracy, which believed in human supremacy.

The day Kaziranga kingdom attacked the Rissa Kingdom a full-scale war would start between them and with the Theocracy backing the Rissa Kingdom their defeat was unavoidable.

The carriage stopped in front of a grand building which was an auction house owned by Mr. Bane. The merchant of exotic goods.

On his command, the people in carriages were guided inside and were made to take showers, and sent to cells accordingly.

The so-called exotic beauties got preferential treatment compared to others. They were treated gently so the goods don't get damaged and the latter were shoved in the cell together like animals.

Kavita was with the first group. Instead of cells, they were sent to rooms with guards placed outside, to ensure they don't run away.

Kavita just followed the instructions like a broken doll. Her face had no expression and was devoid of life.

In a few hours, she had lost everything.

Other women glanced at her with worry but they were depressed over their own losses, so they simply left Kavita to her solitude.

Every demihumans and beastkin knew what awaits them after they become a slave. It's a total submission towards their new owner.

The magic seal is carved on their flesh and they can't disobey the commands given by the owner otherwise the seal would come into effect and they would suffer pain.

The pain increases bit by bit as they keep up with their disobedience and finally end up dying.

When the guards were asleep in front of the gate, one of the girls stood up and said in a hushed voice, "we have to do something otherwise we might just become some Nobel's plaything."

Others simply nodded their heads, they all knew what this path leads up to and it was nothing good.

Another girl stood up and hesitantly spoke, "I have an idea. I can use curse magic on everyone. This curse would make you unattractive in other's eyes. And it would make Nobel's not to give us even a second glance and after a while, when no one is willing to buy us they might just let us leave or kill us."

"For me either of the two is better, compared to becoming other people's plaything "continued the girl.

Everyone thought for a while, but they all agreed in the end.

The girl continued, "you don't have to worry, the curse might be a blessing for us."

The girl started casting a curse on everyone. She even cast one on Kavita who neither agreed nor disagreed with the idea. She had already lost her will to live.

When the morning came and the slave trader came to inspect his goods he was completely shocked.

The face's exotic beauties that he had been planning on selling were now covered in horrifying scars.

He called healers to get their scars healed up but it was unfruitful. He tried medicine and makeup to cover the scars but it was useless as well.

After a month's time, he was able get rid of these damaged goods by selling them at throw-away prices for labor or as helpers to merchants, except Kavita.

He believed that due to her divine figure he would be able to get back some investments no matter how long he had to wait.

And Kavita didn't make it hard for him, she just sat in the corner of her room looking out of the window with dead eyes.

He tried to sell Kavita in an auction many times but it didn't bear any fruit.

After a few months, he finally gave up on the idea and sold Kavita to another small slave trader as a token to establish a good relationship for his business in other cities.

To this slave trader, Kavita was like a lucky charm as, after her arrival in her entourage, his business bloomed a lot. He was unwilling to sell Kavita until and unless she could fetch him great money.

So Kavita just stayed with the slave trader for many years to come.

And after 12 years she finally had her fateful encounter, but that's the story for some other time.