Once the shaking quieted I could finally get some steady footing and found myself on the raised stage in the middle of the plaza filled with people, who all seemed very unhappy. People jostled and shouted no outright fights, but that's probably due to all the city guardsmen patrolling the market, I could see at least twelve patroles from the stage.
Before I could process the true size of the jostling crowd a voice boomed out from above me causing my ears to ring.
“For our opening auction ladies and gentlemen, we have a nineteen-year-old male permanent indenture contract with a weight of one-hundred fifty-six pounds and a height of five foot nine inches in perfect health with skills in household needs specializing in cuisine and assistance in the kitchen his contract could be your for the starting bid of only fifty-seven bronze”
The voice reached every inch of the plaza surrounding the stage repeating and reacting to the shouted bids. Looking up at the voice and saw my arch nemesis, a tinraven, the stupid bird constructs where always always, yelling, maybe if I shoved something down it's stupid horn of a head it would quiet down.
“One silver piece, One silver piece going once… ” a silver piece! That's over double my starting price. I need to stop zoning out, how did the bid get so high so quick?
“ Sold to the man with the orange cap for one silver piece” the horrible creation bellowed “at least its blasted screeching is useful this time mabie i can get a sneek peak at my new owner” It took me a moment to find the orange cap in the sea of people when I did I realized It wasn't an actual man wearing it, but a urchin based beast kin who didn't seem have any facial features that I could make out just small spines covering its human-shaped body if there even was one under all the spines.
Before I could look any closer at my buyer the platform below me rumbled once again and began lowering me back into the room below. The same two men waiting for me at the bottom.
“All right kid we are about to deliver you to your new owner and if you act up before we hand you off well we have a little more leeway than the city guard when it comes to how you're treated” , “Understood, sir” , “None of this sir crap if you have to speak to either of us for any reason you call me raven and my friend here is crow and if I hear you say sir or talk when it's unnecessary by the shattered god I will beat you kid paperwork or not” by the severe look in his eyes I knew this was not a empty threat “Yes raven” and just like that he unhooked my shackles and we were on our way.
We were heading towards what I guess was a harborfront from the smell of the sea in the air and how the buildings had started to look less whimsical and more practical with stone and brick buildings and old ballast stones used to cobble the streets we kept walking for about fifteen more minutes before reaching a shipyard I stopped and watched for a moment as people boarded and got off ship loaded and unloaded cargo “come on kid were almost there keep moving i'd hate to have to beat you right before we hand you over”.
We stopped in front of a some kind of hauling ship made from a black wood that had a green sheen to it as though it had been waxed and a sheet of sea water had somehow been caught between the wax and wood.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Raven left my side and walked up the gangplank on the side of the ship shouting out “Is there a Echira on board” A moment later the same beastkin I saw in the market stepped over to meet raven “I’m Echira”
“well Mr. Echira we are from the slavers guild and are here to hand over your new indentured if you have the token they gave you after your purchase we can leave him in your hands and be on our way” my new master, Echira handed over a small square token from a pouch on his waist, as raven placed his hand over the token a light ran through what looked like minature runes along its sides flashing before they peeled away and from a document that floated over the token filling with symbols that shifted and warped until it became readable common, a space emty of any text near the bottom pulsed “Mr Echira if you will just sighn here the contract will be bound to you and the indentured here will be al yours”.
After Echira scribaled what i assumed was some kind of signature raven wordlessly he handed the token back and nodded at crow I was grabbed by the arm and escorted up to the pair waiting for us. “Well Mr. Echira everything is in order and we leave you with your new permanent contract” with that raven and crow released my shackles and left me with my new master
Getting a good look at him for the first I saw the orange mariners cap wasnt actually on his head but rested on top of the spines covering his head which still had no discerning features other than the spines he also wore a pair of white pants covered in protruding spines a small cluster of wich held the pouch at his waist, he had some softer looking spines that moved and squirmed slightly looking like a living crown on his head his hands and arms had less spines that seeming more like hair sitting atop black carapace with white muscle visible thru the cracks in the joints
“Is something the matter lad?” he said his words sounding like an echo “you never seen a Brinekin before” , “no sir I haven't” he stepped up to me “well there's only a few things you need to know is that we have terrible tempers so stay on our good side by doing what you're told and second we are very poisons get to close and we will poke you with a spine you'll survive but you'll wish you hadn't understood boy” , doing my best to sound calm and collected I ansered “yes sir understood”
“Good now follow me to meet Kassim he’ll be responsible for ya ”
I followed Echira across the deck to a small Kobalt who was scrubbing the railing of some stairs that lead up to the currently empty helm “Kassim I bought you something at the auction today” The kobalt stopped scrubbing and turned around his eyes squinted as his snout scrunched in obvious confusion,
“You bought me a boy?” Kassim said the confusion growing further on his face almost to the point of seeming Fabricated "Well, I'm honored by the gift Echira however, I'm into gir” Enchira grabbed Kassims snout the tiny spines on his three digit hand piercing the skin as he pulled him closer “rat I've had a long day and if I hear one more of your smart remarks i'll beat you till you are finally quiet understood” tears welled in Kassims eyes as the skin around the punctures twitched even as he squeaked out a “yes sir”.
“Good lad” I winced as Enchira released Kassim his barbs trying to take some of his scaley flesh with them “now take our new rat here and show him the ropes you will be responsible for him so if he fails you fail got it” Kassim nodded as Enchira turned and wordlessly when up the stairs.
“That guys an idiot” Kassim said not even attempting to quiet his voice looking at him in confusion i saw a smug smile on his face even though his eyes where still watery “i'm not arguing with you buy why exactly is he a idiot” , “ because I do this every time and he still hasnt noticed” , “noticed what” kassims rased his right hand holding up three copper pieces “ive got about two silvers worth now” , i stoped and stared at kassim my brows furrowed so tight i probably looked like I had only one instead of two “how did you when did” my confusion was met with a Fanged Grin “when he pulled me closer to be all threatening I reached into his bag and grabbed whatever was closest to the top, anyway as you know im kassim but i never caught your name” , “Im liam”
“Well Liam you know how to use a brush”, “yeah” his grin seemed to go all the way to his eyes “good your first task is to finish scrubbing those stairs” the brush that was in his hands a moment before seemed to teleport into mine im not even sure when it got there “alrighty liam I need to wash my snout so Enchiras barb wounds dont get infected ill” , still slightly shocked I asked kassim “Isnt his barbs poisonous” kassim just smirked “yeah but ive built up an immunity, be back to check in on you in a bit” he said as he strode away his small stature not seeming to effect his speed in the slightest.