The slave auction was a simple affair really. Much like any auction in that there was a commodity and there was a buyer. That it was human cattle instead of livestock or items was little difference to the ones doing the selling. Ultimately selling something was as simple as convincing someone that they needed it.
The method to do it in this case was rather simple. A large stage was setup in front of the 'audience' and the slaves were trotted across it in collars and little else. Off to the side was the auctioneer who ran the show. The slave was bought, and then was led down to her new 'master.' The key was then handed off to a servant, and the next 'item' was trotted out.
Ranma was out of his depth, and he had to clamp down on the soul of ice to not show anything at all, missing any chance to bid on the first girl. This had the unfortunate consequence of making everything nearby him scoot away as they tried to avoid the obviously powerful, and quite likely insane new keeper.
"You might wish to pay attention Keeper." The Mentor advised with a slight chuckle. "That was your only chance of saving that poor girl." The Mentor hid his glee at the reaction that simple comment provoked. 'Here is where it really begins.'
Ranma took a deep breath as he watched the second girl get trotted out. He could barely decipher the fast talking of the auctioneer, and the jeers and taunts from the crowd weren't helping any. There were more people here than just the keepers he realized. Apparently this was entertainment for some of them.
"Sold!" The auctioneer called out, gesturing to the gargantuan Keeper Nelfania. The bile demon right next to her let out a disgusting chuckle, and reached out and groped the slave girl’s body in amusement. The girl barely reacted.
Ranma scowled deeply, and there were only two things that prevented him from reacting. One was Genma's teachings. His father had his faults, but instilling a healthy self preservation was one of the few things he could do right. The other reason was something a bit more personal, and something that disgusted him. The girl's eyes were dead. No life whatsoever in her. Ranma wanted to save her, but quite seriously there was nothing left to save.
The third girl was like that too, he noticed now. As he blocked out the jeers and catcalls Ranma realized that these girls were all dead. Sure they walked around, but that spark of life, anything that might resemble personality was snuffed out.
As the third girl was sold and walked woodenly down to her new master Ranma winced slightly to himself. Maybe he could save them anyway?
"Next up is a black haired beauty from the frozen north!" The auctioneer announced. "Durable and lovely, you just have to have this one for your own! Bidding starts at 100 gold!"
Ranma blinked at the price, and the rest of the crowd murmured slightly. That was very cheep compared to the other ones sold. As the black haired girl trotted out, he realized why.
She was smiling vacantly, and had to be pushed forward. Instead of walking across the stage like the others, she fell to the ground and hugged herself, rocking as she squinted at the crowd. She was insane, beautiful in a way, but you could see the neglect she had for herself in the bony ribs, and ragged hair. There had been a halfhearted attempt to wash her off, but there was still dirt smudges all over her.
"120 Gold!" One of the lesser minions yelled out. Sure she was not exactly top of the line goods, but she was cheep.
"Quality has gone downhill." The Mentor muttered to himself. "Not even a virgin. Though I suppose someone could use the trash."
Ranma glared at The Mentor. There were a few more bids, but most of the crowd didn't seem to want the current slave, and Ranma made his choice then. "Double it." He called out, his voice clear and precise.
The auctioneer blinked at the young keeper before smiling. "Sold!"
"Really Keeper." The Mentor scolded halfheartedly. "You paid far too much for something like that."
An orc had to drag the girl to Ranma, placing her at his feet, and handing the keeper the key. He then scurried away as soon as he noticed his breath frosting.
Looking down at the key in his hand Ranma had wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. The slave girl he just bought smiled vacantly up at him, grabbing his pant leg and rubbing her face into it. At least she had more personality than the previous ones.
The other keepers just snorted at Ranma, dismissing him as eccentric.
"And now, for our prize for this evening!" The auctioneer called out, sweeping his hand out dramatically. "A lovely, virgin, rare and beautiful, greater vampire fledgling."
The crowd went silent and the sound of chains clinking echoed loudly. A blond haired girl slowly walked onto the stage, glaring at all the things in front of her. Unlike the rest of the slave girls, she was dressed in a blood red uniform like shirt and mini-skirt.
"I take it back." The Mentor chuckled delightedly. "A greater vampire? A keeper would give half his horde to have one of them in his employ. Even a fledgling can be an unholy terror if properly managed."
Ranma didn't hear him. All his focus was on the girl. This one wasn't broken, and even from here she resonated strength. Unbidden a smirk came onto his face, and it didn't escape his notice that his newest acquisition stilled her insane mumblings. This one, he wanted, if only to see exactly how strong she was.
"Let us start the bidding at 10,000 gold!" The auctioneer called out.
"100,000 gold!" Ranma called out. Silencing any bids that might have been attempted.
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(Posted Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:39)
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