Warning. There are slaves and slave traders, ect in this story. There are also minor sexual suggestions (used mostly in jest). If this makes you uncomfortable, please to do not read.
Zuko could not quite remember what put them in this situation, but he had a strange feeling it was his uncle's trusting nature. His uncle had put them in the strange situation of being tied up and sold as slaves at an auction, he knew that much. The pounding in his head did not allow him to collect the memories that led to this. He watched one by one as all sorts of men were being sold off to the large amount of buyers that had assembled at this dingy place. Was it the inn they had planned on spending the night in? Even that was fuzzy. Spirits, what happened?
A loud grunt caused Zuko to look towards his uncle, who was just starting to wake up. He sat up with a loud yawn and looked around him. He blinked a few times until he seemed to grasp the situation at hand. At long last, he spoke, turning towards Zuko as best he could with being bound.
"Nephew, this is not good."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "I know, uncle."
"We are being sold as slaves."
"Yes, uncle."
"Well, let's hope some nice old lady likes tea, or better yet, a nice young one!"
Zuko felt the anger that had been simmering inside him since he woke up reach a full boil. It amazed him that his war hero uncle, General Iroh, Dragon of the West, could think of serving some rich old hag tea at a time like this instead of a plan to escape! They shouldn't even be in this mess in the first place! His face must have betrayed his thoughts because Iroh suddenly became serious.
"Do not worry, nephew. I believe that everything will turn out right in the end. Even in this place, we can find friends."
Iroh and Zuko were put up on the selling block together. Greedy faces studied them carefully before the bidding actually began. Zuko shifted nervously while Iroh flashed a large smile at them. The auctioneer motioned for the bidding to begin. Twenty coppers for the old one, ten silvers for the scarred one, twenty silvers for both, twenty five silvers, thirty, on and on. A slimy looking man seemed to be the winner with the highest bid of fifty silver pieces for the pair.
"Seventy silver pieces for both," a voice shouted from the back.
The slimy man turned around to glare at the person who had just stolen his prize. He growled at the figure coming forward from the crowd. The new highest bidder was a slender, pretty woman that made Iroh grin like a fool.
"I believe I have found our friend," he whispered.
"I bid eighty silver pieces!" the man said. "What use do you have for them, Ayano?"
"My uses are for something you have only dreamt about. Ten gold pieces."
The crowd fell deadly silent, even the auctioneer seemed a bit taken aback at that offer. He had sold slaves at higher prices, but not a fat old man and a scarred whelp of a boy. The previous highest bidder sputtered, angered by the insult and the new price.
"I won, Hwan, give it up."
The woman named Ayano moved forward to the still stunned auctioneer and dropped a purse into his hand. She was about to step up to lead her two new buys off the stage when Hwan lunged at her. She deftly jumped over him and landed behind him.
"Alright then, do you wish to fight me for them? The winner gets the loser's spoils."
Hwan did not reply, only drew a knife from his belt and stepped forward. Ayano turned her body sideways and watched him as he lunged forward. She stuck her foot out and tripped him. The knife flew out of his hand and landed somewhere amongst the feet of the now chanting crowd. Hwan stood and started throwing wild punches. One landed Ayano directly in the jaw and she fell backwards with a thud. The crowd gasped and then cheered as she slowly rose to her feet.
"Can't take your own medicine can you, Ayano? I guess that means those two are mine and you are out ten gold pieces!" Hwan turned to face his prizes, his back to his fallen foe.
"Lee! Go escort those two to my room while I finish this b-"
Hwan's words were suddenly cut off as Ayano's arms wrapped around his neck and cut off his air supply. He stumbled a bit, trying to throw off the young woman but she clung on with a fury. As Hwan began to fall, Ayano leapt off gracefully.
"Lee, please clean them up and bring them to my room instead. I believe I have won."
