I was seven years old when I met him.
It was a hot summer day in the markets of the Oasis city of Salgin; daddy had forced me to wear 'appropriate clothing for a young lady'. I was dressed in a peach sundress and a large straw hat. My skin was tanned from all the time I spent outdoors and my jet black hair was worn down as to look more "lady like". The hot wind and desert sun beat down upon us as we walked threw the markets. Off in the distance a large crowd of businessmen and nobles had gathered, father began to mumble to himself, I looked up at him and asked why we were out here.
"We need a little help around the house Aya," he said to me with a half-hearted smirk. My father was a kind man, a little rough around the edges but still a rather noble man. We continued to walk towards the crowd when I began to hear a man speaking to the crowd.
"These are the best damn Beast you will find ANYWHERE in Rosa!" he boomed while waving around a wooden staff, "Straight from the Areeman flats to my friends. Best of the best! We have men, strong and tough, these things can go days without food or water and still work. We have women too for the more... exotic interest!"
Slavers... I was still young then but I had still known a Slaver caravan when I saw one. They were allowed to capture any sub-human species that was not contracted with the planet's government. And it seemed these Beasts were among those unlucky few to get captured. I looked at the captive beast and they did not have the look I believed a slave would have. All of them looked proud and stood with much dignity.
"We also have a few children as well, for those who would like make an investment." the large man continued. A woman yelled at him to bid on one of the Male beast, through the confusion I could not discern what price she said but whatever it was a man decided to bid as well. The two bidders threw numbers back and forth before the man gave up.
"Sold to the ever so lovely lady", the Slaver bellowed as he ordered his men to bring out the "merchandise".
The slaver's men opened the cage and pulled out a male beast, he towered a good foot over them slavers and bore his teeth at them. One of them jabbed the beast in its leg with his staff and ordered it to move. Reluctantly it moved forward, as the slaver's men moved the beast to the Lady's cage for branding, the woman and slaver finalized the payment.
"Who is next!" the slaver yelled as soon as the woman left the caravan. My father raised his hand and fought threw the confusion to garner the Slavers attention.
"I would like a male child, around the age of 7" my father demanded.
"You are in luck my friend, we do have a male child, but he seems to be a bit older than seven", the slaver said to my father.
"Fine give me that one," my dad replied as he reached into his pockets for his credits.
I looked towards the cages and saw the guards pull out a rather young looking beast, it seemed no taller than me, and it had chocolate skin and jet black hair. It had inch long claws and yellow cat-like eyes. Despite his youth the beast had a fine build, sweat showed off its muscular build. Even though he was a child slave he still walked with the utmost confidence. The Guard told the beast something and it looked towards me, as stoic as before the beast made its way towards me and my father.
My father and the slaver were finalizing the purchase when the beast goy to us. It... He... stood in front of me, and stared... as did I. We looked into each others eyes for the longest time, either of us too stubborn to move.
"C'mon you two," father said as he pulled me away from the slave boy. My dad then placed a single bracer around the beast' neck, "This is a restraining bolt, just a precaution. Now listen to me and listen well, I bought you to protect my daughter; your species is good at that. Other than that I don't care what you do. Got it". The beast nodded in approval.
Back then I did not understand why my dad had bought me a slave bodyguard, and at that time I did not care. To me my dad had bought me a best friend, and it ended up being just that. We grew up together, even at school he was always by my side. Kahmille was his name and for years he was my guardian, but it was not until much later that I figure out why my father bought him.