Jronia

By SaiyanWarrior-Vegeta

Chapter 3

Law of the Collar

Vegeta slowly woke from the realm of deep sleep, his eyes felt extremely heavy, his reactions slow from the drug that was put into his body. He gave a light growl as he shifted unsteadily trying to get back up to his feet, though as he moved the sound of a chain played in his ears with a soft rattle. As he lifted his head, he felt the weight of the heavy chain upon the newly placed collar and then looked to the wall. Still dazed, he reached a hand up to inspect the foreign object upon his throat that now encircled it.

The steel band was smooth, but he furrowed a brow as he found no clasp to this collar, no way to remove it from his neck, at least, not yet. He would have to await his ki strength to come back before he tried anything drastic. It was turning to a game of patience and will, two he could have long wind of if needed. Finally managing to his feet he gazed around in a silent scowl as he heard faint sounds from other stalls nearby.

Three stalls down was another slave and though in the other's eyes, Vegeta could see the spirit had long since vanished from the prisoner. His brow furrowed deeper, already not in his best temper, his coal eyes burned with silent rage at being captured and held as such. They gazed at each other for a long time it seemed, the wild spirit looking to one that had given up hope of someone ever breaking the vicious cycle that ruled this city.

Quietly the older man spoke up. "The fight is not easy. Many of us just try to survive as you will soon know as well. There is no hope left once you have a collar about your neck and I see one upon your's. That black band sealed your fate the moment you were captured."

Vegeta scoffed a bit. He had yet to see what this place was like but he refused to give up just because one person had given in. "I assure you, this collar will not be upon my throat for long. I refuse to be someone else's captive."

The man shook his head. "You my friend, no longer have a choice. That collar marks you a slave and that's what you will be known as for the rest of your days. Someday you too will be standing silently in a corner awaiting an owner's whim. We are nothing to them but beasts of burden and cheap entertainment. You are no longer alive to them, but merely an object to possess and use. When they get tired of you, they'll either sell you, or kill you. It is law of the collar that we must do as the Free and Owners bid of us."

Vegeta crossed his arms in sheer defiance and then shook his head. "I refuse to do anyone's bidding except my own. They will not be......."

The man cut off his words with a wave of the hand and then pointed to the office door of Tojar as it began to creak open slowly, letting little light out to the otherwise dim light of the building. Vegeta leaned against the far wall and then gazed down the isle, his expression a twist of disgust, rage, and wounded civic pride. He gave a cold glare to Tojar and scoffed a bit more. "Weak, pathetic fool." He muttered out loud enough to be heard by the man as he passed by.

Tojar stopped and looked at the newest slave to come in. "What was that comment beast?"

Vegeta only growled. "You heard me, I didn't stutter, or are you just hard of hearing?" His eyes followed every move Tojar made.

Tojar only grinned. "Been a while since I've had a real challenge. You, slave, will be taken first now to being broken. Like a horse, you'll be used and trained. However, do not think I am so easy to defeat. You will kneel to me in the end, and that I will promise you. As of now, no food and water, one week."

Vegeta gave him a look as if calling him every derogitory comment one could possibly come up with. "I order you to release me this moment. You will not keep me here seeing as how I'm the Prince of Saiyans. For this insulting treatment, I'll have your head on a platter."

There came a silence between them and they gazed at each other for a long time, one proud and fiercely strong, the other cold and unrelentingly skilled. Both weighed their chances against each other as if fighting an entire fight in just their stare. Neither one blinked, nor shifted gaze, both afraid to be the weaker of the two. Tojar could feel something was different about the Saiyan standing before him. Inwardly, he could tell, this slave was going to become great one day, and very well known. It was only once in a few thousand years that one came along that would change the lives of all. Tojar knew it by instinct that he would have more of a fight on his hands than any other slave.

Tojar looked into the coal black, fiery gaze of the unyeilding warrior before him. Yes, this slave would indeed be different than all the others that have come before. There was a depth in which he could feel himself sink into, hypnotically questioning what it was that made Vegeta different than the others. Was it because he was a Saiyan, and the Prince of Saiyans to be exact? No, it was deeper than titles and race. Was it the fact that unlike others, he had not yet succumb to the lash of a whip when he had first tasted the biting sting? He shook his head, no, it wasn't that at all, deeper still, it was buried in the blackened depths of this Dark Prince that was kept from all others.

Vegeta though gazed right back at him sizing his opponent and making calculations silently in his mind. From what he had just heard and what he had seen, Tojar had immense hidden strength, perhaps rivaling that of his own. He had to watch out for that. Nor did the man fear to gaze at him for long periods of time, unlike many who would have screamed for mercy by this length of time as cold as his glare was. The question was how did he break the slaves to doing another's wish? For now he would bite his tongue until he had studied his prey to the last reflexive flinch. He let his eyes narrow in sadistic silent rage upon seeing Tojar near his stall door with a light grin.

Vegeta backed up slightly, unsure what that grin meant, but he wouldn't be caught off guard by it either should it mean something dangerous or something should try to take him by surprise. Only then did he become aware again of the collar upon his own throat being pressed back against his throat from the chain's weight hanging down behind him. He then in the silence of his own mind whispered a vow. I will never be a silent one who has given up all hope. As long as I live, I will keep fighting and they won't stop me from doing so.