Jronia

Written by: SaiyanWarrior-Vegeta

Chapter 6

Cart Work

The tall man led Vegeta out of the Arena in silence as they came to view of the other slaves. They looked closer to him and could glimpse a fire in them, still untouched by Tojar's training. What was it that he held deep inside that he didn't break to Tojar's whims like they had? They began to whisper in quiet tones as they left the building and stepped to the blinding light of the rising sun. More time had passed than the Prince had thought as he looked around in silence.

Thick air was heavy with dust and was not even touched with humidity and the roads were dry as desert sand. Heat rose in waves off the hot ground under his feet, the Free went about their business as usual, running errands to what looked like a small shop and then a larger building housing foods of all kinds and commodities. In front of this store stood a cart, where a slave was chained by the wrists to the steel shafts to keep them from being able to drop it.

Slowly they passed a tavern and came to another man. Tojar handed him Vegeta's leash and then some papers as well. Quietly, he watched the items passed between hands then the man got down off the cart and then took out a harness. He walked around the Saiyan, poking and prodding every now and then. "Foot." He blurted out in a deeper, more vile voice than Tojar's.

Vegeta picked his right foot up for the man but a scowl came to his face, his tail tightened firmly around his waist. The man then set his two massive hands upon the Saiyan's shoulders and leaned against him. The Warrior Prince looked back at him with fire in his coal eyes. It was plain to see he had not yet been fully broken as he gripped the man's hands and threw him over his shoulder and on to the ground before him. "I'm not a damn leaning post nor armrest. Keep your hands off of me."

The man shook his head and then stood back up. "Ah, a trouble slave I see. That can easily be fixed."

Prince Vegeta looked at the man in disgust when a couple more came from behind and gripped his arms, forcing him to stay steady. He growled and fought their grips, unable to gain much ground as they firmly held him as the man then muzzled him once more. What is it about them and their muzzles. Feh, just wait, you think you have broken me? That wasn't even an appetizer. Vegeta thought as the scowl deepened upon his brow. Soon they drug him over to a waiting cart and made him stand before it as his new Owner switched out the single pull shafts to the team pull shafts.

Once more the proud Saiyan gazed to the cart before him. It was a rather large box cart about the length of a horse cart but not as wide. It was made of strong wood and steel and rested only upon two large steel wheels. Up front on top, was a seat that spanned across the box frame with a foot rest built in. Another slave was tied to a post on the side when he finally gazed over. To top off Vegeta's observations, he noted several whip marks upon the other slave's back, and a harness upon him obviously what they used to make him pull. His brow did not come out of the heavy furrow, but the look in his eyes became meaner.

Before long Vegeta was startled from his thoughts when he felt a thick leather resting on his shoulders like a backpack's would rest and then a thicker strap fastened just below his lower chest, around his upper ribs. He was still held by the two men but he came up in a kick to his Owner's face, just narrowly missing him. He felt a sharp blow to his back shortly after, knocking the wind from him and the girth of this harness tightened around his ribs incredibly tight. It took a moment for him to regain his breath and by that time, they had already moved him to the cart and clipped the straps to the harness upon him and chained his wrists to the two shafts on either side of him.

The other slave was then brought to the cart and fastened in as well but the other gave him a look of warning. "You hinder my work or slow me up, I'll make sure you're the one that gets the beating." The other muttered to the muzzled Saiyan. Then came a sharp crack of the whip upon their backs and the Owner's voice rang out. "Move out!"

Vegeta felt the cart lurch forward from the other slave pulling beside him, and he set his feet only to gain another biting lash from the whip. He growled and tried to turn around his coal eyes flickered madly at this treatment. He wasn't a horse and he hated to be used as such as well, but the other lurched forward again, forcing the Prince to follow. Soon after things settled down once more but he was not used to this dry heat and dust. It suffocated him, unable to open his mouth, trying once or twice to slow up a bit to catch his breath, but the lurch of the cart beside him and another lash from the whip forced him to pull harder.

Gazing next to him, Vegeta narrowed his eyes. He gazed around this city as they jogged it in a quick jog. His mind finally settled on gaining his directions, locations, and the streets of what place was what. Finally, toward the journey home, they had a straight line to follow back to the Owner's home. When he got there he fell to his knee, hunger had doubled him over this time. The Saiyan's going down, only earned him another lash and another night of being starved. He looked to the other cart puller and then went back to the stall he was directed to and there curled up on the straw, watching the other eat and drink. It only drove his hunger deeper and more vicious.

It wasn't long after that Vegeta could hear the rattle of chains and footsteps coming down the isle to his stall. The man that looked in had a look of intent upon it. The two locked eyes and they didn't move from each other until the pain again from being wounded and starved made the Prince finally turn his head down in a wince. Blood was upon his face where the steel muzzle was cutting into his face. Cirrento grinned at him and then opened his stall door, walking in. "It's time."