Another Day

Chapter 4

Sold

Kai opened his eyes and blinked in the blinding sunlight. Someone was holding a glass of water to his lips and he drank greedily. A small girl, dressed in fine but simple clothing, was supporting him, and she didn't let go until he had drained the glass. He realised he must have fainted in the heat.

The girl had curly, blond hair and blue eyes. She looked to be eight years old or so, but she was probably older; she was just very slim and her big eyes gave her a child-like appearance. She smiled at him and helped him back on his feet.

"Poor thing," she began, "left in the sun for so long, and with your injuries. Just wait until Mr. Ivanov takes you home, I am sure he will take good care of you." She wiped his face with a clean, moist cloth as she spoke, and he relished in the cool touch.

When he found his voice again he asked, "Who are you?"

She stepped back and gave a little curtsy, "My name is Adria. I am Mrs. Ivanov's handmaiden. Mr. Ivanov told me to give you some water so that you would be on your feet on the trip home."

Kai growled, but he faltered when he saw the fear on Adria's face; she seemed very sweet, if not a tad naive, and it was the man he had a problem with, not his servant. He decided to get some information while he had the chance, "Are you sure he will buy me?" Those words hurt more than he had thought they would.

She nodded sincerely, "Yes, he has made sure that he will know whenever someone bids on you, so that he can bid higher. He is very bent on taking you in, so you must be special."

Kai felt his stomach turn into a knot as he remembered the man's words to him earlier. "So, what is his son like, whatever his name was?"

Adria clapped her hands together in delight, "Oh, master Tala is wonderful! He is smart and funny and sometimes he gives me flowers or sweets." She got a dreamy look in her eyes.

Kai opened his mouth again, but then he spotted something in the crowd and the words halted on his tongue. Adria turned in puzzlement and tried to find what it was the boy was staring at, but she couldn't see anything else than a lot of fine folk and a beggar boy running from two cops.

She followed the boy with her eyes. He was coming straight towards them! A small scream escaped the girl when the boy leapt for the platform, but he'd miscalculated the height; his foot caught on the planks and he fell, right in front of Kai and Adria. The little girl stood paralyzed in fear.

Kai had no idea what Lee was doing, but when the Tiger fell over, he quickly bent down and helped him back on his feet. Lee was too good to miss a jump like that; he'd stumbled on purpose. "Lee, what the hell are you doing?" he hissed, keeping a firm hold on the teen's arm while looking around to see where the pursuers had gone to. They were coming up the stairs, unable to jump up the way Lee had.

Lee hurried to press a small metallic thing into Kai's palm and whisper, "I hope you know how to pick a lock." Then he was gone, running down the line of prisoners.

Strangely enough, Rei, who had been watching in shock, called out after him, "Wait! Wait!" But the leader of the Tiger's was gone.

Adria looked like a walking question mark, but Kai told her to go thank her employee for the water, and she left with a distracted smile and a wave. Kai looked around, but he couldn't find Mariah. Had Lee tried to help her as well? He looked at the item in his hand; it was a metal pin.

Kai was surprised when Rei grabbed him, "Who was that, who was that?"

The Hiwatari pushed him away, "Calm down! What's your problem?"

The black haired boy looked panicky, "Didn't you see? He had fangs and ears and-and...he was like me! Finally someone like me!"

Now Kai understood the boy's excitement. "There are four of them actually; one girl and three boys."

Rei looked at him with wide eyes, "I have to meet them!"

Kai grinned, "And how do you plan to do that? Pick the lock on the chains and run?" He realised then that that was exactly what Lee had wanted Kai to do. So he got the pin into the lock and started fiddling, ignoring Rei who still had not managed to calm down. A warning whisper alerted Kai that a patrolling guard was coming their way and he hid the pin in his hand. He knew it looked suspicious, but he could not take it back out.

The guard passed without looking at him and Kai took a deep, calming breath, before continuing on the lock. Unfortunately, lock picking was not his strong side and he fiddled more and more desperately with it as the minutes ticked past. He began to sense that his time was nearly up.

A shout from the slave trader announced the end of the bidding. Kai got frantic and with a snap the hair pin broke. He stared in disbelief at the piece jammed into the keyhole and the twin piece in his hand, and realised that not only had his last chance of escape before he was sold gone out the window, but the guards would know that he had tried to run away.

"Well done, you block head. Now we will never be free. Have you never picked a lock before?" Came the annoyed and disbelieving voice of Rei Kon beside him.

"Stuff it!" Kai snapped. He didn't need to be reprimanded right now. He searched his mind for any solution, but nothing came up.

The slave trader stood with a list in his hand and he called up one and one slave to be brought away. This time they began in the back and Kai sharpened his ears in case Mariah was called up. She was, and once again his prayers were not heard as she was brought forth, with sad eyes and hanging ears.

Beside the platform stood a desolate Lee, and when a tall, purple haired boy came up to get her, Lee jumped up on the platform. "Please sir, take me with you," he begged, and Kai's eyes widened in disbelief.

Mariah did not seem to think it a very good idea though, "No, Lee, you have to go home. What about Kevin and Gary? You have to take care of them!"

A couple of guards came and meant to haul Lee away, but he struggled and shouted, "Please, sir, I'll do anything! Let me come with you, I'm begging!"

The boy, who was lean and long legged, looked Lee up and down for a moment. "You are offering yourself as a slave for free?" He looked to his parents, who were equally purple haired, but they gave him no indications. Once again the boy considered Lee and then he nodded, "If you behave, why not?"

Mariah looked even worse for it, but Lee took her hand and with a last glance at Kai, they walked towards their new future. Rei stared at the pink haired girl until she disappeared in the crowd.

More and more names were called and slaves of all kinds were taken away to begin a new life of hard work and no pay. In the end there was only the first line left, where all those who had been punished earlier stood, with their backs straight and their faces grim. Kai's stomach was crowded with butterflies and he was beginning to fade again, so it wasn't always easy to follow what was happening. When it was his turn the guard could not open the lock because of the pin stuck inside it.

The slave trader filled the time with small-talk, "Will you look at that, I don't think I have ever seen a more persistent slave. He is just not going down, is he? Well, I wish his new owners good luck, and hope that they can discipline him." Finally the chains parted and Kai was pushed forward and flanked by the guard. "And the lucky owner of this feisty kid is Mr. Ivanov."

"No," Kai whispered, and as the man came up the stairs he shrank back as far as he could with the guards behind him.

"Why don't you two give the gentleman a hand with the slave, just in case he decides to run again?" The slave trader asked the guards, who took Kai by the arms and led him away.

On the bottom of the stairs stood Adria, and with her was a lady in a grey dress. She was beautiful, with gentle, brown eyes and flaming red hair. She smiled at him, and Kai figured that she would have to be Mrs. Ivanov.

Kai thought they would leave right away, but the slave trader was announcing Rei's verdict, "It's another one for Mr. Ivanov." Kai's eyes widened; Rei was coming too? He glared when the dark haired boy came down the stairs, and was given an equally dark look in return.

Then red haired woman joined arm with Ivanov and together they started for the coach. Adria followed without question, but she did cast a puzzled glance at Kai and Rei, with the two brutes holding them.

Another man came to as well; a grim man with white, sallow skin and a hawk-like nose. He wore a long green coat and glasses. He had to be a servant by the way he stayed behind the others. He caught Kai watching him and their eyes locked. Kai was taken aback by the iron will that met him in those eyes. He looked away quickly.

The party passed Lee and Mariah, who waved at Kai, both looking sad on his behalf. At least they would have each other. It was true that leaving Kevin and Gary behind was cruel, but Lee loved Mariah more than any one else in the world, and Kevin was not such a bad thief, even at his young age.

Then Mariah noticed Rei and her eyes turned wide. She shook Lee and pointed and it seemed to end in a competition of who could look the most shocked out of the three felines, for Rei was staring as well. Mariah reached out for him and took a step forward, but the purple haired teen that had come to get her put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a warning look.

They walked towards the north end of the Amber market, away from the slum area, which lay to the south. The couple up front was talking quietly, but once the lady Ivanov turned and smiled at the two slaves, and Kai quickly looked away; his instinct told him that this woman was more than a pretty dress, and he was ashamed that he had to face her in his current state of attire.

They were nearing the carriages. Kai didn't want to talk to the boy beside him, he wished he could be anywhere but in a three mile radius of him, but this might be their last chance at getting back to their homes. If they didn't make a break for it now, they would be taken far away from their home, perhaps too far to ever make it back.

"Rei," He whispered, capturing the black haired boy's attention. "Last chance." A brief nod spoke of understanding. "When I say..."

"NOW!"