Chapter 5

Reins of Power

There was no interruption from the time he entered the room until the time he woke up to the sound of the lock clicking, unlocking. Slowly the warrior came to, bleary eyed and worn from the day before, his kids moved in silence across his mind, but there was nothing he could do to bring them back. He had to move on or risk being killed. There was no time to grieve and though he knew eventually it would all come out some time, he knew it would not be in the near future. He had to show strength even though his heart inside still ached from the gaping wound.

Tojar entered into the room before the slave could rise to his feet and sat down beside the Saiyan. The trainer at a loss for words sat in silence for now, and Vegeta gazed to the stone floor with straw upon it. It wasn't long before the Trainer looked to the warrior and then shook his head slowly. "Shake it off Vegeta, we're going to have to start the day at the Auction block. I can't very well keep you here, they know that you're fit to go to another owner."

Vegeta looked at the man in a cursory glare, his brow furrowed so deeply that the Trainer almost cringed under that stare. However he reached up and slipped a choke chain around the slave's throat. As the cold metal collar touched flesh, Vegeta looked to the leash, finding it literally fastened to the choke chain itself. There would be no unclasping it this time and as the chain cinched around his throat, he stood up to move with the Trainer. If he hated anything above being led around, it was being sold.

Walking down toward town, he came upon the rather large barn like structure. Inside as he entered were small cramped cages lining the walls in a row of thirty on each side, half of them filled with slaves, the other half empty. Thick steel poles stretched up to the roof, shackles on each one in a row of ten. Then ahead as the podium and stage came to sight, the straw and dirt floor gave way to oak and cedar. On the left side were stairs, and a stout man raised the gavel. Another slave was sold. Hearing the door of the cage open down at around waist height, he moved silently inside the cage to find himself locked in once more.

An hour would pass as a group of men from an elite group came forward, taking out one slave, then another, and another, would check them for build and stature. They did not seem to fit the bill as the Saiyan watched them move down the line. When they came to him, they would pull the warrior out and checked him over carefully. The tugging, prodding, pulling, touching, and handling made the Saiyan Prince all the more irritated, but these men did not care. Instead, they paid their 2,000 gold coins and then as soon as the papers were signed, he was led out to a cage waiting in the back of the cart.

The ride was long, tedious, and very cramped with five other slaves in the same cage. No words were exchanged through the trip, and that made the warrior wonder what the purpose for him was to be. A lurching stop came, slamming them against the bars and each other. Moving out, they were each shackled in a line and when they came to the Saiyan, they pulled him out ahead of the others. Then their new Masters turned around to speak. "You slaves were bought for the sole purpose of being fought in the Jronian Games. All of you are nothing more than animals, beasts to be used at our whim. This shorter slave before you is to use for your training. It will be shackled to a post so that it can be used in your training."

With that spoken the Saiyan knew he was looked at as nothing more than a toy for the other slaves to be beaten upon at their whim for merciless training. Led to a pole, he found himself bound by his collar on a three foot chain. It was not much room, but he'd fought with less. He harnessed his power with such talent that the warrior was going to give these fighters a run for their money. The slave grinned lightly as he seen one come up toward him. Getting in ready stance, the new Masters took note that this slave was not going to be taken so lightly. They whispered amongst each other. "That slave thinks it's a fighter. We'll watch it and see if it's any good."

With it stated, the Masters grinned a very malicious grin. The slave overheard but the first fight was about to begin in the dust of the encircled arena. In the center of this highly fenced ring of fifity feet, the first attacker would be caught blindsided with a high axe kick. The Saiyan's right foot would come up high to the inside and half way through an arching kick, he raised it just a bit more and dropped it on the collar bone of the other fighter before him. Bone snapped as the Saiyan came to get ready again, only to find the choke chain cinch up on his throat forcing him back. However the scream of pain echoed through the arena. Turning to face the Masters, high in the coliseum stands, he growled lightly, hating being their entertainment.

Vegeta silently looked at the other fighters and it was in that moment a couple others came up. He fought hard the chain threatening to choke him as he moved, a few times it pinched severely, and yet the warrior still tried to fight hard. However as time wore on, the others were starting to land more and more blows. The agony of the chain around his throat and the beating would not allow him any reprieve from the onslaught. Finally that night they were called off, and though the other fighters were taken out of the arena, he was left shackled to the post.

With his throat parched, his hunger increased and the Saiyan looked around for anything that may be of use. The sand would not yield anything but perhaps a lick of dew in the early morning sun. The starved form of the Saiyan craved food and when a guard came forth with food, he eagerly tried to take it only to find a whip cracked across his face and shoulders. Stepping back, the stinging bite of the whip was all too familiar. The slave placed his back against the pole and waited. When they held out the bowl of food, he kept watch on the guard but the moment he tried to take the food, he found himself just out of reach. Then once more he tried, only to find the guard move back again. What was this cruel game he was playing? Vegeta just didn't like the fact that he was being teased like this. By the look of the guard though, he was enjoying it immensely. Vegeta again gave a light growl and lunged foward only to again find the whip snapped harshly upon him, and the choke chain finally cutting through skin. The pain reeled him around, panting lightly for breath as he felt the blood moisten his thick neck.

Vegeta placed his hands upon the pole and at that moment the guard laughed. "You really think this food was for you? Keep dreaming. Only the fighters get food, and then only a meager portion. You're nothing but a thing they use to get that blood lust that we want out of them." The guard neared the slave and shackled the wrists of the slave around the pole then came right near the slave. Vegeta's teeth grit with anger and pain. He'd just lost his kids yesterday and now he had to suffer the humiliation from this guard? Black, fierce, and penetrating eyes moved fiercely to the side and then the slave would find that the guard was too close.

Sweeping a leg out and around, he tripped up the guard and with a hard blow growled and knocked him out with a stomp to the head. Inadvertently though, he found more than just blood on the ground and he scoffed. "Never tell me I'm not a fighter. Too bad you had to learn that the hard way, because I feel no remorse for you in the least. I hope right now you're paying for all the crimes you committed against slaves." Breaking the shackles, the Saiyan stood free in the arena and he gave a laugh to the heavens above. Hunger pushed with humiliation and anger, now forged with years of experience of fighting and warrior skills honed in with lethal precision. The reins of power were now removed and the Saiyan was nearly crazed with the combination.