Flesh and Gold (Ileana and Viveca)

[Dusk]

Thunderlit Quarry 2nd Day of Summer, 510 AV Sunberth was a town of danger and vice, one of the darker places to be found in Mizahar. It wasn't simply a matter of there being no law - no, it was the fact that its inhabitants had long before made the conscious decision that they wanted no law. A city that could make that sort of decision meant a whole different level of madness thrummed through the streets. The first day of the season was always a grand time, for it meant the beginning of the massive week-long Slaver's Auction held in Thunderlit Quarry, the abandoned granite quarry on the southern outskirts of town. The deepest of the hollowed-out ground had long ago filled with rainwater, turned a thick mineral-laced green from the metals that leeched from the surrounding land. Forests surrounded two sides, and the other two sides erupted from the lake in sharp, straight angles where the rock had been sheered away centuries before. The Block, where slaves are auctioned off to the awaiting throng The western shore was set up for the Auction as it was every three months, the great stone plaza bursting with people ready for the day's wares. Slaves were sold each day according to their value, which meant that those who wanted specialized and expensive flesh need not suffer through the dregs. The first day saw only those with Gnosis Marks being hauled up on The Block, and it was generally a frenzy of bidding on the pale and beautiful Konti as well as those alluring creatures who bore the Ranuri. The second day was for the Kelvics. When Viveca's owners had arrived in Sunberth and registered for the auction, they'd simply turned her over to the workers along with her pack and never said a word. It was assumed, from the quick notes jotted into a leather-bound journal by the man who received her, that whatever gold might be collected for her would be returned to her previous masters once she was sold - minus the auctioneer's fee, of course. Once they'd taken control of her, Viveca had been bound in her human form by the clever application of a leather gag looped through her mouth and tightly knotted behind her head and hands bound behind her back - for if she'd shifted, it would have dislocated both her shoulders and forced her tongue back into her throat, effectively killing her. Her clothing was stripped and shoved into her pack, which disappeared after she was dragged away. She was kept naked and caged, though the cage was likely as much for the protection of her virginity than to keep her from running. It was doubtful she'd be able to run in those straps. Just after Syna began Her descent back to earth, a pair of slavers came to haul her out of her cage and drag her up to the The Block. There were only about thirty Kelvics up for auction this season, seven of which had been through her before. The predators were going first, most of the more aggressive animals snatched up by those looking for fighters for their gladiator pits, or breeding stock to create more fighters. Three had already been sold, and the auctioneer was counting on the sweet little snow leopard to bring in a few more coins. Papa Murphy, the auctioneer for the Thunderlit Slave Auction Viveca was shoved through the crowd, and a dozen hands reached out to slap and grope and pinch her body, and though her escorts kept them from going too far it was in their best interests to get the buyers excited so they let them have a few free grabs. She was finally shoved up onto The Block hard enough to drive her to her knees, where Papa Murphy stood waiting with a leather whip clenched in one hand and a deep scowl on his face. "Stand up," he growled, grabbing Viveca by the hair and hauling her up to her feet. She'd notice that her pack was waiting at her feet, so at least they weren't planning to take her clothing and rations from her. Papa Murph released her hair long enough to untie the strap around her mouth, and then he pushed her up onto the cube of stone so the crowd could get a better look at her. "Next up is a little snow leopard in the form of a fine piece of woman," he hollered over the noise of the crowd, "and this one has been guaranteed pure," he added, which got a few catcalls of approval from those who were about to spend their money for such a prize. "Who's going to give me the first bid on this pussycat?"

[Viveca]

Viveca cowered and looked at her pack sadly . She trembled looking out over the crowd so many rough looking people eyed her with interest. She looked out over the crowd once more her eyes hopeful but sad. She clenched her hand and tried to look proud but she couldn't fight the tears that spilled down her face even so, she didn't look away from the crowd.

[Ileana Erika Ionescu]

Ileana knew Sunberth all too well. It had been some three years since she had been back, but once she returned, she felt as if she had never been gone at all.

Oh, but some things had changed though. Once, a black carriage had churned through the night, carrying a man and a woman to their deaths, and a child to a life of slavery and pain. But now she was free, and others were the slaves. Now she could impose her will on others, rather than always being imposed upon.

The six years that had passed by since the night she had fled the Jacobson Syndicate building had been kind to her, at least on the surface. She had run away as an underfed, awkward girl; she was now a woman, all long brown hair and lips and curves. Her appearance was her greatest weapon, and she cared for it as such. Not a hair out of place on Ileana.

If someone had made her tell the truth - never an easy task - she would have been hard-pressed to say exactly why she had come back to Sunberth at all, and especially to here, the place that would have been her fate if she hadn't escaped in time. Maybe it had to do with some inner desire to repeat her history from the other side, or maybe she just wanted someone to push around on a regular basis, as opposed to having to find someone new to take advantage of all the time.

Either way, when the auctioneer called for bids on the simpering Kelvic, it was Ileana's hand that rose first. "Fifty mizas," she said clearly.

[Viveca]

Viveca looked at the woman who was bidding and paled visibly. She started to shake and looked around like a trapped animal. She looked around hoping for a kinder person to bid, her heart thundered in her chest. She didn't think the woman who wanted to purchase her would be very nice. Viveca studied the woman then shivered. She wanted someone she could bond with. Her bright eyes dulled as she realized someone kinder might not bid.
She stood taller. "I will accept my fate." She whispered quietly so none could hear. She clenched her hands. "And if you are my fate," she said looking at the woman. "So be it." She said softly staring straight at the woman.

[Dusk]

At the bid of fifty mizas, a murmur sped through the crowd - it was a rather high starting point for a bid, and it immediately scared off a few potential bidders. Not all, though. A fat, balding man was staring hard at Viveca's young body, and the way he licked his lips made it clear exactly what he might have in store for her. "Sixty mizas!" he cried, raising his fist as well. Papa Murphy grinned happily to hear the price going up, and twisted his fist in the Kelvic girl's hair in order to rotate her around, giving the crowd a view of her backside to match the front. "Sounds like we've a few people among us who recognize quality! Do I hear sixty-five?"

[Ileana Erika Ionescu]

"Seventy."

Ileana looked at the balding man, and the cold expression in her eyes let him know that she meant business. She had fickle tastes at times, true, but when Ileana had decided that she wanted something, it was a good idea not to stand in her way. He could find another pretty face and supple body if he felt the inclination, but he wasn't going to get the one on the block now.

Having given her bid, she turned her attention back to the Kelvic. The creature in human form seemed less than thrilled to have Ileana as her mistress; Ileana didn't read lips particularly well, but there had been something in there about accepting fate, she thought. Well, as cruel as Ileana often was, at least she wasn't that creepy old guy, so the Kelvic could take some consolation in that, she thought. The man reminded her in many ways of the Jacobson boys, of the reason she'd finally run away and escaped her own captivity.

[Viveca]

Viveca raised her eyebrows and looked at the man who placed a bid on her. She paled all the blood draining from her face. Her eyes filled with fear and her eyes snapped back to the woman pleading with her eyes as she decided a female would be better than a male. She knew what they would want her for. She shivered and wanted to sit her legs barely held her up. As her eyes went back to the man she decided she would die before losing her honor like that, she thought of her parents. Her eyes looked back in time remembering better times, then a thought hit her. Anyone could own her but she could always escape to her mind to better times.

But she still was disgusted by the bald man who probably had a loving wife and children at home. If she was in leopard form she would have hissed.This man should worry about his family. If looks could kill the bald man would have dropped dead.

[Dusk]

The balding man just gave a thoroughly disgusting grin when Viveca glared at him, as if her very anger excited him a little more. Oh, but she'd be a great little wench to break... "Seventy-five!" he said - though he glanced at Ileana a little warily. He hadn't budgeted for this much, but he couldn't resist trying for such a wild, promising little piece. Papa Murph looked over at Ileana, eyebrows raised in question.

[Ileana Erika Ionescu]

Ileana could see that the Kelvic was starting to see reason - or at least that for once, Ileana was the lesser of two evils. It would be something to remind her slave of later, that Ileana had saved her from an even worse fate.

She also paid careful attention to the brief look that the balding man gave her. When she'd first arrived at Tall Johnny's, the first job Ileana had been given was poker dealer. She'd seen that look thousands of times in the faces of men and women when they realized that they were going to have to fold. Even if one held an inferior hand, it was possible to beat someone whose emotions showed like that, as long as one didn't give them any toehold of hope in one's own countenance.

"Eighty," Ileana said calmly. Her face was a blank, conveying no information. Truth be told, the price was a little high for Ileana's liking too, but her competitor wasn't going to get that information by looking at her.

[Viveca]

Viveca was still looking at the woman when she placed another bid her eyes widened slightly. But the woman's face showed nothing. She tilted her head and the sun glinted in her catlike eyes. Well, no denying it the woman was interesting kind of like a mystery, She almost laughed as she though of the old saying 'Curiosity killed the cat'.

She smiled still thinking about the saying. Her head snapped to the left as a bird flew by and her eyes grew dark with longing, she licked her lips and if she'd had a tail it would have twitched. She sniffed and her stomach growled loudly.