Chapter 1

Shana

Metal bites into my back as I press against the bars of my cage. I keep myself curled up in the back corner, my knees drawn up to protect my body as I huddle away from the bustle going on around me.

It’s not lost on me how the people around me are going about their day, not even noticing the frail girl in the cage. So are the ways on Protheka, where humans mean so little that I’ve started to believe I’ve done something to deserve being locked up in here.

My view is mostly blocked by the other vendors here, but I don’t bother to look around. I keep my head down, as I always have, and await my fate. I’m no stranger to being sold, and it’s obvious that I’m at some kind of market.

I’ve heard snippets from the dark elf merchants that hauled me here, something about another race. I’m not sure exactly where I am, but I think I heard them say Nagaland earlier today. The naga are little more than a fairytale in Liiandor, so I know very little about them.

There are faint hisses in the air, and it piques my interest enough that I lift my head a little. Not enough to give a full view of my face but enough to see those passing close by. I see the difference immediately.

The people at this market look nothing like the dark elves. They have snake hoods around their heads, slit eyes, and a tail. Scales cover the sides of their arms and legs, and their skin and scales are a wide variety of colors.

I also notice how none of them look my way. I don’t know how prominent humans are in Nagaland, but I am of no interest to anyone here today. That can’t bode well for me.

One of the dark elves flings a look back at me, and I cower back into my ball, afraid of his eyes assessing me. “She’s useless,” he remarks to his friend. “I don’t know why we even bothered to bring her along when she’s nothing but skin and bones. Who would want that? I wouldn’t pay a blanc for her.”

His companion’s voice comes my way, and I can only assume they are both staring at me now. “She’s still got holes. She’s worth at least two blanc. Maybe even a rubio.”

The other one scoffs. “I can bed a Zagfer with a rubio.”

“You can bed a Zagfer for nothing,” his friend reminds him.

“I can fuck her for nothing, too.” They shift, and I hope it’s not closer to me. Unfortunately, the scrape of a shoe and the proximity of his voice tells me it is. “Maybe I should. Show everyone the merchandise isn’t broken.”

“No matter. We’ve been here for hours, and I am growing tired of waiting. It might be better to just cut our losses soon and head home.”

“I agree.” Something brushes against the outer bars of the cage, and it makes my stomach tighten. “I think we should make some use of her, though, since we drug her all this way.”

“Use her after the market. I’m still hopeful for a buyer.”

“I’m not.”

“Well, you have something to look forward to then. You can fuck her until she breaks for all I care. Then, we’ll cut our losses.”

The other one grunts, and fear shoots through me. I know what it means to cut their losses. They'll kill me. If no one buys me, I’ll die here today for being worthless.

They’re not wrong that I am too thin to do much at all. I can’t remember when I last ate, and my body can do little more than lie here. I've become so weak. I know that my chances are none, and I am hopeless.

No one cares about me, not here or ever. I’ve always had to fend for myself, and I’ve done a poor job at it. I have nothing and no one, and I will die alone, worse than the beasts in the forest. I’ll die without honor, without fight, without a pack or anyone to care. In fact, I’ll probably be left as food for the beasts, and my stomach twists at the meager worth of my life.

I tuck my heels up under my body, trying to make myself even smaller. My eyes are fixed on the cage floor, and I try to block out the noise around me. Letting my mind go blank has become a special talent of mine, made easy by the lack of emotions I can no longer feel.

I’ve been numb for some time, only remembering I’m alive by the random spurts of pain or fear. Otherwise, the abyss I’ve been drifting through, the emptiness of my soul and the fog blanketing my mind, would be enough to convince me I’m already dead.

“It’s really been a waste,” the dark elf starts up again. “I thought coming to Nagaland would make us an easy profit, but we’ve only squandered a day.”

“It still may.”

He scoffs. “The naga have proven to be as useless as I’ve always said. I have no money for the tax to get back into Liiandor, and I’ve sullied my name just by being on this continent.”

“No one has to know we were here. I certainly won’t tell anyone that we chose to be around these belly draggers.”

“Disgusting half-breeds.”

“Misshapen evolutions.”

They go back and forth like that, insulting the naga who have done nothing to these elves. It’s like that with dark elves, though. Do nothing, and they’ll still find a way to discuss what a piece of shit you are.

My energy has been expended just from being awake, and I nestle my head into my arms, hoping to go to sleep. The sun is blistering hot today, especially since this cage has no roof to block it out. There are only bars, letting the sun burn my exposed skin, and I have no option but to endure it.

I try to trick my mind into believing the heat feels good. It’s better than some winters I’ve made it through, where the cold was so blistering that I feared I’d lose some fingers and toes. Liiandor is so far north, it’s often buried in snow.

The heat tells me how far south we must have traveled to get to Nagaland. Even though it’s the hottest season in Liiandor right now, it has never gotten this hot before. Sitting in the direct light only makes the temperature more stifling, and my body doesn’t even have the extra moisture to bother sweating to cool me off. Maybe it’s finally given up on saving itself.

I know I did a long time ago.

As my mind starts to settle, my senses go quiet, and I’m able to convince myself that I’m somewhere peaceful for once. The cage isn’t so bad, and sleep helps erase the gnawing hunger and impending heatstroke. Instead, I consider it a nice day out, ignoring the fact that it might be my last day.

Then, something covers the sun, blanketing me from the intense rays. I sigh without opening my eyes, thinking it to be a cloud. What a blessing for a cloud on such a bright day, one of few I’ve received in my life.

I quickly realize that it is not a cloud that has shielded me, though, when I hear a gruff voice ask, “How much is she?”

My eyes fly open as I realize he must be talking about me, and I lift my head slowly to see a massive naga male standing before the two dark elves, who are smirking at each other.

I gulp as I stare at him. He’s even bigger than the dark elves, and I know that whatever his intentions are for me, I won’t be able to fulfill them long. It would have been better if no one was interested in me today.

I’d finally be allowed to die like I want.