The smell of blood taints his nose with the first breath he takes. The darkness in the tent is broken by torches placed on posts, flickering left and right as people pass. Unlike the dark excitement that is clear and loud in the square, the tent is filled with a quiet hum.
Soft whispers, muted orders, and smooth transactions. He doesn't fit in at all. The thing that catches his eyes are the many sections, all showcasing the same thing. Humans. They are put on small steps just like the man outside, the difference being that they are clearly suffering.
Most have chains around their necks or ankles, keeping them from running. Though the more he looks at them, the clearer the emptiness of their eyes is. A small cluster of people are always surrounding the ones being sold, sneering, inspecting, making sure they're getting their money's worth.
He watches as the seller lifts up the ragged women's arm.
"As you can see, she isn't really that strong, but her skin is smooth, and all of her organs are in perfect condition."
He walks away to look at the rest of the tent, only seeing the same thing. Now that he knows the layout, he can start-
"Are you looking for something specific?"
He looks down at the man who is speaking to him. He carries a sort of presence with him that makes Izuku feel like he's on a small pedestal. The man clearly knows this, his head held high, and his words spoken with a sort of arrogant air.
"I've seen you walking around, and you should know,"
The man's gaze darkens slightly, a smooth smile still on his face.
"I'm not very kind to window shoppers."
Izuku feels a chill go down his spine. This man must be the person in charge of this place. He has to know something. It's too crowded here to do anything to him without having to make a scene. Izuku tells the man that he's in the market for something higher quality than the ones being displayed.
The words taste unfamiliar on his tongue and leave a gross feeling. He can only hope it gets past the man in front of him. It seems to, because the grin on the man's face widens and he laughs, his shoulders shaking with the force of it.
"You have a good eye for someone so young! I should have known the moment you walked in here! You don't seem like the rest of our regular customers!"
Another booming laugh.
"Come, I'll show you something worth your time!"
The man begins to walk away, and Izuku follows. The man gets some looks, and even when passing through such a packed place, people move out of the way for him immediately. He leads him all the way to the back of the tent, where a separate opening is being guarded by two men.
They give him a cautious look but let them pass when the man waves his hand. They hold open the tent opening so they can pass through. It closes behind them, though he can still hear the sounds from the other side perfectly.
The area they are in now is smaller and darker, though that's not really what Izuku focuses on. The whole place is full of huge cages, and the things in the cages are more people. They are curled up or hunched, not having any room in the confined spaces to fully stretch out.
Their dirty faces and dead eyes barely follow the two as they walk past them.
"As you can see, we only keep the good stuff in the back. We can't have some nobodies coming in acting like they own the place!"
The man glances back at him, still grinning.
"I can tell from those clothes you're wearing that you aren't from here, and the quality is extremely hard to find in a place like this."
Ergo, the man thinks he has loaded pockets. If only he knew. Izuku's thoughts are temporarily brought back to the yellow backpack, and he is again hit by a wave of disappointment. He keeps it off his face though.
"So what kind of slave are you looking for?"
Izuku answers as calmly as possible, the man's gaze locked on him. He says one that can move quickly, and he says that he comes from a place where snow blizzards are constant so someone who is also strong. The man frowns slightly, deep in thought.
"I see... Well, I'll see what I can do. Our demographic is on the opposite side you see, more..."
The man's smile comes back on his face.
"Pleasure then business."
Izuku turns away, not interested. The man continues to walk down the sections of cages, Izuku following.
"The organization we work for is known for its good quality when it comes to slaves you know! You're very lucky!"
Izuku asks if he means the Paranormal Liberation Front, and the man stops. He is silent for a moment before clearing his throat.
"Yes. Now, let us see..."
The man crouches down, inspecting the person in one of the cages. Izuku notices the hesitance in his voice, however slight, and questions again. He asks if the man knows anyone high on the organization's ranks.
He doesn't like this, if the furrow in his brows and the glint of annoyance in his eyes are any indication.
"You probably don't know this, but even one question about such matters is highly inappropriate. I suggest you watch what you say."
The man stands up, and brushes himself off, a smile back on his face.
"There seems to be a problem out front. Please, feel free to look around in my absence! When I return, I expect you to have made up your mind on which one you want!"
With that, the man brushes past him in a hurry. Izuku watches him leave, only turning to the cages when he hears the tent flap open and swish closed.
YOU ARE READING
I'll be your island in the raging storm
Fanfiction- Warning, Super slow burn - Izuku has lived a hard life trying to survive in the cold winter mountains. They are all he has known. Katsuki has lived a hard life trying to survive in the cold cages of the black market. They are all he has known. ...
