Demons, Witches, and Toads (BoyxBoy)

Auction

Mulock had always hated trolls.

They were disgusting, monstrous creatures whose only joys in life came from flesh.

The changeling led him through a series of tunnels now, hidden deep within the hillside. Their footsteps echoed as they walked, the air underground stuffy and stale. Finally, the tunnel began to widen, and the sound of chatter was faintly audible in the distance. If that wasn't enough to inform Mulock they were almost there, the smell most certainly did; the putrid scent of mold and rot all mixed with the metallic aroma of blood.

That was the smell of trolls, alright.

Mulock had researched them a bit in his human life, but despite his efforts he'd never been able to locate even a single one of their hidden markets. As he stepped into one now, he saw he most certainly hadn't been missing out.

The stench was nauseating within the massive cavern. The trolls were tall, bony creatures that stood at least two heads taller than Mulock, their skin white and papery. Open shops, booths, and caravans packed nearly every inch of open space. Trolls pushed and elbowed their way through, many carrying trays and baskets of their wares to shove in every passerby's face.

The items being sold at the market were just as horrific as the demon had anticipated; slabs of suspicious looking meat, skinned pelts, jars filled with eyes and fingers. One booth seemed to even specialize in carving intricate patterns onto child-sized skulls.

"Do you want to look around for a bit? We have a little time before the auction begins," the changeling said, his voice annoyingly cheerful.

"No."

The creature cocked its head, the movement so unnatural on Wheeler it made Mulock's chest tighten. "Why are you always so grumpy? Isn't it tiresome brooding all the time?" He took a step closer. "With how often you seem to repress yourself, you must have an ungodly amount of pent up..." his gaze flickered downwards, "anger."

"Shut up," Mulock replied dryly.

"You know," the changeling murmured. "There'd be an easy way to make me." He smirked, the expression horribly wrong on Wheeler's face. "We could always continue what we started back in your room." That hungry look had crept into his gaze once more. "I've watched the two of you for months, I've seen how you look at him. Wheeler and I are identical, so screwing me would be practically the same--"

Mulock punched him hard enough to send the double stumbling backwards. Before the changeling even had the chance to recover, Mulock grabbed him by the collar, his gaze murderous. "Don't you ever say such a disgusting thing while wearing his face again."

Despite having just been struck, the changeling appeared strangely calm. "Oh dear. Looks like I struck a nerve."

"Shut the fuck up," Mulock spat, releasing him despite the fact that his gaze was still blazing. "Now take me to this auction before I punch you again."

"Fine," the changeling replied, remaining surprisingly unbothered. "Follow me."

They pushed their way through the market, at last arriving in front of a large stage that rose up above the crowd. The platform was filled with items, all covered in silken clothes. Above them hung a massive clock, though there were no numbers written on it. Despite this, the swarm of trolls around the stage watched it intently, gazes glued to the minute and hour hand as they grew closer together with each thunderous tick. As this went on, the crowd around the stage began to grow, all eyes locked on the clock.

Finally both hands aligned and the sound of a bell rang out, echoing through the market.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" a troll called, appearing on the stage in a cloud of thick red smoke. It was an awful looking creature, at least eight feet tall and so bony it seemed its gangly limbs could break off at any moment. "We have a wonderful array of specimens tonight, but first —we have an incredible treat for you all." The troll grinned, revealing a set of jagged yellow teeth. "The fairies have been kind enough to gift us with...a human boy."

Excited gasps rang out from the crowd.

"The lad's eighteen, so his flesh may have grown a bit tough, but regardless, he'll still be a feast fit for a king." He smirked, throwing out his hands. "Let the auction begin!" And with that, he yanked away one of the clothes, revealing Wheeler.

The boy sat in a golden cage, an iron collar latched tightly around his neck, connected to the bars via a long metal chain. He was unresponsive, his gaze foggy and distance as if in a trance.

Seeing him like that made Mulock want to violently rip apart every troll in the market with his own two hands.

"And now," the troll rumbled. "Let the bidding begin, starting with 10,000 gold pieces--"

"There will be no bidding today," Mulock interrupted. His voice carried through the crowd, causing them to go oddly quiet. The demon attempted to ignore his unease as he elbowed his way towards the stage, the changeling trailing closely behind.

"That boy is not for sale," Mulock continued icily. "He already belongs to me. So just hand him over and I'll spare you the trouble of seeing me pissed off."

Silence followed the statement.

And then someone chuckled. The moment it sounded the crowd instantly erupted into laughter.

Mulock froze.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

This thought was confirmed as a pair of iron cuffs were suddenly snapped over his wrists. The crowd swarmed him. They began to push him, forcing him towards the stage and up the stairs leading onto it as the announcer unveiled another massive cage beside Wheeler. When Mulock's feet met the platform's surface, he grabbed him, roughly shoving the demon inside the second cage before slamming the door shut.

Mulock looked out at the crowd from between the bars, a cold, seething anger clawing at his gut. The trolls had begun thunderously jeering at him and amidst them stood the changeling, grinning cruelly.

"Shit," Mulock muttered under his breath.

The reality of the situation had become obvious to him now.

This had all been a blatant trap, and somehow he'd been stupid enough to walk directly into it.