Carnage

Chapter 5: Foundation

 "If the owner chooses to, yes but look at her. She would still fetch a fair price," he said. "Forget about that one, you see those men. They are waiting to buy her,"

 Sure enough there were three men wearing plain white togas hurdled a small distance from the stake. As the whip landed again, one of them protest. The owner went up to him but Arie did not get a chance to see what they would talk about when the fat master shoved the Spartan man towards her. He grabbed the boy's bony arm with one hand using his key to unlock the chain. As easily as if he weighed nothing, the man then lifted the boy before setting him down  forcefully before her. Not once did the little boy's fierce gaze waver. To the first man's bunch, she chose a bulky man who had fighting experience. By the time she had gone to the next slave driver, the girl had been untied and was now being pulled by the ropes tied around her wrist. At least she had something on her, Arie thought bitterly looking at the thin material she was wearing.

 "Prisoners of war! From the great Tiberius' own lot!" A voice rose above the drone. Paying quickly for them, Arie followed it until she saw the announcer. He was already surrounded prospectors. It was an auction she guessed. Behind him and to his side was bigger cages than the others mounted on wheels. The men inside was taunt with muscles. Arie was split; it looked to be both dangerous and beneficial to have them. For the former, they were trained to kill. Junius' guards would probably not stand a chance but in case Orodes' mercenaries attacks, their chances of survival would increase. There were a total of five men and one woman who wore a dirty tunic with her breasts nearly out in the open.

 "The bidding begins now!"

 "I'll take them all for what ever price you want," Arie yelled so suddenly it surprised.

 "If I asked for a hundred and fifty guineas?" the auctioneer asked.

Arie held out her purse and raised her eyebrow.

 "I'll give you two hundred," a reedy voice declared and Arie met the eyes of a effeminate man. He was in the same situation of the woman soldier, needing clothes to re-affirm their gender.

Arie held out the purse even further and said, "Three hundred for each of them."

The auctioneer waiting for any objection but he was met with relative silence. His hands reached out to take the purse but Arie pulled back.

 "I have a few of them back there. How much more for shipping them all?"

Junius would be furious when she returned and that somehow made the sight of human being pushed in cages more easily to swallow.

 New slaves proved have an expected problem. Junius, who had earlier said that he would supervise the reconstruction, suddenly changed his mind.

 "I have too many things to do," he told her.

 "Then who should-surely, you're not asking me to watch over them?"

 "Who else than the princess' right hand? Did you know she referred to you as that?" he asked with a smile before going on in a much more chilly voice. "But with me around, she will learn to use both her hands,"

 "What did you say?" Arie said alarmed. "Are you threatening-"

 "Aren't you so eager to have something against me? I am not threatening her Highness, that would be ridiculous and beneath me. I will simply teach her how to stop relying on people like you,"

 "You are not better than me just because you made all of this possible," she retorted. "You're only here because in the end you stand to gain a lot,"

He brushed a speck of dust off her shoulder. "That would be true,"

 "And you stand to lose the most," Arie finished. His hands were gripping her shoulder again in what he imagined was re-assuring.