Love Thine Enemy

Slave?

"Listen here you demon," the leader snarled, positioning Tunmo in front of him like a shield. The boy reeked of fear but maintained a steady expression. "You don't take another step or I'll slit his throat, you hear?"

This earned a threatening rumble from my chest as I forced myself to stay put, assessing his seriousness. A knife was produced and placed firmly against Tunmo's skin, confirming his warning. The boy looked at me with wide eyes that conveyed terror and guilt, no doubt blaming his own weakness for our predicament.

"Listen to me, devil," the man snarled, pulling Tunmo's head back by his hair, "if you don't want to see him die, get in one of these cages without no fuss, ya hear?"

His voice was thick with apprehension as a rusty metal cage was placed off to the side by two men.

"No!" he roared, "Bring out the silver. This one can't go in regular cages!"

A different, larger box was brought from the back of a cart with no holes in it except a small slit on the side. They dropped it to the ground with a grunt and opened the locks to swing the door aside. I gulped at the idea of ever going back inside a cage again, looking back at Tunmo. Was he worth captivity?

"Do it, get in that cage, or the kid is dead," the man I now despised ordered, nicking the skin of Tunmo's throat enough to make him bleed. Silence ensued as we remained still, watching each other.

Slowly, with a sense of dread taking over, I slunk inside the cage and allowed it to lock behind me. It was dark and cramped with no way to see, so I listened.

"Load her up, boys! We ride to Ospen tonight!"

Tunmo's scent grew fainter as things began to rattle and my crate was lifted, carried a short distance, and thrown onto something that swayed when it landed. I growled and threw myself against the sides of my cage, desperate to undo my decision. I had no way of knowing if Tunmo was kept alive or thrown into a cage such as mine. I rocked my crate back and forth until it began to slide to the left and landed on what I assumed to be the ground with a thud. Desperately I pushed my eyes up to the slot in the side and barely caught a glimpse of Tunmo's tan legs before a set of large black boots stopped in front of me.

The man leaned down and, before I could pull my face away, sprayed something into the slot that burned my nose and stung my eyes. I hacked and coughed as I fought the sudden dizziness and urge to lay down. Moments later I sunk down into my cage and my eyes closed.

                       •••

Ospen. This has to be the city of Opsen.

I had long since been awake, but the pounding in my head caused my stomach to heave with each attempt I made at moving. I could smell Tunmo somewhere close by in this large wagon, so until my crate was unlocked, I really had no reason to get up. Tunmo had been whistling lowly every now and then, making me appreciate the noises more than ever as they gave me comfort.

We had been moving through what sounded like a busy city street for what seemed like hours, too many noises to make out anything particular. People shouted, animals made their calls and cries, and carts slammed into various objects along their ways. The smells mixed together constantly, too many to count, but I know I smelled blood. Whether it came from inside the wagon or outside on the street, I could not tell.

We've stopped.

Several moments passed before my crate was lifted and plopped harshly on the ground. The sounds of dozens of crates also being unloaded made me uneasy. The only reason hunters unloaded things was to sell them. People began to bustle and talk excitedly as someone heavy stepped on top of my crate and hollered to get attention.

"Fine people of Ospen, do we have a treat for you!" I recognized the voice as the man who took Tunmo. "A sale of the finest finds on the rarest territories, today in this very square! Here, view a sample of our finest!"

The front slot of my crate was unlocked and pried open, exposing me to blinding sunlight. Something was pushed against me and latched around my neck, dragging me out of my dark reprieve and into the busy street. I immediately lashed out in panic as my eyes adjusted. A metal pole tightened around my neck as hundreds of people came into view, eyes wide and whispering to each other about the creature before them. My muscles tightened in preparation for attack, but the sight of Tunmo in the clutches of a hunter, knife against his throat, stopped me in my tracks. I could not fight for my freedom without his death.

"A beautiful little Lyken," the announcer called with glee, "caught just this morning. What say the people, to a little slave auction?!"

The crowds cheered and people scattered to spread the news as the numerous crates and boxes of animal skins were carried to a platform in the middle of the town square. By the many scents covering the wooden structure, I knew this stage was used for many events just like this one. We were actually going to be sold. Today.

For the first time in months, I looked upon the people around me as morsels; tiny pieces of meat to be devoured in my jaws. I wondered if they tasted good, if my hate for them would make their flesh taste sweeter. I longed to slaughter a city, make them pay for their plans. How dare they sell fellow beings, treat them as objects instead of equals. Tunmo was human! How could they be so cruel? Were humans always this way?

I was led to the base of the steps, the pole attached to my neck keeping me a safe distance from everyone. How disappointing. The other animals were lined up in front of me, leading me to believe I would be sold last. The crowd gathered, the announcer mounted a higher platform to the side, and the auction began.