Blaze in the Darkness | ✔

Chapter Two

The rarest and most powerful creatures were the first to go. After that followed the crossbreeds - even more powerful, but they lacked the 'wildness' that the people wanted, or so I heard them say.

They took their time, driving the price up as much as possible. I didn't understand how we could possibly be worth so many shiny, flat circles. Gold, they called it. But then, how could we possibly be compared to metal?

I waited in silence, pacing around my bottle. Barely anyone so much as looked at me. They greedily gazed at the crystalhorns, at the dragons, at anything other than the small firefox kit in the back. I whined softly. Although I was scared of them, it hurt that they didn't choose me. Was my tail not good enough? I looked at it, admiring my beautiful flames. It was beyond good in my opinion.

After walking a circle for the fifty-ninth time, I finally stopped and put my paws against the glass in an attempt to make myself seem bigger. My tail swished back and forth expectantly while I watched the buyers walking around. I could probably fit in their hand, with how small I was. Sometimes I longed to be my true size again. Momma was tall enough to look tall humans in the eyes. I got to their waist, the last time I saw one of them. I would've tried harder to become taller, but they ran away before I could climb on a rock or log.

Only one man seemed to notice my efforts. When he looked at me, I saw in his eyes that he wasn't one of the mages. Instead of that cold, terrifying look, his eyes were warm, full of pride and confidence. I flicked my ears at him, and he continued watching me with interest.

Over time, more and more bottles were sold. Less people jumped into the auction, seeming satisfied with their new collections. The only one who hadn't bought anyone yet was the man who kept glancing back at me.

"Anyone want a bottle in particular?" the female mage asked, sensing there wasn't much more buying going to happen.

"Yes. I want that fox," the man called out.

The woman walked over to my shelf, and I hid in the back of my container. "Two gold and it's yours."

"Deal." He handed her the coins and reached out. His hand closed around my bottle, partially blocking my view. Then, he picked it up, jostling me around. I yelped in surprise and fear, trembling. He didn't hear it. No one ever heard our cries.

He stuffed me in a pocket, completely blocking my view. The only light came from my tail, its flames comforting me. I curled up in the middle of the bottle, and despite being terrified, I enjoyed the warmth of the man's body. I hadn't been this warm in years.

The voices were now muffled by both the man's clothing and the bottle, leaving me unable to understand. I simply gave up on trying, preferring to stay curled up as I was. Then, the bottle began moving. I slammed against the walls, my body receiving impact after impact.

After what seemed like hours, but must've been less than a minute, the jostling became less, though I was still bounced around with the man's movements. I whined softly, my body sore and painful. I hadn't been physically hurt in so long that this came as a shock. With every bounce, I softly cried out, pain coursing through my body.

Eventually, it all faded into darkness. All my senses seemed to have shut off. I couldn't hear anything, see anything, taste anything. As if the glow of my tail had gone, taking everything else with it, even the shocking pain. It was a relief, in a way.

I laid there for a while, not sure if my eyes were open or closed, when the bouncing returned. My tail once more lit up my small container, which had become even warmer. Muffled voices sounded outside, different than the ones in the room that had been my home for many years. They didn't sound too happy.

The moving stopped for a moment, only for my bottle to be picked up. Light temporarily blinded me before my eyes adjusted. I was on a wooden platform of some sort, with the man that bought me and a fair woman arguing next to it.

"Two gold coins?! For that?" The woman gestured at me with her hand, her face set in a scowl. "We could've used that money to pay for food or clothing for the pack!"

The man sighed, his amber eyes looking at his feet. "I know, Sila. I just wondered what their magic would be like - without being the one it's aimed at."

Sila huffed and picked up the bottle, squishing me against the floor. "Well, we have it now. What are you going to do with it?" She tapped against the glass with her nails. The sound resonated in my small chamber, and I whined, trying to cover up my ears.

"We could put it in the pack room. The pups will probably like it." He paused for a moment before looking at the woman. "How can I apologise to you?"

"Don't apologise to me, Alpha. It's your people you've set back. The mine is going well, but that doesn't mean you can throw money away at illusions in bottles."

The man hung his head in shame. "I'll do better. I can't afford to make mistakes like this. The pack needs a proper leader, certainly in times as dangerous as these," he said resolutely.

"I am holding you on that one, Oscen," Sila warned. "Now, let's find a good place for it."

The woman briskly walked through several corridors, the heavy footsteps of Oscen behind her. She held me in place almost perfectly, which was a relief to my battered body. I had no idea how long it would take before my injuries healed. I hoped it wasn't too long.

I stared at her silvery-grey dress with interest. I didn't often see decorated clothing, and found it beautiful. It would've been even better if it was in orange-red, but that couldn't be helped. I wondered what it felt like, putting my paws against the glass in an attempt to touch it. The only thing I felt was cold, smooth glass.

I felt the pressure shift as I was raised and placed on a shelf. A moment later, Sila stepped back, and I found I was now just below her eye-level. Oscen towered above her.

"Well, then. Let's see how long it takes before someone notices."

"While you were gone, some problems came up at our northern border. Nothing serious, but you might want to talk to the sentries that were on guard at the time."

The two walked off, leaving me utterly alone.