Chapter VII: Slavery is a business
PART I
The feeling of drowsiness took over me, making my eyelids feel heavy as bricks and my vision dimming from the weight of lack of sleep. Luckily, the female staff member poked at my sleep-deprived cheeks, with no reaction coming from me. [“There’s no response, looks like a sleeping co-worker”]. The female staff member chose the second option and gleam her eyes holding a thing and pushing a cold drink upon these drowsy cheeks.
“EEYA!” I reacted instantly and woke up from my deep (but short) slumber. “That’s cold..” I complained while touching my temporary chilled cheeks. The female staff member giggled at my response, “This is why you shouldn’t stay overnight finishing up those registrations.”
“Shut up, I have to do it even if it’s just me.” I argued upon the female staff member’s comment. The staff member beamed her ‘helping out’ words, “Remember, that we are an organization that helps each other. If you are in dire need of help, just tell us, your fellow staff members.” with her fist bumped upon her chest looking dependable as she can be.
“Yea, says the one who left me on the office.” my flat out message darted through the female staff member. She reasoned while shifting her eyes and sweating “Well, I couldn’t refuse the {free} offer they gave me when drinking with them.” I added a complaint “and who will be responsible for picking you up at the tavern. Me?”
“I don’t see you complaining when you carried me home, darling.” she playfully said.
“I am complaining” I retorted “and don’t call me darling, we’re both girls have some shame.” She twiddled her fingers upon my response. But her chest felt nice when I was carrying her. After all the work is done in the office I went to the tavern to pick her up, carrying her made me feel her large chest every now and then.
Is it weird to like the plump chest even though we’re both girls? Quite possibly or It’s just my reaction of me lacking in breast size, longing for something that I cannot have. At least I get boob massaged which is pure bliss. I should hide these thoughts of mine.
Just then,”BAAM” the wooden door broke open from the kick of an adventurer. As the wood splinters of the door settled down, The adventurer walked proudly inside armed with a sword and shield. (“Not this again”) I thought.
“Not to worry captive citizens I am here to liberate you from the chains of slavery” shouted the self-proclaimed slavery hero.
“And who would pay for the repair fees of the door.” the guard glared his sharp eyes towards him. The self-proclaimed slavery hero brought out his sword and declared “I will save all slaves, no one will suffer at the rich and possessive hands of the nobles.” while ignoring the glaring guard.
The guard, angered, took it upon himself to teach the self-proclaimed slavery hero some manners. The self-proclaimed slavery hero brought out his gleaming sword and declared and fought with the guard. “Today, is the day you will all be freed. Watch as I free you all and this day will be called FREEDOM” the self-proclaimed slavery hero proudly said.
The two discussions of a male-female adventurer is heard.
“One of those types appeared again.” the female adventurer complained to her companion.
“How do they even view slavery to begin with.” the male adventurer replied in question.
We always had these kind of incidents every now and then. To be honest, as a staff member of the slave market, it sickens me on their belief that what they are doing is good in their own eyes. The slave market had been staying strong within the years of doing business with clients.
■
PART II
As a former slave, I know how it feels to be homeless and have nowhere to go to. Walking on the streets without shoes to wear, my feet felt numb from the cold and kept on walking for the place where I belong does not want me and my existence. My clothes that we’re once clean is now ragged, dirtied by mud, it’s stench made my nose immune from it, walking with damp clothes on a winter night made the walk unbearable. What kept me going is the scraps left by the people on trash bags, the taste of real food can be seen from afar on the other side of restaurant’s windows.
My vision dimmed and the last thought I had is “How nice it would be if I get to eat that.” My body fell on the frozen snow. Shady men saw me collapse and carried me to their horse carriage. And into the place called a slave market. I was first felt betrayed by the shady people who brought me here. I heard stories of the slave market as a displeasing place to be in and where people of the lowest of the low will be in.
I felt unrest and what horrible acts will they do upon me. What surprised me is the difference in the rumors I believed. The staff helped me in taking a bath along with other kids my age, they gave us fitting clothes to wear in the night, a comfortable bed to sleep in which is just one large bed where we lay down on the floor. I had a good rest on that night.
I had a good night sleep and we are then called upon for jobs the next day. I started my life as a slave, we receive jobs from clients like tending to their special gardens (planting, removing weeds, cutting), cleaning the house (wiping windows with clothes, table tops, wooden chairs, sweeping and mopping the floor, washing the dishes).
If we made a mistake during our job like breaking a vase or destroying a property we will receive a deduction and the slave business will pay for the damage. I felt responsible for that incident and I vowed I will never break a vase or a property again.
There was once a fat client of ours that took advantage of this system. I saw through the tricks the client did and made countermeasures to each of them.
Atrocious Act A
Tying an invisible thread on one of the vases. Fat Bastard (I call him that) waiting for the victim to pass by and pulls the thread. Countermeasure – cut the thread instantly with the scissor hidden inside the cloth I used to wipe the windows. Crisis averted.
Atrocious Act B
Tripping the kid carrying the bucket. Fat Bastard waiting at the side. Surely, I have a countermeasure for this. Yes, I do. I call for him in his wife’s voice on the other side of the room. Most of the time his wife is away and making promotions with their business. Surprisingly it’s effective and I developed a new skill.
Atrocious Act C
Breaking dishes on purpose. Fat Bastard calls for the dishwasher telling that someone is calling them, picks up the dishes and breaks it to put it back in the dishwasher and lay blame on the dishwasher. Countermeasure – make the plates protected by magic. No matter how much Fat Bastard tried to break it, it won’t break. Btw, that is a skill thought to us by the staff members. It’s a way to defend ourselves if we ever get into trouble.
This went on and on. I also became experienced along with Fat Bastard becoming vindictive more and more until he gave up hiring slaves, there was an argument with his wife and they stopped hiring. In actuality, the Fat Bastard learned from the experiences we had as rivals and made a comedic machine that does various things only to do a simple task. It became a huge hit and from that point on he became rich and changed, those were years ago. I also learned a lot of skills from that job. But I never knew that I need a much effective skill for the next client.
■
PART III
If something bad happens to us, guards will come rushing to the rescue everywhere we are. Even with the basic skills we had, it may be not enough when we are in our teenage years. The guards had this natural skill that makes them aware if the slaves are in great danger.
I once had an unsettling experience when I was a cleaner in a certain noble house. The lord of the noble house was a gentle lad, had a handsome face that can make girls squeal but not for me. I don’t want to mix myself with the nobility due to the experience I had. (Referring to the Fat Bastard). The gaze directed at me by the uncle beside him, I describe it as unsettling as he looks down from my chest, curvy points and to the lower parts of my teenager body. Ready to pounce at my chastity.
I was wearing my everyday clothes with an apron, washing the dishes as I hum. I felt the presence of the uncle behind me and cuffed a feel of my butt. I didn’t moan and had a momentary “umph” in my thoughts. I shoved his hands away to stop his intentions.
I felt terrible after the experience, The back door of the kitchen staggered at the repeated knocking of a guard.
“KNOCK” ”KNOCK” “KNOCK” “KNOCK”
“THIS IS THE GUARD” “OPEN UP” The guard did not waste time and broke the door and apprehending the uncle of that noble house. I was safe from the danger and did not press the charges on the noble house. The lord of the noble house is a victim after all. In return of the damage inflicted, I got a free favor to take from the noble house.
As a slave throughout the years, I never complained as the jobs are fairly well and can be handled. We sign contracts that would make us work for a set time (weeks, months or even years)We can refuse the work if we want to. And at the end of it all, I work day in and day out just to register every new slave in the market.
A carriage just arrived in the back of the slave market. It must be the new slaves. Some of the staff members looked away from the self-proclaimed slavery hero and the guard fighting outside and turned their attention to the new slaves. “Hmmm”
I looked at the cages in the back of the carriage, and noticed a humanoid figure “An imp?”
