The mist swirled around as it drifted across the ground. The first rays of dawn illuminating the horizon. One by one groups got campfires started for breakfast in preparation for the market opening. The others of my "group" were already awake and silently watching from our makeshift prisons.
On our right a lavish tent sat decorated with gold stitched patterns and symbols that had no meaning. Emerging from the entrance a young man emerged and handed out a small chunk of bread and meat to each of us in the cages before going into the tent to return with skins of water.
He was hired to act as a slave trader not knowing what we were and just paid for the time the market was open. As he handed out the last skin the prisoner shot his hand out between the bars getting the guys neck staring directly into his eyes only letting got with a grin after the "slave master" soiled himself.
With a gulp he quickly backed away to his tent. We looked between ourselves and at each group of cages organized by groups for what skills we had. The group I was in consisted of three others all made for combat and stealth. The group of four beside us were for manual labor or guard duty and the last ones on the end were for "entertainment" as they were all females.
Little did anyone know we were all trimmed killers and assassins that were being spread out among the different Lords' lands for an even greater purpose and untill given a signal we were to integrate ourselves and gain what power we could with who ever bought us.
I had plans of my own however. Once I was bought I world gather power but not too serve "them" no I would return to destroy them and all they had created. Slowly torture then for the hell they put me thru.... the hell we all endured and for those who did not make it.
A tall man maybe six foot tall with a muscular build walked out of the tent inspecting each of us stopping by my cage last. He spat on the ground before glaring at me.
"The Masters told me that if you do not sell by the end of this open market then I can do what I want with you all as long as your dead. I hope the day goes quickly for it is you last. I quickly reached for him but he easily moved to the side pulling a dagger and drinking it into my forearm the silver coated metal burning my skin. I snarled as I pulled back my arm.
"All you are is a lap dog and one day I will put you down. You kiss their feet all you want I will never bow to those creatures." A look of rage took over his face as I grinned spitefully.
"I think I'll kill you now" He went to remove the keys from his pocket as an old man walked up.
"Are you the slave master here?" The guy was dressed as a nobles servant but had scars covering his face and eyes obviously no stranger to confrontation.
The slaver took a second to regain his composure before turning around. "That I am, can I help you."
"Unless you have any already sold I would like to buy the rest of the lot you have here." He pulled out a large purse before the slaver interrupted him.
"Ahhhh I heard there was a representative from a noble house going around buying all the slave around. Let's go into my tent and speak prices." He gestured to the tent before whispering in my direction. "I'm still gonna kill you. Your just a risk."
Once they disappears into the tent I moved to the door on the cage and started pulling up on the side opposite the lock. Painfully slow the pins worked their way out of the barrel bending the door up at the center. Shoving out on the trusted metal snapped the lock sending the steel clattering to the dirt at which time I took off immediately. The flap of the tent flew open as I turned the corner and heard the slaver curse at me.
There was a group of about seven guards sent to chase me down but it was all to easy to lose them. I was at last as free as I could be with the fact that my previous "owners" had elite groups to hunt us down. Regardless I would not leave the others to whatever fate would await them.