"3,000,000!"
"5,000,000!"
"5,000,000! Is there a bid for 5,000,100?!"
As Alaric woke he was greeted with the sound of bidding. He slowly opened his eyes, his vision groggy and his consciousness slowly returning. He glanced around, still feeling dazed. He couldn't help the groan of pain that left his lips as he was made aware of the state of his body.
Everywhere hurt.
He instinctively tried to massage his temples but felt resistance. He looked at his hands, frowning as he realized he was restrained. Seeing the thick metal cuffs around his wrists sent a shock to his consciousness, waking him up. He hurriedly checked his surroundings and froze as he realized his situation. He was on a stage, enclosed in a cage, infront of a crowd of people yelling numbers at a man on the stage. The room he was in was dimly lit and he could barely make out the human shapes of the individuals making up the crowd. On the other hand, they could see him well. The section of the stage he was on was well lit and he was on display before this mob of people.
An intense sense of fear struck him. He was being sold!
"6,000,500!"
His stomach twisted as he heard the bid. His breathing quickened as he took in the reality of the stuation. He could barely move. From what he could feel, he was in bad shape. He couldn't even raise his voice in protest.
"6,000,500 going once!"
Alaric listened helplessly as he was being sold off to the highest bidder.
"Going twice!"
Didn't the Author say he'd enjoy the world she sent him to? How the hell was this compensation for killing him too early in his last life? Alaric had a strong urge to strangle the one that killed him in the first place.
Just as he was about to send a curse to the Heavens, a loud bang interrupted his thoughts.
What followed was chaos.
Men clad in leather and metal armor stormed in through the back and side entrances of the room causing the men and women who were bidding for him just seconds before to panic and try to eacape. There was no where for them to run and within seconds they were corralled into a forcefield in the middle of the auction room. The man that had been accepting bids on the stage took advantage of the confusion and had run off, dissapearing behind the thick curtains that led backstage.
Alaric watched the scene unfold feeling mildly shocked and very anxious. What the hell kind of world was he in?
"There's a kid on the stage!"
He flinched as attention was drawn to him and wearily observed the man walking towards his cage. The man was wearing fully body armor, without a helmet, the silver glittering under the stage lights. He held a sword in one hand and a sheild in the other. Alaric didn't know anything about weapons or armor but he knew one thing, the sword the man held was not a normal sword. Normal swords don't glow.
The man himself had a gentle smile on his rugged face as he put down his sword and shield, trying to appear as non threatening as possible. He had an oval shaped face with an angular jawline and a straight nose. His bright blue eyes were shining with curiosity and his golden blonde hair was swept back in messy ponytail with a few strands hanging around his temples. He looked like the traditional knight in shining armor.
The man examined the cage and held the lock in his hand, tugging it off with little to no resistance from the cheap gadget. He slowly opened the cage door as if worried he'd scare Alaric if he made any sudden movements.
Alaric just watched him, his tired eyes conveying his weariness.
"I'm Caleb. What's your name?" the man looked at Alaric expectantly.
Alaric faced a sudden dilemma. He had no idea what the name of this body was. If he said his real name and then someone who knew this body's showed up, that would cause a great deal of trouble.
Alaric thought about it for a moment before he answered the man, "Alaric.... I think that's my name.... I don't remember....." He made sure to frown and act a bit more lost than he currently was.
"Alaric? Ok... do you know how you got here?"
Alaric shook his head.
The man sent him a look of pity and held out his hand, "Do you want to come with me?"