PREFACE: THIS STORY IS AN OMEGAVERSE.
THEY ARE RANKED IN ACCORDANCE TO THEIR HIERARCHICAL HORMONES:
ALPHA - The top of the pyramid, strong, intellectual, and excels at any factor of skills and talent but they are aggressive and unreasonably possessive.
OMEGA - Weak and feminine, mostly discriminated because they have the 'heat', a seasonal phenomenon where they give off hormones that can make the Alpha's go wild and sensual.
BETA - Just normal beings, they don't have heat and they can't be affected by the Omega's heat. They are everyone's friends.
ZETA - Can be the Alpha for the Omegas and can be Omegas of the Alphas.
A|N: Anything that is stated here is a work of fiction only. No historical facts are implied.
.....
OLD DYNASTY
The dark age of the Empire where immense war broke within the neighboring country ended and the internal strife that pulled down the current dynasty had finally given birth to the start of the golden age however, the result of the continuous conflict left bodies and abandoned children, households went bankrupt and the slavery system rose in demand.
This is the Intermediate stage just before the Golden Age where the cleaning of the system is at its peak.
"Three more! Three more! One for only three taels!" a man in a ragged look has been calling against the tide of crowds, they arrived just before the sun rose but now that it's on high peak in the noon, he finally felt tiredness since he had only sold two servants.
"Uncle, we're hungry." one of the youth called. Voice dry and cracked, he had a more miserable look with his messy hair and patched up cloth. Kneeling on the ground for hours, filling their stomach with air and dust.
"Pshh! Don't speak!" the uncle flashed a glare at him and continued to search for a rich individual within the bustling market.
"I'm hungry." on his left were another youth dressed with the same look, it was a girl aging just the same as him.
The boy turned to him with a sympathetic look, "I know, but we're not eating anything until Uncle find some customers." he said
"And when he found another customer, one of us will be taken." the girl refuted back but since she haven't taken anything since last night, she had no energy to show her anger.
She tried to lift his almost skeleton arms tied in black chains. "I couldn't even feel my arms."
The boy sighed as he forced a smile, "Then don't try to feel it."
"OH! MY LORD! MY GOOD SIR! Are you here for a maid? A gardener? A foot cleaner?" the man asked enthusiastically as two men dressed in merchant clothing approached
The man rubbed his palms and presented the three servants he had, "Here are some of our specials!"
"They can do house chores and outdoor works, can be a personal or bed slaves, anything you like Sir!" the man's slender mustache swirled as if attracting them on his offer. He leaned closer and whispered, "Freshly picked from the East!"
The merchants felt an unpleasant odor coming from him so they stepped back and made disgusting expression as their eyes turned to the three on-sell servants.
"Mm. The east has the finest Omegas and Alphas but how come they landed onto slavery?" one of the two asked, a big belly merchant.
The man giggled softly, "Ah yes, they had but when the Snow Hill invaded the East, the once tranquil land were burned into ashes until no household remained. Those who survived were forced into slavery, if they're lucky enough, they may get an adoption from rich families here on Capital."
The merchant behind the big belly man stepped forward and took the girls chin to examine, "So these are rejects?"
The man laughed, "My good Sir, they may not be chosen for those rich households but I bet on my life that they're the finest!" he said
"Pure alphas on line Sir!" He added
The merchant seemed to be unsatisfied and pointed his sharp nail to the girls neck to take out blood and smell it raw if she's really an alpha.
When he was about to, the boy sprung and pushed him away that made him stumble back. "You...!!"
All of them were shocked including the girl, "What are you doing?!"
The boy was glaring at the merchant until he felt his scalp were pulled up and harshly dragged him back, "YOU STUBBORN PEASANT!"
The man who was selling them slapped him with his hard and calloused palm, his right cheek immediately turned red from the loud slap that rung around his ears.
His lips bled.
"Uncle, please! Stop! Stop! It's my fault! My fault! Don't hurt him I beg you!" she begged with his small and slim arms, chains jingling as they moved. Tears flowing down on her eyes, as he begged the man who's in much fury thinking that he'll kill them once he couldn't get enough money for today.
"Enough." said the merchant who fell down on the ground, supported by his companion to stand up.
He dusted off his sleeves and turned to look at the two slaves infront.
"I'll take these two." he announced
They stopped for a moment until the man finally curved a long smile. His anger finally subsided with eternal bliss and approached the merchant politely.
"Should I prepare the contract Sir?" he asked without asking further questions.
The merchant turned to him coldly, "Yes."
The Man became frantic due to his sudden luck! Six taels is enough to bring more servants from the black market and sell it here!
"Sir, why did you suddenly brought them?" his companion asked
They stared at the servants infront of them, they were trembling and obviously scared from the sudden proclamation.
"Due to their blood and tears, I finally smelt their identity and confirmed that they're both alphas." he simply said
His companion immediately understood and nodded but the youths didn't understand his explanation.
How can one person confirm their identity just by smelling?
But amidst the current scene, no one took attention on the third servant beside the youths, who lifted his eyes when the merchant spoke.
If the youths beside him were ugly, he's more miserable since he was more younger than the two servants beside him. Face covered in dirt and mud, clothes tattered and he's more foul than a town's rat.
"G-Good Sirs...what will be our work under you?" suddenly, the girl spoke taking his lifetime courage to ask the question. The boy tried to stop her from talking but it's too late.
The two merchant turned to her, the big belly man smirked, "What do you expect it to be?"
The girl and boy finally felt the real terror overcome them. Their lashes trembling in fear.
However, the other merchant who brought them spoke, "Currently, our organization is conducting research on the hierarchial system. We are experimenting the three main identities, the alpha, beta and omega. We are sorting ways to turn the other into one so we need samples." he explained without hinting any emotion
"We are in demand of Alphas." he said coldly to them
The girl turned to the boy, not understanding what the merchant explained, "Experiment?"
But the boy already realized what he meant by it. He trembled more.
After the war, the country lost a lot of Alpha and couldn't stabilize it's population just by birthing.
Alphas are known to be qualifiers to become excellent leaders. They are the warriors, politicians, ministers and dragons of the country without them, a nation will fall.
That's why they are given more importance than the other two.
Now that the country is in need of them to break the dark age, several legal and illegal organization were producing forbidden measures just to sell the mutated Alphas to rich households and leaders because the more they produce them, the more privilege they were given.
And the boy is well-versed on this matter because of eavesdropping on travelers and common folks while they were on their journey.
And this is just one out of several illegal organization in the black market.
He couldn't utter anymore words.
The exchange and signing of contracts were completed and he still haven't answered the girl's question.
The chains binding the youths were given to the merchants signaling that they are sold off to them.
"Wait!" the girl called when they were about to walk out from the place.
The merchants and the boy turned to her.
"How about him?" she pointed at the third servant who remained on his position. Head hanged low.
The merchant who bought them didn't spared a glance and was about to pull her again but the girl stood firmly, "I heard he's an alpha too! Can you take him??"
They haven't interacted with the third servant since he wasn't speaking any words from the start, he doesn't move nor willing to talk so they weren't sure if he's an alpha but a few servants who knew him told them that he's an alpha.
Due to her attitude, the big belly merchant kicked her knee that made her fall down on the ground, "YOU PEASANT! YOU DARE TO ORDER US AROUND?! YOU EVEN HAVE THE GUTS TO DEMAND SOMETHING?!!" he was an impatient man compared to the other so when he was about to slap her the other merchant stopped him.
"Enough."
He glared at his companion, "You're attracting too much attention."
He then turned to the girl, "Young miss, did you ever thought of smelling one's blood?" he asked
The lady who was still trying to stand supported by the boy shaked her head, she no longer wanted to speak any more words to them.
"Is that so? However, I was gifted by the beholder's nose." he said laughingly
"I can determine if you're an alpha, a beta or not by your blood." he added then stared at the young servant who they didn't chose.
"And I can smell our products without blood. he's not any of the three."
They all turned to him frowning including his partner who was also stunned, "Then..."
He just made a small, fake smile, "However, he's a failed experiment as seen clearly that he became rubbish and ugly so he's no longer in use." he turned his long sleeves away with a calm expression.
"He didn't became a full Alpha so he's blood got dirtied and he is no longer part of the hierarchial system."
"He's an outcast."