Chapter 197: Aurle
Sleep came easy, for once. The cage was warm, dry, and most importantly, still. My body ached from the endless jostles of the road, but the pain rapidly faded as my eyes fell and I plunged into unconsciousness. The blackness was a looming, heavy thing, so deep even the nightmares failed to find me. The harsh clang of metal rolled through my slumber, drawing me from the dark depths and back to the waking world. The source of the noise was the large iron door at the top of the stairwell leading to the ground-level floor. Light sprung from the crystals as the figure descended, carrying a large box. Two tufted ears stuck out above the load, and a gray wolf tail dragged behind him.
Regardless of whether they were awakened by the noise or the light, slaves began to stir, groaning and stretching in their cages. The Wolfkin began passing breadstuff through the bars. A few other slaves followed him down the stairs, bearing buckets of water, and followed him around the room, giving the slaves a ladle of water each.
The vast majority of the slaves were female, mostly girls barely old enough to be considered women, with quite a few younger than myself. They all had the same, fearful eyes, darting about constantly as though terrified of every shadow. The men were all tall and heavily muscled and were typically Beastkin of stronger races, like bears or wolves. Unlike the women, they carried themselves confidently, crossing their arms or leaning casually against the slave bars, awaiting their food. No one was fat, but only the new arrivals were starved and malnourished.
An empty cage occupied the space to my right, a young girl no older than myself on the left. She had long, brown hair and soft, tufted fox ears. Her reddish fox tail was tipped with white and held a beautiful, silky sheen, as though she brushed it often. She turned, sensing my gaze, her eyes darting nervously until she got a good look at me, and she leaned over.
"Are you alright?" she asked, voice soft with concern.
I froze, glancing at the slaves administering food, but no one seemed to care that she spoke. In fact, everyone was talking, and not only in low whispers. Did they not care if the master heard them?
"You must be one of the new arrivals," she continued, giving me a reassuring smile. "Things are a little different around here than you might be used to. Master has a lot of slaves, but he treats us relatively well, so long as we remain obedient. That slave," she gestured at the one chained to the wall, "Forgot to bow, but he should have got off with only a whipping. Master just strung him up as an example to the newcomers."
I nodded slowly, eyes tracing the faintly rising chest of the man. I knew how brutal it was to remain tied in that position for a night. It was incredible he was even still alive.