The sitting room had three other occupants: two men and a woman, all humans, all comfortably dressed. They all looked up from their lounging positions as I walked in.

  “Think I might be in the wrong room.” I turned only to have the silent girl shut the door in my face. Right room, then.

  “Well, this is awkward. Hi, my name is ‘Aris,’ and I’m a slave.” My AA reference was clearly missed by the lounging three, which meant that they were either locals or fine upstanding folk. Either way, I was out of my element. I thrived with the gritty and dirty.

  The man to the left, draped in light purple clothing and equally draped across a small couch, was the first to speak up.

  “Ah. A new candidate.”

  I went to bow in his direction when I caught the telltale glimpse of a slave collar gracing his neck. This was a waiting room, not an evaluation. Well, the glances from the other two said I was being evaluated, but not in an official capacity.

  "Greetings, gents! M’lady.” I gave a gentle nod and a bow at each in turn, scanning the room for a place to sit. I spied a luxurious green chair with a nice cushy ottoman for my still bare feet. I probably should invest in shoes at some point, but after so many years without them, I could probably manage, at least for a little time. I sauntered over, yes, sauntered, and gently relaxed into the chair, releasing the required groan in the process. This was apparently the wrong answer, as all three of the others seemed to be upset by this.

  “How dare you!” exclaimed the woman in an offended tone. She was in her late twenties to early thirties and wearing a nicer dress tailored to show off what was left of her good looks. She still had plenty, but you could tell that her best years were behind her.

  “You would best know how to behave amongst your betters’ slave, lest I have you beaten. I am Elric, son of Lord Elman. My family owns the mines of….”

  “Oh shut it. Hide them as much as you like, but I can see your collars as clear as day, just like mine. Betters? Pah. We are at best the same. And judging by Blondie’s over-the-hill looks, I'm thinking I got dropped off into the bargain bin.” I was not looking for allies, and I couldn’t stand people who instantly thought they were better than others. Sure, we aren’t all created equally, but that doesn't mean you must be an ass about it.

  “Looks like he has both your numbers, Elric, Margarite.” He nodded in their direction before continuing.

  “I apologize for their behavior, friend. I’m Alton, and probably the only one here who might be your better. Awakened, two nodes. And you are?” Alton definitely had the look of an awakened. He just seemed to have a healthier glow about him, compared to the others. Awakened had a healthier look, so he could have been fifty for all he looked twenty-five. Much younger than my now late thirties. I realized in that moment that I had missed my fortieth birthday…fuck.

  “Greetings, Alton. I’m Aris, and also kinda clueless about what all this is. I was found and bound in a dungeon where I had been for at least a cycle. I have no memory of how I got there or what happened before. But it is a pleasure to meet your kind visage and hope you do have some pity for our situations are clearly unequal.”

  “Indeed. I at least know why I am here.”

  “Not this again….”

  “Honestly, I hope it’s true, and someone pays your bounty. At least we will be rid of you then.” Margarite was brutally dismissive in her tone.

  “Well, my friend, hopefully you are freed soon and none the worse for wear from your situation.” I wanted to return the kindness that Alton had already shown. As pretentious as his statement may have been about being better, he said it with a clear ‘but it doesn't matter’ tone. If he was lying, I was out a few words. If he was telling the truth, I was creating a minor ally. It was probably time I started making allies. Not counting Vex, I had a grand total of zero. I had enemies for sure, especially in the Monster Hunters, and the Emir soon enough. I’d never been the likable sort, really. I had a few solid friends, but mostly kept to myself. I had acquaintances from my engineering job, but my actual friends were from before that.

  I’d been gone for years and hadn’t talked to most of them for a while before that, too. I wonder if any of them knew I was even gone. That was what we were like, though. We could go years between even speaking, but when we did, it was like we saw each other yesterday. My thoughts must have shown on my face because the ridicule came in hot and fast.

  “Awe…it looks like he is going to cry. Does the poor property miss his mommy?”

  Margarite was not a kind soul and had a bitter tongue. I didn’t miss ‘my mommy’, I missed my friends. My brothers. But the fuck if I would let this bitch get to me.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Nah…..just sad thinking that you are all I would have to fuck from here on out. But it could be worse. I’m not sure how, but I’m sure it could be. Speaking of…what do female Bulkin look like? I’m trying to imagine ‘sexy cow’, but all I can see with that is you. So fucking depressing!”

  She was rightfully pissed. She had that ticking time bomb mixed with a kettle about to blow look. I knew that look. I knew just the smirk to set it off. I let her have that, too.

  If this were a game, that smirk would have been a critical success. I processed that in the time it took her to launch from the chair. It was like she was moving in slow motion. It looked like all the training with Mord was effective.

  I could see her punch coming, and I was pretty sure I had enough time to make a sandwich before it landed. Instead, I debated my options. I could let her hit me. I could dodge. I could counter. The last one would probably kill her. I don’t think the Emir or her current owners would be displeased. Normally I would go for that, but…enemies..so yeah. Dodge or Tank then. Dodge might give too much away. Letting her hit me would also. She had one of the worst punch forms ever, and I had a mithril-lined skeleton. This was going to be funny.

  That was how Aurthur and his gnoll companion found us. I’m smiling, and she’s nursing a broken hand. Yes, broken. I not only heard the bones crack and snap, but I was so focused on her hand, my aura vision allowed me to see inside for once—two fractures of the metacarpals and a fair share of pain.

  “Ouch….oh hi, Aurthur!”

  I saw my first Gnoll grin. It looked mildly menacing but also friendly. Honestly, he looked like one of those videos of a smiling dog. The creature next to Aurthur seemed to find the whole situation funny. Aurthur? Not so much.

  “Enough.” His voice was quiet but brooked no disobedience.

  “Miss, any self-inflicted damage will be deducted from your final sale price. Your violent tendencies have already depreciated that price as much as your age. I would mind that you don’t lower it further.”

  Margarite looked like she was going to snap back at what I was assuming was the head slave or at least our minder, but came to her senses before she let the retort fly. I’m certain we could all see it still on the tip of her tongue.

  “And you!” he turned on me.

  “Quit damaging the Emir’s Property! I will deduct her healing from your purchase.”

  “Oh! No! The Horror! Please don’t! Don’t take money from the people who stole me and captured me against my will. If I kill her, will you charge them?” I'm pretty sure the sarcasm was thick enough without the last part, but I'm not one to leave things half-way done.

  “I would. But I would also probably kill you before you could close the distance.”

  Bet. I still wasn’t sure I could walk out of here on a bridge of bodies, nor did I know how strong Aurthur was, nor how many guards would come after me.

  “Apologies, Sir. Though the guild’s rule makes sense now. I doubt that I could even hate those who placed this on my neck.” I grabbed at my collar to emphasize the point.

  “It’s a rule for a reason. The Emir’s collars are more comfortable…for some.”

  He looked down at the poor woman still holding her hand.

  “We will visit the healer on the way. You all have to be checked for health anyway. No sense paying top dollar for damaged goods.”

  “That hurts almost as much as her hand did.”

  “Judging by the results, I would expect very little. Martial training on a cook is rare. Care to explain?”

  “I never said I was a cook, just that I could.”

  “It was also said you have no memory. Apparently, some self-defense made it through the wipe.”

  “She punches like a girl.”

  “What does that even mean? Never mind, we are moving on.” He waved away my answer to my comment before it formed. It made me think that my predispositions on gender norms might be atypical here. Equality…I liked it. I knew firsthand that it wasn’t set in stone. I’d seen enough women on my level or better that equality was a given.

  Aurthur quickly gathered us up. The other two drug Margarite up from the floor and brought her along as I fell in behind Aurthur. The gnoll took up the rear. Our trip was quick down a few corridors and up a flight of stairs. We walked into a small room with a simple cot and a white dressed gnoll.

  I had been in enough infirmaries to know this was one. It had the slight medicinal smell of a third-world hospital, and the meticulously clean cot was a giveaway. The white dressed gnoll had the look of a doctor, but without the usual accouterments like a stethoscope or even one of the weird mirror things. I wasn’t able to determine either of the gnoll’s genders until she, the doctor, spoke.

  “Checking new stock, yes?”

  “If you would kindly. And heal the woman.”

  She, the gnoll, took hold of Margarite, who suddenly appeared terrified. Margarite tried to resist the gnoll’s grasp and direction to sit on the cot, but it was futile. The doctor was strong, Awakened or Ascended strong. Margarite’s resistance was as effective as her punch.

  The Doctor held the human’s injured hand between her hands….paws…hands…yes, hands. She closed her eyes, and there was a brief flash of white light from her hands. The relief on her eyes was evidence of the magic that had occurred. I wasn’t paying enough attention to catch the spell, and they were both just outside my aura’s range.

  The doctor placed her hand on Margarite’s forehead and closed her eyes. After another flash, I missed. She seemed done with the human. She moved to Alton and Elric, next doing the same forehead press, which I assumed was some scan or check status spell or skill. She came to me next, and it was over before I could even begin to focus on it. I wouldn’t have minded a healing or scanning rune, or even to get a clue to what they looked for. While I was kicking myself internally, the doctor delivered her report.

  “Herm…..good stock… healthy, yes. Healed broken bones in the woman and the men are well. This one feels ‘off’, not unhealthy; it is very healthy. It’s just off. Not natural. Meh…humans weird..is still good…yes. All good. No health issues.”

  “Thanks, doc!”

  “Indeed, thank you, Healer Ker’n,” Aurthur even bowed in Karen‘s direction.

  “Is part of what is paid for, yes? Plus helps gain potential. Is win-win, yes.”

  Aurthur simply bowed again and led us out of the room. Margarite almost pushed him out of the way once she felt the way was clear. I don’t know why, but she was afraid of gnolls, really afraid. It made me wonder if she knew that the Emir was a gnoll. She had been kind of a bitch. I couldn’t wait for that moment. As we continued on, I knew it was coming closer.