Hero watched the younger kids giggling with excitement as they waited in the wagon at the center of the Imperial City near the amphitheater.

                     Only the ones who had done well and seemingly had been washed clean of their old lives had been taken along. Hero had been told more than once that he was a good student but this was mostly because he wanted to stay out of trouble. Now he wished he had gotten bad grads like Maringa.

                     The children were soon unloaded from the wagon and taken behind a curtain on the stage. The teachers had passed them over to a black bear at the base of the mountain and they had been with him ever since.

                     He had a harsh whip but hadn't had to use it. It was easy to fool the smaller children who were oblivious to what was going on. Some had been told they were going to a new school, others that they were going to see their parents. Hero had been told to behave and to keep quiet. Lying to a fifteen year old in that way was pointless. Nonetheless they hadn't had to use chains at this stage.

                     The auctioneer, a stork strolled the line, grabbing details about each child. When he came to Hero he stopped.

                     "This one is a little big isn't he?" he asked adjusting his glasses.

                     "I was told to bring him," the black bear said. "He was supposed to be sent to the palace but the Empress went behind Cato's back and told the Head Mistress that the Emperor changed his mind.

                     "I see," the stork said tucking his clipboard beneath his wing. "Well don't expect the bids to be high on that one." He turned away from them and strolled through the curtain. It was a cold cruel day for this and Hero wanted it to be over so he could curl up and be warm; wherever that was.

                     "Ladies and gentlemen!" the stork announced on the other side of the curtain. "I am pleased to bring you this year's winter auction fresh from the mountain reform academy!" There were few applause, most were too bundled up.

                     The stork tapped his podium and the curtain swung open.

                     The stork grabbed a young male fox and dragged him up front. "We'll began the bidding at two hundred bucks."

                     From that moment on the auction sped by. The stork spoke fast, so fast Hero thought he was speaking another language. The various animals of Mount Lions waved their money in the air.

                     "Sold! Sold! Sold! Claim your purchase sir, claim your purchase ma'am."

                     Hero watched the children get lifted or snatched off the stage. Some were paired with children their age to spend their lives as eternal playmates. Others were sized up for hard labor.

                     Looking into the crowd Hero scanned the faces. His eyes went beyond the crowd to the Mounts going about their business in the snow covered city. His eyes caught sight of Zebra in a military uniform walking with a little leopard girl in tow.

                     She looked back at the auction block as he pulled her along. Hero watched them until they disappeared behind a stall selling wagon wheels.

                     "Hey kid!" The black bear barked for the second time. "You're up."

                     Hero inched forward slowly with his head and tail low. The black bear kicked him and he stumbled forward receiving a gasp from the crowd and a few laughs.

                     "Our last one for the season. We'll start the bidding at sixty dollars."

                     Hero scanned the crowd. No one was raising their hands. Most had already dispersed by now.

                     "Going once."

                     Hero looked at the black bear who was spitting on the ground.

                     "Going twice."

                     He looked at a little boar girl being put into the back of a wagon with the name of some plantation written on it.     

                     BANG!

                     The gavel hit the podium and he looked at the stork.

                     "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen that will end our auction for the season, I hope to see you in the spring. Hail Emperor Cato!"

/

                     Four days it took to get to the Imperial City and four days it took to get back to the reform school in the mountains.  He was brought back in chains. On his arrival Awash and Maringa, who was doing a lot better, rushed up to him.

                     "Hero, I don't believe they brought you back," Awash said. "But I'm glad you're here."

                     Hero gave a half hearted smile then looked up the hall. The emu Head Mistress stood there with her ruler and that permanent scowl she always wore.

                     "I'll see you in my office," she said.

                     Both Awash and Maringa gave worried looks, but Hero drew himself up and followed Head Mistress up the hall. She led him to the second floor to the opposite side of the school he and the other male children used but still away from the girls. They passed a room with a piano and red curtains and another door that was closed.

                     The wallpaper up the hall was striped in two shades of green and the wall was decorated with various portraits of the Emperor and Empress. At the end of the hall Head Mistress opened the mahogany door to her office and led Hero in.

                     Leaving the door open behind them for circulation Head Mistress took a seat behind the desk while Hero sat on the other. She put on a pair of small framed glasses then picked up some paper on her desk and thumbed through them.

                     Hero looked around the room. There was a window directly behind Head Mistress with heavy burgundy curtains that had been tied to either side with gold cords. On one side was a velvet arm chair with a matching footrest and on the other an instrument in its case. The wall to the left had a painting of a garden but it was partially covered by shelves and many books of various colors and sizes. The wallpaper its self was a floral burgundy and green design.

                     The right wall was covered with awards, trophies and certificates and a photograph of Head Mistress with the Empress surrounding a glowing fireplace that was warming the room. On either sides of it were white doors.

                     "Hero," Head Mistress spoke, immediately getting his attention. When he looked at her she was holding out a small stack of papers.

                     Hero took it from her and looked at it. The top page had a photo of him from the front and both sides. He barely remembered that happening on the day of his arrival. He had been so tired and it showed in the picture.

                     Beneath that were his statistics including his place of origin. Hero ran his finger over the name of his homeland.

                     "Do you know what that is?" Head Mistress asked.

                     Hero looked up at her. "My file?"

                     "Yes," the emu said. "Now turn the page," she added averting her attention elsewhere as she did.

                     Hero flipped back the first pages and saw a bunch of numbers. If he hadn't learned Mount he would have never realized they were actually prices.

                     "Do you know what those prices are?" Head Mistress asked and Hero hesitated to answer. "They are your expenses." Head Mistress said. "Medical, food, clothing, pencils, paper..." She looked over her frames. "To put it bluntly, you are in debt to this school and since your auction didn't bring any money we have no way to pay it."

                     Hero's lips parted but nothing came out.

                     "Yes?" Head Mistress pressed.

                     "The Emperor," Hero said. "He was paying for me—"

                     "He changed his mind, and left you on us." Head Mistress said. "You were very expensive Hero, getting you ready for life in the palace." She leaned back in her chair. "Since you were unable to sell at auction you have now become property of this school. You will work for your room and board.

                     She got up from her desk and took his file from him. "You will work off your debt to this school for as long as I say so." She went over to the fire and without a moment of hesitation, tossed the file in. "You will thank me one day. Anything is better than the Quarry of Special Purpose."

                     Hero watched as the ends of the paper began to burn and curl before the entire page was engulfed.

/

                     The steps creaked as Hero and Awash climbed them dragging a bag of straw. The stairwell was bare with one small window that was too filthy to really see out of. A storm was brewing outside and it was going to be a cold night. Even colder now that he'd be sleeping in the attic. They had to make room for more children coming into the school and since he had failed to be auctioned he was moved out.

                     At the top of the stairs Hero pushed open the dilapidated door that didn't even have a knob. It creaked open and swayed on its hinges.

                     Hero looked around the room. A single naked light sung from the ceiling over a dirty floor. There were headboards and a mirror piled up against the longer exterior wall. The smaller wall had an octagon window covered in spider webs that over looked the grounds.

                     Hero walked into his room dropping his bag of straw as he looked around. It was such a large contrast to Head Mistress' office.

                     "It sure is drafty up here." Awash said wrapping his arms around himself. "I'm sorry it turned out for you this way, Hero." He tried smiling to cheer his leopard friend up.

                     Hero sat down on the sack of straw. "I feel worse for the children that were bought he said. "At least I know what's going to happen to me."

                     Awash joined him on the straw. "There's an old saying that my father taught me. He used to say, Spring is Earth's joy and summer her rebellion, autumn is her sorrow and winter her forgiveness." Awash said. "Our spring is unheard of, our summer long gone and our winter has yet to arrive. We are stuck in the eternal autumn. Blown about like leaves on a course unknown. We do not know what the end will be, only that it will end...come winter or not."

                     Hero wiped is eyes and Awash hugged him.

                     "You remember what I told you when you first came here?" he asked, "Well it stands the same. I'm still busting out and you're welcome to come with me. The three of us will be like leaves in autumn...destination anywhere."