"Load them up!" a slaver ordered.

    Sylvie, along with a long line of slaves, were being loaded into a cargo ship. A month ago, Shekira was also sent away to slave auctions and who replaced her spot was a strange, tree-like alien who never spoke and only moved when working. To tell the truth, Sylvie was quite relieved to hear she would be getting a new master to work for. Three months at this slave camp had become boring and tiresome, now she was leaving and there was hope of getting a kind master.

    Her body had become muscle-hardened and fit to work any kind of job; though she missed her delicate and pale hands, and her unscarred skin. Once the prisoners were all accounted for in the cargo bay, she overheard them say something about traveling to some sort of moon called Oppidus.

    A tall, falcon-like man strode through the busy streets of the city moon Oppidus. He was headed to ready his booth for another day of open market. The lines were backed up through the city streets, but that was not a problem for this salesman as he spread his wings and swooped over the crowd.

    Smoothly landing in front of his booth, he heard a whip's ugly crack and turned to see that the slave actions where once again in business. Ugh, those cursed slavers have more captives. Why do some people have cold hearts? He tossed his feathered head in disgust as he saw a slaver jerk the ropes that sent a slave, face-planting onto the stage. After that slave was sold, the auctioneer shouted from the booth, "Now we have a special treat for a high bidding customer!"

    What do you have now Capintime? the falcon man thought, crossing his black feathered wings, which were streaked with grey from aging. Capintime, the head of slave auctions, came every year and he would have some sort of exotic alien from light years away. One reason why he always had so many spectators was because they were interested in what species of intelligent lifeforms he found. The crowd gasped as he pulled a real life human, dressed in rags, onto the stool.

    Sylvie tossed her hair out of her face and scanned the crowd. To her discomfort, they looked like a bunch of washed up alien thugs. She watched as the bidding grew higher and higher:

    "Fifty!"

    "Seventy!"

    "One hundred!"

    It is amazing how much I am worth... She thought as the bidding went into the hundreds. There was one alien who had bid seven hundred until a loud, masculine voice was heard above the bickering, "One thousand!"

    The girl looked over the horde of people, Who said that?

    "Going once, going twice, sold to the falcon hybrid!"

    Sylvie's ropes were handed over to the falcon humanoid and he led her away from the crowd, to a small booth, where interesting trinkets and other items were being sold. He turned to face her and used his beak to cut the bonds around her wrists. She rubbed the red marks the ropes had left behind, her wrist and hands tingling from the circulation being freed.

    "You are free child, but you need to stay with me,"

    "Yes master,"

    "Oh you need not call me 'master' call me Adelar. Listen, I know this is most likely all new to you so let me explain. Some people here hate humans to the point they will do everything in their power to kill you."

    Sylvie's emerald eyes widened with fear, "Why?"

    "I shall tell you later, right now, just trust me," he placed the end of his wing on her shoulder.

    Adelar led her into the booth and hid her until the market closed. Then, he grabbed her gently, aware of his taloned feet and soared towards his home as the sun was setting.