Little lady of the ______

Four days and three nights, that's how long the travel of the human slave traders took along with the beastlings captured to reach the Red Kingdom. And in the middle of the day, they arrived on just the outside of the gates.

The group formed in line along with other parties, jingling their treasures that they took, sold or bought. They preferably to be called merchenaries and such, but from their looks, they shouldn't be trusted.

The men in the wagon went out for a stretch living the children alone. Alyce peeks through a small hole of the walls, blinded by the warm sun that suddenly hits his eyes. He squinted and as his sight adjusted to his surroundings, he found himself infront of a wall.

High walls that were built with high quality bricks and stones, sturdy guards that communicates to the the humans who wishes to pass through. It really was like a fantasy game world to him, humans with beast traits, everything seems like a victorian structures, and the guards were dressed in black and red suits with hearts and jacks as a design.

'Kind of like the guards in Alice in Wonderland', he muttered with a chuckle. Alyce was busy with his thoughts alone. Ella beside him just stared blank, too confused to ask. "I wonder what could he be chuckling about?", she wondered.

The wagon did began moving forward, the two men that went out hurriedly came back in. Slapping their whips infront of the trembling children. "Shut yer trap if you don't want a beating!", exclaimed as their hits slammed loud on the floor.

All the children grew silent as the men wishes so, passing through the gates without any inspection of checking the belongings, Alyce found it weird. But what he did find it so weird was when a joyous conversation entered the grumpy moods of the soldiers towards the people who abducted them. As if they never exist, even though some sniffle and lot of squeaking of the wood was heard.

They was out of suspicion once they entered the gate, Alyce truly didn't know what is happening and decided to peek through the same hole again.

'It wouldn't hurt to take a peek right? After all humans here seems stupid to me. Unless they're the only ones.'

The boy who continued to widen his eyes from the hole got grab suddenly by his ears, he groaned as his ears were harshly pulled backwards down to the ground.

"Nice try but I ain't letting you go, even if you are a rare specie", a man holding him captive decided to pull his ears more. Such abusement on the child's body the others grew scared. Alyce winced on the pain as if he felt his ears tearing, Ella panicked and grew scared. Not knowing what exactly she would do but still to shut up and just stare down the ground avoiding the man's gaze.

He took a long cloth and tied it around Alyce's eyes, tightening the knot so it cannot be removed. Alyce was left by the man with no vision. But he can feel. His world is all black, only hearing noises and chills ran up to his body as the wagon moved.

'Cursed that man, I hate blindfolds. Hate this stupid world, hate that Ja--!', Alyce continued on cursing under his breath until small pair of hands clasped unto his. It wasn't that warm but it's not cold either. "I-I'll be your e-eyes Alyce", a trembling voice piped up from his side, no other than Ella sitting across him.

'Alyce felt the faint warmth on her hands and calmed down. Perhaps she was scared and worried about me too, huh as if someone will come worry for me. But this is nice...'

Alyce sat comfortably on the dirty floor while holding Ella's hands. Sorta squeeze her's in shock followed up by a little yelp from her, but they didn't mind at all. It was then that the journey came to an end when the wagon stopped.

Weights one by one left the wagons, Alyce also felt it. The blurred dark figures were hard to spot assuming the environment was also pitch-black.

'Who could have known, all I wish now was to become an owl. I can't see anything!'

Suddenly a faint screams and shouting was heard on the other side of the room. Everyone turned their heads to where the noise came from. The noise grew louder and louder as they also heard a lot of grunting and struggles.

The heavy footsteps stop just in front of the door. The door was busted open by a huge boot that kicks it. The little children stared out as what they saw was a small pink puffy gown rest over the shoulder of a man. Like a worm, it squirms too fast that the man started grunting as it got careless on the hold, where the little thing plups on the ground.

It squeeks in the most high pitch girl voice annoying the man who now drop it. It revealed that it was actually a young girl in a pink dress. The girl tried to stand up but she was dragged behind by her collar by the man.

Relying on hearing and feels alone, a figure started to approach their cage. Alyce felt Ella's back pressed against his chest, shoving herself closer to him. 'She must have been spooked by something that's walking toward us', Alyce stated on his mind. Putting his left arm around the girl's waist and the other raising itself to prepare an attack.

The door of their cage opened creating a long screeching sound, the man threw the girl inside the cage along with the two inside. The man then noticed Alyce still on his blindfold, deciding to take it off as it brought him no harm since they've already arrived in their destination.

He pulled the cloth upwards and uncovered Alyce's eyes. He blinked a couple of times before adjusting his sight in an almost pitch black room. Thankfully the man exited the wagon with his lamp still bright in the room. His eyes went around until landing on a brunette infront of him.

The girl was small and thin, dressed in a puffy dress that took over half of the space of its cage. The two children didn't know what to do as what they watched the girl dusted herself away with the dirt. It wasn't long until her eyes came into contact with the blonde.

The two just look at each other when Ella broke the silence, she wave her hands infront of Alyce and he shook it off. Same for the girl who did a "hmph" and turned her head to the side. Alyce look at the girl, observing more he look up her head seeing there was no ears nor tail attached to her.

'Dear God why am I always placed around humans. Can't I stay with someone like my own kind?', he whimpered on a thought. The brunette however just stared at him as if waiting for an explanation. But until when she spoke first, "So why are you in a cage?".

Alyce stared at her then replied, "Aren't you aware that you got kidnapped by slave traders?". "Oh so I was kidnapped? Cool", she blurted out.

'Hold up, how is that cool? She literally got taken away and thrown in a cage and that is cool? She got serious thoughts there', he snickered on the thought knowing himself would also think like that.

"So are you a human?", Alyce asked the obvious. "Duh", she said in a manner as she look around taking up stares and whispers from the others in their cage. She didn't lash out crying or screaming as she was place in a cage with other beastlings. Most humans do. But she paid no mind at all, she stood up emerging from the puffy dress that spluttered on the floor. And in somewhat, she look like a lady, probably a noble?

Alyce look at the little lady trying to unlock the cage by banging herself to it. A few bangs more when a man came out of the door, shouting at the girl. She was noisy so she probably deserves it, is what Alyce had thought.

If only he was a little bigger he can bust himself out of the cage, but that wouldn't happen right?

The girl soon sat down as she panted heavily, she sat with her legs apart, slouched back and a big yawn took over her face. Totally not a noble lady with that manner. She finally look at Ella and Alyce who sat on her opposite side. She crawled towards Ella who scrambled on my chest. Being cautious as she was that she even not took a bat in the eye to look at the little lady.

"You got pretty eyes", the little lady said.

'I'm sorry what? I can't even see a glimpse of her face in the whole journey. And your saying you can see her eyes?', Alyce thought as he shockingly gazed at the two. Ella mumbled a few words that didn't seem to reach the ears of Alyce. He actually can't hear a thing, yet the little lady infront of him sat while nodding her head. As if she can really hear Ella.

'Is it possible only them can converse? I mean they are same of gender', Alyce thought. Can't really understand girls, the two little ladies giggled in their conversation, chatter mostly. Alyce who knew nothing just stayed quiet and layed his back on the walls. Soon drifting off.

The little lady noticed the soft boy snoozing on the side. "Was he always this quiet?", she asked. "Maybe? Alyce was always quiet unless the humans come to harrass us", Ella responded shortly. "Alyce?", the lady asked while Ella nodded many times.

The lady can tell little Ella seem proud or always happy when Alyce was brought up in their conversation as she fidgets or blushes a little. She learned many things in just a few hours from Ella. The dark outside slowly faded into a warm orange color as the time passes by. Basically dawn.

And it was that moment Ella dozed off, the little lady shrugged it off, happy to have made a new friend. She eyed the boy from afar, gazing at the boy who seemed like a warm and kind person, stretch her arms and gently touch the ears of the boy. She observed, it was fluffy and white, just like the rabbits that she read on a book. "Fascinating", she whispered.

Wanting to touch more, she slid her fingers across his ears, Alyce's other ear went flappingly as she pet his other. She giggled softly, then leaned her body on the right shoulder of Alyce. Making herself comfy, she joined in the slumber of the other two, not wanting to waste any more hours.

And of course, Alyce felt two sacks of whatever leaned on each of his shoulders.