Chapter 4: A slave

Rye was stunned into silence after listening to Heren's words.

The cell was musty and the smell that lingered made her want to cover her nose if her hands hadn't been bound in chains.

"Wha-what about you guys?" Rye asked directing her questions at the two remaining people in the cell she hadn't spoken to who looked like humans.

"Aren't you humans? What—"

"I wouldn't if I were you. The guards feed them and draw their blood. They've been in this cell longer than we have," Shiya replied with her gaze on the floor in front of her.

"They are called blood-letters. No body wants men when there are women."

Listening to Shiya's words made a cold chill run down Rye's spine all over again at the thought of what her fate would be.

Part of her found it hard to believe all the words she heard, but another part couldn't think of a reason why the people around her would lie to her.

She was still considering asking Shiya another question, when heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor of the cell.

One that was headed right in their direction.

"Inspection! SPREAD OUT!" Someone yelled, and Rye couldn't help how frightened she felt as she slowly heard the jiggling of chains.

She turned back around and instantly watched everyone in the cell scramble to their feet, almost like they had been sitting on hot coals.

Rye was scared but unable to do anything about it as she watched a man with a dark hood approach her cell and unlock it.

"A female human!" He cooed with a heavy grin on his face as he leaned closer to Rye.

Rye turned to look at him, completely taken aback at what she saw. Deep red eyes stared back at her with a devilish grin that made her want to scream.

Something that could only be seen in nightmares.

But Rye had barely stared up at him for a couple of seconds when she felt a heavy hand fall on her face.

The pain that shot through her cheekbones hurt, but the teeth that flew out of her mouth hurt even more.

Blood dripped out of her mouth as she gasped in shock only to feel another hand descend on her after she raised her head up to ask why.

This time around, the smack on her face was heavy enough to send her sprawling to the ground.

"Stupid Human! How dare you look straight into my eyes? I'ld feed on you if you weren't untouchable," the red-eyes man snapped at her, baring his fangs with a loud sneer.

Everyone else in the cell instinctively bowed their heads a little lower, unwilling to give the guard any excuse to punish them just because he could.

The guard dressed in black, with a small dagger around his waist stepped into the cell and walked around like he was king.

"Clean enough!" He said looking around before his gaze landed on Rye who hadn't found the strength to lift herself from the ground.

"I've eaten but looking at you makes me want to take a bite," he continued in a voice much lower and dangerous than before, as he walked back out of the cell and closed it behind him.

"You're lucky the Auction is Tomorrow evening!"

The others in the cell continued to stare vigorously at the ground around their feet even as they heard him leave until they were confident that it was impossible for him to still return.

Rye could still feel a ringing in her head, as she struggled to swallow the metallic taste of blood on her tongue.

For the first time in her life, she felt mind numbing fear as she recalled the blood-red eyes that had stared at her.

His elongated fangs that promised nothing but pain and horror.

All the questions she planned to ask completely flew out of her head as she cowered at the entrance of the cell.

A jaw numbing pain continued to thrum through the side of her face where her teeth were missing, but above all Rye knew better than to cry.

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A few hours later, just after Rye managed to fall asleep, a loud ringing noise echoed through the entire dungeon, loud enough to wake the prisoners up.

"Wha-what's going on?" Rye scrambled to ask, lifting her head off the metal iron she laid on, her chains too short for her to lay on the ground.

I

"Probably another inspection," Shiya replied with a slightly worried look on her face.

"You heard the guard. An auction is coming up! After the harvest do you rest thing they'll let them rot in the cells?" Sierra asked.

"This might be a good thing for us too. We could get sold," Heren also spoke, with a worried look on her face.

One that looked to be born out of horror than anxiety.

"Wha-what if we get sold to the red's?" Shiya stammered with worry her hand visibly shaking as she asked.

"Are you stupid? They can't drink our blood? Why do you think they buy humans and rear them?" Sierra asked, her tone gentler than before even if the way she spoke was still coarse.

Listening to her words, Rye's horror only increased the moment she heard the words 'Rear'.

"The-they REAR US?" Rye asked her in clear panic, with wide eyes unable to believe her ears.

This time around Shiya who had previously been responsive, looked on the verge of tears and simply looked away leaning closer to her sister.

"Yes. They only buy Hornel's like me and Santors, people with wings like Shiya, as playthings," Heren said, surprising Rye who hadn't expected her to speak.

"Hornel's?"

Instead of responding, Heren raised her hands to lift her hair, showing small horns that had Rye staring in shock.

To her, Heren's horns only served to confirm that that whatever nightmare she assumed she found herself in was actually real.

'Hornels are like orcs, Santors are like big fairies, does that mean that reds are like Vampires?' Rye thought to herself.

Different thoughts were still flashing through her mind when the sounds of multiple footsteps echoed through the previously silent corridors.

Followed by loud voices.

"GET THEM OUT AND INTO THE PUBLIC BATscrE CAN'T HAVE THEM STINKING UP THE PLACE!"

The orders had barely echoed out when screams followed.

"LINE UP!" Heren snapped getting on her feet with the others doing the same behind her, moving as fast as they could.