Their was silence in the cage. The other three humans inside barely moved, just watched them with tired, eyes. Kai felt the rough straw under his hands, the itch of the rope still around his neck. Briar slowly reached out, his hand trembling, and untied the knot around his own throat, then carefully helped Kai with his. The relief was instant, but he still felt the rope's burns.
"We... we have to get out of here," Briar whispered, his voice tremoring.
"How?" Kai mumbled, looking around at the thick, bars and the large cage they were in then at the other defeated faces.
A quiet cough came from the man huddled in the corner. His beard was long and his clothes were dirty. A young woman, barely more than a girl, with blonde braided hair, looked at them with a strange, blank stare.
Kai swallowed hard. "Where... where are you all from?"
The third person, a younger man, moved closer. "From all over this miserable island. We thought we were safe too." He pointed at the young woman with the blond hair. "She's from the coast. I'm from the northern hills. That one," he gestured to the older man, "His village was near a big river. They come from everywhere."
Kai's mind wandered. All over the island? He'd always thought their village was practically the only hidden group. Were there others like Ceruss, who freed the slaves but from other villages?
The quiet was broken the next morning by the return of the same dark Lizardman. His dull yellow eyes scanned over them again as he entered the building. He carried thick, crude ropes. He knew what was coming.
The Lizardman didn't say anything. He just opened the metal door, shut it, then roughly looped the ropes around their necks. Briar looked pale and scared, but he met Kai's eyes and gave a small, nod. Stay strong, maybe he was trying to say.
Once everyone had a rope, the Lizardman herded them out of the building and into the main path of the village. It was busier now, with more Lizardmen moving about, carrying bundles or tools. Kai tried to keep his head down, but his eyes darted everywhere. He saw Lizardmen vendors selling strange, colorful fruits and what looked like dried meat from large stalls. Young Lizardmen, no bigger than him, tumbled and played near some huts, screeching playfully.
They walked past more buildings, some made of wood, others looking similar to the ones in his home village. he smelled very new things – unfamiliar spices, something like rotten fish, and the musk of the Lizardmen themselves.
Briar stumbled, and the Lizardman behind him gave a sharp tug on his rope, pulling him along without care. Kai had to stop himself from saying anything.
Finally, they arrived at a large, open area in the center of the village. Many large, wooden structures with open fronts stood there, each containing cages. These cages were smaller, and they looked more sturdy, like they were made to last. They were arranged by size and condition, clearly marking different prices.
There were five people in already existing cages. Two men and three women. The lizardman brought Kai to an open cage, opened the metal barred door, and pushed him in. He stumbled forward, his hands hitting the rough wood floor of the cage. "Ack!" he let out a muffled yelp. It was a tight space, barely wide enough for him to stand. He heard the metal door clang shut behind him, the heavy bolt sliding, locking it. He was alone in this small box, watching as the dark Lizardman moved to the next cage.
He saw Briar being pushed into a similar cage, right next to his. He was terrified. Their eyes met for a second. We're separated, Kai thought. Then, another cage was opened, and the young man who had spoken to Kai earlier was forced inside, just a few spaces down. The older man, was led to a much smaller cage further down the line. Its price tag, Kai imagined, must be lower. His own cage felt bigger, and the bars were thicker, and he noticed a painted symbol of a star on the bottom front edge of the cage. It was a darker shade and larger. Was he worth more? Because of his youth. "Don't worry Briar!" He yelled out. "We'll figure this out." He looked into his cage which was adjacent to Kai's.
He heard the distant voice of that darker lizardman. "Quiet down." He was probably sitting nearby, waiting for a customer.
Briar face stayed neutral. "I really hope. I can't believe this."
He thought about how suddenly this happened, and how everyone was going to wonder where he was. He was feeling strangely embarrassed and felt bad for his parents.
They would be looking for him by now. His mother would be sick with worry. His father would be trying to stay calm, but Kai knew he would be organizing a search party, even if it was just within the village walls. And Adelaide… she would be angry at first, but then even she would get worried. It was a feeling worse than the fear. It was shame. This was all his fault.
He pressed his face against the rough wooden bars of his cage again, the splinters digging into his cheek. Outside, the Lizardmen market was busy. Most of them walked past the cages without a second look. This was just a normal day for them, apparently. A few stopped, looked over the human slaves, then moved on.
Kai slid down until he was sitting, his back against the bars facing the shut metal cage door.
"Briar," he whispered, his voice dry. "Are you there?"
"Yeah," came the quiet reply from the other side. "I'm here."
"If we get separated," Kai said, trying to keep his voice steady, "we have to have a plan."
"A plan? Kai, we're in a box." Briar's voice was flat, all the adventure gone from it.
"I know, but listen," Kai insisted, pressing his ear closer to the gap between the wood. "If you get a chance, any chance at all, you run. Don't wait for me. Just run towards where the sun rises. That has to be east, away from the hills on the island. Maybe you can find the forest edge again."
"Okay," Briar finally said, though it sounded like he didn't believe it would work. "You too. Don't be an idiot and try to be a hero. Just run. I know it sucks for these people but trying to save them right now will only get you caught and killed."
"Yeah," Kai responded with a defeated sigh.
They had no idea where they were. But saying it felt a little better than saying nothing at all.
The day dragged on. The sun was hot, and there weren't any visible clouds in the sky. No one gave them water. As the sun began to set, a younger Lizardman came by and slid a thin, flat piece of hard bread and a wooden bowl of cloudy water through a slot at the bottom of each cage. It tasted like dirt, but Kai ate and drank every last bit.
The market emptied as it became dark, and the night was filled with the chirping of insects and the occasional hiss or grunt from a nearby hut. Kai couldn't sleep. He just sat in the dark, listening to the quiet breathing of the other humans trapped around him.
The next morning, it started again. Lizardmen walking by, some stopping to look. Early in the day, a large Lizardman with dull green scales bought one of the men who had been there before them. The transaction was quick. A look, a grunt, a small bag of stones exchanged. The cage was opened and the man was led away, his head down.
A few hours later, a Lizardman wearing stained robes bought one of the women. She went quietly, not even looking back.
Then, a family stopped in front of Briar's cage. A male, a female, and two children. They pointed and chattered. Kai's heart hammered against his ribs.
The dark-scaled guard came over. The buyer inspected Briar, poking at his shoulders and looking at his hands, the children especially. Another pouch of stones was handed over.
"No," Kai whispered, gripping the bars of his cage.
The guard unlocked Briar's door. Briar was pulled out, stumbling into the path. He looked back at Kai, his eyes wide with pure terror. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Then the Lizardman pulled his rope, and he was led away, disappearing into the crowd.
Kai stared at the empty cage next to his. It was just an empty box now. He was alone. He gripped the bars so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"You bastards," he muttered under his breath. "You just watch."