I blinked in the bright sunlight, finally getting a chance to look outside the cage. Three of the slavers were in the wagon, unlocking and unloading the other prisoners. The wagon was on a hard-packed dirt road within a thick forest, filled with all sorts of unfamiliar foliage. I gaped in shock at the trees, some of which had trunks dozens of feet wide and canopies hundreds of feet tall.
The slaver who had uncovered my cage shoved a grimy key in the lock, opening it just enough to reach his hand through. He grasped at the chain tying me to the cage and jerked it hard, slamming my head into the bars.
I groaned, but my horns protected me from the worst of it. Even so, a painful tremor coursed along their length, reminding me of just how sensitive they were.
While I was still recovering, the man jerked me outside, barking something in an unknown language. I stumbled, legs weak from disuse, but managed to retain my footing. Good thing too, because he headed to the back of the wagon with no intention to see if I could keep up.
The wagon floor was rough and splintered, biting into my bare feet, but I ignored the pain and kept up, leaving bloody prints in the wood with every step. Most of the other cages were empty, their occupants already unloaded from the wagon.
The slaver jumped off the wagon, falling four or so feet to the ground with a grunt. I hesitated at the lip, but he yanked the chain, pulling me off. I yelped and hit the ground hard, lying there stunned for a moment, but he callously began walking again, dragging me behind.
A massive four-story warehouse hid amid the trees off the side of the road. It was constructed of stone and wood, with small verticle windows, barely wider than my new, small hand, lined up every ten feet. Two enormous doors yawned open at the ground level, revealing a massive room that must have taken up the entirety of the first floor. A large sigil was carved above the entrance, depicting a blooming rose set against a stylized sun.
Hundreds of cages built partitions and passageways throughout the room, some stacked two or three high. Most of them were occupied by some creature or another, almost all humanoid. The majority were people with animal body parts, like wolf ears or horse legs. A few seemed exactly like humans except for their unnatural gracefulness and pointed ears, reminding me of elves from the stories of Earth.
The first thing to hit me was the smell. A fetid mixture of dust, sweat, and feces swirled around in visible eddies. The stench alone made my gag, overwhelming my newly enhanced senses. When combined with the dust, my throat swelled almost entirely shut, and made my horns itch something terrible.
The slaver didn't seem too affected by it, navigating through the maze of cages without pause. He descended an aisle near the back wall and stopped before an empty cage. The other slaves nearby looked at me with interest, but they almost universally scowled after getting a good look. My skin crawled under their hostility.
I flinched as something hot and wet slapped my cheek. Turning my head, I glimpsed a towering slave with with the face and claws of a lion, emaciated though it was. He glowered at me, rolling his jaw as he prepared to spit again. This time, he missed, nearly striking the slavery himself.
"Filthblood," he snarled, eyes flashing with disgust.
The word was unfamiliar, but I recognized the syllables and sounds. Finally, a language I could understand! I'd been starting to worry the gods had sent me here with literally no way to communicate with anyone.
My slaver slapped the lion man's cage, shaking it violently. The lion fell back, scowling, but at least he didn't spit anymore.
Without a glance backward, the slavery opened any empty cage a row down looked at me expectantly. I looked up at him, tail limp, and his eyes narrowed, and he raised his fist. Before he could strike me, I scurried in, wincing as my lashing tail struck a bar. His hand followed me in, chasing me to the far wall, where he grabbed at my throat. I braced myself, gulping a last, desperate breath, but his fingers only went to the collar. There was sharp metallic click and the tether came free. His arm darted back, and he slammed the door, locking it.
Through the lines of cages, I could see a few more slaves brought into the warehouse. Once all were locked away, the slavers shut the warehouse doors, plunging the room into darkness. A few small windows near the ceiling leaked trickles of sunlight, but that only distracted my eyes, which immediately adjusted for the dark. Even so, the light of the sun was a comfort, and I soon began to miss the breeze that drafted through the tarp on the wagon.
After a moment of silence, the drone of hushed conversation filled the room. To my delight, I was able to understand about half the words, mostly coming from the animal-human hybrids. The topic of conversation was the new arrivals, although that soon piddled off into regular complaints about the state of life here. Those who were the thinnest were the first to fall quiet, their eyelids dropping to cover their dull, empty eyes. Eventually, almost everyone retreated into themselves, and an oppressive silence smothered the warehouse.
After a while, I gathered my courage and took a deep breath. "Were are we?" I asked timidly.
A morbid cackle echoed around the warehouse, filled with derisive hatred. My tail stiffened at the horrid noise, which finally slowed as the laugh turned into a series of hacking coughs.
"Where are we?" a twisted voice asked once it had recovered. "What an absurd question, especially for a slave. Where we are going, on the other hand, is a much more pressing concern."
I ducked my head at the venomous words, but the voice kept speaking. It came from a few rows down, although I couldn't see which cage.
"From the sound of it, you're rather young, so you might get let off with an easy house job. But, you're also a girl, so… heh heh heh…"
I squeezed my eyes shut as he broke into laughter. As vile as he was, the slave confirmed my fears. Had this fate chased me even to another world? Surely, the church, or whoever was waiting to receive us, would find me. I was one of their heroes, right?
A bright light illuminated the room, shutting the voice up and drawing pained hisses from the other slaves. I squinted until my eyes adjusted, wonder driving any sense of despair away. The source was a large crystal fixed to the ceiling with chains, like a primitive chandelier. Harsh white light streamed from its rough facets as though by magic, with no sign of wiring or use of technology. Well, considering the world, it probably was magic.
I was so taken with my first magical experience that I nearly missed the shrieking creak as the door opened. It revealed a stairwell going to the upper levels, on which a woman descended. She swaggered arrogantly, with unkempt hair and wearing a thin, indecent nightdress, which exposed most of her breasts and legs. I shivered as her gaze lashed around the warehouse, zeroing in on us newcomers.The drowsiness in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a cruel indifference.
The woman uttered a phrase several sentences long, in the same, unknown language the slaves used. She said something else, but this time, the words were much sharper and harsh sounding. The same phrase, but in perhaps another language?
Three more times, all different, until, finally, I understood.
"From this moment on, you may consider yourself property of the Roseburn family. My name is Kaitlyn, though I never wish to hear your filthy lips utter such an angelic name. In fact, I don't want to hear you say anything. Ever. I don't care if your hungry, cold, or dying. Let me know you exist and I'll ensure you won't for much longer."
She let that sink in, casting a wide look over the warehouse. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she caught a glimpse of the demonkin I passed on the way in, and again when she saw me.
She continued, "For the new ones out there, I'm sure your upset about your present circumstances. I couldn't care less. Whine all you want, just not when I'm around. You'll be leaving here soon enough."
Without another word, she stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. A few seconds later, the light winked out, plunging the warehouse into darkness.