Chapter 7: ~Slave-market?~ (2/2)

The golden mask is still eyeing me while the last girl is led onto the podium. I immediately recognize her. What a world to find ~her~ in this place. I start to snicker behind my mask while Kane gasps beside me.

“Celestial Jasmine! Why is she here!?” He whispers into my ear while I try to control myself. My reaction seems to frighten my little sister.

“Who cares.” My voice becomes a little dangerous while I think about all the hard times and the pain she inflicted on me. Celestial, complete with a slave-ring and completely at my whim! I need her! I need her! Having her in that state is worth every price!

A few lecherous bidders start to scream their offers. It's clear that they are after that body. I stay out of it for the moment. There isn't much sense in offering small sums together with the scum.

“One thousand!”

Again, the golden mask attempts to end it with a sum which seems ridiculous to the other bidders. Celestial scanned the room with her eyes during the entire auction. As her eyes fall onto the little girl which was bought by the golden mask earlier, her expression lightens a little.

“Ten platinum.”

The room becomes quiet again. The golden mask looks at me and I actually feel a hateful aura coming from him.

“Twenty platinum!”

“A hundred platinum.”

Celestial's expression went from eased to dark during the entire exchange. Does she have ties to the little girl who was bought by golden mask?

The golden mask draws my attention by throwing his desk over while his black masked attendants stepped backwards.

Sigh. Now he is coming over. What does he want?

“Take your last offer back!” He points at me and my guards draw a step closer.

“Why should I? It was stated at the beginning that everyone has the same rights. If I want to offer more than you, I will do it.” I lean back in my chair. Too bad that he can't see my provoking smile behind my mask.

“I hope you realize that I have this golden mask for a reason!” The golden mask starts to whisper and Kane starts to tug at my clothes.

“I don't care. I want her. Fuck off!” I shove Kane's arm away. I can already imagine what he wants to tell me. Probably this guy is so respected by the other bidders because he just takes what he wants if he doesn't have the money. A duel. The winner gets everything. I guess?

“Then I challenge you! Your slaves! And your life!” Golden mask draws his sword while I signal my guards to step back.

“Oh, man! Oh, man!” Kane covers his face with his hands and his slave arches an eyebrow at him.

I stand up and walk towards the golden mask while dragging my chair behind me. Golden mask gets into position and I immediately throw the chair at him.

It's a slow throw which is just aimed into his general direction. Suddenly the sword of golden mask ignites with blue flames and small fires start to dance around him. He starts a skilful slash at the chair.

I point my open palm at the chair. “BURST!”

The chair disintegrates into hundreds of small splinters like being hit by a shock-wave to charge forward. The splinters tear through golden mask like shrapnel.

“HIAAARGH”

Golden mask jumps forward while slashing blindly at me. The fire on his sword expands and I cover my right arm with a dense cushion of circulating air.

I repel his sword with my protected right arm and stab at his chest with my left while concentrating mana into it.

“Hrgh.hh...hhh.....” Golden mask twitches for a second while my hand digs into his chest and encloses itself around something soft which is beating furiously.

Then I place my foot on his belly and shove him backwards. He stumbles a few steps while looking at me. I see his eyes behind his mask wipe open before they fall onto the beating heart in my left.

*Thud*

He fell backwards and doesn't move any more. A sharp pain stings in my right arm. Now that the adrenaline starts to lose its effect, my mind returns towards my body.

My right arm is badly burned. Seriously bad! I am looking at raw flesh! But I can bear the pain. My father did worse to me during my training.

Golden mask is.... was an excellent fire-mage. To burn through my protection like nothing.... what would have happened if I hadn't used a protective spell? But Golden mask made the mistake of offering his heart in exchange for an arm. A deadly mistake.

I concentrate on a healing spell and watch the skin crawling up my arm like in a slow motion horror picture show. After a few seconds my arm is covered in new pink skin. It feels a little tight and strange but it will do for the moment.

Then I look for the slave-trader and point at Celestial and then at the teenager who was bought by golden mask. I am doing it with my bloody left and the beating heart in it.

“~Bring them. They are mine.~”

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