//------------------------------// // At the Auction // Story: Sugar Hoof the Wizard Colt // by Furenstein //------------------------------// The sun was nearly set as I walked down the roads of Klugetown to the slave auction. There must have been more than one caravan though, since I could see quite a few of similar looking travel carts looking as if they were hauling different species. I sat and scanned the area with my magic and was relieved to see my treants getting into position with multiple chains and cages. As soon as I gave the signal, the slave auction would be finished. Upon arriving at the auction house, I could see that it had two doors for entering and exiting, as well as multiple windows on a second floor. I couldn't see any foundation capable of supporting a second floor, so I assumed it was just for those windows to let natural light into the room. The door into the building was locked, so I knocked instead, as a finely dressed mole man walked out. "Oh, I wasn't aware any of the pony slaves escaped." He said, reaching out a hand to grab me. His cold and fleshy talons were like ice against my fur as he grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. As he swung me around, I could see the rest of the people at the auction. It was much like Klugetown's population, moles, cats, fish, I even saw some thralls in the crowd. Some of them were finely dressed, some were wearing worker's garb. Some wore armor, and others were naked. All the creatures on stage were naked as well. I saw ponies, thralls, fish, and cats on stage. The only 'clothes' they wore were the chains binding them, which did nothing for modesty. I was carelessly thrown into a cage on stage as my bag of storm bucks and potions were taken from me. I heard a gasp from a pony next to me as our eyes locked. She didn't look frightened, she looked more stressed as she saw me as tears flooded down her face. I wanted to comfort her. The thralls in the crowd and the thralls on stage was a very peculiar concept to me, thralls as masters and as as slaves. Well, I suppose technically Birch and his siblings are the masters of every treant they themselves create, if they hadn't turned them over to me, that is. The thralls were the same here, clearly griffon subclass, half bird, half lion. I've not studied illusion magic so I can't really do much with them, no, I've only studied five schools of magic. As the auctioneer moved up to the stage, the same mole man who threw me in here, I was reminded of my school days. I've mastered life magic, with honors. I am a life wizard after all, it would be foolish if I didn't master my birth school. Fire magic and thunder magic though were not as easy. Thunder comes from the eyes while fire comes from the muscle, I never had much of either, but I was ... competent in them. It was when I learned the other two that I began getting glares and whispers behind my back, necromancy and shadowmancy, both highly illegal in polite society. Necromancy comes from one's skull, and shadowmancy from nowhere, hence why nobody could properly control it. You must invite the shadow in if you want to use it. It's no doubt the strongest school of magic I know. As the selling started, I let my life magic flare in my heart, giving the signal. In a quick flash, the windows and doors burst open as treants poured in and began slaughtering the customers. Screams echoed through the building as some tried to flee, but were stopped by my thralls. The few who fought back it worse as they were beaten with the corpses of their fellow customers. I could just barely suppress a smile as the mole man who threw me into this cage was promptly gutted by treant claws. His wails grew violent and terrified to short breathed and whimpering, as the hall descended into chaos. Some of the slaves tried to break from their shackles, but were unable to as the treants grabbed them and forced them back onto the ground. The mare pony looked at me again, this time with terror in her eyes. I wouldn't hurt her, though I know it doesn't matter, she's of little value to me alive, I don't want to hurt her. The fighting stopped as the buyers were all dead, the treants quickly began taking control of the slaves and hauling them away, I wish I had told the treants to loot the dead, as my bag of storm bucks lied on the ground, stained with mole blood. As per my orders, the treants had some make shift cages built in the caverns and placed all of us in our own cell. I was glad I at least remembered to tell them that part. Birch came over to my cell door as came to escort me away before the mare from earlier shouted out to him. "No, please! He's just a foal, take me instead!" The mare was crying again, was this what she was crying for back at the auction house. Birch simply glared at her before rushing off to one of the upper levels. "Bucking monsters.." I heard the mare say before falling onto her stomach. Once we grew far enough away from the slaves, Birch switched from holding me outward to clutching me tightly against his chest. "Master, I'm so sorry for letting this happen, I should've gone in your place to the auction." Birch continued to ramble for a minute before I closed his mouth with my magic. I was thankful that I was free again, despite knowing that I had everything under control. "It's okay, Birch, it was my idea." I said before nuzzling his wooden chest with my cheek. Maybe it was the stresses of the day, waking up to find an army, learning of a secret underground cavern, attacking a slave auction, being thrown in a cell, but for some reason, I just wanted to be here right now. Clutched in Birch's warm and magical wooden arms, I didn't feel like the monster everyone back at the university claimed I was, I didn't feel like a shadowmancer, I just felt like me. Not a master of treants, not a life wizard, but a ... foal, like the mare had said. I've never felt this way before, despite my magical prowess. Safety was never something I knew, I was always ready for a fight. Even back at university, I was often sent out to fight due to my skill in healing magic and I got used to sleeping with one eye open. Here though, I knew it was different, Birch would protect me if someone tried anything. I wrapped my tiny green hooves as far around him as I could as he hummed in confusion before smiling and holding me closer. I didn't hear any noise as he began walking back above ground, as if every treant didn't dare make any. It didn't matter to me anymore, I was safe for once, and I was going to enjoy it for tonight. Tomorrow I could deal with the slaves, though I don't feel like dissection would be very nice. I don't think dissection would bear much fruit for knowledge, I'm certain bribery will prove a better method of interrogation. I fell asleep in Birch's arms that night, it would be the first of many times I would.