them looked like the Bouncer-Genie.
“Good day to you. I am Joran, finest flesh trader you’ll ever buy from. I’m always so pleased to receive new customers,” he said, sounding genuinely delighted. “Barra was truly impressed with what you have to offer.”
Did he mean the guy at the front? How did he know that? The thought was unsettling.
“So.” Joran folded his hands. “What is it that you are interested in?”
I gazed around the row of faces, pretending to survey what he had in stock.
“Is this all you have?” I asked, as though slightly unimpressed with what I saw.
“For now, yes.”
“Mmm.” I strolled around the tent, wishing I could free all of them. They looked so tired and worn down. My heart sank for them, but I did what I could to keep it from showing. Finally I stopped in front of Marianne.
“Lovely young girl.” I toyed with her now limp curls. “Such golden hair.”
Joran raised an eyebrow. “Golden?”
Damn, did they not have gold here? “Hair that shines like the rays of the sun.”
“Ah, I see,” Joran said, toying with the fountain pen. “Yes, we acquired her just yesterday. She may be a bit wild though. Apparently she was traipsing through giant territory.”
Yeah, because of me. “Well, that’s no matter. I have very specific tastes.”
Joran chuckled. “Doesn’t everyone.”
“What would you have for this one?” Hot damn, I was doing a good job at this role.
“The young ones are always difficult to price,” Joran said, standing up and strolling over to her. His keys jingled on his belt. One of them was bigger than the rest.
I really hoped he wasn’t going to start haggling. I hated haggling. I didn’t even really like shopping all that much. I go in, buy what I want, and leave.
“How about twenty of those fire sticks you have?” Joran asked, settling his hand on Marianne’s head. She squirmed a little under his touch, but didn’t move away.
Yep. We were haggling. “No. I know you only paid those giants six cows. So my offer is six.”
Joran’s eyes went wide for a second before he recovered from my would-be all-knowing witch power. “Fifteen.”
“Nine.”
“Ten.”
“Deal.” I brought out the matches again and counted out ten of them while Joran bent to remove the manacles Marianne’s hands and feet. I paused for a moment as a strange sensation crept over me. I looked around. What was that?
Then Wolf burst into the tent, and all hell broke loose.
Marianne’s eyes went wide and she screamed, “Wolf!” while scrambling back into the side of the tent. Joran swung around, his face a mix of shock and anger.
“No, no,” I yelled, hoping to calm her down and waving Wolf away, but he grabbed my shoulder.
“Something is coming.”
“Wolf!” Marianne screamed.
“Kill him!” Joran yelled.
I gasped, almost more astonished by Joran’s belief in a slave rather than his intent to kill us.
The two bodyguards immediately advanced, their scimitars already out and pointed at Wolf. Behind us, Barra charged into the tent, his own sword drawn. Everything seemed to go by in a blur.
I surprised the men by swinging my daypack into one of the bodyguard’s faces, knocking him to the floor. Wolf took on the other one, snarling and dodging his blade. He knocked away the sword and charged the man, crashing into his chest and knocking him down. Barra lingered for a moment, unsure of who to attack, me or Wolf, before choosing Wolf and dashed over to find the perfect time to strike. The people in the tent screamed and cried, trying to clear out of the way of the fight as the two rolled over the floor.
I elbowed my bodyguard in the face, stunning him long enough to grab his sword. Wolf pushed away his opponent long enough to kick out Barra’s knee. Barra went down, shouting in pain. An idea hit me and I went after Joran, who forgot where his table was and fell over it, crashing to the ground. Immediately I stood over him, sword at his throat.
“Keys,” I yelled over Wolf’s snarls and the people’s shrieks. “Now!”
He unhooked them from his belt, and I snatched them up. I ran for the rock the chain was anchored to, but Barra grabbed my ankle. I twisted and fell, the keys skidding across the ground. He cut his sword down at me, but I scrambled out of the way, pushing myself up enough to jab back at him. We both stared at each other in surprise at the blade puncturing his chest. A dark red stain