Sacrifice For Love

Katia loved her family very much which had made her decision to be sold as a slave easier and harder. Her family was very poor and her parents couldn't afford to take care of all eight children anymore.

The oldest child, her brother Sidrov had left home almost four months ago to work as a decoy for the royal family, it was ridiculously dangerous but paid well. The large sums he sent home had helped until their mother had fallen ill, now the money was used to pay for her doctor.

The next child in the family and Katia's second oldest sister had left for the neighboring country to be a dancer at a theatere in the city. That was weeks ago, it would take some time for her to start sending home large sums of money.

Katia had been in town when the slave traders had meandered through with their caravan of silk and fluorescent colours. They made all the buildings and locals look shabby even the natural flowers that shown with bright hues of blue and red were dulled as they pranced by.

The caravan had been made up of three wagons large, sturdy, and pulled by camels. The wood that wasn't painted in obscenely bright shades of purple, yellow, orange, and speckled with gold was a deep brown. Drivers were regal perched on top of overstuffed cushions. Magenta drapes were drawn shut the only exception a crack in the second window of the last wagon, silver finger cuffs sparkled in the sun an emerald eye heavily coated in kohl peaked out, watching the village folk gawking. The rest of the caravan was littered with men on horseback, other camels heaping with crates and rolls of fabric, and tied behind the wagons were men and women mostly young. Filled with fascination she was drawn in like a moth to flame.

Once they parked Katia noticed the traders brought water to the occupants inside the wagons, then the animals, and lastly those tied up behind the wagons. Wondering what made those in the wagons so special she slowly gravitate towards a lonely trader checking his rucksack on his horse.

"Umm.." Clearing her throat," Excuse me sir?"

"Yes?" He wasn't mean or gruff but seemed busy. "Do you need something? Or are you a prostitute offering your services?"

"No nothing like that. I was wondering where you're going and where you're from?"

"Ah I see, you're curious? That can be very bad. We are from Dostania, do you know it?""

You would've had to live under a rock to not know of Dostania, as the largest trade port anything new, high quality, or valuable came from Dostania. All aspiring to make a change in the world flocked to that one city. If you were looking for new talent of any kind you had your pick. It was also located on the continent of Pagora most known for change and progress. To live in any part of Pagora you had to be filthy rich.

The country was a monstrous island surrounded on all sides by ocean, and the ocean landscapes were chalk full of summer villas for the wealthy. It was warm all year round, sported dark beauties, in essence it was paradise.

"Of course I know it. What are you doing here?"

"We traders take a long trek to the other continents every Fall, we are almost done we have two more cities to visit, Worloas and Indestra. Then we travel back to meet or clients and employers." He had found whatever he was looking for taking long strides he made his way to the lead wagon handing a wrapped parcel and a sealed letter to the driver he seemed surprised Katia was still there.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be? Feeding chickens maybe?"

She grinned up at him, eyes shining with the wonder of a small child. "No I've already taken care of my chores today, and ran my errand. What are you getting from Worloas?"

Scraping a large callused hand over his face he groaned both internally and externally, the curious ones were the hardest to get rid of. "Your chores might be done, mine are just starting. I don't have time to answer so many questions."

"What if I help you? You'd be done quicker and in turn you answer my questions?" Lazily stroking the muzzle of the white and brown spotted beauty the trader had rode in on. Katia caught movement out of the corner of her eye glancing over her right shoulder she saw another trader handing a bowl of fruit and a loaf of bread through the door of the wagon last wagon. So distracted she almost missed the traders answer,

"Ugh fine! But when we finish you go home? Deal?"

"Deal. By the way, what is your name?"

"No name. Just a number." Holding out his leg she saw the numbers 06-04-8712 tattooed into the skin of his right calf, perfectly centered on the top of the muscle.

"So if someone wants to get your attention they call out... What exactly?"

"Twelve." He said it as one would say to a village idiot.

"That's ridiculous, I'm serious what is your name?"

"No one calls for me except my employer and yes he calls out twelve. I lost the privilege of having a name when I failed to pay on a debt." He was frustrated and hoped by doing the hardest chores first he would lose his little talkative shadow.

Katia kept pace through unloading the horse, setting up camp in a field rented for the night, chopping wood for the six fires throughout camp, and now they were cleaning a large calf for dinner. Before getting to work on the calf the trader had rolled up his sleeves and removed his large over coat, catching an eye full of a large tattoo of an anaconda eating a sword. Katia had then taken to calling the trader Snake. Through the rest she had been informed that at the next stop the caravan would be forcefully taking a young man back with them, he had apparently been eluding his debtor for awhile but was then arrested for horse thieving. He was currently contained and waiting to be picked up. In the last city they were picking up a gift for Snake's employer.

"Wealthy merchants want to stay in business at all costs, to insure this they will give a servant to a nobleman in order to have a solid guarantee that their stock will be sold at higher prices. This particular merchant is giving his eldest daughter to my employer."

"That's awful! Who would do that?!"

"I've heard the daughter is quite upset she sent a messenger to my employer offering three servants, one of which is still a virgin. My employer wasn't fond of the idea seeing as servants of the Northern people are always dark skinned."

"So? Why would that matter?"

"He only likes light skinned women."

"What a pig."

"No matter, the daughter has tried offering large sums of money to girls in her village to go in her place."

"It would have to be a very large sum for someone to willingly sell themselves. I couldn't imagine doing something like that for anything less than a hundred thousand credits." For that much money her family could fully pay off their doctor bills, pay to heir servants for their large farm, and put her younger siblings in a private school.

Conspiratorially Snake leaned over whispering in her ear,"I heard she offered four times that amount."

Katia's breath caught in her throat, that kind of money could secure her family for the rest of their lives, her younger sister could have a dowry and marry instead of working. Her brothers could all go away to the finest schools, in any trade they wanted. Her father could retire! Such sinful thoughts filled her mind, she was only half teasing when she next spoke. "I would take her place if she hasn't found someone."

Snake scoffed at her,"You? Take the place of a merchants daughter? You'd have to have a special talent to be worth my employer's time." He looked down busying himself with tying the calf to the spit. "The only reason the merchant is giving up his daughter is because she has red hair, these days everyone has brown or black hair you'd be hard pressed to find someone with natural hair a different colour."

"What about yellow hair?"

At this Snake burst out laughing a deep bark that led to cackling, a sound that should never come out of a man his size,"Yellow hair? No one but royalty has yellow hair, and even they haven't produced an heir with that distinction in generations it is a trait not seen everyday. How would you expect to find such a rarity? I could colour a girls hair but after some time her natural shade would show." Wiping at his watering eyes he chuckled.

The walked side by side through a thicket of trees to wash their hands in the stream flowing freely by the camp, their conversation covered up by the noise it created.

"Do you think if you could find someone the merchants daughter or your employer would pay handsomely for them?"

"Oh without fail! My employer would make a deal with the devil to get his hands in a woman with yellow hair, could you imagine bringing those traits back into the world? And to be the head of the family that produced yellow haired children." A far away glance stole across Snake's features, in his mind he imagined the reward his employer would grant him if he brought home a yellow haired woman.

"What if I knew of a yellow haired girl?"

"Perhaps in your dreams."

Grabbing Snake's arm Katia looked into his eyes becoming deathly serious she asked again,"What if I knew of a yellow haired girl?"

Snake's eyes became large, he couldn't believe this young woman might actually give him the key to his freedom. Cautious of any trick this might be he hesitantly asked,"What would you want in return?"

Katia took her time, she had to be sure this is what she wanted to do, one thought of her frail baby sister working herself another day in the fields made up her mind," The money, a written letter from your employer saying he wouldn't come looking for her lineage, and your blood oath that you protect her against any harm."

Taking out his dagger Snake cut the palm of his hand, Katia cut her's then the clasped hands. "Now take me to the yellow haired girl." He practically growled at her.

Stepping back Katia pulled off her half turban, unwound her hair from her bun and let her golden locks fall down her spine.

Snake took one look at her before commanding her to hide her hair once more. He wrapped both their hands with a torn bit of cloth, then marched off back towards camp. Katia assumed he was trying to treat her unbiasedly. No one could know that she carried a trait that had died out years before, her parents had mentioned recessive genes once then they had lectured her about the care she would have to take with her "curse".

While Katia mulled over the pros and con's of her so called "curse" Snake had called for a carrier foul, it looked like pictures of old time falcons only this one had an underwing of vibrant teal along with tail feathers of teal and deep cerulean.

Writing down a message in scribbled gibberish Snake rolled up the piece of plastic paper, sealed it with a medallion from around his neck, and sent the bird off.

"Where is she going?"

"To my employer of course, I need a letter of pardon for the merchant's daughter, and he."

"What?" Katia was pulled away from watching the beautiful fleck of teal soar away.

"The colored Falmming are Male."

"I see. What do I do now?" Now wondering if his employer would even agree to such a trade, she suddenly was overcome with self consciousness.

"Oh I'd go home." Dread boiled up from her toes and sat heavy in her stomach. Snake already knew she wasn't wanted. Catching her down trodden look he continued with,"And say goodbye to your family. Without doubt you'll be leaving tomorrow with us to Worloas. From there we'll head straight back to Dostania."

"Then why don't I stay here until you all head back through?" She didn't see the point in traveling to Worloas just to back track. She could have that bit of time left with her family.

"When we head back through we won't be stopping, we travel on the outskirts of all the cities until we get to port then we bored a ship to Dostania. That is the way it always is."

"I want to stay here. Besides we don't know if your employer even wants me. You all should head out in the morning then pick me up on your way back through."

"Do you not understand the concept of being a slave?! You don't get a choice, you will lose your identity, all of what makes you a person will be taken away."

"Technically I'm not a slave, yet."

Snake's hands tingled and shook, he'd never had to restrain himself from disciplining a slave when they talked back. Now there was this tiny infuriating minx, and the first thing she did was get bratty. He wanted to strangle her!

Barely containing the urge to muzzle her, he sent her home. "Fine. We'll pick you up in a week, don't bother packing clothes they'll all be replaced. Any trinkets or heirlooms you'll give to me for safe keeping during our trip." With that he shooed her out of the camp.

Once she was out of site he went to his personal tent, laying down on his makeshift bed he pressed on his temples. At once his subconscious mind was present in a white room, white pillars formed a hexagon room his employer sat meditating on a cloud just kiddie corner from him.

Going down on his knees and tucking chin to chest he presented the perfect picture of a male slave. "Master I request an audience."

"Oh? Are you having trouble with the Redhead already? You're at least a few weeks above schedule." His employer fixed bright blue eyes onto his slave, no emotion could be seen in their stare.

"It has something to do with that. There has been a development, may I speak freely to explain?" Snake peaked up at his master, giving him a cheeky grin.

"Please! And get off your knees, you look ridiculous." Slouching back the puff of cloud changed into a long stretch of cloud for the tall man to lounge in. "And join me I'm guessing this'll be the closest thing to sleep you get until you're home."

Moving towards his master a second grouping of cloud appeared then molded to Snake's body. "I found a girl who wants to be substituted in place of the merchant's daughter."

"Ugh! I had hoped to have some kind of prize to present at the Monarch Station."

"Oh she's a prize alright. You'll enjoy her company immensely."

Intrigued his master sat up,"Do tell. What does she look like?"

"I can't tell. I want to surprise you."

"Should I trust you?"

Snake leaned forward returning the burning gaze he was experiencing. "Of course."

"Alright! One surprise. Bring her to me here. I'm tired of traveling all the way to Dostania for one toy."

Snake fixed his green eyes on the flawless white floor. "Well there was something else sir."

"Whatever it is yes. I'm tired and don't want anymore interruptions."

"I'll need a signed request sent to the Leadman."

"Fine just go. You're giving me a headache you pain in the ass."

Sweeping low Snake bowed. When he straightened up he wasn't surprised to see his master flipping him off. Chuckling he turned to leave, at that moment a monstrous dark oak door appeared it swung open by itself allowing Snake back to his conscientious mind.