Caged
(This is a longer one and will be put under read more. CW: There is slavery, but the reader is looking to free/dismantle the system in their own way)
You came across the caged people in the middle of the day. There were no code words or secret passages to get to the displays. It was like any other booth at the bazaar.
Most of the cages were filled with beastmen. Unlike the creatures who roamed the forest, they would walk on two legs. Some could even speak.
Lionmen, Tigerladies, Avian Sapiens, "Not Deer", Chimera, and even a few Phoenixes all stared at you as you walked. Some grabbed the bars and strained their faces to look at you. A small flicker of danced across your eyes. Maybe a spark of hope that they would be freed.
"How long has this been going on?" You asked your companion.
"What do you mean?"
"The slaves?"
"Ah. Well, my dear blue blood..." Their voice trailed off as they stared at the cages. "Surely you heard about the market for this? They're not slaves..." They wiggled their fingers, brows furrowed as they attempted to come up with an explanation. "Merely.... Indentured servants."
"Why not put an offer up on the boards in town?" You raised a skeptical brow and ventured closer to the cages.
A walking stick slapped your chest. The impact smarted. Wincing, you stepped away to rub the sore spot.
"You shouldn't question this so much." Your companion hissed next to your ear.
"How much are the contracts?" You asked. There wasn't much left in your purse, but surely you could at least free one.
"Sorry?"
"We offer a wide variety of specimens and creatures." A well dressed figure stepped out from behind one of the cages. He ran a walking stick of his own across the bars, causing many who had come forward to retreat and whimper.
"We've broken them in ahead of time," His smile made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. "So they should already be obedient."
"Broken in?" Your brows raised more. So they had beaten or tortured these creatures into compliance?
"Don't worry, little Blue Blood." The man bowed. "We would not want a client to be harmed by the merchandise. If one does harm you or run away, we will send in our own parties to capture and return them, and give you a new one."
Your companion must have seen your scheming expression. The waling stick slammed down on the top of your foot and a quick throat clear was all the warning they could offer while being discreet.
Your eyes went to the Lionman again. They'd shorn his mane. Nicks and a few notches in his ear and surrounding fur showed how gentle they'd been. Dried blood and dirt clung to his body.
Your stomach churned at the fetid stench and sight. The sign declaring his price seemed insultingly low for another life. But considering how much the sellers had damaged the "merchandise", perhaps that was why.
You put down the coins.
The merchant slid over papers. The sloppily applied seal at the bottom hinted at their legitimacy, or lack thereof. Clenching your jaw, your eyes flicked to the top of the page. The spot next to "Name" was blank.
"He's your property, so you get to call him what you want."
"I'll... Think about it."
***
When you arrived home, the newcomer's nose wrinkled, sniffing his new environment.
Setting the papers down, you waved over one of the notaries, who came over with blank pieces of papers and writing tools. While you could read and write, the palace preferred the people they paid to be the ones who crossed the Ts and dotted the Is, along with minding the Ps and Qs.
"What is your name?" You asked the creature once your companion left to the servants' quarters. Laughter and cheers erupted shortly after.
The sudden noise had the Lionman's eyes wide, what little fur he had standing on end.
"They're always off by the seventeenth mark." You explained.
His eyes remained focused on the door. A chalice fell over as his thrashing tail struck it. As red wine sloshed across the table, the notary screeched, trying to save the paper.
Fabric tore and in a golden blur, the Lionman's fist slammed down on the table in front of you.
A filthy rag was clutched in his hand. And he was wearing less clothing than before.
"Forgive me." His hand trembled as he attempted to wipe up he rest of the wine.
"It's okay." You tried to keep your tone gentle as your heart became a battering ram against your chest. He'd moved so fast. Tore off his clothes, just to keep some wine off yours.
"And what is the name of my savior?" You tried again, now that you had his attention.
"I... Do not have one."
You inhaled sharply. Perhaps releasing him back into the wild wasn't the best option, just yet.
"Well... I paid a gold piece for you. You have golden fur. And you clearly are showing you will be worth every piece." You looked to the notary.
"What's another word for gold?"
"Well, an old word for gold piece was "Aureus."" The notary explained as they spread the papers across the tables.
You turned back to the Lionman.
"Is that acceptable?"
He dropped to one knee, arm across his abdomen.
"Of course, Master."
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Is it löwenmensch?????
It is from Europe
It is made from once-living material
It is from mainland Europe
It was found in a cave
It is a handheld object
It is not (technically) made of bone
It was not (likely) used as a weapon
It is made of ivory
It does not come from the ocean
It is not a musical instrument
It is paleolithic
It was not used as a tool
It is not the swimming reindeer (even though that does fit all of the criteria so far)
It is a figurine/statue of a person...ish
It was found in modern-day Germany
It is not a toy, but I cannot say that is wasn't recreational
It is not the Venus of Hohle Fels (although this also fits all of the criteria)
IT IS the löwenmensch (Lion Man)!!!
Determined by carbon dating of the layer in which it was found to be between 35,000 and 41,000 years old, it is one of the oldest-known examples of an artistic representation and the oldest confirmed statue ever discovered.[1] Its age associates it with the archaeological Aurignacian culture of the Upper Paleolithic.[2] An example of zoomorphic art, it was carved out of mammoth ivory using a flint stone knife. Seven parallel, transverse, carved gouges are on the left arm. (Wikipedia)
-Reid
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