HC:Pacifist | Ch. 230 - Slave Market

Even though there was a large crowd, Roth could get a good view of what was happening thanks to his height. The line of people turned out to be a small part of a large audience sitting in an amphitheater carved into the mountain. Stair-like benches descended on a central stage where a man in fine jade silk and a green turban smiled at the crowd with golden teeth.

“The next lot, lot 33, is brought to you from the distant sands of Sun Desert.” A muscled man wearing a simple vest and loose pants, with a whip coiled on his belt and a scimitar strapped on his back, towed four camels onto the stage. They were blindfolded and chained. Even though the man was strong, he didn't seem to be exerting any strength on the loose chains to drag the subdued camels.

“These camels come from the rolling dunes of the Salt Marsh. They are incredibly resilient, are all in good shape, and are a nice addition to any respectable caravan,” the auctioneer said, approaching one of the camels and forcing its mouth open to show the healthy teeth to the crowd. “Perfect if you need to transport cargo across the desert or through Rock Canyon. We'll start the bidding at ten gold. Who wants to give more?”

“A slave market,” mumbled Roth. His whole body shook, and his face locked in a scowl. What was wrong with the game developers to create such a thing inside the game?! Slavery had been abolished in the real world centuries ago, and now they were recreating such an atrocity here.

“20 gold!”

“21 gold!”

The bids kept escalating, and Roth studied the crowd of bidders. Most were NPCs, but he spotted some players, too.

“23 gold!”

Roth saw the poor camels and felt something break in his heart. Their legs were shaking. They were barely standing. Should he bid for them? Should he buy them, just as he had bought Lua? But what would that do for them? If he released them, he was deep into slavers’ territory. They would probably capture them to sell them again.

“25 gold!”

“26 gold!”

Even if he bought these camels, how many lots were there left? Didn’t the man say that they were already on lot 33? Could he afford to buy all these slaves? Was throwing money at the slave traders even a solution?

“27 gold!”

“29 gold!”

Roth’s vision began to blur. Seeing the resignation of the four creatures waiting to be sold awakened a bubbling rage within him. Flashes of the auction for his life to the top guilds only fanned the flames in his heart. He couldn’t take it anymore. If he stayed here one moment longer, he would do something stupid. He ran off. He ran and ran, and by the time he stopped, he realized he was back at the gate he’d used to enter the city.

He sat and placed his head between his knees, taking deep breaths. He had known that slavery here was more prevalent than in Green Country. However, knowing that animals were slaves was one thing. Seeing them being sold like this was something else entirely. He hadn’t explored the city for even half an hour and was already close to a meltdown. He couldn’t keep going like this.

Instead of just walking around aimlessly, Roth decided to do things differently. He went to the forums and searched for the information he needed.

“White Onyx,” he typed on the forums. Unfortunately, the query returned with no hits. He tried the same thing in the Rescue and Union Library with the same result. Sighing, he went to the forums section where one could buy guides and typed it again. Finally, there were a few hits.

He went through the listings.

A complete map of Sapphira: 20 gold

‘The Real Coyotes’ quest: 30 gold

List of Merchant Associations in Sapphira: 3 gold

Roth scratched his chin, trying to decide which one to get. Even though one was significantly cheaper and the other contained information about a quest, he settled on purchasing the map. He already had so many pending quests, and he didn’t need more to add to his to-do list.

You’ve transferred 20 gold to SolomonMiner.

World map updated.

Opening his map, Roth found that he now had a comprehensive listing of all the different shops and general areas of Sapphira. The city had 100 floors. This player had to have taken a while to go through every single floor and complete this map. Even though 20 gold was enough to buy an average player a full set of level 30 equipment, he didn’t feel like the price asked was unreasonable. He felt slightly jealous of how much money this SolomonMiner fellow must have made from selling this map.

He typed ‘White Onyx, Inc.’ on his world map and frowned. No wonder he hadn’t been able to find any information from passersby about Ruth. Her merchant association was located in the slums. After tagging the coordinates, the game system directed Roth toward nearby elevators.

‘Elevator’ was a little too generous a term for the precarious contraptions. They were large wooden platforms with no side railings or protection, suspended perilously from an assortment of ropes and chains connected to a pulley system. It didn't even stop at each floor. Players measured the distance and tried boarding the platform without falling to their deaths at the bottom of the pit. The most similar system that Roth had seen was materials lifted by cranes in real-world construction sites.

“aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaa!”

While he waited for a platform to pass by his floor, he was thrown aback as a player fell to their demise. Even though his screaming figure only flashed past Roth, he could still make out his ragged clothes, marking him as a beginner. Probably a new player who had misjudged the distance to the platform. Roth gulped. He couldn’t afford to miscalculate his little hop onto the elevator platform. His pain settings were on, and something told him that falling to his death would hurt considerably.

Despite his concerns, the platform descended at a comfortable speed, allowing him to easily board it, thus beginning his downward journey to the second floor. The smell of dust and rock slowly changed to that of iron, smoke, and tanned leather. He was passing by the floors of the crafting district. He would come back here later.

His priority was to go to White Onyx Inc. He wanted to make the most of Soros’ contact here. Soros had spoken highly of Ruth and how she managed to stay in business as a contractor in a slaver-owned city. He wondered what kind of person she was. The fact that her trading association was in the slums and not next to other trade associations had piqued his interest.

Finally came Roth's stop, and he jumped out, landing with a dry thud on the rocky road of the second floor. From here, he could get a good look at the base floor of the pit and the shanty slums of wood and tin.

This was probably the only part of the city that wasn’t carved into the mountain. Curiously enough, he didn’t feel any stench. He had expected that all slums throughout the mid-grade cities shared their foul smell, but this place seemed clean and tidy.

Checking the map, he found he wasn’t far from White Onyx Inc. Just in case these slums were dangerous for players with a righteous alignment, Roth turned on camouflage before making the rest of the trip.

With each step he took, his dismay at why Ruth had set up shop here grew. The only businesses he saw were taverns, inns, and pawn shops. Shady, hooded figures sat in every corner, and even though he had [Camouflage] on, he could swear that some of them looked straight at him.

Roth kept walking past beggars, old men playing cards, rowdy couples and friends arguing, and a circle of people surrounding an arm wrestle challenge, placing bets and celebrating or booing depending on the fight's results.

Thankfully, there was nothing related to slavery that triggered Roth, and he finally made it to his destination. Unlike the carefully decorated facades of the trade associations above, the trade association run by Ruth was simple. A clean-cut frame marked the entrance, and the sign above it read ‘White Onyx Inc.’ in an unassuming font.

He was reminded of when he met Soros in an old shack, in an alley, and wondered whether he would have to rescue this merchant from the local crime families. After stepping in through the door, he found that Ruth’s situation differed greatly from Soros’s when they first met. This woman needed no help.

The inside of the building was large and spacious. A wide lounge, filled with counters and employees attended to the dozens of visitors who entered and left the building. A crystal chandelier shone upon the columns of red stone, and the tiled floors and walls were decorated with colorful and tasteful mosaics. NPCs stood in line to talk to different clerks while different players stood around operating their invisible system windows.

Roth turned off the camouflage and went to wait in line. The clerks operated efficiently, and he was talking to one of them no more than ten minutes later. It was a man his age, with blonde hair, small glasses, a long face and brown eyes. “Hello, sir? How can White Onyx help you?” he greeted amicably.

“I have a letter to give to Ruth. Can you tell me where she is?”

“Oh, she's in the back, in her office. I don't believe I’ve seen you here before,” the man commented in a friendly manner.

“No, you haven't. Soros from Hilsford in Green Country sent me here. He told me to find Ruth if I ever came to Sapphira.”

“Soros? From Golden Mountain Inc? Of course. He’s one of our trade partners,” the man exclaimed, recognizing the name. “Why don't you give me the letter, and I'll see if Ruth can meet with you.”

Roth hesitantly handed Soros’ letter and watched the clerk disappear behind a door beyond the counters. Remembering how a player was fulminated when trying to invade Soros's back office space, Roth resisted the urge to activate camouflage and sneak in.

He tapped his foot nervously until the man came out the door and beckoned Roth to approach. “Ruth will see you now. It's the last door to the left.”

“Thanks.”

The clerk excused himself and returned to the counter to attend to the next person in line. The corridor had gas lamps at specific intervals, and doors on each side were marked with assistant managers' and senior staff names. The only decoration in this part of the building was the portraits lining the walls.

One featured a young girl with an explorer's hat standing beside a camel wearing a luxurious saddle decorated with gems. The girl wasn’t smiling but had a grin as if she had noticed something that everyone else missed. That and the freckles on her tanned skin were her most distinctive features. The next portrait showed the same girl at a beach shaking hands with someone dressed in a fancy outfit, probably some official or governor.

Each portrait showed the same woman in different landscapes next to exotic animals and important-looking people. If this was Ruth, she was well-traveled. As his eyes landed on the last portrait, he tried to understand it. This picture was taken years after the others, and the young girl had become a woman in her thirties by then. She stood next to three or four people who, by their attire, were merchants. Roth’s eyes landed on one of them. It was a young man with a thin face and a brilliant smile. He wore oriental clothing and a large turban.

“Soros?” he gasped. It looked like he and Ruth had a history together. Sure he was at the right place, Roth knocked at the door.

“It’s open! Come on in!” came the melodious voice from the other side.

Roth took a deep breath and stepped in. It was time to make his first business contact in Rock Canyon.

Ch. 229 - Sapphira

INDEX

Ch. 231 - Ruth