AN: This was a lot shorter than I had originally intended it to be. But I decided to end it were it was, because it was more of a cliffhanger. Just consider it my Christmas gift to all of you. Sorry for any spelling or prose errors. Please note, that I am an Australian, so I go by UK English spelling.


First Chapter: Act I
Next Chapter: Act III
Previous Chapter: Act I

***

SYNOPSIS:
Jason Sankowski did not expect to live an exciting life. Not even in a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for food by the giants that roam the lands. Yet, upon arriving in a new city, to begin a new life, he is suddenly removed from his comfortable surroundings and thrust into a fight for survival.

***

“The Odyssey”
By MrNelg

Act: II

Nothing exciting happened at the checkpoint. At first, Jason thought this might be customs, but no. They just exchanged unintelligible banter before handing over what looked like cooper coins, surrendered their spears and then they were passed on through. Jason watched as the collected spears were bundled up with a fancy coloured length of cloth before being stored in a small shed-like structure.

He recognised the guards from their towering stature and antlers atop their heads; Cervidae. They not only displayed short bronze swords with leaf-shaped blades but round shields, armour and their prime weapon of bows and arrows. Their armour was nothing more than bronze shoulder guards, held together with leather straps that crossed their torso. Underneath they worth a thick tunic, bound by a leather belt. Like all mammalian's, cloth wrappings adorned their legs and wrists. They wore thin bracelets that seemed to identify rank. Lower ranks wore copper, ranging in number up to three. The highest ranking guard wore one silver bracelet.

The residential section of the city lay beyond the check-point. Here, they travelled down a broad, stone-paved street towards a long bridge that led across the river to the island. There appeared to be no grid plan at work, as the road twisted and turned like a Serpente around the one or two story mud brick houses. Thin trails of smoke rose from the holes cut in the roves while bored and curious faces occasionally stared out from windows. The majority of the mammalians here were Cervidae, and they towered over the Procyons as they had with the Geomyidaes.

They stopped at a Cervidae child, who was almost as tall as they were. She was standing at a street corner wearing a long, red overtunic that obscured her whole body, leaving only her hands and her legs below the knees visible. The second in command, Jason recognised him as the one who had complained about the shield's ineffectiveness against the rifles, waved her over.

He spoke to the child, who nodded and replied. Their distance, combined with the ambient sounds of the city drowned out their conversation, but he could see the Procyon frown at her words. When she finished, the male Procyon gestured for her to stay as he walked over to the leader.

<Alright,> the female Procyon asked. <What's the word on the healers?>

<The only healer who is familiar with Procyon physiology is an old Meles by the name of *.> Jason cocked his ear. Mammalian names were untranslatable. The name was two hash gagging sounds that made the Procyon sound like he was coughing up a hairball. There was no way you could translate Jason into any language unless you take the literal translation from the old tongue whence it originated. Then that would mean his name was 'Healer.'

<Only one?> Although he couldn't see her face, Jason no doubt knew that her expression was pained. <*! That will cost coin we don't have.> The second in command turned and cast a thoughtful look at something out of sight.

<Does that mean you want us to go with our backup plan?> He finally asked. She was silent for a few moments. Again, even though her face was out of view, he could tell she was conflicted.

<Do it,> she said finally, albeit painfully. Her brother returned to the Cervidae child and said something else to her, before giving her a copper coin. She nodded and bounded away like lightning.

They reached the bridge to the island and crossed it. It was not as wide as it looked from a distance. The bridge guards made the pedestrians give their caravan the right of way as they lumbered over it, towards the island. Even from within the pouch, Jason could hear the planks protest the weight of the big Komodoensis tramping across. The journey across proved too much and Jason spent the rest of it curled up in the corner of the pouch.

After this, they entered the city or rather, the industrial sector. The buildings were wooden structures with stone supports. They appeared quite advanced. The smells coming from a good number of the buildings indicated that the economy here revolved around food. Finally, they reached a warehouse which caused the caravan to halt as the door was unlocked, and then slid open. They ushered the Komodoensis inside and once all were in, the door slid closed. No lights were lit to unravel the darkness as the Procyon's set to work. Jason suspected that they could see perfectly well in the dark. The cages were lifted down and placed aside as they removed item after item from the great reptiles. Finally, once it was all finished, the Komodoensis were led over to and ushered inside a large pen that consumed one third the building.

Two hours later, a knock at the door revealed a small entourage. These mammalian's weren't Cervidae or Procyon. They were stocky and slightly taller than the Procyons with dark gray, almost black fur with white stripes on their faces; Meles. The leader of the group, a prominent female who wore only a light brown cloth diaper, and a dark green woolen cloak marched boldly up to the Procyon leader.

{The messenger tells me you have some dire injuries you need attending to.} She paused deliberately. {Caused by sapien weapons.} His captor nodded only once. The female Meles folded her arms dramatically. {She also tells me that you can not spare a single coin for payment, but instead, you have something far more significant than gold.} One hand tilted in a gesture that encouraged the Procyon to elaborate.

{Do you have your medical supplies and tools?} she asked. The Meles indicated with her head to the other Meles behind her, who carried sacks. {Can you help my siblings?} The Meles gave an irritated grunt, but walked over to the wounded Procyon's and began her examination. Once finished, she turned back to the lead Procyon.

{Nothing that my skills can't help.} She turned slowly back to the one with the shattered knee cap. {That one will have to lose his leg. There's nothing I can do for him.} His captor winced. {If I begin his treatment now, I can save more of him,} she turned slowly back to the Procyon leader. {Provided you have something that is worth it.}

His captor nodded and gestured for the healer to follow. She led the Meles over to the cages, still covered in the sheets. {Before I show you what lies beneath, you must promise me that you will tell no one.} The Meles just nodded. Her expression showed that she was getting bored. The female Procyon reached down, gripping the bottom of the sheet, and slowly pulled it off.

Somewhere out of view, someone – one of the assisting Meles – dropped a sack. Its contents crashed noisily. If the leader of the Meles thought that it was valuable was never made clear as she spluttered incoherently at what lay before her. ***! She cried out in her tongue. ***! *******! ********! The female Procyon made calming gestures, but it only served to agitate the Meles even more.

{Speak trade *!} She snapped at the healer. The Meles seemed to gather her wits at last.

{How did you-?} was all she said before being cut off.

{That's not what you're here for,} the female Procyon reminded her in a stern tone. {You're here to do your job; This,} she indicated to the caged sapiens, {is what I intend to offer as payment for your services.} The Meles was silent as she stared wide-eyed at the cages. From her expression, it appeared as though she hadn't even heard what was said to her.

{How many are you whiling to offer?} Her words were slow.

{Three.} Again, that blank expression.

All of a sudden, the healer turned on her so abruptly that the female Procyon jerked her head back. {Make it five, and I'll give you a jar of *!} Her words were fast - So fast that the female Procyon took four seconds to react to what was said. The entire room went silent. Jason had no idea what she offered, but from the expressions on everyone he could see, it must have been something precious. Even the other Meles looked stunned by the offer.

{Really?} Her voice betrayed scepticism. At this, the healer appeared to realise what it was she'd proposed. Conflict raged across her features, before finally turning to face the female Procyon and giving a single, sharp nod. {Show me,} she said. The healer turned to one of her companions and snapped something in her tongue. The Meles turned and fled from the building; fast.

{She is going back to my home to get it,} she said. {In the meantime, I suggest I start.} Jason's captor stopped her.

{Until I see that bottle, the payment is only three.} Again, the healer replied with a single nod. For the next three hours, she worked on her patients. She was meticulous with every case. She started on the most grievous injuries and worked her way down. They gave the one who would lose the leg ground-up papaver somniferum flowers. He started singing as they removed his leg. Jason had no idea that it was singing until he heard someone comment about it. To his ears, it sounded like slurred yowling.

The healer had nearly completed her task by the time her assistant returned with a sack. She handed over to the female Procyon, who lifted out a clay jar. She removed the stopper and sniffed. The healer momentarily halted her work to shoot the Procyon leader an 'are you satisfied?' look. Whatever her reply was, the Meles smiled at it. As she wrapped up her job, the healer cast a smug look at the Procyon leader.

{They will all live,} she announced triumphantly. {I've managed to kill all and any infections their wounds contained.} The female Procyon observed her wounded siblings; her eyes lingered on the one missing a leg. Finally, she turned and motioned for the healer to follow. The female Meles trailed with greed in her eyes, which only intensified as she stopped before the cages. Jason could see the sapiens inside back fearfully away from the bars. {Can I choose?} the healer asked, her eyes scanning the multiple pens. The leader confirmed, and the healer peered into the many cages.

She punctiliously scanned them, stopping now and then to point at someone in the cage. In a flash, the Procyon leader snapped open the lid, darted her fingers down and closing them around a struggling sapien, hauled out the screaming figure. When she handed her first selection over to the healer, the Meles started drooling. Jason eased away from the hole in the pouch, unsure if he wanted to see what would happen next. To his surprise, she snarled for something, and one of her aids produced a leather pouch, into which she dumped the hapless sapien.

After some time, four more sapiens were fished out and handed over. As Meles received the last of her payment, Jason had realised that they'd all been male. The healer stuffed her nose into the sack and inhaled deeply. She eyed the clay bottle she'd surrendered and muttered happily to herself in her tongue. The Procyon leader handed over a ruby coloured surrexerunt flower which she added alongside her sapiens.

{Remember-} the female Procyon said, but the healer cut her off.

{Tell no one,} she answered. Then turning on her entourage suddenly, she screamed something in her tongue. The other Meles all stiffened and nodded in rapid succession, fear visible in their eyes. She smiled warmly, before turning back to the Procyon leader. {Your secret is safe.} And with that, she was gone.

After that, nothing of interest occurred. Now and then, a few of the Procyons would leave and return with supplies. The female Procyon released Jason from his pouch to be fed and watered by his female captor, all the while giving him that paranoid stare. The only exciting event that occurred that day was a Cervidae that arrived. He towered over those present, wearing a long flowing gown that covered his arms and obscured his feet.

The Procyon leader spoke to him in his language, which Jason sadly did not understand. Mammalian's had far too many tongues. Although there were twenty-three known tongues among the mammalian's, sapien scholars had often postulated that they had only brushed the peak of the mountain.

Jason watched as the Cervidae stared down at his captor with distaste. His mannerism and voice held a supercilious edge. The female Procyon didn't seem put off by his behaviour as she spoke in humbled tones, even fawning over him. When she led him over to the cages and revealed what they held, he wasn't able to hide his surprise as well as he would've liked. One eyebrow rose sharply and just as quickly fell. He slowly circled the many cages, leaning in close to peer at the captured sapiens, before turning back to the Procyon leader.

He spoke in a serious tone now, using gestures that clearly showed he was feigning disinterest. The female Procyon replied enthusiastically to his words. However, her fur bristled when after a pitch, the Cervidae replied with a frown and then a question. When he received an answer that was equivocal, his temper rose. He didn't like information hidden from him. He snapped out something that didn't sound happy.

After giving a grim-sounding groan of acceptance, she opened up the pouch, and reaching in, fished Jason out. She displayed him before the giant Cervidae in her fist, and Jason couldn't help but shrink back from his scrutinising gaze.

{You speak the trade tongue?} the Cervidae asked slowly. It took Jason a few seconds to realise that the giant was addressing him and he nodded.

Then he hastily added, {It is the one I am most fluent in.} Both eyebrows rose this time. He turned his gaze towards the female Procyon and muttered something. He suddenly rose back to his full height and started talking professionally to his captor, all the while, sneaking furtive glances at Jason. Whatever he said, made his captor extremely happy as she praised his words.

Eventually, he seemed to wrap up, as she thrust Jason back into the pouch, and secured it shut. She then escorted the Cervidae to the exit, all the while praising him. The Cervidae seemed uninterested in her words, as he cast one last surreptitious glance down at the pouch that Jason resided within.

Once he was gone, everyone seemed to relax. <What was that all about?> Jason shouted out, hoping to get some answers.

<Just organising a few things,> she said. A few times throughout the day, he tried to glean some hint of what had just transpired from her, but she just cut him off. He gave up after she just refused to answer.

More time passed after that. Two whole days, judging by the number of times the entire clan of Procyons went to sleep. Jason was getting jumpier every day. It was like waiting for a public execution with no set date. Each time his giant captors rose from their slumber, he wasn't sure what would happen. All that did was a repeat of the entire day.

+++

By the third day, something was up. Everyone was both nervous and excited. They led the Komodoensis out of their pens, and the cages were once more loaded up on their backs. Once covered, the Procyons made sure to secure the sheets before gently easing the great reptiles out into the streets. His captor moved back and forth between the caravan as they slowly plod down the road.

The sun was peaking above the horizon, signalling early morning. They entered a vast open space with many stalls and tents arranged in a symmetrical pattern, divided into four different areas. In the centre of this area, was a simple wooden raised dais. The caravan parked its self at the base and began unloading their cargo. The whole clan formed a cordon around those who removed the cages from the backs of the big reptiles and carried them up to the base. Stacking the cages, they were then hastily covered with sheets.

As they worked, Jason managed to get a whirlwind glimpse of the rest of the world outside his pouch. More Cervidae were showing up to their respective stalls and tents, some even setting up more. They carried their wears and produce or had reptilian beasts of burden for the job. Again, none were the size of the Procyons. His captors drew lots of attention, making the female Procyon jumpier. She only settled down once all the cages were all covered.

At some point, while the Procyons had been setting up, a squad of Cervidae soldiers arrived and took up positions around the base of the dais. These troops sported bronze round shields and short swords. The Cervidae of leading rank spoke with the leader of the Procyons, again in his language which she replied with thanks.

The sun was now above the hills as they finished their job. By now, more Cervidae were arriving. Those who occupied the tents and stalls called out to them, advertising their wares. Females with children in tow made up the majority of the crowd. Curious glances were cast his captors way by those who passed close enough. All eyes fell upon the covered cages, but quickly lost interest when they saw the guards.

His captor turned suddenly, and he could no longer see the crowd. She was walking now, back and around the rear of the cages. Then she opened the flap of the pouch, all of a sudden and furry black fingers lifted him out. He blinked at the rush of sunlight, aware that he was moving fast, before being placed on a wooden floor. When he was able to get bearings, he saw that he was inside a much smaller cage than the others. Turning around, brought him face to face with the female Procyon, smiling back at him.

<Are you ready for your big day?> She asked. He only blinked in response. <You'd better not stay silent when I order you to talk.> She deliberately paused. <Or for whoever buys you. There's no telling what they might do if you prove uncooperative.> She pantomimed an exaggerated swallow, and Jason took an involuntary step back. <After all, you are a sapien. Even a herbivore who can't get anything useful out of you can recuperate their losses by selling you off to a predator.> His eyes widened, and she smiled, before covering his cage with a sheet.

She carried him around the front before setting him down. Experimentally, Jason attempted to reach through the bars to lift the sheet; Pinned beneath the cage, it wouldn't budge. He tried tearing a hole, but it was too thick. He gave up and sat down near the front of the cage, hoping to catch any useful snippets of conversation. That proved impossible as too many mammalian's were all shouting over each other, intermingled with questions, curses, orders, and general banter.

Eventually, a loud voice, not a Procyon, called out in the trade language for silence. When he got it, he continued. {Thank you all for coming today. Here all the way from the kingdom of * is *, an esteemed trapper of the * clan.} Jason recognised the voice as the male Cervidae who had visited the warehouse. {She has today, guaranteed an auction of unimaginable reward.} There was a pause. {Males and females of the Cervidae, Lutrinae, and Vulpes guilds. I will now hand over the stage to *.} The voice stopped and there was a smattering of polite applause.

{I thank you all for being here,} the Procyon leader called out. {Today, all of you here shall partake in an auction that will go down in history.} She paused. {So, rather than waste my time with exaggerated flattery, I believe that it's time to let the show begin.} Jason heard the sounds of pulling sheets, followed by the sudden decrease of noise. It was so noticeable that Jason could listen to the wooden floors of the dais creaking from the Procyons footsteps.

Then his sheet was removed and once again, the rush of light blinded him. When he blinked his vision back into focus, he saw the thighs of the female Procyon. He turned to see the cages exposed; their sapien occupants were all crowding the rear of their holding pens, fear visible on their faces. Then he turned in the direction that they were staring.

Standing before the dais was a mixed bag of mammalians. Although the majority were Cervidae, there were short and stocky, long-tailed Lutrinae with their distinguishable webbed hands and feet. There were Meles, and even a group of five short, round-eared, thin-tailed Rattus's. Further beyond, the rest of the market appeared to have stopped what they were doing to watch. Even the store owners stood outside their stalls and tents to gawk at the display. Towards the rear of the crowd, there was a small gathering of Cervidae children. They watched from a distance, not daring to come too close. The reason for this was apparent, as Jason saw some of the Cervidae guards that roamed the market glaring daggers at them. Among their number, was an Oryctolagus with light orange-brown fur. Her short frame and tall ears helped her stand out.

However, he recoiled as the most immediate concern for Jason, along with the rest of the sapiens, were a large number of orange furred Vulpes's in the gathering. He was unable to stifle his cry of fear as he slammed up against the rear of his cage.

All sapiens feared and hated Vulpes's. Although every mammalian predator species from the enormous Ursidae, to the smaller rodents, hunted and ate sapiens, Vulpes's, in particular, were notoriously infamous and proficient in such activities. Because of this, sapien society regards them as their natural predators. Since the beginnings of recorded history, the Vulpes have been held up by all sapiens who knew of them like a proverbial historical bogeyman. They've always been the prime antagonists in every form of sapien culture; Ancient and modern. Even shouting the word 'Vulpes' out loud in a public area can cause alarm and even panic.

With slow realisation, Jason now understood why the Procyon leader was hesitant to explain what had been waiting for his fellow sapien captives in the city. Vulpes's. She'd been worried about severe panic spreading among her prisoners. Maybe she figured that he'd somehow spread it.

The Vulpes's themselves stared back at the stage as if the Procyons had released a great mass of poisonous serpentes. Then slowly, that look became one of blatant hunger and greed. The other mammalians were either the former or the latter. The Procyon leader called out, drawing everyone's attention back to her. {What you see before you today, is the most successful sapien raid in over one hundred years. Within these cages, we have amassed a total of one hundred and seventeen sapiens.} A collective cry of shock and disbelief rose from the crowd.

{Why is that one isolated?} Jason didn't see who cried out, but all eyes were now on his cage.

{An interesting find,} the female Procyon announced, picking up his cage and displaying it to the crowd. {This lone sapien confirms what many scholars have theorised. That sapiens know the civilised tongues.} There was silence. Her fingers tapped at the bars. {Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself.}

Jason looked out at the crowd. Their expecting gaze was pinning him like multiple searchlights. For the fleetest moment, Jason contemplated defying her orders and staying silent. But just as that thought entered his mind, it was pushed aside by another idea. They weren't going to eat him. If he did as asked, and showed them that he was capable of speaking their language, it could lead to him being able to talk with his captors. Maybe even bargain with them. And with that prospect, maybe – just maybe - he could even win his freedom.

Jason swallowed his fear and stepped forth towards the front of the cage. {Greetings honoured guests,} he said slowly, but loudly. Silence was his response. {My name is, “Jason Sankowski.” I am fluent in three of your tongue.} He cleared his throat and continued. <I can speak the tongue of the North-Eastern Mountain region of the Middle Continent.> [I can also speak the tongue of the Low-Lands Plains.] {And, as you know from my introduction, I am most competent in the trade tongue.} When he finished, the Procyon leader was struggling to contain a Cheshire grin.

{I'm sure that there are those of education which would take great interest in this one,} the female Procyon said, placing his cage back on the table. {His sale shall have to wait until the end – Now...?} She clapped both her hands together with a retort like a gunshot, before spreading them wide in open invitation.

There was hesitation, then the questions started, turning to angry shouting as they tried to outdo one another. Jason had to retreat to the far side of his cage, and even with his hands over his ears, it still wasn't enough to block out all the noise. The Procyon leader refused to answer questions that explained the details of how she managed such a haul but was willing to allow mammalian's a chance to walk up to the cages and scent the sapiens within, to see if they were healthy or diseased.

Mammalian's sense of smell was incredible. They could tell how severe your injuries or sickness was by simply smelling you. One of the main reasons why it was important that sapiens cultivate the necessary surrexerunt flowers, who's scent masked a sapiens. One by one, the mammalians who sniffed at the cages all turned to their respective comrades and nodded approvingly, before returning to them. One Vulpes made his intentions embarrassingly obvious when he spent five minutes just walking back and forth, inhaling sapien scents; He quickly found himself booted from the dais. Once all were satisfied, the female Procyon opened the auction.

Offers and counteroffers were made. The auction was organised chaos. If they had a system to handle the offers, Jason couldn't pick it out. There'd be a roar of noise, and an individual would be selected to shout a number and a price; Rinse and repeat. The spectacle came to an end when a mammalian would be invited up to the stage and presented with his or her winnings. Individual sapiens were the most commonly sold, but there was a good number who walked away with more than a few.

The Cervidae who participated were the ones who bought small groups of sapiens. Most likely, they would sell them to other predators at a profit. The Lutrinae and Meles were the mammalian's who bought individuals. Their salivating muzzles explained their motivations. One female Lutrinae decked out in glittering pearls and the most elaborate white toga Jason had ever seen, wasted no time. After selecting a male sapien, she brought the man to her muzzle, inhaling deeply. After a blissful sigh, she then casually tossed him into her mouth. That elicited screams from the cages.

Jason watched as the Lutrinae almost melted with bliss as she slowly closed her jaws around the struggling man. The way her entire body shivered, and the expression on her face; It reminded Jason of a drug addict, getting a fix. Suddenly, she tilted her head back and swallowed. Jason saw the fur on her neck swell with a squirming bulge that slid down her neck and vanished into her collarbone. She closed her eyes for a second, before letting out a tiny, but satisfying belch. Licking her lips, she then gave a joyful shiver as she placed her hands on her stomach. Thanking the Procyon leader, she walked off, a spring in her step, while her appearance never once lost its drug-like euphoria. Jason almost collapsed. It was the first time he'd ever seen a sapien devoured by a mammalian, And he hadn't been as prepared as he thought.

The Vulpes's were the most resolute in their bidding. A team of Vulpes merchants pooled their resources and walked away with an entire cage. From their excited banter, they were going to sell those sapiens at a profit to the ruling guild in their home town. Individuals – most likely rich merchants from their attire - bought lone sapiens, who abruptly vanished between their jaws before they even left the stage. Jason watched it all with terrifying trepidation.

The first time it happened, it caught him off guard. A male casually pointed at someone in a cage, and a lone woman was handed over. He held her up to his face, admiring her as one would with a piece of art, while she visibly shivered in his palm. Like the others before, he inhaled her scent, but he reacted with ecstasy. Then without warning, his gaping muzzle dived on her. His jaws gently closed around her torso, before emitting a deep, base-tone rumble of pleasure. As his head rose, her legs flailed uselessly in the air, before he casually licked them inside and swallowed; his neck fur rippled with the act.

Jason screamed, emitting a pitch he didn't think he could reach. It was something to hear or read about Vulpes's, the scourge of sapien kind, eating people, but it was something else entirely to see it happen. The Vulpes was still for ten seconds, before opening his eyes. Something that wasn't there before sparkled within. He turned towards the rest of the cages with greed as his hands slid to his coin pouch. Someone in the crowd shouted something to the male, and his hand pulled away in haste. He cast a depressing look down at his coin pouch, before gracing the cages with a forlorn expression. Finally, he sagged as he left the dais; the Procyon leader was shooting a nasty glare at the Vulpes who'd talked his friend out of buying more.

After selling one-quarter of all the sapiens, the second in command approached the leader. <Just thought I'd let you know, * has informed me we've recuperated all the coin we sunk into this venture.> The female Procyon turned to look at the cages, which still contained lots of sapiens. She turned back to her brother, face beaming.

<Didn't I tell you we could do it?> Her brother's expression mimicked her elation. <Even * can celebrate. With the coin we make today, he can live the rest of his life in luxury without his leg.>

<Our offspring will live the rest of their lives in luxury,> her brother added. <*! Our clan will be famous among the guilds for this day.> He turned his excited eyes on Jason, who was unable to avoid flinching. <I can't wait to see what he fetches. I still don't understand why you didn't sell him first?> The Procyon leader patted his shoulder.

<He's going to bring us more coin than we can anticipate,> she explained. <Don't forget that the guilds are going to purchase regular sapiens as well. Their pouches are deep, and I want to squeeze as much coin from them as possible.> Jason turned from her to the crowd. Indeed, there were lots of eyes directed at his cage. These mammalian's were more decorative in their garish attire. Their fur was immaculate, and they wore jewellery, while a select few displayed small daggers.

Observing the rest of the crowd, Jason could tell the difference between wealth by appearance. Unlike sapiens, clothing was not optional for mammalian's, due to their fur coats. It was more an accessory than a necessity. What little clothing they wore was simple. Cloth diapers, loincloth, short skirts, dresses, and shawls formed the majority of attire – with both sexes. Cloaks, robes, and tunics were also fashionable. Footwear was little more than cloth bindings while the only thing that passed as head-ware were conical straw hats that the wearers held to their heads with a cloth chin strap. They also wore multiple necklaces with beads, trinkets or woven leather. Some even had armbands, wrist guards, bracelets and belts.

A select few wore nothing except for hand and feet bindings. These were labourers, who lifted heavy items or set-up structures for their masters, or bosses or whatever their society dictated them as. Others looked to be servants as they carried sacks, followed around and took orders from some of the more extravagantly dressed mammalian's. It brought to mind the old Meles healer and her assistants.

As the morning wore on, more and more mammalian's joined the crowd, whether as spectators or buyers. Some even tried to edge closer to the dais to see a real live sapiens. They didn't dare get too close, as the Cervidae guards had all drawn their swords and displayed them in full view. By now, they'd sold just over half the captives. Every time a predator bought a sapien, Jason shuddered violently. When it was a Vulpes, he couldn't suppress a whimper. Although the majority were stowed away in sacks or cages, many more still ended up in their buyer's stomachs right before his eyes. It wasn't long before he was a shivering wreck.

Suddenly, angry shouting erupted from the crowd. Jason turned to see a Vulpes holding an empty pouch aloft; pointing at a neat little cut in the bottom. Someone had robbed him. Jason couldn't hide the grin that erupted on his face. Anything that made a Vulpes unhappy was some snippet of satisfaction he could enjoy in all this sorrow. Then another mammalian's outraged cries entered the fray. And another. His head turned from one aggrieved mammalian to the next.

The grin became a laugh. Of course, it all made sense. With everyone's eyes focused on the stage, not each other. The marketplace was big, but not spacious. So many mammalian's packed in tight, constantly jostling one another. It would've been a pick-pockets dream.

Now the Cervidae guards were anxious. They took on a battle stance, their gaze flicking about nervously. Their commanding officer sent one of their number off in a hurry. Most likely for reinforcements. The crowd was now no longer focused on the stage but each other. He turned to see that even the Procyon's were apprehensive about the situation. Disgruntled murmurings drowned out everything else. Now, the shopkeepers were hastily packing up their wares, while the wealthy mammalians were quietly withdrawing from the area.

A Vulpes, part of a quartet who'd all had their coin stolen, turned on a Lutrinae who'd been standing in the middle of them. The mammalian in question hadn't lost his money and now found himself the target of the Vulpes's angry interrogations. One of the Cervidae guards gave a sharp warning to the group, who ignored him. He pointed his sword at the group but quickly lowered it when other Vulpes's backed the group up. The guards were pathetically outnumbered, and this was slowly dawning on the crowd as they began shouting insults at them for failing to prevent the thefts.

Now Jason wasn't smiling anymore. The situation was quickly getting ugly. The commanding Cervaide officer had climbed up onto the dais and was shouting at the crowd for order and calm which only shouted back insults. The officer kept darting glances towards the far end of the market place, no doubt praying to whatever God he believed in that his reinforcements would show up.

All of a sudden, a startled scream rose from the crowd. Jason saw the hassled Lutrinae from earlier in the clutches of his accusers, who were strip-searching him. Three of the Cervidae guards rushed to the mammalian's aid, crashing into the Vulpes's with their shields and knocking them into the crowd. The rest of the Vulpes's gave a rallying cry and then fell on the guards who vanished under a sea of orange-red fur.

The situation exploded. The rest of the guards swarmed forth to aid their comrades, but as they did this, the crowd turned on each other. On the one hand, it was fascinating to watch, as Jason noted that the multitude of mammalian's attacked representatives of the other species. They never attacked their kind. Mammalian's who didn't know one another came to their aid because they were of the same species. On the other hand, it meant that with the guards now unable to keep order, there was nothing between those angry, ravenous predators and the dais.

Jason suddenly felt vulnerable, as he realised he was still in full view of everyone. Although his knowledge of mammalian language made him valuable and guaranteed he wouldn't be eaten, in this moment of anarchy, that was no comfort. He was still a sapien, and sapiens were irresistible to a mammalian's palette. There was always the chance that the crowd would rush the stage, break open his cage and in a frenzy, forget who he was and eat him. He turned back to the Procyon's who seemed to realise this. The leader was shouting for the others to secure the cages. They were hastily rushing them back to the Komodoensis.

Then the nightmare unfolded.

Surprisingly, it was the Rattus's who made it to the stage first. As he watched them practically fly across the dais, he guessed he shouldn't have been that surprised. They moved like lightning. So fast that the female Procyon had no idea they were there until they zipped passed her. Her shouted commands momentarily stopped as they flowed around her. It was all planned. The two stragglers bowled into her leaving the others in front to catch her falling body and propel it into her siblings. Cages went flying.

Now the Vulpes's and Meles's were on the stage.

Jason never saw what happened next, because something yanked his cage suddenly backward. It all happened so fast that his body was slammed into the bars by the momentum, knocking him out cold.



First Chapter: Act I
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