CITY OF THE GODS: FORGOTTEN (23 page)

“What kind of beast?” Mazu asked. “We too seek a creature that has taken a young woman.”

Zephyrus wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “No one’s actually seen it. No one left alive, anyway. We tracked it through the forest of Artemis, but we lost the trail when we found what was left of the Shrine of Prometheus.”

D’Molay and Mazu exchanged a look. “A different creature, then. Our quarry has been seen by many for several years, always around these shores,” Mazu confided to the Olympians.

“The Council wishes you to find this beast,” Eros said. Immediately, he sensed resentment and resistance take root in D’Molay’s heart.

“I’m already on a mission,” he protested.

“And we have a second duty as well,” Mazu added.

“And I didn’t want to wade through bamboo,” Zephyrus commiserated, “but the Council wasn’t interested in whether I had plans.” He handed the cup back to Mazu. “Good stew.”

D’Molay’s hands fisted at his sides as he thought.
Damn these gods for finding him. Damn the Council.

“The Council may help you with your other work once you have done their bidding,” Eros suggested. He could guarantee no such thing, but the possibility might ease D’Molay’s reluctance. There was a long silence. “We can force you to obey,” Eros pointed out.

Mazu stood and walked over to where D’Molay paced in his silent fury. “You must go, but they were not sent to get me. I can keep searching for Aavi while you complete this task.” She placed a hand on his arm and tugged on his sleeve, coaxing him to lean over so that she could speak quietly into his ear. “But do the job quickly. The pact we struck with Glaucus will weigh heavily upon you.”

D’Molay wanted to assure Mazu that he had no intention of lingering for a single moment. However, their promise to the sea god was not for these two gods to know. He simply nodded in response to Mazu’s warning and started to pack up his gear.

“S-so, you ever been to the Olympian realm?” Zephyrus asked, oblivious to the fact that D’Molay was in no mood for chatting. “We’ve got good beer there, and wine. And wait til you get a look at our nymphs. I bet they’ll make you forget this girl you’re chasing after.”

Eros sensed a hot flare in D’Molay’s heart, and it was not one of lust for a nymph.

“Just take me where I’m wanted,” the tracker said tightly, shouldering his traveling kit and glaring at Zephyrus. Mazu watched as the gods each took one of his arms and flew him up into the sky.

Aavi, Es-huh and Oloth left the cage room and headed downstairs, Es-huh briefly stepping away to deposit the basket of fabrics in a storeroom. She then took Aavi’s tether, which was attached to her new red jeweled, silver-chained necklace, from Oloth. He followed them watchfully, carrying his spear. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Es-huh suddenly seemed to remember something and looked back at him. “Do you see him? Which way?”

Oloth quickly scanned the room and then stoically pointed off to the left. Aavi also looked over the crowd too, but all she could see were lots of people, too many for her to make sense of. Then she felt a slight pull from Es-huh and they headed off toward the main entrance. This time when she walked across the large room she did not get pinched or groped.
 
It seemed being escorted by a powerful guard with a spear deterred even gods from mishandling another’s protected property. Aavi thought it would be wonderful to always have such protection. They found the High Sulgi near the outside entrance to the auction house, directing guards and servants concerning the morning’s sales of lesser slaves and giving last minute instructions to some of the other handlers about special slaves.
 
Aavi saw some of them standing nearby, restrained not only by tethers but by chains around their necks, arms and legs. She suddenly felt lucky that she only had a chain around her neck.
 

“Show him around for an hour and then take him to the stage,” Namtar said to one of his handlers. As the man nodded in agreement and led the slave away, the High Sulgi turned his bird-eyed gaze to Es-huh and Aavi, taking an appraising look. “I see you have made her ready. I like the scarf around her waist. You have done well, Es-huh.”
 

Es-huh bowed deeply and replied, “Thank you High Sulgi. I live only to serve you for the glory of Lamasthu.”
 
Aavi awkwardly bowed as well, noticing that Oloth behind her was doing the same.

He noted her bow. “Very good, Princess. I think the buyers will not be able to resist you now,” Namtar said. “Leave her with me, Es-huh. I’ll take her around to the buyers myself. Princess might be our biggest sale of the day, and I don’t want anything to go wrong.” Es-huh held out Aavi’s silver tether to Namtar. “You may go now, and take the guard with you. Resume your normal duties.”

“Yes High Sulgi,” Es-huh said as she bowed again. Then she turned to face Aavi, impulsively giving the girl a hug. “Good luck, Princess, I will pray to Lamasthu that you will be bought by a kind master who treats you well. It was a pleasure to know you.”
     

Aavi hugged her back. She looked at Es-huh’s heart glow and could see that it was a mix of happy and sad colors all swirling together. “Thank you for everything Es-huh. You taught me how to find joy, even in sadness. I - I will miss you.”

They unclasped and looked each other in the eye, sharing a gaze that held the potential of great friendship, but one that was tinged with the knowledge that they would probably never see each other again.

As Aavi watched them walk off, Namtar gave a very slight tug on her chain. “Now Princess, I’ll take you around like we did yesterday. Do not speak unless you are asked a question, and obey any command I give you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, High Sulgi. I promise not to cause you any problems today,” she added as she remembered his yelling and the whipping.

“Good. Then let us begin.”

They crossed the room and stopped before some curious buyers. These men did not look like gods to Aavi, but then Mazu the boat woman hadn’t seemed like a god either. They were dressed in outfits made from animal furs. One of them had a helmet with horns on either side of his head. They had scabbards attached to their belts and all of them had beards of various lengths.

“Magni, isn’t it?” Namtar greeted one of them. “Son of Thor.”

“I am. And you must be the High Sulgi. This is my brother Modi and our friend Hod. We are looking for a beautiful slave for the new hall we just built. We wanted something a little different from our usual slave girls.”

“My title is High Sulgi, but you may call me Namtar. You have come to the right place for a beautiful slave girl. I have one right here that goes for auction today.” He moved his arm in a sweeping motion to indicate Aavi. “This is my virgin, Princess.”

Aavi just stood there looking back at them all. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do, so doing nothing seemed the safest thing. She wasn’t sure she would like these gods. They seemed rough and a little dangerous, like they might do something wild at any given moment without care or thought. They studied her intently, impressed with her appearance. One of them even walked around her to view her from every different angle.

“So where did you find her, Namtar? She’s quite a nice piece of ass,” said the one circling her. As if to make the point, he gave her behind a little smack.

Aavi winced a little at the slight sting, but stood still, quickly deciding she didn’t like this god at all.

“Are you sure she’s a virgin? I’ll want that proven before I bid on her,” he said.

Namtar moved in between Aavi and the god. “I’ll let you check right now as long as you are careful not to break her maidenhood. That’s reserved for the highest bidder.”

The High Sulgi lifted Aavi up and sat her on the edge of the stage, which was about three feet off the ground. He pushed her legs apart, exposing her intimacies to the nearby gods. “Don’t move from this spot, don’t cry out or even flinch too much, or you’ll regret it,” he ordered.

“Y-Yes, High Sulgi.” Aavi did not want to endure being whipped or again see another get that punishment. It was the most horrible thing she had endured in her short time in the City. Whatever was about to be done to her now could not possibly be as horrible as that.

“You may check for yourself, Magni, just be careful. As they say in Babylon, if you break it, you buy it,” Namtar said, somewhat sardonically.

Magni moved up close to Aavi and leered at her. Heeding the High Sulgi’s warning, she remained silent and still. Magni took a look at her violet eyes, pert creamy breasts and light golden curls. “Virgin or not, she’s a gorgeous creature, Namtar.”
 
Magni touched her cheek and then slid his hand down along her breasts and rested it on her thigh.
 

Aavi had been pinched and grabbed enough by now that it was almost becoming bearable. This prodding of her seemed to be a source of endless fascination to the men here. She still wondered what a virgin even was, as she had been called that several times the last few days.

Magni watched her as his hand roamed to judge how pliant a slave she might be. He was pleased to see how she watched his hand with curiosity, but no anger or fear. However, she wasn’t reacting in a sexual way either. It was like she didn’t have any idea what he was doing, or what he was about to do.

Aavi looked back up at the Magni’s face. His touching of her breast and thigh had raised an unusual tingling feeling that had sent a slight shiver down her spine. She had never felt anything quite like it before. It was almost like being tickled. She could see a glow in his heart, but it was of a color she didn’t comprehend.

Magni moved his hand down lower and started to check her. Aavi’s eyes grew wide with shock. Some dread panic coursed through her. She wanted to scream, to jump up and run away, but she dare not for fear of far harsher punishment. Her mind screamed that this was wrong, but she only shivered as the wetness returned to her eyes and a tear ran down the side of her cheek.

Magni grinned devilishly as he tried to tell whether this slave girl really was a virgin or a very accomplished actress, when all of a sudden a hand touched him on the shoulder and a dry nasal voice spoke out from behind him.

“Don’t you think that should be done by someone who is trained in these matters, High Sulgi?”

As one, the group of gods turned to the new arrival. Aavi’s view was blocked by them all. She was left with a feeling that she had been violated in some way.

“You. I haven’t seen you since you worked here as a healer. What brings you to the slave auctions?”

“Why else does one come to a place like this, but to buy a slave?
 
Looks like you are doing quite the business these days.” Kafele made a brief nod toward the busy auction area.

Aavi still couldn’t see who was talking but she knew the voice. It was the healer; Kafele was here!

“Kafele, it’s me!” Aavi cried out. She risked the High Sulgi’s wrath, but Aavi knew this might be her only chance to be taken from this horrible place and at last be with someone who cared about her. The crowd parted as the Egyptian stepped forward and Aavi’s fear and shock turned to overwhelming joy as she saw his familiar face. She beamed with happiness as she gazed upon him. Before Kafele could respond to her, Namtar interceded.

“You know this slave girl?” he said in a defensive and somewhat suspicious tone as he put his clenched fists to his hips.

Kafele was taken a bit aback by the accusatory stance of Namtar. “I examined her a few days ago, but she wasn’t a slave then,” he deadpanned, trying to throw an accusation back to Namtar.

Fortunately for Kafele, Namtar took the bait. He had been worried that someone might come to take his valuable Princess without paying for her. “The rules set down by the Council are quite clear, Kafele. She was not bound to any god or realm. That makes her open to be declared a slave.”

“Yes. I’m sure that is the case,” Kafele responded blandly as he spared only a fleeting glance at Aavi. Matching Namtar’s determination with firm body language of his own, he made a proposal. “Very well then. I’m here to buy a slave. I should like to buy her from you. I assume she is for sale?”