By the time the convoy reached the city, the sun had already begun to set.
The wooden cages that were being pulled by a horse or two rattled loudly as it moved on the uneven stone roads.
Lin Anning had her back firmly pressed against the edge of the cage, she grabbed onto the bars above her to keep her from losing her balance.
She could see tall gates up ahead, the sides of the gates had been engraved with faded patterns that looked like they had been done years ago. A few guards wearing armor stood at either side, lazily watching as people moved in and out of the gate.
After a few seconds, they finally passed through the gates. The first thing that hit Anning was the noise.
The streets that stretched in different directions were crowded. People who seemed like merchants yelled at the top of their voices asking people to come buy their goods.
The smell of spices, roasted meat and sweat wafted in the air. The sounds of horses galloping along the roads echoed in the air and a few people wearing tattered clothes rushed through the crowd carrying baskets or some sort of sack.
As the wagon moved further down the street, Anning couldn't help but frown at the sight in front of her.
Wooden cages had been arranged in small rows and a small raised platform had been set up in the center of the street.
People. A lot of people stood a few feet away from the said platform.
Men, women and children of different ages had shackles around their neck and had been lined up just beside the platform.
People that seemed to be dressed better than she was, walked around them like they were inspecting livestock.
Anning's stomach churned at the thought.
The cage she was in finally came to a stop just a few feet away from the platform and almost immediately, the door was pulled open.
"Step out of the cage and don't even think of running!" One of the traders yelled.
Anning pushed herself off the floor of the cage and calmly approached the exit of the cage. She was about to jump out of it when a rough hand grabbed her arm.
"Hey! I can get out by myself." She said, trying to pull her arm back.
"Shut up." The trader said firmly, choosing to ignore her protest as he pulled her out of the wagon.
The moment Anning jumped out of the cage, she found herself stumbling forward. But she managed to catch herself before she could fall.
The trader grabbed her by the arm once more, his grip as tight as steel, as he hauled her toward the raised platform.
Around her, slaves were being dragged out from cages one after another.
Some were cruelly shoved to the floor, others forced to kneel.
Anning kept turning her head from side to side, trying to get used to what she was seeing. But she just couldn't!
Not far away, a woman dressed in smooth silk robes stood in front of a stall, examining a boy who didn't look more than six years old. The child tried to step away from the woman but couldn't.
He could only stand there with tears running down his cheeks.
The woman remained unfazed by his tears as she turned to nod at the merchant standing behind her.
She exchanged a few coins and just like that, the child was pulled away by the woman's servants.
A little further down the square, a young girl stood trembling while a group of women inspected her arms and shoulders.
"She'll do. The mistress would be pleased with this one." One of them said, nodding in satisfaction.
The girl lowered her head without saying a word as she was led away.
Anning's hands beside her body curled into loose fists.
The trader led her to a long line where slaves had been placed, the moment he got there. He released her arm and walked away without another word.
Before Anning could realize what was going on—
Crack!
The sharp sound of someone being whipped echoed through the air. It seemed at that moment, the market went quiet.
Anning turned her head towards the direction the sound had come from.
A small group of men stood around a small frail girl. The poor girl had blood running down her face, but she didn't move. She just knelt there crying.
The man standing behind her with a horse whip in hand said something but when she didn't respond, he raised the whip again.
Crack!
The moment the whip touched her back, the girl let out a scream. Anning bit on her lower lip and before she knew it, she found herself walking in the direction of the girl.
But she hadn't taken more than two steps when someone grabbed her sleeve.
"No! You can't do that."
Anning recognized the voice without even having the look. It was the little girl from earlier and strangely, she hadn't noticed the girl standing beside her.
The girl's face was pale as she stared up at Anning.
"They'll only punish you if you try to step in." The little girl said. "Also, you can't leave me here."
Anning felt angry and upset at that moment.
What kind of world or place allowed people to be treated like this?
Come to think of it, how did she get here? Was this reincarnation? Transmigration? Or body swap?
She had no idea.
Before she could respond, several people began walking towards her.
"This one looks interesting. I can literally see the defiance in her eyes." One of them muttered, chuckling.
Anning stiffened when they began walking around her. The little girl seemed to have stepped away from her at that point.
One man reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, he tugged her closer to him to inspect her face.
"Not bad, not bad" the man said, stepping away from her and moving to the next slave.
Another stepped closer to her, wrapping his hand around her neck and forcing her to look up at him.
Anning pulled his hand off her neck before the man had a chance to tighten his hold. "Hey! Haven't you heard of personal space? Quit touching me."
The man's expression turned grim. He lifted his hand and without hesitation slapped her right across the face.
Anning's head snapped to the side, but tears didn't well up in her eyes this time. Why? Because she couldn't afford to waste her precious tears. Never!
"Feisty, you'd be perfect for breeding." The man said, his gaze trailing down her body.
Anning's eyes widened at his words. Without hesitation, she took a step closer to the man.
"What did you just say, repeat it. I fucking dare you!" She said, her voice rising and octave higher.
The man that had just slapped her tilted his head to the side and said, "I called you a fucking breeder. You'd pop kids out—"
SMACK
The man didn't get to finish his words as Anning raised a hand, striking him across the face. Hard.