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    The only thing telling me I wasn’t dead was the hand that reached into the cage and caressed my sun-burnt skin. Cool droplets of rain kissed my back as I lay face down on the hard ground. With every breath I sucked up more dirt; my throat was painfully dry and my chest ached to collapse. But I didn’t have the energy to sit, or even roll my head to the side.

    “What’s wrong with that one? Why is he taking up an entire pen?” The voice was rough and agitated but I couldn’t bring myself to look up.

    “He’s sick, sir.” A pause. “He drank from a river on the way over. I didn’t want him to but he was wea--”

    “You let them drink downstream?” There was a sharp sound like wood against skin, accompanied by a yelp. “Are you going to give me back what I paid for them? Are you?”

    “Please sir, that one was free.” The hand squeezed my own. “He came with the other one, they couldn’t be--”

    “Married.” The man paused and the hand moved over the ring on my finger. Eyes burnt my skin like the sun. “Did you bring what I asked for?”

    Gravel crunched slowly underfoot. Cautious steps. “Sir, I brought a few serving boys… but that one, he was the main--”

    “That’s what you brought me?” Another slap. “You, look at me.” Shoes struck the metal bars of the cage repeatedly, getting harder each time. The hand shook me lightly. “I said look at me.”

    I raised my head as high as it would go in the direction of the voice, but found that the master was much closer and stood further to the left than expected. I vaguely remembered his clothing belonging to one of the old high street brands. It’d been a while since I’d seen anyone wearing something that wasn’t stained or ripped. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and his dark eyes softened.

    “Oh…” he mumbled, and for a moment he seemed to stumble over his words. My neck ached and gave way, letting my head thump back against the ground. “Oh. He is pretty, isn’t he?” The hand tightened its grip on my own. “Open the door. I want to see my purchase.”

    A rusty hinge screeched and shoes shuffled around me. The hand held onto me so tight that it hurt. I choked on a groan as the hand released me and was replaced by a rougher pair that dragged me across the dirt face down. “For God’s sake, lift his head up. Don’t ruin his face!”

    A voice yelled something that I couldn’t quite hear; it sounded so far away. A hand jerked my head upwards so that the heat of the sun scolded my face. I opened my eyes and found the master staring down at me, one hand wiping the sweat off his forehead and the other one under my chin.

    “Oh, it is a shame.” He let my head flop back down before turning on his heels to walk away from me. “I give him 12 hours. When he dies, throw him in the pit with the other bodies.”