[left [pic https://i.imgur.com/SrZBh0w.jpeg]] [google-font https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Abel] [center [size15 [abel Sarai gently thumbed the soft silk of his dressing robe as he sat as still and straight as a statue for the woman applying his makeup. Her wet brush gently dapping at his full, slightly parted lips as she painted them with a brighter hue to draw the eye. If it weren’t for the subtle feel of breath against her fingertips even she might have been able to believe that this young man was not real but instead a piece of art carved by a master. His beauty belonged in portraits and immortalized in song and poetry not here in reality where it might be tarnished. Of course, if Sarai could hear such thoughts he’d be forced to break her fantasy and remind her that he had long been tarnished by the world. What slave could be considered pure?
It was true, however, that he was more beautiful than most could believe but that beauty was simply the nature of his kind. Aurelians. Some legends said the name, which meant ‘Golden Ones’, came from the legend that the first of their kind had divine blood which ran gold when they were cut. Others said the first of their kind had hair so bright it was as if it had been spun by gold. And yet others still said it was because they were more valuable than gold itself. The young man didn’t particularly believe any of the legends of his kind’s origins; he had not a drop of gold in his blood, and an Aurelian could have any appearance, and lastly he had learned that while his value was quite high it was one which could be compensated in gold.
That was exactly why he was there that night, after all. It was time for the slavers to get their compensation for all they had invested in Sarai. The young man didn’t begrudge them their greed towards him. This was merely the nature of the world. And he couldn’t deny for all the pain he had experienced at their hands, the humiliations, and inhumane treatment; they had kept him alive till now. He had been fed, and clothed, and offered the ability to learn things he never could have dreamed of in the place he’d been born. It was all he could do to rationalize it.
The young man seemed to glow in the room due to his paleness and beauty, almost angelic in his softness. His skin was pale, a sign he hadn’t spent time toiling in the sun and instead was kept inside like a treasure; his body was slender but not overly thin with the slightest hint of lithe muscles to his frame. Pale, platinum locks of soft curls sat on his head like a crown. His facial features were as one might see in paintings hung in palaces with full cheeks, a dainty and straight nose with a slight upturn to the tip, a feminine jaw, pink full lips, and his eyes. His eyes were truly the most stunning feature he possessed. They were quite large, giving his face a youthful and doll like quality with long, fine lashes that were surprisingly dark in color. His eyes were rimmed with a red discoloration as if he had been crying just moments ago. But most stunning were his irises; a light yet vibrant blue which seemed to reflect hues of pink and purples when they shifted with a misty gloss as if they held unshed tears. His eyes truly lived up to his name of Sarai. Perhaps even the royal jeweler of Rusa would be envious of such gem like eyes. But those same gem eyes that were so radiant and full of light were also devoid of anything else; it was as if the boy held no emotions within him, as if he could not be bothered to something as pointless as [i feel].
Those jewel eyes shifted from staring into the mirror to glance at the woman applying his makeup. She wasn’t a remarkable beauty like the women Sarai was used to. She was slender, with gentle hands and common features. She wasn’t unattractive by any means but she wasn’t a beauty who could move the soul. She was dressed in plain but neat clothes that didn’t get in the way of her working and she showed great skill and precision in her work. Sarai noticed a slave marking on her ankle when she moved to his other side. Each slaver company used a magic brand to mark their goods so they couldn’t run away or be stolen. The brand could be removed or overwritten if you knew the casting magic but forcing it off would result in scarring. Sarai didn’t recognize the symbol to identify the ownership, but then again he was really only familiar with his own slaver’s brand. Aurelians weren’t branded themselves, it decreased their value to have such a thing, but he’d been around enough of the regular slaves to know what it was. He briefly wondered if she belonged to a private owner, or was owned by the auction house itself. If she had been freed the brand would have been removed so she must still be owned by someone.
The woman stepped back, [b [#d05a82 “Is it to your liking?”]] She asked as she began to pack up her work tools. Sarai stood up from the chair he’d been seated in and approached the mirror to better inspect himself. His eyes were painted with a gold smokey eye with bold liner that matched the jewelry he’d be adorned with for his exhibition. His lips weren’t quite red but a similar hue of color that was quite sexy when he parted his lips. And she had used a shimmering, reflective powder to highlight his bone structure. He nodded rather than speaking and breezed past the woman. She felt dizzy with the sweet scent of lotus that came off the boy when moved so smoothly around her. His nimble fingers unfastening the robe to declare his intention to dress now. He had a dancer’s gait when he walked, putting more of his weight on the balls of his feet than the heel.
While he was certainly shameless enough to dress in the open there was a screen prepared for their comfort so he moved there to get dressed, the woman following after him to assist with his fastening and any difficulties his attire might have for him.
In order to better appeal to the buyers this evening each of the Aurelians would perform a talent to showcase their appeal. Sarai had many talents, he played several instruments, he sang, he could speak multiple languages and was skilled in the art of conversation, but his greatest talent was dance. He had learned several styles and with each he could masterfully move, embodying the emotion and feel of the style perfectly. Thus, his attire for the evening was a dance costume for the more provocative Raqs Sharqi style that was native to his home of Rusa and for such a provocative style of dance only a provocative style of clothes would do.
He wore a halter top of mesh material that was completely sheer and ended just a bit after his pectorals, showing his stomach; the mesh material was white but blended with his pale skin giving the impression that nothing was there and the cross hatch of the mesh was beaded with light gold beads at every cross. The collar of the halter looked like a necklace with the ornate curls and design of the gold and the large colorful gemstones. From the large centerpiece of the collar several delicate gold chains fell and wrapped around his torso, connecting to the collar again in the back. The top had no sleeves, instead he wore arm bands with the same delicate chains, no adorned with color beading that matched his collar and dangling thin, gold coins that would produce noise when he moved even slightly. Attached to each of the bracelets were long billowing strips of lightweight fabric that were also attached to the back of his collar, the join at the bracelet would allow him to release these fabrics during his dance for a visually impactful moment. The strands of fabric were white at the collar and faded into a vibrant yet soft purple towards the ends like flower petals. His nails were painted the same shade of purple with an iridescent sheen atop them that reflected light just like the jewels he wore.
The bottoms were sirwal style pants with long side slits which extended from where they gathered at the ankle up to his hip showing the whole of his leg. The fabric was sheer and the purpose was less to cover him and more to create shapes that would move when he danced. Like the strips of fabric he wore on his torso they faded in color from sheer white to a sheer purple. In fact, the fabric was so sheer that his jeweled under garments were clearly visible. But again, this was intentional. He wore a golden, jeweled belt at his hip level with the same style as his collar and the same delicate thin coins which would create noise when he rotated his hips even slightly. Delicate gold strands again fell and looped around him this time drawing the eye to the shape of his hips and the curve of his backside. His feet were bare but he wore anklets that matched his bracelets. Finally he gathered the last piece of his costume but didn’t yet put it on. Instead the bundle of white, opaque fabric was held in his arms as he exited the screen.
The woman helped to lead him to the waiting room where the other two Aurelians who were being auctioned were already waiting. He could faintly hear the call of the auctioneer as they began with the regular pieces being sold. The Aurelians would be the showcase and finale and Sarai would the finale of them all. There were slavers and staff of the auction house in the room as well when he entered and for a moment the breath of the room was stolen. The members of the other slaving company seemed displeased with Sarai while those associated with him and the staff seemed quite happy. The other companies weren’t merely displeased because Sarai was beautiful, in fact in terms of beauty one could not claim any Aurelian more beautiful than another as it was a matter of taste for these flawless beings. No, it was the way that Sarai carried himself. Of the other two Aurelians being sold one was too overbearing and intimidating while the other was too timid and would curl in on himself; but Sarai walked with grace and poise as if he had been raised among nobility. Of course, this way of carrying himself was something taught in the brothel, among the highest members of society he couldn’t afford to act like a pauper.
Settling into on of the seats away from the slavers and staff Sarai briefly glanced over at the other two Aurelians. They were also looking at him. The three didn’t look at each other with any emotions other than curiosity, they were not competing with one another the way their slaving companies were and they would likely never see each other again. So there was no animosity, just interest.
The first to look away from Sarai’s gaze was an Aurelian of similar height and build. Sarai had heard him practicing his vocal range earlier, he had a high voice with a pleasant warble. Unlike the pale Sarai this Aurelian had lightly colored, sun-kissed skin spotted with freckles on his shoulders and the bridge of his nose and cheeks. He had green eyes flecked with gold that were slightly drooped and gave a soft impression. His hair was a honey color that looked soft. He really resembled a canary. No doubt he'd be popular. But he also seemed anxious. He kept wringing out his hands and looking down. He was quite the timid little songbird.
The other was the largest of them. He was easily nearing to six feet in height and was built like a warrior. If Sarai recalled correctly this one was from the continent of Yusai like he was but he was from the Eastern kingdom of Kogark. Honestly, Sarai wouldn’t have guessed that on his own. Most of the people from Kogark have milk like skin tones so darker individuals like this Aurelian were especially rare there. This man had skin so dark with the luster of a black pearl. His eyes were deep and steady and his black hair was long straight and pulled up into a long ponytail at the crown of his head. Sarai guessed he was probably older than himself as it was likely he’d be sold to a female Anwir. Female Anwir typically responded better to older Aurelians than younger ones like Sarai. So it was probably this black pearl like Aurelian was in his late twenties or even his early thirties.
With their respected curiosities sated the three of them went back to waiting until it was time to be presented on stage. There were light refreshments provided to the Aurelians. Most of them were eaten by the dark skinned one. The little songbird seemed to nervous to eat and Sarai didn’t want to put anything weighty in his stomach before dancing. Instead he lightly sipped on water as time passed in waves. Finally the staff began leading out the Aurelians. First the little songbird was taken out. When he finally returned to the sitting room he looked much better than when he left. Sarai guessed that now that he’d been presented his nerves had finally gotten a chance to calm. After the songbird was the black pearl. Sarai had no idea what kind of talent he would be presenting but he didn’t bother with worrying over it.
When the man returned Sarai finally felt the pressing weight of his circumstances. He felt like his lungs were being forcibly pressed and it was hard to breathe for a moment. He spent the new few minutes trying to erase this feeling until finally he was his turn to follow out to the stage. As he approached the stage, led by a staff member of the auction house, he unfolded the cloth in his hands and finally donned it. It was veil that covered him from head to toe. The opaque white fabric was sheer enough that his form could be seen but kept his features obscured.
With the sensitive hearing the Anwirs possessed they had surely heard him approaching the stage, the pleasant sound of delicate metal clinking against one another. The anticipation that they felt for the final ‘item’ was palpable. As he walked out there were murmurs from the crowd, the veil he wore kept them from seeing him clearly and the way it covered him completely almost gave the image of a bride. Sarai took his place at the center of the stage, not lifting the veil for them to see him. Mellilla had taught him that denying them would increase their desire for him, so he would wait until they could no longer contain themselves and only then would he reward their patience.
The familiar music began, a gentle melody that his body move to with ease. Though they could no make out his features they could still see his silhouette beneath the veil. They could hear his movements that were made music by his attire. The dance was slow at first, like a calm pond in carefully cared for garden. His arms and legs moved in large, flowing stances that drew in the eye and he painted a story with his body as the brush. As the murmurs in the crowd grew, the impatience of his audience to see him grew with it and finally the tone of the music shifted suddenly. In a single motion he tore the veil from his body and the sound of the crowd was ecstasy. He no longer moved slowly and gently instead Sarai had become like a lotus bloom whose stalk had broken and now was subject to the currents of the river. He moved just like raging water so fluid and strong but with the grace and beauty of an exotic flower. The audience could finally see the full colors of his costume and the gems which caught and reflected the light towards them danced in harmony with the young man but his movements were so quick they couldn’t see his features clearly. They could see he was beautiful and their thirst he’d grown with the veil had been momentarily quenched but still there was longing for him. And just as suddenly as the music had swelled before it calmed now and his body slowed with it, finally giving the audience a chance to see his features as he resumed the slow and sensual movements he had begun under the veil.
Instead of the mood falling with the music it grew as they finally saw him. He could feel the desire by the audience to own him. The song ended and the audience was still clamoring but Sarai stood firm and proud on the stage. His chest undulated powerfully with his shaking breaths, and his legs trembled in this out stretched pose he was in, his skin was damp and glistening with sweat as proof of his exertion, and his face flushed beautifully red. He looked seductive under the lights before them all. Finally, he slowly dipped his body as if giving a curtsy to the audience before he stood and left the stage. None of the Aurelians stayed on stage for the actual auctioning of themselves. Perhaps the auction houses felt it was unsightly? Either way Sarai was led back to the sitting room from earlier where the other two Aurelians were waiting. He practically fell into the chaise he’d been sitting in earlier, letting his body relax into the soft fabric as he came down from the stimulation of his dance.
Sarai didn’t bother to listen to the sound of the auction as price after price was called out. He didn’t care how much he was bought for. He almost violently didn’t wish to know, as he curled his legs up to his chest on the chaise and tried to push out the image of a sun-aged hand worn by their life outstretched to accept a small pouch of gold. It wouldn’t do him any good to think of that now.
After some time, a woman dressed smartly in men’s attire came inside and gently smiled at them with no warmth to her face. [b [#00046f “Congratulations, you’ll return with your ‘companies’ tonight and the paper work regarding your ownership will finish processing tomorrow afternoon.”]] The woman didn’t flinch or hesitate with any of her words, clearly used to addressing such things. The dark skinned Aurelian frowned on hearing they would return to their slavers for another night and the little canary seemed to tremble more but ultimately no words were spoken by the three. They were too used to being told what to do to think about behaving differently.
Shortly after the slavers returned to the room and approached their respective Aurelians. The ones who approached Sarai seemed particularly pleased. They were lauding some abstract praise onto him but Sarai just blocked out the sound, [b [#483c32 “The one who bought you is a member of royalty. His name is Sorandrius Vox-”]]
[b [#7f8a9b “I’m tired,”]] Sarai interrupted, cutting off their words. He had no desire to listen to the slavers speak of his new owner. [b [#7f8a9b “I was told the paperwork would take until tomorrow to finish. Take me back to our lodgings.”]] He demanded without emotion in his voice. He could see the way the slavers bristled at the slave’s sudden change in demeanor towards them. But Sarai wasn’t their property anymore, if they were to lay a hand on him now they would be incurring the wrath of his Anwir. For most that wrath would lead to death. Thus they had no choice but to swallow their complaints and abide by Sarai’s wishes.
Sarai supposed that free of worry of injury by these men was a silver lining of his new ownership.
[i [#7f8a9b Sorandrius]], he mused on the name briefly before pushing it out of his head.]]]