Down to Business, Chapter 3

Descending Earth 18, R.Y. 777

It had been an entirely unexpected trip so far, now a full week into their visit to Great Forks Koza had to admit the week had been as full of surprises as the invitation to attend with Ash. Though Koza Shige had been a member of the crew for several years now, she had never really spent an extensive amount of time alone with Ash. The more she thought about it the more she realized she did not know about the man who was an incredibly important part of her life. Though the trip had not been immensely enlightening into the psyche of Ash it had given her a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of life aboard The Geronimo to adequately reflect. When she thought about it, no one spent time away with Ash, it just didn't happen. No one got that close, yet somehow here they were. She was still trying to figure out if it was a good or bad thing.

One week ago Ash had landed The Geronimo outside of Great Forks, unannounced he asked Koza to disembark into the city and stay for an undetermined amount of time. The Geronimo left, they did not. Even if she had wanted to she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to say no.

In the last week Koza had learned that Ash owned and operated a small plantation on the outskirts of Great Forks, it was modest compared to the agricultural juggernauts that sprawled across huge swaths of land that made Great Forks famous. Yet, it was a sizable operation with acres of grain and hemp fields and a lavish wine vineyard. The house, again, was humble compared to stereotype yet stood two stories tall, held more than 20 bedrooms, half a dozen lavatories, an extensive banquet hall, and a cellar large enough to feed The 7th Legion for the winter. Two dormitories behind the plantation manor served as servants quarters for the various house and field help necessary to keep such an operation efficient. Before this week she didn’t even know Ash owned land in Great Forks, let alone ran an operation of this magnitude. As far as she knew none of the crew knew, in that respect it was staggering.

Ash had a capable task master who ran the daily operation of the plantation, which undoubtedly kept it self sufficient on a daily basis, still it would have required a significant time and financial investment not only to acquire, but maintain. Ash had effortlessly injected himself into the daily happenings of the operation when they arrived, he stayed busy and dabbled in every aspect of the operation. The staff treated him with a distant form of respect, they recognized him, they knew he had authority over them, but clearly they didn’t know who he was. That much at least went as expected. Koza was kept close through all of this, and she learned whatever she could. Not only about how to run a plantation, which she didn’t necessarily gather Ash knew a great deal about; but how he flawlessly entered a scene, dominated it, and left without making a fuss. That was the necessary skill on display, though Ash never said as much it was what she was here to learn. That or she was about to go from life aboard a first age airship to life on a farm... she was sincerely hoping for the former.

This morning, after a light breakfast of fruit, bread, and wine Ash had informed her that they were taking a ride into the city. Until now they had spent their time solely on the plantation grounds. Servants had prepared a pair or horses from the stables for them and brought them to the front of the manor. Ash mounted a proud grey filly, the horse saddled for her to ride was a white mare old enough to be the filly’s mother, but strong and young enough to bear another child.

With a gentle spur the horses set off at a trot down the long dirt road that led from the front of the manor, fields flanked them on both sides as the pair rode side by side towards the closest main road. It was a short ride to the road, though the house was small in the distance behind them by the time they turned from the dirt drive of the plantation onto the lightly gravel covered road that led into the city.

Once they reached the road Ash pulled up on the horse, slowing to a walking pace and Koza followed suit in slowing her mount. The signs of the city were recognizable even from this distance, not only was the road wide and well maintained, it also featured extensive traffic towards and away from the city. It certainly wasn’t the largest route into the city, but several large carts were visible headed into the city ahead of them and occasionally a larger group of people would be seen headed in either direction. The unmistakable stink of a metropolis was noticeable from a greater distance than the sight of the city walls, though the peaks of the impressively built temples were visible from an even greater distance. Infact, on a clear day Koza would bet they would be visible from the roof of the plantation’s manor.

They had ridden in silence up to this point, Ash just slightly ahead of Koza leading the way into the city and ultimately to wherever they were headed within. Koza was familiar with the city, she had started her life here, been raised here, worked here before and after she met Ash yet she still wasn’t quite comfortable with her surroundings. Finally she broke the silence.

“Ash, where are we going?” Koza had to speak a bit louder than she would have liked on the open road, but it was also necessary to be heard over the pounding hooves of the horses.

“Into the city of course.” Ash replied wisely, knowing she was looking for a more specific answer. “We need to go to the market before we leave tonight.”

That, of course, was the first she had heard of their departure. Though it was somewhat expected, Ash often spent a surprising amount of time away from The Grass Spiders, but he seemed far to cut off here to be content.

“And which market might that be?”

Great Forks wasn’t nearly the trade center that Nexus was, still it was one of the largest cities in The Scavenger Lands, the undeniable trade center of Creation, with an unrivaled drug and slave market. Ash’s general disapproval of slavery was well known, and his general approval of drugs was infamous, so Koza felt he had a fairly good idea which they were headed to. His answer surprised her.

“To the slave market of course. The plantation lost several workers over the last few months, and with harvest season approaching we need to replenish the workforce.” Ash was somewhere between matter of fact and cavalier in tone, which Koza found far too confusing to interpret as an unexpected wave of emotion washed over her.

Koza fell silent rather than respond, letting her horse fall just a half step behind so not to be face to face with him. Ash didn’t seem to notice her prolonged, bothered silence or that she had discreetly put a short distance between them. If he had noticed he chose not to acknowledge it. With both of them seemingly content to let the conversation die they rode the remainder of the short trip to the city gates quietly.

The gates of Greatforks stood tall and proud with armed guards standing along each side of the road that led through the open gate. However, it was plain to the trained eye that neither the guards nor the fortifications were truly battle hardened, instead serving more as a deterrent to anyone who would let trouble cross their mind. The significant powers of Creation did not concern themselves with the city of Greatforks these days, it had a reputation for being considerably more neutral and harmless when compared to the other city-states of The Scavenger Lands. That neutrality and even lack of threat however did not mean the City was vulnerable. The Walker of Darkness stood as an immortal testament to the reason the other powers of Creation preferred to keep their distance, it was best to keep a profile below the lofty heights of the Three Protectors of the City. Ash and Koza were well below their notice and entered the city through the gates without so much as a suspicious glance from the posted guards.

Inside the city, the road turned to a paved, cobblestone road with noticeably more traffic than had been outside of it. The street was wide enough for small vendors to set up their businesses at the edge of the road and attempt to lure in customers who were passing in and out. Their sales calls were shouted back and forth, sometimes a potential customers, other times directed taunts at one another as they competed for the same business. Ash was undisturbed by the bustling street, riding past with a strong air of indifference; Koza spurred her horse just enough to close the riding distance between the two of them, not wanting to be separated within the city. The thought of returning to the slave market of Great Forks weighed heavy on her mind, her stomach turning into a knot, once upon a time she had been sold to someone not so different than Ash out of this very market... Still they both remained silent.

The slave market of Great Forks was fenced in, not for protection from the outside, but to ensure that no one inside escaped. Their were cruel looking guards with spears in hand, and whips on their belts watching the entrance. These were not the same guards who stood at the gates, this was a private force owned and operated by a collection of wealthy slave owners, these guards were no more battle hardened than the others yet their whips were covered in dried blood. When Ash and Koza arrived they dismounted to enter, though the guards looked cruel, they knew their place and were friendly when the apparent buyers approached. Ash’s entitled indifference only appeared to be escalating, they entered the market, the guards taking their horses, without even uttering a word.

Inside the street was like the rest of the city, a wide, busy street with vendors lined along both sides of the road. Only here they were not food and clothing vendors, they were cages with downtrodden humans inside. The heckling sales tactic was just as common here as it was throughout the city, Ash and Koza’s obviously affluent appearance drew attention from sellers. The lump in Koza’s throat prevented her from speaking even if she wanted to, Ash didn’t appear to notice her distraught or the yelling from all around them. Koza was suddenly claustrophobic.

Ash took her hand and led her blindly through the crowded market, she had no concept of where he was taking her, her vision was a blur and she could feel the hot sweat crawling down her skin. She was about to lose her breakfast.

Ash pulled them to the side of the road suddenly, interested in what one of the hollering salesmen had to say. The slaveowner was a dark skinned man, a native of the east, tall and strong with a hard face that he tried to disguise to his potential clients. He was dressed in a tight, wrap of colorful cloth that seemed like it would make any sort of movement difficult, it was worn as a sign of status, an all important trait in this environment. Koza saw the man's mouth was moving, but did not hear the words. The man’s smile seemed to be more of a sneer to her. She keeled over and retched at the mans feet.

“The rot of you wares appears to have made my lady ill, you peddling crook. Bring the lady some clean water, before I tell the rest of these ignorant fools of the infested crop you’re harboring in your cages.”

Ash’s sharp, insulting words struck the salesmen like a viper, spoken with enough volume several potential buyers passing by could make out the words. Nothing was worse than a slaveowner with sick slaves in a market crowded full of entitled patrons and more susceptible bodies. The other owners would turn on the man as quick as the patrons were scatter from his booth.

The slave owner snapped his fingers at a young, shirtless boy behind him, barking orders “Boy! Water and shade for the lady! Worthless shit!”

The child ran off, behind a wall potential customers couldn’t see behind. Two other children came out from behind the wall that he’d just disappeared behind, one held a folded parasol and the other carried a long, palmleaf bound to a short wooden handle. The two boys, no older than eight and ten surrounded Koza as she regained her wits, sitting on the ground closer than she cared to be to her regurgitated breakfast. The taller boy spread the parasol and held it high over her head, shading her from the sun while the other began to fan her gently from a distance with the palm leaf. The wave of cool air and shade was refreshing and masked the smell of the slave market and her nearby vomit. When the original child returned, another boy no more than six years old, he offered Koza a glass of crystal clear water. When she took it she felt the coolness through the opaque glass and lifted it to her lips, taking a large gulp of the liquid.

“Now, if you think you might have something worthy of my time, that won’t disgust my companion, let’s have a look.” Ash, spoke to the salesmen, as he offered a hand down to Koza, the words still spoken as an attack on the man himself.

Koza, took Ash’s hand and got back to her feet, taking another sip of the water before returning it to the boy who at brought it out to her. All three boys looked at her with big, brown eyes full of innocence and desperation, with her wits about her again she realized they were slaves, too young to be a flight risk so they had the honor to serve their master.

“Of course sir, madam. You’ll see nothing but the finest on the market here, I assure you of that. The lady’s stomach was most likely affected by the heat.” He wasn’t willing to concede Ash’s insults nor did he want to pick a fight with a potential buyer, as he led them towards the cages that held his ‘wares’.

The cages were all covered by a thin, ribbed metal roof and were split by a long corridor that customers could walk down and pick from cages on both sides, they were humans being treated as livestock and Koza was forced to harden her nerves. Most of the men and women in the cages were of lighter skin that the owner, most likely from the south-east Koza thought. There were no children in the cages, at least if you didn’t consider anyone at least in their teen-aged years a child.

“I’d like to walk the cages.” Ash didn’t leave any room for objection in the statement.

“Sir, I do not think the lady...”

Koza cut the man off, she did not want to be coddled, especially by this man, “I am fine.”

“As you wish.” The salesmen spoke with a faint bow and spoke to a young man who stood guard near the door, similar such men were scattered throughout the passageway. Unlike the salesmen they did not try to hide their cruelty, they were hardened brutal guards who relished the opportunity. Most weren’t even twenty years old. The one who opened the cage for them, entered with them and another shut the door behind them. The salesmen did not enter, watching safely from the corridor.

“Stand up, please.” Ash spoke with a commanding voice, that did not have the harsh tone he had taken with the salesmen earlier. He spoke loud enough for all of the occupants of the cage and the adjacent ones to hear it clearly.

The cage was the size of a large room, it’s occupants mostly lined the outer edges and perhaps a dozen were packed into each one. Most were sitting on the dirt floor, not sleeping, but not fully aware. In a sort of lifeless daze, staring blankly at the ground. Only a few responded and pulled themselves to their feet, realizing that someone had entered their cell.

“You heard the man! On your fucking feet or I’ll have you..” The guard within the cage screamed at the broken men and women inside until Ash cut him off.

“Do not speak again.” Ash turned and spoke directly to the guard, he did not yell, but he did not need to, as the force of the command was evident and the guard did not continue.

“Please stand.” Ash repeated his request to the occupants of the cage and began to patrol the perimeter, walking near to the slaves who lined it’s outer edges.

Most followed Ash’s second request and rose to their feet. Ash circled the cage slowly, inspecting each occupant carefully and patiently. He stared each one in the eye, many he had to gently raise their chins to look at, but Ash’s presence was enough they did not react negatively to it. Clearly the guard and salesmen were uncomfortable, they shifted their weight nervously waiting for Ash to move along.

As Ash neared the end of his circle he came to a burly man, taller and heavier than Ash, with the body of a warrior. Strong, bulky muscle and hard, scarred skin covered only by a cloth around his waist. Koza thought he looked like a barbarian raider, and a fearsome one at that. Ash did not alter his behavior and when he faced the man for a silent moment the barbarian puffed out his chest, bumping Ash with his bulky frame. For his part Ash did not budge, the guard however had seen enough and sprung into action. In a flash he drew a wooden club from his belt and swung it into action, moving across the cage with two fast steps he took and overhead swing at the slave. Koza, no stranger to combat as an associate of The Grass Spiders, was impressed with the guards reflexes and technique, the club was aimed for the the barbarians neck. A one shot crippling blow was the intent.

Ash turned towards the lunging guard, reaching across his body with his left hand he caught the swinging baton with his bare hand and stopped the attack and guard in his tracks. At the same time he grabbed the back of the guard’s neck with his right hand, for a moment there was resistance and Koza saw the muscles in the guards neck strain as Ash squeezed. The struggle lasted only a moment before the guard’s struggle ended and Ash drove the mans head towards the floor, folding him like a discarded piece of paper. The guard crumbled to the floor, his face hitting his own knee as he did, and when Ash finally released him he flopped onto his back with a trail of blood flowing from his nose.

“If you ever try to touch my property again I will personally remove both of your hands from your body.” Ash spoke with even more vitriol than before as he threatened the fallen guard. A threat that Koza had no doubt Ash would follow through with.

“Open the door, I will take the whole lot.” Ash waved a hand around the cage, speaking directly to the salesmen outside.

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