POV Eliza
The man led us to the back of the building. Based on the dilapidated nature of the surrounding houses, it quickly became clear that we were in a poor part of the city. He led us out of the backyard onto a small street and from there on to a better part of the city. While previously the people we saw were poor and malnourished, that slowly changed. On the one hand, there were significantly more people on the streets and they were also significantly better dressed. They weren't almost silent like they were at the beginning, but were talking about all sorts of different topics. But I was too busy with myself and my situation to pay more attention. The man took the other girl and I near what I would describe as a marketplace. There we had to sit on the ground next to the road and obviously beg. I didn't notice much of it because my thoughts wouldn't calm down and I couldn't come to any conclusions.
Many hours must have passed because it was already getting dark. Then I came to my senses and started paying attention to my surroundings. I noticed that there were quite a few people walking through the street who looked like soldiers. They weren't wearing uniforms, but the way they walked and spoke reminded me of a war film I once saw on TV. From their conversations I could tell that we were in the Empire. The ruler of the empire was the emperor and resided inside this city in the palace district. The city was called Lightburgh and was the capital of the empire. I had never heard of either of them on earth. The rest of the people talk to them about everyday things. Among them were several who walked through the street in armor and with weapons. The first thought that came to mind when I saw them was adventurers or mercenaries. I really was in a medieval city in a medieval empire in a country completely unknown to me. And I feel like I'm 5 or 6 years old and I'm no longer in my old body. Then someone stepped on my foot that I was stretching out because he was threatening to make me fall asleep. I heard a loud curse and then looked up.
“Holy crap, who left their trash here? What is that? Beggars? Can’t the guards keep order.”
"Chill out. Let’s just move on.”
“No, holy crap. Just take a look. One wets her pants out of fear and the other doesn't even have the decency to look at me. Is she so ugly that she has to wear that hood?”
I couldn't react to what happened next. The man tore the hood off my head and caught my headscarf in the process. My white hair partially fell over my shoulders and my ears were clearly visible.
“Holy shit, what is that? What is that? White hair? And what are these ears for? Is that an elf? Dirty beast. That’s disgusting.”
“Now drop your weapon. You can't kill someone in broad daylight. That will only cause trouble with the captain again. And look, they're both wearing slave collars. Then you have to compensate the owner for the damage.”
“Aaaah, great, now I’ve completely lost my desire to party. Holy shit. This is all your fault because you couldn’t keep your dirty feet behind you.”
The man looked at me hatefully. The girl next to me began to sob and cry quietly. I didn't react because I was completely shocked. I understood less and less. Then I felt something wet on my face. I grabbed it and looked at it in disbelief. Was that spit? Did he spit on me now? But why? I didn't do anything. The soldier's companion then managed to lead his friend further down the street. He spoke quietly, but I could still understand her. I had never felt so much hate in my entire life. I was in shock at the latest development. Not only was I in another world and only 5 again, but I wasn't even human anymore. But what was worst was the looks from the girl next to me. She stared at me like the devil himself. I could almost smell her fear. Was she sobbing because of me and not because of the soldier? I asked myself once again what I did to deserve this. I pulled the hood back over my head and nearly collapsed. I felt tears running down my cheeks.
“Such dog shit. But you're just a hassle. If only I hadn’t bought you.”
The man came up the street towards us. He must have seen the scene. He grabbed my arm brutally and dragged me to my feet.
“There was probably a reason why you were so cheap. You have a cute face and I thought it would be a good way to make money, but I don't think it's worth the hassle. I have to get rid of you before someone kills you here and I get in trouble with the soldiers. And you’re coming too.”
He dragged us both back to our quarters. He then threw me onto a bed of straw. “You won’t get food as punishment for your trouble. And you there,” he pointed to the other girl, “I hope you were at least able to bring in enough money, otherwise you won’t get anything either.”
From the looks, I sensed her fear mixed with anger. But I also felt anger rising within me, anger at the situation, at the position I was in, anger at the person responsible for it, and especially at the man. I had never been really angry in my previous life, but now I had to hold myself back because otherwise I would get beaten or worse. The evening was very unpleasant. The girl whispered to the others and probably informed them that I was an elf. In the middle of it all, I heard a frightened cry from the girl who had first helped me, wondering if that was true, but I noticed that the mood was changing. I crawled into a corner and sank into quiet whimpers. At some point, tiredness overcame me and I fell asleep.
The next morning I wasn't woken up. When I woke up, I was alone. I was alone, desperate and hungry. Not knowing what to do, I just stayed in my self-pity. At some point, I don't know when, I heard footsteps and two people came in. I looked up and saw the man with another man.
"That is her. Pretty and rare. She is stronger than she looks and will make a good worker.”
“Let me look at her.”
“Come on, get up, or do I have to give you a leg up first!”
I hesitated for a moment, but then squirmed upright. I wasn't so desperate that I wanted a beating. As I stood, the other man came closer and pulled the hood off my head. He checked my arms and legs, my posture and finally even pushed me towards the window. Why is that?
"She's stronger than she looks? She's just skin and bones. Where is she supposed to make a good worker? And what amazes me is her dark skin color and her white hair. I can tell by her ears that she's an elf, but why does she look different than everyone else I've seen so far? Where did you get them from?”
“I bought it from a friend. I have no idea where he got it from, but it cost me a lot of money. You don't often see something like her here. Damn, in a few years I could have sold her off to a brothel."
Didn't he say before that I was cheap? And why does this occur to me now? I'm having other problems right now.
“Hmmm, she’s small and weak and she’s a non-human. But because we're such good friends, I'll take her from you. I heard about the incident with the soldiers. You definitely want to get rid of them. I'll give you 1 silver for her and that's very well paid."
“Holy shit. Are you kidding me? Give me 5 silver.”
That was when the haggling over my future began. I wasn't listening properly anymore because there was nothing I could do about it anyway. Plus, something else was bothering me. I looked different than other elves? Because I had white hair? Now what does that mean again? New ambiguities kept arising that I had no answer to. After a few minutes, the two men seemed to have reached a conclusion. Anyway, I saw the man take a bunch of keys out of his pocket, remove a key from it and hand it to the other man. He handed over some coins in exchange.
“So, now never come near me again. The money wasn't worth the trouble you caused me."
“Don't be mad, that’s not your problem anymore. Come on, little one, I'll take you to a safe place"
He extended his hand towards me expectantly. I had a very bad feeling about it, but I certainly didn't want to stay here.