The Outskirts: The Sky Raiders (Jace x OC) BOOK 1

The Sky Raiders: 14

"Listen, Happy. Can you help us get out of here?" I said.
"I'd surely help if I could, but I'm just a face on some wood."
I glanced at Cole. Clearly happy wasn't going to be much help.
"Where will they sell us?" I asked, eager to get some information.
"The slave market at the Five Roads." He said.
"What kind of work will we do?" Cole asked.
"You never know, but you can always hope you'll get to do something amazing!"
I felt bad that we were using him for information. "So we should never stop chasing the rainbow?"
"Thats the spirit!" Happy said, smiling widely.
"Follow a star! Keep your chin up and you'll go far!"
"Do the slavers know about you?" I asked, curious.
"The Shaper, Secha, does. She came and spoke with me one night. She told Ansel. But I'm tricky to remove, so they let me be."
"Secha is a Shaper?" I asked him.
He giggled. "Well she marked you didn't she?"
Cole traced his fingers along his bondmark. "Does it talk too?" He said. I rolled my eyes.
Happy laughed hard. "Your bondmark? It's not even a semblance."
"Why are you so tricky to remove?" I asked.
"Liam wanted me to stick. If I get removed or destroyed, I take shape somewhere else in the wagon. They would have to scrap the entire wagon to get rid of me."
If a happy face could look smug, he would.
"Can you move on your own?" Cole asked Happy.
One of his eyes flattened in a wink. "A little."
"What else can shapers do?"
"It depends."
"Depends on what?"
"On what they want to make silly! And whether they can."
I sighed. Happy was cheerful, but not exactly helpful.
All of a sudden, the wagon stopped.
"What's going on?" I said.
"It's to early for lunch." Happy said.
After some time, Ansel walked away with a man I had never seen before. The man was shorter than Ansel, with graying hair and bushy sideburns. They walked out so they could be seen from all the wagons. Then faced the caravans.
"We've met a customer by chance in the road," Ansel said. "This gentleman works north of here with the Sky Raiders at the Brink. Those names won't mean much to you newcomers, but the raiders have a heavy need for slave labor, in part because the life expectancy is about two weeks for new slaves."
This caused a murmur to go around the wagons. "Two weeks!" I said in disbelief. I fidgeted with my shirt, my ADHD going crazy. I had a feeling I knew who Ansel would recommend. I hoped I was wrong.
Ansel waited for the murmurs to die down before he continued. "Our customer was coming back from a supply run, but figured he should take advantage of our encounter by bringing back and extra set of hands. The wagons headed for the Royal Palace are naturally off limits, otherwise he can have his pick. Since the slave will probably perish shortly, I suggested the two slaves that caused a ruckus the other night."
I looked at Cole, the panic in my face mirrored his.
He continued. "Due to my soft spot for my obedience, I denied him Tracy, who pointed out the clumsy thieves."
Ansel then led the man to our wagon. As they approached, they kids crowded away from us. If the stranger bought us, how would we ever find Dalton and Jenna and get home?
The potential buyer stepped up to the bars and asked. "Your the slaves that caused a ruckus the other night?"
"Yeah." Cole said.
"Any physical handicaps? Chronic illnesses?"
"We're fine." I snapped.
"A little hungry." Cole added.
"We feed them twice what most slaves get," Ansel inserted. "They're in prime condition. Fresh from prosperous world."
The man nodded. "How do you handle heights?" He asked us.
"I'm not scared of heights." Cole said.
I hesitated, wondering if I should lie.
"And you, princess?" Ansel said.
I glared and said. "I'm not either."
"How do you feel when standing near brinks?" The man asked us.
"It's never bothered me." Said Cole. I nodded in agreement.
The man turned toward Ansel. "Easy as that. Ill take them."