The market at Al-Aquaba was bustling with hundreds of Mobians going about their business. In the Eastern Desert Region of Mobius, this city was out of the reach of Robotnik's evil schemes, thanks to its location deep inside the desert around a massive oasis. The sands of the desert tended to clog the machinery of any robots that the evil doctor sent towards the city, rendering them completely useless. Thus, the people of Al-Aquaba lived in relative peace compared to many of the other regions of the planet.
However, Al-Aquaba was not a paradise. It had shadows in every alley in which criminals and villains could gather freely. Some did not even bother to hide in the shadows, brazenly conducting business in the light of day. With an almost non-existent police force and an admittedly corrupt ruler, no one could do anything to stop them, so everything from black market enterprises to slavery flourished in the desert city.
It was on this particular day, that a slave-trader led three girls and a boy behind him down the main street. He was a weasel, wearing fine silk robes with golden embroidery, which signified his immense wealth. In one hand, he carried a thick book bound in black leather with red lettering in some unrecognizable language, and in the other a silver chain connected to collars around his slave's necks. The girls were dressed both extremely well and extremely lightly. All three wore brassieres of gold metal with shimmery, see-through silk cloth, panties of the same fabric, and a golden waistband with a streamer of more silk which acted as a loincloth and provided only the tiniest amount of modesty for the girls. The boy wore only the loincloth. The slaves all wore a similar expression on their faces; not the despair and worry one might expect, but rather an almost dreamlike lack of emotion, only contentment.
The slaver strolled up the stairs to the palace at the center of the city with a casual ease, showing no concern that he might be accosted or bothered by anyone about his choice of career. When he reached the top of the steps, the servants standing at the door opened it readily; the slaver was a frequent and welcome visitor. He led the slaves through the halls, until he entered the throne room.
A large gorilla draped in even finer clothing than the slaver was sitting in the throne, munching on an apple and watching a display of swordsmanship from a couple of his servants. When he saw the slaver, his eyes lit up in glee and he clapped his hands three times. All the servants in the hall, including the two who were dueling looked up, nodded once, and filed out in silence, leaving the gorilla alone with the weasel.
"Alu, my friend! So good to see you!" boomed the gorilla as he stood up from the throne and smiled amicably. The weasel bowed respectfully and tugged on the chain once, and the slaves bowed as well.
"It is good to see you too, my Prince. I have some high-quality wares for you today," said Alu, smiling back. The Prince raised his eyebrows.
"Really. I must admit, I was getting bored with my old ones. Show them to me," he said, sitting back in the throne. The slaver nodded and turned to the slaves.
"Step forward and present yourselves to his highness," he commanded. The slaves moved forward in unison, staring blankly ahead, and kneeled before the Prince. Alu walked behind the woman on the left and put his paws on her shoulders.
"I was searching the streets for some new merchandise for you, when I saw these lovely specimens walking about. I knew I must get them for you, not only because you'd enjoy them, but because you'd pay a premium for such exotic fare. As you know, I'm not a bad magician, so casting an enslavement spell on the girls was an easy task... The only catch was that the boy realized what I was doing, and would have tipped off his comrades, so I had to enslave him as well. But as you can see, he is a rarity as well, so I knew you would enjoy him in your collection," explained Alu. The gorilla nodded appreciatively.
"Tell your name to the Prince," said the slaver to the first girl.
"Amy Rose..." she mumbled.
"And yours?" said Alu to the second.
"Blaze the Cat..." murmured the slave.
"And yours too?" asked the weasel.
"Princess Sally Acorn..." the third droned.
"And finally yours, boy?" the slaver prompted.
"Miles Prower... But people call me Tails..." the boy said in a monotone.
*****
However, Al-Aquaba was not a paradise. It had shadows in every alley in which criminals and villains could gather freely. Some did not even bother to hide in the shadows, brazenly conducting business in the light of day. With an almost non-existent police force and an admittedly corrupt ruler, no one could do anything to stop them, so everything from black market enterprises to slavery flourished in the desert city.
It was on this particular day, that a slave-trader led three girls and a boy behind him down the main street. He was a weasel, wearing fine silk robes with golden embroidery, which signified his immense wealth. In one hand, he carried a thick book bound in black leather with red lettering in some unrecognizable language, and in the other a silver chain connected to collars around his slave's necks. The girls were dressed both extremely well and extremely lightly. All three wore brassieres of gold metal with shimmery, see-through silk cloth, panties of the same fabric, and a golden waistband with a streamer of more silk which acted as a loincloth and provided only the tiniest amount of modesty for the girls. The boy wore only the loincloth. The slaves all wore a similar expression on their faces; not the despair and worry one might expect, but rather an almost dreamlike lack of emotion, only contentment.
The slaver strolled up the stairs to the palace at the center of the city with a casual ease, showing no concern that he might be accosted or bothered by anyone about his choice of career. When he reached the top of the steps, the servants standing at the door opened it readily; the slaver was a frequent and welcome visitor. He led the slaves through the halls, until he entered the throne room.
A large gorilla draped in even finer clothing than the slaver was sitting in the throne, munching on an apple and watching a display of swordsmanship from a couple of his servants. When he saw the slaver, his eyes lit up in glee and he clapped his hands three times. All the servants in the hall, including the two who were dueling looked up, nodded once, and filed out in silence, leaving the gorilla alone with the weasel.
"Alu, my friend! So good to see you!" boomed the gorilla as he stood up from the throne and smiled amicably. The weasel bowed respectfully and tugged on the chain once, and the slaves bowed as well.
"It is good to see you too, my Prince. I have some high-quality wares for you today," said Alu, smiling back. The Prince raised his eyebrows.
"Really. I must admit, I was getting bored with my old ones. Show them to me," he said, sitting back in the throne. The slaver nodded and turned to the slaves.
"Step forward and present yourselves to his highness," he commanded. The slaves moved forward in unison, staring blankly ahead, and kneeled before the Prince. Alu walked behind the woman on the left and put his paws on her shoulders.
"I was searching the streets for some new merchandise for you, when I saw these lovely specimens walking about. I knew I must get them for you, not only because you'd enjoy them, but because you'd pay a premium for such exotic fare. As you know, I'm not a bad magician, so casting an enslavement spell on the girls was an easy task... The only catch was that the boy realized what I was doing, and would have tipped off his comrades, so I had to enslave him as well. But as you can see, he is a rarity as well, so I knew you would enjoy him in your collection," explained Alu. The gorilla nodded appreciatively.
"Tell your name to the Prince," said the slaver to the first girl.
"Amy Rose..." she mumbled.
"And yours?" said Alu to the second.
"Blaze the Cat..." murmured the slave.
"And yours too?" asked the weasel.
"Princess Sally Acorn..." the third droned.
"And finally yours, boy?" the slaver prompted.
"Miles Prower... But people call me Tails..." the boy said in a monotone.
*****
Comment