Beauty in the Dark

The boars pulled their wagons through the early-morning darkness along the rough road into Klugetown. Birds of every color and shape whistled and squawked from the small cages piled around the tarp-covered bundles in the middle, and alone on the lead cart a larger cage sat shrouded in tarps. The lizards walked alongside the lead cart, watching the covered cage with disdain.

Inside the cage, Moon Petal lay still in her bonds, robbed of sight by the thick sack covering her head. She'd given no resistance when the boars lifted her into the cart, weeping constantly after the fight ended. She heard them talking as they brought up the carts, muffled and in bits as they moved about, but none of their words could break her from her thoughts.

She felt nothing now that her tears ran out, numbness enveloping her to the point that even the ache of her injured hoof faded to a memory. One thought echoed through her mind, over and over.

Starshine is gone.

The cart hit a pothole in the road, bouncing her bound body up against the bars of the cage. An arrow of pain shot up from her hoof. She groaned loudly, the hoof settling to a persistent ache under the tight coils of rope. With a sigh she started to fall back into her melancholy... until an intense wave of nausea hit her. Her eyes opened wide within the darkness of the bag and she pressed her jaws together hard, struggling to keep everything down. After what felt like hours the nausea subsided, and she panted to catch her breath.

The baby! Awareness flooded back into her and she clung to the thought. I still have to take care of the baby. I have to get through this or our foal will never see the sky. She steadied herself with a long, slow breath, finally taking stock of her surroundings.

The caravan slowed as they entered the streets of Klugetown. Creatures of all types, opening stalls in the growing glow of dawn, saw them coming and quickly cleared a path, keeping their eyes from looking too long at the contents of the carts. Any gawkers were met by the angry glares of the armed lizards and backed away. They wound their way through the streets and alleys until they reached a large compound surrounded by a high wall. The thick wooden gates swung open as they approached, and more creatures appeared to help draw the wagons inside. In minutes the gates were closed again and the carts arrayed near the entrance to the main building.

The wide double-doors opened, revealing a tall, slender, tan-scaled lizard wrapped in a robe of pale blue silk, flanked by spear-carrying guards. He stroked his claws over the black spikes under his chin while the boars busied themselves moving the cages into position. “Ah, Fanger! That was an intriguing message you sent me.” He stepped down closer to the boars, eyes fixed on the leader. “Show me what you've brought to fulfill my longest-standing order.”

Fanger bowed his head, smiling. “I think you'll be very happy, Konigi. It's the best I've seen in years.” He gestured to the other boars and they pulled the tarp off the big cage, revealing Moon Petal still laying on her side, bound at all four hooves and the sack covering her head. Looking back at his customer, Fanger saw Konigi raising a brow at the state of the mare. Fanger turned back to his crew, pointing to her. “Get the ropes and sack off her,” he growled before turning back to smile at Konigi again. “Almost there.”

The boars pulled at the knots quickly, freeing her hooves, then unceremoniously yanked the sack from her head. Moon Petal winced as the morning sun flooded her vision, raising a hoof to block out the glare. Blinking quickly, she peered around at her surroundings while her vision cleared, coming face to face with Konigi's broad smile just on the other side of the bars. She leaned back, glaring at him. “Let me out of here, now!” she demanded, getting to her hooves with a noticeable limp. “You have no reason to cage me here.”

Konigi ignored her outburst, instead looking at her limping hind leg critically. He rounded on Fanger with a frown. “You promised it would be unscarred,” he stated, his warm tone vanishing.

Fanger's eyes grew wide and he nodded rapidly. “Yes, she is. She is! It's nothing, really. I checked the leg when we transferred her to the cage. It's nothing more than a sprain, I swear. Just keep her off her hooves for a few days and the limp will be gone. There's no scar, not even a mark.” He smiled again, latching onto another selling point. “Her mark, yes! You must see this pony's mark. So unique.” He stepped around to the side of the cage, gesturing toward Moon Petal's flank.

Moon Petal glowered at Fanger as he drew closer, turning to keep him in front of her. “Keep your claws off me,” she warned. A moment later she heard Konigi humming in approval, murmuring, “I see . . . a cereus flower, then.” She felt a claw brush over her flank and jumped away from the lizard. “Don't you touch me!”

Konigi ignored her, again, circling the cage to examine her from all angles. Approaching Fanger, he finally smiled again. “I even like the color.” He turned to look at the other carts, then back to the boar. “Where is the other one?”

“The, um, other one?” Fanger asked with some nervous hesitation.

“Yes, the other pony. Your runner told me you'd found two ponies. That's why I sent Vakt and his team to back you up.” Konigi frowned, looking over the assembled creatures. “Where is Vakt, anyway? Vakt! Get over here.”

Fanger paled visibly, shooting a glare toward the boar he'd sent with the message. The smaller creature winced, stepping back toward the second cart. “Ahh, about that,” Fanger hedged, then sighed and waved his crew to the tarp-wrapped bundles. “The ponies put up more of a fight than we expected.” The tarps were pulled away, revealing the bodies of Starshine and the two lizard guards. In her cage, Moon Petal fought back tears but refused to look away.

Konigi stood for a long time looking at the bloody bodies, his face expressionless. “More of a fight?” he asked at last, his tone carefully neutral. “There wasn't meant to be a fight at all. You are trappers, Fanger. You were meant to trap them, were you not?” He turned to face Fanger, his eyes smoldering behind his carefully-controlled expression. “Explain to me how trapping two ponies turned into this.”

Fanger shrank away from the look, finding his mouth suddenly dry. “The ponies got free from the first snares and were getting away. Then that one,” he jabbed a finger toward the body next to Vakt, “threw a spear at the darker pony and knocked it down again. He and Vakt started fighting and the pony flew into them with the spear.” He looked to the other boars, nodding, looking for support, and they all murmured their agreement.

Konigi looked to the surviving guards from the mission. “Is that what happened?” he asked sharply, and they nodded quickly. He sighed and stroked his beard scales for a moment. “Alright, I'll accept it was my guards that caused the pony's death. It isn't your fault.” He looked the boar in the eyes again. “You can stop shaking now, Fanger. I'm still not happy about it, but we'll move on. Let's talk price.”

To his credit, the boar recovered his composure quickly, his broad smile showing off his tusks. “Yes, of course, Konigi. I know we only have the one live pony, but you've got to admit, she's a beauty. Just look at those wings! And that mark is like no other-”

“I'll give you 800 bits, Fanger.”

Fanger cut himself off, eyes widening at the number. “800 bits? You know I respect you, Konigi, but I couldn't go so low for such a pristine pony. I could go with 2000 bits.”

Konigi pointed to the corpses. “Your hunt cost me two guards. Don't waste my time. 1000 bits.”

Moon Petal stared, mouth agape, as the creatures haggled. Through her sorrow and pain the realization finally sunk in that the boar truly intended to sell her to this Konigi creature. “You... you can't sell me! I'm not some thing to be sold!”

They both ignored her, still pointing out pros and cons of the deal along with counter offers.

“You may never find a pegasus this color again. Surely she's worth at least 1800.”

“Her hoof is injured. That delays my plans for her. 1200.”

“Do you hear me?” she shouted, flaring out her wings as much as the cage would permit. “I don't belong to anypony! You can't do this!”

“The hoof will heal quickly, the delay is minor. 1600.”

“1400 is my final offer, Fanger.”

The boar shook his head, glancing to his companions. “I cannot go so low on this one, Konigi. I'll have to take my chances at the market. I'm sorry. I knew you wanted such a prize, that's why I brought it to you first.” He gestured to his underlings and they moved to cover the cage again.

“Wait,” commanded Konigi, stepping in front of the cage again and looking over Moon Petal from mane to hoof. He absently stroked his beard scales.

“I'm not property!” shouted Moon Petal, glaring back at the lizard. “You can't own me!” She could swear she saw the slightest hint of a smile on his lips, but it was quickly hidden.

“1600 bits,” Konigi agreed, causing Fanger to grin at his fellows. “And I take the stallion's body and their belongings, as compensation for my guards.” The grin vanished and the boar seemed ready to counter, but Konigi cut him off. “You should be happy that's all the compensation I want, Fanger,” he added, his tone cool and hard once again.

Fanger stopped himself from answering, looking from the cage to the corpse, then back to Konigi. He chewed on his lip, then sighed. “Done.”

“Excellent!” said Konigi, once again sounding as bright and gregarious as when he'd first stepped out the door. “Take the corpses to the cold storage in the back. As for the pony, bring her cage into my study. I think I want to take some time to appreciate my new toy. Fanger, come to my office and I'll get those bits.”

Moon Petal stared at him incredulously. “No! I'm not anypony's property! You can't do this!” she yelled even as the guards lifted her cage from the cart, setting it on a small wheeled frame just inside the doors. No creature paid her the slightest bit of attention as she continued to yell, plead, and finally beg before the doors swung closed once again, shutting out the morning light.