“Psst! Psst! PSST!” A dark man inside the nearby crate constantly tries to catch Grey’s attention. Grey glanced to his direction with a tired, emotionless stare through the gaps of his crate. His blood dried on his face.

“You are not from this island. Where did you come from?” The dark man continued. He has a thick foreign accent. His voice deep and low. Definitely not from the city Grey thought. He didn’t respond. Instead he turned his sight through the gaps of his crate to see the ocean lit by the full moon, past the other slave crates and busy pirates working on their ropes and sails. He smells like piss and blood, but he can also smell the ocean breeze, and it calms him at least for a little bit.

“Answer me when I talk to you.” The black guy kicked his crate, bumping it against Grey’s, trying to get his attention back and make him talk.

“There’s no point asking him” a woman said from another crate. Her accent is thick and sounded like one of the bidders from earlier. “Just leave him alone.”

“I don't remember where I'm from.” Grey quickly said, still staring at the ocean.

“How’s so?” The woman replied, surprised.

“I don't know. I'm not sure.”

“This guy turned to shit.”, the dark man chuckled. “Must be because the large woman whacked his head too much!” he added, this time bursting in laughter.

“Do you know your name?” the woman asked.

“Grey.”

“What?! is that because you're covered in dirt?” , the dark man laughed hysterically.

“Can you stop?” said the woman, getting irritated by the dark man.

“My name is Grey Arcanik. I live in a forest filled with blue, red, and purple trees. Everyday I sit down leaning my back under their shades and on the comfort of the many leaves the floor collected. Then, I write letters. Sometimes play with the stray cats there… big and small. At night I stay in my house from a treetop, where I can watch the moon and the stars until I sleep.” Grey turned his gaze on the crate’s cover above him. “But I don't recall where that place is… nor do I remember what is it called.”

The dark man’s laughing face dropped. They both fell silent. They've been watching the guy ever since the pirate lady bought him for ten gold coins. That is equivalent to thirty healthy slaves. No one has ever paid that much for a single slave, and a scrawny looking one for that matter. They got curious, and it appears that their curiosity is not misplaced.

“It seems that the gold coins are not wasted after all.”, the dark man said.

“Let's just go to sleep.” replied the woman, “Slaves are slaves no matter how much they cost.”

Grey continued to look through his gap, staring blankly at the ocean. He closed his eyes and once again try to smell the salty breeze. Hell knows what will happen on the next days to come he thought.