The realization that she didn't say goodbye to her family hit her like a blow to the chest. How long had she been unconscious? If she had been asleep for more than a few hours, her parents were likely dead already. Auriel's breath hitched and tears ran down her cheeks. She would never see her parents again.

Her sister, older with a more womanly figure, was likely sold as a courtesan. At least Auriel hoped this was true as the alternative for a woman was labor in a salt mine. Because Auriel had not yet matured, she was likely going to be sold as a house slave. Children rarely went to the salt mines. 

Auriel tried to hold her sobs in, but she wasn't the only child crying. All the others were too and Auriel couldn't help but let out a wail as she thought of her parents, her sister, and most importantly, August. August has betrayed her. He knew she was innocent, but he passed the guilty verdict. What had she done wrong to make him turn on her? Sorrow so deep she thought she would faint again hit her. She cried aloud, her howls of fear and sadness mingling with the children around her. 

The driver of the cart pulled his hat down as if to cover his ears from the noise, but he did nothing to quiet them. He had probably heard this racket many times before and would hear it many times again, so long as the trade of humans remained legal in Priya. 

Auriel managed to cry herself to sleep after what seemed like hours. She woke, still on the cart with the other children. She was sore and the rope burned into her wrist. She was thirsty, but there appeared to be no water around. The countryside had gone from beautiful green forests and plains to rock and sand. Priya was primarily a desert nation with pockets of civilization around the rare oases. 

The sun was just beginning to rise and Auriel could already feel the heat of it. She was glad she wore her light, white undergarments as they would at least help shade her pale skin from the sun. 

After a few hours, Aureil's throat hurt from thirst, her lips felt cracked, and her arms and face began to sting. She could see the skin of her arms starting to turn an angry red color. She thought to ask the driver for water, but she realized she didn't speak Priyan- perhaps if he traded with Tora though he would speak Toran.

"Excuse me? Excuse me, sir?" She rasped, her dry throat aching with the effort.

"No talking." He responded in a gruff tone, loud enough to make Auriel jump.

"I just want to know if we could get some water?"

The driver turned and slapped Auriel across the cheek. She gasped, her hands flying to her cheek which stung even more due to the sun. A tear tried to escape, but she didn't let it, telling herself she needed to conserve the precious water in her body. 

Another excruciating hour passed when Auriel noticed the little boy across from her began to slump. At first, she thought he was asleep, but then his head rolled back and revealed his eyes, open and glossed over. She had seen that look before. It was the look her grandmother had right before she passed away due to old age. But this was a child, probably no more than ten.

"Sir! Sir, you have to help him! Something is happening!" Auriel yelled and the driver. He turned abruptly and shoved her out of the cart. She flew off and landed flat on her back, the wind forced from her lungs. The driver stopped the cart and went to the boy. He forced some water into the boy's mouth, but the boy didn't respond. After several minutes, the boy's eyes closed. The driver swore and tossed the boy's body aside like it was nothing. He stomped over to where Auriel lay on the ground and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet. 

"You're lucky Toran's are worth double - to make up for the loss of that." He jabbed a thumb back toward the body of the boy.

"But..." the driver wrapped a hand around Auriel's throat.

"If I hear one more word out of you, I will cut your tongue out." Auriel's mouth clamped shut. He shoved her back into the cart. Before they moved again, he gave each of them a sip of water. It did little to ease the pain in her throat, but it was better than nothing.

Thankfully Auriel was able to fall back asleep when she positioned herself in the minimal shade under the wooden seat. She woke when the other children began to scream and cry again. She pulled herself from under the seat to see that they were at an auction. People stood on a stage and were auctioned off as new slaves. Auriel frantically searched for her sister, but there didn't appear to be any women older than her there.

Men grabbed Auriel by the arms and hauled her up to the stage. The auctioneer started the bid and immediately three different people bid for her. One was an old man with a beard down to his feet, one a well-dressed woman, and one a younger man surrounded by what appeared to be his friends. 

The three went on for what Auriel thought was a strangely long time, the bids getting higher and higher until finally, the well-dressed woman won. Auriel knew little about foreign currency, but what she did know was that she had been purchased for an extremely high amount of money. And she was no longer an independent person, she was now this woman's property.