The bijass ebbs and swells at the edge of my thoughts as we’re led off the ship.

“Visidion,” Rosalind whispers, glancing over her shoulder.

“Yes?” I respond but forming the word takes an effort, pushing past the urge to destroy our captors.

“Trust me,” she says.

Her soft voice cuts through the red fog, appealing, calling me to reason. Trust. Can I? She’s been wrong before. Gershom is her mistake. She was blind to him despite my warning.

One mistake doesn’t change who she is or my feelings. Trust her. I do.

The chains clank as we walk. She’s right, now is not our chance. Focus on surviving, and we’ll figure the rest out.

As we are led down the ramp off the ship, the air outside is cool on my scales. We emerge onto a decaying spaceport. The processed material of the pad is pitted with holes, and cracks run across the entire surface, clear signs of long neglect. Directly ahead of us sits a row of buildings that have metal infrastructure sticking out of the stone walls. Multiple other ships dot the spaceport but none of them appear to be in good repair.

A dozen different aliens move about the area, whether they’re doing work or wandering aimlessly isn’t clear. The four Zzlo guarding us herd us forward towards one of the buildings. There’s a black gaping hole that might once have been a door but is now a broad opening. Emerging from the black hole comes a massive, hulking creature that puts Todd to shame for size. It’s at least twice my size, maybe more. Its purple skin covers rippling mountains of muscles. It walks hunched over at the waist, shoulders rolled forward. A heavy protruding brow gives it the appearance of being barely more than an animal. On its shoulder is a creature no more than two feet tall with big eyes that dominate its round face. It seems to be lashed to the monstrosity of a walking mountain and guiding it by pulling on its ears.

“Far enough!” the small thing yells.

The Zzlo stop their forward progress, while the three not holding the chain prod us into a line with the butts of their weapons.

“Gladiators,” the one holding the chain says. “Good ones.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, won’t I?” the small creature says, tugging on the thing’s ear.

The purple monster moves to the end of the line then leans even further over until I’m surprised it doesn’t fall over. The small creature leans forward and inspects Todd at the end of the line.

“Hmm,” he muses. “Not bad. Bit worn, though, isn’t it? What did you feed it to make it so fat?”

“It’s not fat, it’s mass,” the lead Zzlo answers. “Good for holding position in the arena.”

“Hah!” Mesto exclaims.

The small creature jerks hard on its mounts ear and it turns so that he’s now facing Mesto.

“Like that, did you, scrawny thing? It’s pretty clear this one ate your share. What good are you going to be in the arena? You’ll not last two microns,” he says.

Mesto straightens to his full, scrawny height. The rags he wears shift in the wind to show his ribs.

“Mesto fights mightily,” he says. “Hah! Mesto you take, Mesto skilled.”

“At what, boring them to death?” the little buyer says.

“Hah!” Mesto responds, baring the rows of sharp teeth in his snout.

“We’ll see,” he says, frowning. He walks down the line, inspecting, pausing at me. “Zmaj?” he asks, looking at the Zzlo. “Nice.”

My scales crawl, and my hands clench tight, because I’m fighting the urge to grab it and smash it under my foot. Now is not the time; I know it; but every instinct screams for me to fight. Rosalind’s calm becomes a rock for me. She stands tall and straight, her head held high, an aura of control about her, despite our situation.

He moves down the line, coming to Rosalind.

“Female?” he says, looking at the Zzlo. “What do I do with a female, huh?”

“She’s a fighter,” the Zzlo answers.

“So you claim,” he says. “Last female you brought me didn’t last three fights.”

“She’s better,” he says. “Best of the lot.”

“I’ll judge that,” he says, manipulating his ride until his face is so close to Rosalind they’re almost touching.

My core tightens, muscles tensed, knees bent. It’s a feat to keep myself from leaping on him now. Rosalind doesn’t move, doesn’t blink, doesn’t show any sign of discomfort as he leans around her face.

“If you don’t want her, I’ll sell her to Vin’taris,” the Zzlo says, indifferent. “He’ll be happy to pay a good price for her.”

The Zzlo pulls a device off his belt, holding it in the same hand as the chain, poking at it with a finger.

“Heh? No!” the buyer responds. “No, I’ll take them all.”

“Two hundred fifty,” the Zzlo says.

“Robbery!” he exclaims. “Seventy-five!”

“The Zmaj alone is worth more,” the Zzlo answers.

They barter back and forth. Acid fills my stomach, creating nausea, as they dicker over our price. At last they come to an agreement, and the chain holding us all is passed over to the hand of the purple creature.

“Come,” the small thing says. “You belong to Bacca now.”

Rosalind catches my attention and nods almost imperceptibly. Calm comes with that nod. Now is the time. We’re going to make our break. A thrill of excitement bursts through my nerves. Taking two steps forward, using the slack in the chain, I pass Rosalind, intent on the big creature. If I take it out, the small one won’t be a threat.

Rosalind puts a hand on my arm as I pass her, and I look down to her. She shakes her head.

“Not yet,” she mouths the words.

Hissing, I shake my head, looking at the creature’s back in front of me, assessing its vulnerable spots.

“The female’s right,” the thing says without looking back. “You don’t want to do that.”

Waves of shock run across me.

“How?” I ask.

He turns his ride around towards the slaves. One tiny finger taps against the side of his head. “I know,” he grins.

Cold creeps from my core and out to my limbs. It pushes the bijass aside, leaving nothing but reason in its wake. I step back into line. No matter how smart he thinks he is, every enemy makes a mistake. It’s only a matter of when and being ready when he does.

“Hah!” Mesto says.

I shoot a glare at him, but he grins bigger and shrugs.

We’re led through the dark opening and into the building. My outer lenses snap open, adjusting my eyes to the change in lighting. The interior is in an even worse state of decay than the exterior. The walls have so many openings blasted through them, they can barely divide the space. Sunlight streaming through holes in the ceiling is the only source of light.

Our despondent group treks through the wreckage, climbing over small piles of debris while moving around large ones, until at last we emerge on the other side—a busy city street. A wide variety of animals are leashed to posts along the roadside, while hundreds of different beings walk, run, barter, yell, and interact for as far as I can see in either direction. Yellow dirt forms the street, and the dust of it covers everything and everyone.

It’s noisy, too noisy, an assault on my ears. It’s been so long since I’ve heard the sound of so many living beings in a small area. Rosalind slows her walk until she’s closer to me. She gives me a tight smile.

“It’s okay,” she says, so softly that I read her lips more than hear her words. “Stay calm.”

A grimace is all I can manage in return. Warmth in my core flickers knowing she is picking up on my emotions. It’s tempered by our situation. The collar around my neck chafes against my bare skin, a heavy reminder that we have nothing, not even our own freedom.

“Hurry up,” our captor says, and then the being he rides jerks the chain forward. Cenar is pulled off his feet, slamming to the ground with a loud crack, crying out in surprise if not pain.

Mesto falls as the chain around his neck pulls tight with Cenar’s collapse. Seeing it coming, I move fast. Grabbing the chain in front of Rosalind, I wrap it around my arm then pull back, bracing myself. The chain jerks, but I absorb the force from it, keeping it from hitting Rosalind. Protecting her.

As Cenar climbs back to his feet, Rosalind places a soft hand on my arm, smiling. She mouths her thanks to me as I let the chain go. The warmth grows in my core, having protected her at least that much.

We resume our march through the city. I’m surprised no one gives us a second look. Those whose gaze does pass over us seem to not even notice we’re there. We’re not the only ones with collars, though I don’t see any others chained together as we are. Similar collars adorn at least half those I see. Watching them I see they act subservient to anyone without a collar on.

It would seem that slaves can reach a state of being able to roam freely. I assume they are on their masters’ errands. None of the ones I see look like fighters. They don’t have the build for it. Rosalind nods her head to the right. Following her indication, I see four creatures with collars. One of them, bigger than the other three, has a lighter chain connecting them all to a box in his hand. He walks with an imperious air, and the crowd is parting before him. Even those without collars step out of his way as he walks.

The three slaves following him are all obviously female and barely dressed. Each of them is bare chested with breasts exposed, all of them having the swells on their chests that I imagine are similar to Rosalind’s, though none of them are human or have her coloring. The three keep their eyes cast down but sway their bodies in a way that shouts sex.

Bijass rages, rising inside me and grabbing control. My hands ball into fists, and I step to the side, with redness closing on the edges of my vision. This cannot be.

Spreading my wings as I bend my knees, I leap, not caring about the chain on my neck. Landing in front of the haughty creature controlling the females, I slam a fist into his thin, bony face. A satisfying crunch sounds, and then blue-green blood spurts from his broken nose. He screams, a high-pitched sound like an injured bivo calf.

Stumbling back, he drops the box controlling the slaves’ chains. I grab it before it hits the ground, while the females cry out in fear. I crush the damnable box in one hand. A soft shock runs up my arm but only slightly numbs it. The bleeding male creature shouts something unintelligible, and then others are racing forward. The first to reach me is covered head to toe in rags with some kind of goggles over its eyes.

I punch it in the throat area before it gets within its own arms’ reach, and it drops to the ground gagging. Something moves at the edge of my vision, and I swing my tail, making solid contact. I turn in time to see another flying up into the air and landing on its back with a whump.

Three more close from all sides, approaching with more caution. They have long sticks crackling with electricity and jab them in and out as they approach. Roaring my defiance, I turn back and forth keeping them all within my sight.

“Visidion!” Rosalind cries out in pain.

The purple creature our new owner rides has her, its one massive paw gripping the top of her head, holding her in the air, her feet dangling off the ground. Her face is red, eyes wide. The rage burns hotter. Rushing forward, I slam into one of the defenders with his electric stick, knocking him to one side with the force of the impact.

“Yes, Visidion, come my strong one, you’ll be a champion for sure. Once I break you,” our owner says, smiling.

Rosalind’s mouth moves, but the blood rushing in my ears drowns out sound. Red covers my vision, and rage consumes me as I leap into the air. Wings spreading, catching a draft, carrying me forward. I’m already cocking a fist as I arc down at the monster holding my treasure.

White. Everything turns to white and pain. Can’t control my body, convulsing on the dirt, every fiber burning. Distantly, the sound of Rosalind screaming my name. Her voice pulls me through.

I rise to my knees, muscles quivering as electricity pours through me. Gritting my teeth, I force myself to stand no matter the pain, no matter the betrayal of my body. No one will hurt her. She is my treasure. I am her guardian.

“This one will be my champion!” the small creature cackles.

“Stop, fool,” Todd says.

One step forward, the pain increases, vision flashes on and off.

“Come my champion, show us all you have. Let us see if Noki won’t break you,” the creature says, smiling and bobbing up and down with excitement.

Rosalind still dangles from the huge creature’s hand. I take another step, and Noki touches the box in its hand again. The pain is so intense there is no thought. My legs tremble as I force another step. Almost… there.

Water streams down Rosalind’s face, stoking my rage higher. Another step, last one. A touch on the pad and the pain goes to heights unbelievable.

Balling my fist, blind with pain, I jab, striking the place where the purple monster’s shoulder meets its arm. It cries out in surprise and pain, dropping Rosalind. The convulsions become less when I touch him, as the electricity moves through me to him. I leap forward, arms wide, and then grab onto the purple creature with both arms, enclosing it in a hug. It screams, and letting go, I scream too.

Together it and I fall to the ground, taking Bacca with us. The pain rises further, blinding, until I can’t see or hear. Pain is all there is. Rosalind is free. When I know that, the pain spikes, and I lose myself to the darkness.